Old Town or downtown has been the commercial and social focal point of the city since the 1800s. It’s also the neighborhood most popular among visitors, and rightfully so—it’s filled with numerous restaurants, heritage buildings that were once factories and warehouses, shops, and museums. In fact, it’s considered a premier destination!
The housing market here is characterized by walk-up and highrise condos and apartments with a bunch of single-family homes, townhomes, and duplexes. While large metropolitans feel cold, Victoria’s downtown makes you feel right at home, which is just one of the reasons why you’ll love living here!
Recent years have brought about a dramatic increase in the number of high-rise condos. In addition to the latest finishes, they offer a lot of amenities that you’d expect from a typical downtown location, such as countless shops and restaurants, music venues, theaters, art galleries, and the Inner Harbor.
What makes this area particularly great is the designated bike lanes. The area has been re-designed with bike lanes so that residents can easily commute via bicycle. Residents in the area can also enjoy boutique shopping, horse carriage rides, tours, libraries, museums, theater, art, microbreweries, bakeries, cafés, and old-style Irish and English pubs. Most of these are stunning heritage buildings that transport you back in time Victoria bc!
And of course, you can’t talk about downtown Victoria without talking about Bastion Square, a historic pedestrian mall with an entry arch at Government and View Streets and an exit on Wharf Street with a staircase that provides stunning views of the Inner Harbour. The square promises lots of fun and provides a chance for locals to indulge in their culture by enjoying live music or shopping or visiting outdoor markets, restaurants, heritage pubs, cafés, and art galleries.
In addition to Bastion Square, downtown has a number of interesting things to do, such as the indoor climbing center, board game café, Haunted Manor: Mini Golf + Ping Pong, Miniature World, and Victoria Bug Zoo. There are a few parks in the area, too, such as Centennial Square and Cridge Park. The area is complete with a cathedral, a cinema, and a few shopping malls
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