Events and festivals

The Scotiabank Centre is one of the largest buildings in Downtown Halifax, as well as the largest arena in Atlantic Canada. It is the home of the Halifax Mooseheads hockey team, and it also plays host to most of the major sporting events and concerts that visit Halifax. The Nova Scotia International Tattoo is held here every year. It is connected to the Downtown Halifax Link, and directly to the World Trade and Convention Centre. The Atlantic Film Festival, Atlantic Jazz Festival and the Halifax Pop Explosion also take place in some downtown venues.

The Halifax Convention Centre offers more than 120,000 square feet (11,000 m²) of space for meetings and events.

Financial services

Downtown Halifax is the financial centre of the urban area of Halifax, the Province of Nova Scotia, and the region of Atlantic Canada. The Bank of Canada has one of its five Canadian regional offices located within the central business district, and all Big Five Canadian banks have major operations within the area. Manulife, along with many other private financial institutions, also do business within downtown.

Gambling

Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation operates its headquarters at 1601 Lower Water Street.

Marketing communications

Trampoline is located within the area.

Telecommunication

Eastlink, a cable television and telecommunications company is headquartered within the vicinity.

Transportation

Maritime Bus operates a station within the district.

Utilities

Emera, the Canadian successor holding company, is headquartered in Downtown Halifax. Its Nova Scotia subsidiary, Nova Scotia Power, used to be a Provincial Crown corporation until Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia leader Donald Cameron privatized the company in 1992.

Accommodation

Many of the Halifax region's hotels are located in the downtown area, with many major hotel chains maintaining a location here. There are also a number of small hostels nearby.^{[citation needed]}

Hotels within Downtown

Art galleries

There are several art galleries within the Downtown Halifax area^[9]:^{[citation needed]}

• Argyle Fine Art
• Art 1274 Hollis
• Centre for Craft Nova Scotia
• Anna Leonowens Gallery
• Khyber Centre for the Arts
• Port Loggia Gallery
• Karl Penton Gallery
• The Prow Gallery
• Studio 21 Fine Art
• Teichert Gallery
• Zwicker's Gallery

Landmarks

Museums

Downtown Halifax hosts several museums, including:^{[citation needed]}

• Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21
• Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
• Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
• Sea Turtle Centre

Pier 21, an immigrant entry point prominent throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, was opened to the public as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1999. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing extensive galleries including a large exhibit on the Titanic, over 70 small craft and a 200-foot (61 m) steamship CSS Acadia. In summertime the preserved World War II corvette HMCS Sackville operates as a museum ship and Canada's naval memorial. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia is housed in a 150-year-old building containing over 9,000 works of art.^{[citation needed]}

Parks

There are a number of parks within the urban setting of Downtown Halifax.^{[citation needed]}

• Citadel Hill off-leash dog park
• Halifax Commons
• Halifax Public Gardens
• Peace and Friendship Park
• Victoria Park

Restaurants and nightlife

The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars, providing an interesting array of world cuisine.^[tone][11] There are also over 60 sidewalk cafes that open in the summer months. The nightlife is made up of bars and small music venues as well as Casino Nova Scotia, a large facility built partially over the water. Pizza Corner, located at the intersection of Blowers Street and Grafton Street, is a common location for pizzerias serving Halifax-style donairs and other street food for the neighbouring bars and pubs.^{[citation needed]}

Shopping

Downtown Halifax, being home to many small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area in the Municipality of Halifax. Notable retail areas include Park Lane, Spring Garden Road and Scotia Square.^{[citation needed]}

Theatre

Neptune Theatre, located on Argyle Street, is Halifax's largest theatre with a 458-person capacity.^{[citation needed]} Since 1 July 1963, it has performed, and performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year-round.^{[citation needed]}

The Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park. ^{[citation needed]}

Although not in Downtown Halifax, the Eastern Front Theatre performs at Alderney Landing in Downtown Dartmouth which is accessible from the area via the Halifax Transit ferry service.^{[citation needed]}

Venues

Pedestrian

Streets within Downtown Halifax are set in a grid-pattern. Pedestrians are recommended to be cautious, to know your route, and to use good footwear.^[tone] Downtown Halifax is similar to other central business districts where it has many varied crosswalks, hills, paths, and sidewalks.

Spring Garden Road is a street approximately 1,200 m (3,900 ft) in total-length that goes in an east-west direction from Barrington Street-to-Robie Street.

Barrington Street traverses approximately 1,500 m (4,900 ft) through Downtown in a north-south direction. Its total-length from Highway 111 in the North End-to-Inglis Street in the South End is approximately 7 km (4.3 mi).

Road

The streets in the downtown area are set in a grid pattern like the rest of the Halifax Peninsula, the way the town officials originally planned in the 18th century.

Public transit

Halifax Transit provides public transit routes from several points throughout Downtown Halifax via different modes of transport.^[12]