James Bay
Located just south of downtown and surrounded on three sides by water, James Bay is the oldest residential on the west coast north of San Francisco. Originally inhabited by the Songhees First Nation, the area was renamed James Bay after Sir James Douglas. At present, James Bay is the most populated area in Victoria, encompassing 15% of the City's population. Originally James Bay was a tidal inlet extending from the Inner Harbour to Blanshard Street. The mudflats of the inlet were filled-in in 1903 and in its place now sits the Empress Hotel and the Crystal Garden. It is characterized by charming turn of the century houses and smaller lot sizes relative to other Victoria neighbourhoods. The commercial hub in James Bay is located at the intersection of Menzies, Toronto and Simcoe Streets and offers grocery shopping, banking, restaurants, a book store, coffee shops, a pharmacy, a florist and various other retailers and services.
James Bay is also home to some of the first residential high rises constructed in Victoria. Orchard House and Robert's House, built in the late 1960's remain two of the tallest building in the city.