Halifax

Halifax is the economic centre of Atlantic Canada, built on a peninsula around a deep natural harbour, with the Citadel on the hill above and Dartmouth facing it across the water.

The downtown waterfront boardwalk runs for several kilometres past the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market and Pier 21, where roughly a million immigrants entered Canada. The Citadel and the Public Gardens sit directly above, and Point Pleasant Park covers the peninsula's southern tip.

The peninsula holds the densest housing and the universities: Dalhousie, Saint Mary's and King's all sit within walking distance of each other, driving a large student rental market. The North End has changed quickly with new restaurants and infill, while Dartmouth across the harbour has its own downtown and lakes, and the suburbs spread through Bedford, Sackville and Clayton Park.

The port, the navy, healthcare and the universities anchor employment, and Halifax has absorbed heavy interprovincial migration in recent years, which pushed prices up sharply from a long stable base. Peggys Cove and the South Shore beaches are within an hour.