ST. JOHN'S, "TOWN"
BY CLAY LARROY
It
doesn't matter if you take a trip across the state line or the border, being
far from home can be exciting and also a bit stressful. When considering
traveling, it is important to think of the best mode of travel. Traveling by car can offer
many more sights and opportunities for side trips. Traveling by train can offer
a chance to relax and get some work done if they wanted. Planes can cover
ground fast but don't allow much movement and one cannot get off the plane in
flight. Each mode of travel has its own advantages and disadvantages to be
considered. When you want to plan a vacation contact me!
St. John's, "Town", as St. John's is the only major urban area
in Newfoundland, going across the island to "town" is heading to St.
John's
St. John's, our province's capital, is the
perfect combination of big-city luxury and small-town charm. As the oldest and
most easterly city in North America, this is where heritage lives. Melded with
culture, history, and personality, St. John's has survived two World Wars, five
centuries, countless hardships and triumphs. It's become a rare, old city full
of character, experience and charisma, with a contemporary, sophisticated edge.
Wander down the narrow, crisscrossing streets
carved by horse and carriage over 100 years ago. Pass the colorful jellybean
row houses wedged together in every space lining the sides of steep hills and
hidden alleyways. Once you've meandered down to the working harbor of the
waterfront, look towards the Narrows and imagine a time when the waters were
brimming full with fishing schooners.
Visit Quidi Vidi, our charming
village-within-a-city, which still embodies the spirit of an old fishing outpost.
Then, hike up nearby Signal Hill through the famous Battery,
where tiny wooden homes still cling valiantly to cliff sides ravaged by ocean
waves. The unmistakable, iconic Cabot Tower guards the top of Signal Hill,
where military men guarded our shores throughout the 1700s and 1800s. Here,
Marconi famously received his first transmission across the Atlantic in 1901.
Look out over the cliffs and watch the city's harbor and captivating skyline
spread out before you. Perched on the top of the horizon is The Rooms,
home to our provincial museum, art gallery and archives, standing next to the
striking twin clock towers of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist.
As you explore the history of this place, shop at the many fine boutiques, shops,
cafés, restaurants, pubs, and art galleries lining our streets. In the evening,
sit back, relax, and enjoy live music or local theatre where actors will
whisk you away to another place and time.
For nightlife excitement, head to the famous George Street. Here, clubs, pubs, bars, and
restaurants are stacked and crammed. Every evening, George Street blazes with
energy, especially during the George Street Festival – five days and nights of
dynamic musical entertainment. For more information on George Street and
upcoming events on the street visit the George
Street Association website.
Here in St. John's, courteous and lively people
will treat you as friends – willing to send you in the right direction, help
you on your way, or even take you there. Always happy to tell a tale, no matter
how tall, just to make you smile. Certainly, this city is like no other.
Things
to do
ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
Designed by the
great English architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, the Anglican Cathedral of St.
John the Baptist is regarded as one of the finest examples of ecclesiastical
Gothic Revival.
Website:
Bannerman Park
Bannerman Park is a
Victoria-style urban park located in historic downtown St. John’s and contains
a public swimming pool, playground, a baseball diamond, and many large open
grassy areas.
Website:
BASILICA OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST
With its twin
43-metre-high towers and location on the high hill on the northern side of the harbor,
the Basilica has long been the dominant feature of the St. John's skyline.
Website:
BOTANICAL GARDEN
Memorial
University's Botanical Garden is located near the heart of St. John's. It
is unusual in its dual purposes of botanical garden and natural reserve.
Website:
Bowring Park
Bowring Park is an
old-style English park located in the west end of St. John’s where visitors can
enjoy activities such as feeding the ducks and swans, walking or cycling the
meandering trail.
Website:
Cape Spear National Historic Site
Just 17 kilometers
from downtown St. John's, Cape Spear National Historic Site is situated at the
most easterly point in North America.
Website:
COCHRANE ST. UNITED CHURCH
The present
Cochrane Street church is unique in architecture in the province. It shows a
Northern Italian exterior with many distinctive features.
Website:
COLONIAL BUILDING
Colonial Building
opened in the 1850s, almost two decades after Newfoundland obtained
self-government in 1832.
Website:
COMMISSARIAT HOUSE
This provincial
historic site was constructed in 1818 -1821. This gracious Georgian structure
is located in the east end and served as the home and office of the Assistant
Commissary General.
Website:
CONFEDERATION BUILDING
Standing on a hill
overlooking historic St. John's, Confederation Building houses the Legislative
Assembly.
Website:
EAST COAST TRAIL
The East Coast
Trail is a 540 km coastal hiking experience that takes you to the outermost
reaches of North America.
Website:
GEORGE STREET UNITED CHURCH
This is the oldest
surviving Methodist church in St. John's. The cornerstone was laid in 1872. The
church is built of Newfoundland stone and slate quarried from the Southside
Hills of the city.
Website:
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
This is the
official residence of the Lieutenant Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Website:
GOWER STREET UNITED CHURCH
This visibly
striking church, sometimes called the "Methodist Cathedral", is built
of red brick and was completed in 1896 after the previous church on the site
was destroyed.
Website:
GRAND CONCOURSE
The Grand Concourse
is an integrated walkway system for the cities of St. John's and Mount Pearl
and the Town of Paradise.
Website:
JAMES J. O'MARA PHARMACY MUSEUM
The James J. O'Mara
Pharmacy Museum is a heritage drug store circa 1895, and is a replica of a
working pharmacy complete with a set of antique store fixtures
Website:
JOHNSON GEO CENTRE
The GEO Centre
shows the amazing life-story of our planet, through the remarkable geology of
Newfoundland and Labrador. One of the most distinctive buildings in the
province
Website:
NEWFOUNDLAND MUSEUM AT THE ROOMS
The museum at The
Rooms tells the stories of Newfoundland and Labrador and its diverse
peoples. Three floors of exhibit space offer fascinating permanent and
temporary exhibits.
Website:
NEWMAN WINE VAULTS PROVINCIAL HISTORIC SITE
Visit the only
historic wine vaults in Newfoundland. Open during the summer months.
Website:
Pippy Park
Pippy Park is a
3,400 acre (1,376 hectare) land reserve, and a nature conservation and
recreation area within minutes of the downtown core. Pippy Park also contains a
range of recreational facilities.
Website:
RAILWAY COASTAL MUSEUM
In this magnificent
heritage building that was once a train station, exhibits tell the 100
year history of the Newfoundland Railway and Coastal Boat services.
Website:
ROYAL NEWFOUNDLAND CONSTABULARY POLICE MUSEUM
Regimental museum
and archives with a limited collection of special interest to Royal
Newfoundland Regiment historians and former family members with direct
regimental ties and interests.
Website:
Signal Hill National Historic Site
This historic site
celebrates the rich communications and military history of Signal Hill and sits
amidst a spectacular view of St. John's and the sea.
Website:
ST. THOMAS ANGLICAN CHURCH
A striking black
wooden building opened in 1836, St. Thomas Anglican Church is the oldest church
in St. John's.
Website:
SUNCOR ENERGY FLUVARIUM
A unique facility
on the shores of Long Pond in the heart of C. A. Pippy Park. A series of
panoramic viewing windows gives visitors a chance to see the secret underwater
life of a river.
Website:
The Caribou Monument and Beaumont Hamel Memorial Plaque Replicas
Located in
beautiful Bowring Park, the caribou monument was unveiled as a tribute on July
1, 1928. The Caribou was the official insignia of the Royal Newfoundland
Regiment.
Website:
THE ROOMS
Opened in 2005, the
Rooms is a state-of-the-art cultural center that preserves and protects the
province's heritage, history and culture.
Website:
Victoria Park
Victoria Park is
located in the west end of St. John's and contains a natural Amphitheatre above
the baseball diamond in the summer and the perfect snowboarding and sledding
hill in the winter
Website:
WESLEY UNITED CHURCH
Also in the west
end of the city, Wesley United, opened as a Methodist church in 1908, underwent
a name change in 1925 with the founding of the United Church of Canada.
Website:
REFERENCE SITE:
“I'm so proud to be Canadian. I've been to 58 countries, and they're wonderful countries,
but Canada is the best.”
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