Harborside Halifax is the biggest city in the Maritime Provinces by far, yet it doesn't feel big at all -- in just the way that Boston and San Francisco don't feel like huge cities. It actually feels like a collection of loosely connected neighborhoods, which is in fact what it is; you often forget this is one of the central economic engines of eastern Canada.
Established in 1749, the city was named for George Montagu Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax. (Residents agree it was a huge stroke of luck that the city avoided being named Dunk, Nova Scotia.) The city plodded along as a colonial backwater for the better part of a century, overshadowed by nearby towns building more ships and boats (Shelburne and Lunenburg, to name two); one historian even wrote of Halifax as “a rather degenerate little seaport town.”But the city’s natural advantages—a well-protected harbor, its location near major fishing grounds and shipping lanes—eventually caused Halifax to overtake its rivals and emerge as an industrial port and military base. Several universities, including a significant art college, were established early and have thrived ever since, populating the city with intellectuals, students, and artists. In recent decades, this city has grown aggressively and carved out a niche for itself as the commercial and financial hub of the Maritimes.
It’s these multiple personalities of the city that make it so vibrant. The music scene here is humming and continues to produce pop, folk, and alt stars the likes of Sarah McLachlan, Sloan, and Denny Doherty, a member of the [‘]60s group, The Mamas & the Papas. Nightlife in Halifax is lively and friendly; whole sections downtown are dedicated to dining, music, and drinking, with many festivals animating the streets year-round. A big chunk of real estate at the city center was given over long ago as a common area, which it remains today. Green spaces at the Commons, Citadel Hill, the Halifax Public Gardens, and Point Pleasant Park at the tip of the peninsula make Halifax a walkable, relaxed small city. And a two-year, $200 million transformation of the Halifax waterfront has led to the creation of a vibrant and inviting new space called the Queen’s Marque District, featuring unique locally owned shops and dining options, stunning art installations, and a spacious boardwalk filled with hammocks and benches for prime people-watching.
