Share: 10 things about St. John’s that make it unlike any other city in North America
I am sharing an article I found on MSN today about where I live, St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. This article only covers a few of the things I love about where I live, and I hope you enjoy some info about this little island out in the North Atlantic Ocean. I love exploring this City and seeing so many new things every day. I do love where I live!
I don’t go to George Street much anymore, but when I was younger, my friends and I loved bar-hopping on a Saturday night, as it was so easy with so many on one street!
10 things about St. John’s that make it unlike any other city in North America
10 things about St. John’s that make it unlike any other city in North America
St. John’s sits on the eastern edge of North America, where the Atlantic shapes everyday life. Colourful row houses, foghorns, and centuries of history give the city a character that feels more like a small European fishing town than a typical Canadian city.
What makes St. John’s unique is its mix of history, traditions, and coastal scenery. From the local accent to icebergs drifting past the harbour each spring, the city offers experiences unlike anywhere else. Here are 10 things that make St. John’s stand out.
St. John’s has a claim that few cities on the continent can match, since its roots as a fishing settlement stretch back to the 1500s. European fishermen were already using the harbour as a base long before most other North American cities were even a thought. That kind of history has left a mark everywhere, from the layout of the old town to the age of the buildings still standing today. Walking through downtown feels like stepping through layers of time instead of just visiting another modern city.
Downtown streets are lined with narrow houses painted in bright shades of red, yellow, blue, and green, and locals affectionately call them jellybean row. The tradition started as a practical way to spot your own house through thick fog rolling in off the water. Over time it became a beloved symbol of the city’s identity and one of the most photographed sights in the province. Every angle of these streets offers a different burst of colour that feels almost too cheerful for a place known for its weather.
Every spring, massive icebergs drift down from Greenland and pass close enough to St. John’s that people can watch them from the shoreline. These frozen giants can be thousands of years old and take on shapes that look sculpted rather than natural. Locals call this stretch of coastline Iceberg Alley, and tour boats take visitors out for a closer look each season. It’s one of the few places in North America where you can watch ancient ice float by while sipping coffee on a patio.
Signal Hill towers over the harbor and has played a role in military history, trade, and even the birth of wireless communication. Cannons once defended the city from this same spot, and the view from the top stretches out over the entire coastline. In 1901, Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal right here, changing the course of communication forever. Visitors today can walk the same paths that soldiers and inventors once did while taking in one of the best views in the city.
George Street is famous for packing an incredible number of bars and pubs into just a couple of short blocks. Live music spills out of doorways almost every night, and the energy on weekends is hard to match anywhere else in the country. Locals treat the street like a second living room, gathering there for celebrations, sports games, and just about any excuse to have a good time. It’s a small stretch of pavement that somehow holds one of the liveliest nightlife scenes in North America.
Newfoundland has a playful tradition where visitors can become honorary Newfoundlanders through a ceremony called a screech-in. Participants typically kiss a cod fish, recite a silly phrase, and take a shot of dark rum called Screech. It sounds strange to outsiders, but locals take real pride in welcoming newcomers this way. The ritual has become such a beloved custom that many bars on George Street host it nightly for tourists eager to join in.
St. John’s is famous for weather that can shift from sunshine to fog to rain within the same afternoon. The city sits at the meeting point of ocean currents and air masses that rarely agree with each other. Locals joke that if you don’t like the weather, just wait ten minutes and it will change completely. This unpredictable climate has shaped everything from local architecture to the practical, layered way people dress year round.
Traditional Newfoundland music fills pubs and kitchen parties across the city, blending Irish, Scottish, and English influences into something entirely its own. Fiddles, accordions, and spoons show up at gatherings both big and small, and singing along is practically expected. Storytelling holds just as much weight here, with locals sharing tales passed down through generations of fishing families. This deep connection to music and oral history gives the city a warmth that feels personal rather than staged for tourists.
Just outside the city sits Cape Spear, the easternmost point in North America, where the sunrise touches land before anywhere else on the continent. A historic lighthouse still stands watch over the rugged cliffs and crashing waves below. Whale watchers and hikers flock here for the dramatic scenery and the chance to say they’ve stood at the very edge of the map. Visiting at sunrise gives travelers a quiet moment that feels genuinely rare in today’s busy world.
St. John’s is near some of the world’s best whale-watching waters, where humpback and minke whales are commonly seen during the season. The same coastal waters also lie along iceberg routes from the north, so visitors may see both whales and icebergs on one trip. Boat tours often report whales breaching near large floating ice formations when conditions are right. This combination of marine wildlife and dramatic scenery is one reason the coastline is so memorable.
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