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Image by Tiplada M

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBOURHOOD!

Downtown Victoria and Harris-Green neighbourhoods are located in the core of Victoria BC. We estimated 8,000+ people call downtown home and even more work, visit and play downtown. Whether you’ve called Victoria home for a month or decades, everyone is welcome and belongs downtown!

EXPLORE THE NEIGHBOURHOOD!

Learn about Downtwon Victoria from past to present  

MAP OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Use this interactive map to explore the Downtown and Harris-Green Neighbourhoods. 

DISCOVER DOWNTOWN

Beautiful and historic downtown Victoria is a vibrant place to live. It is a world-class destination hosting the beautiful Inner Harbour, The Empress Hotel, and the Legislature buildings. There are boundless restaurants and activities to visit and explore, annual festivals celebrating life in the city, and lots of shops and local businesses.

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Discover downtown by browsing through these links and make living in the downtown great!

DOWNTOWN HISTORY

Downtown Victoria has history hidden in every alleyway and corridor. Only so much of Victoria's long and rich heritage can be covered in a paragraph. Browse through a few of these links to learn more about our heritage.   

CHINATOWN

Victoria’s Chinatown is in the heart of the city, breathing life and heritage into the downtown. It is the oldest surviving Chinatown in Canada and in the 1900’s it was the largest urban center of Chinese population in Canada. Today it has the largest number of Chinatown buildings in North America, which took up to 8 city blocks in 1885. Must-sees while exploring Chinatown include the Gates of Harmonious Interest and Fan Tan Alley.

DOWNTOWN FAST FACTS

There are many interesting places to discover downtown. Here are a few fun fast facts to be in the know:​

  • Victoria is known internationally as the City of Gardens.

  • Victoria was voted the most bike-friendly city in Canada in 2019. The downtown is easy to bike through on bike lanes and routes that connect the downtown and Greater Victoria Region.

  • The Johnson Street Bridge lights up with blue lights every night as a nod to the former bridge of the same location that was nicknamed "Blue Bridge" because it was painted sky blue in 1979. 

  • In the downtown, you can hear the bells of the Netherlands Centennial Carillion, a 90-foot Bell Tower at the corner of Belleville and Government Street. The tower has 62 bells that when played together make a musical melody.

  • The Legislative Assembly Buildings have more than 3,600 energy-efficient lights that bring the building to life every night. This tradition goes back to 1897 for special occasions only until 1965 when the lights were switched on nightly. 

  • Thunderbird Park contains a long house by master carver Mungo Martin and is also the site of the first potlatch ceremony in 1953 after the ceremony had been banned for 7 decades.

  • Chinatown's Gate of Harmonious Interest commemorates the revitalization of Chinatown in 1981.

  • Fan Tan Alley is the narrowest street in Canada. Look out in Fan Tan Alley for half-numbered doors, a nod to development of life and business in Chinatown alleyways and corridors.

  • Waddington Alley cobbled roadway is made up of wooden blocks not stone.

BROWSE THE DRA INSTAGRAM 

The DRA posts regularily on our facebook and instagram pages with neighbourhood news and downtown life. Browse and follow the DRA social media to stay up to date on everything dowotown. 

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