Saint John Travel Guide

Introduction

Centered on a good-size commercial harbor, Saint John is New Brunswick's largest city and the center of much of the province's industry. Spread out over a low hill with good rocky views, the downtown boasts wonderfully elaborate Victorian flourishes on its rows of commercial buildings. (Be sure to look high along the cornices to appreciate the intricate brickwork.) A handful of impressive mansions lord over the side streets, their interiors a forest of intricate wood carving -- appropriately so, as timber barons built most of them.

There's an industrial grittiness to Saint John, which some find unappealing and others find charming. It all depends on your outlook. Just don't expect a tidy garden city with lots of neat homes; this isn't that sort of place. Instead, Saint John offers a surfeit of brick architecture in various states of repair. Throughout the downtown you'll get glimpses of its past and present industry: large shipping terminals, oil storage facilities, and paper...