Water Street

Water Street runs along the waterfront of St. John's inner harbour, from the base of Signal Hill to the western end of the downtown core. It is the commercial and social spine of the city — lined with shops, restaurants, and bars, and one of the most visited streets in Newfoundland. The stretch from Prescott Street westward has the highest concentration of restaurants and music venues.

The street gives good views across the harbour to the south side hills, and the harbour itself is busy with fishing boats, ferry traffic, and occasional cruise ships. A walk the length of Water Street takes about 20 minutes and gives a solid introduction to the city's commercial character. In summer, several of the bars and restaurants put tables outside.

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A story
Water Street is one of the oldest commercial streets in North America, with a trading history stretching back to the early 1500s when English and Portuguese fishermen first began using St. John's harbour as a base. The current buildings mostly date from after the Great Fire of 1892, which destroyed much of the downtown area, but the street plan itself is unchanged from the colonial era.