Old GRA — the original Government Reserved Area — is the most historically significant neighbourhood in Port Harcourt. The British laid it out in the early twentieth century as the residential quarter for colonial administrators, and its street plan remains distinct: wider avenues, larger plots, and more mature trees than anywhere else in the city. The atmosphere is noticeably calmer than the surrounding commercial areas.
Today Old GRA is home to embassies, upmarket restaurants, and the offices of international companies and NGOs. The streets around Aba Road and Tombia Street have the best concentration of restaurants serving both Nigerian and international food. Isaac Boro Park and the Corpus Christi Cathedral both sit within or adjacent to Old GRA, making it the most rewarding part of the city to explore on foot.