Living in St. John’s, NL: Neighbourhoods, Schools and Costs

Neighbourhoods at a glance

The City of St. John’s publishes profiles of its neighbourhoods. Here are the areas buyers ask about most.

Downtown and Georgestown

• Downtown: Water Street, Duckworth Street and George Street, the harbour, and one of the oldest urban areas in North America. Housing runs from heritage row houses to condos.
• Georgestown: just above downtown, began as its own community in the 1800s and is full of heritage homes.

Most of the City’s heritage areas are here (see below). Walkability is unbeatable, and parking can be tight.

Rennie’s River, Churchill Park and the University area

Established neighbourhoods around Bannerman Park, the Rennie’s River trail, Memorial University and the Health Sciences Centre. Churchill Park was planned in the 1940s as a garden suburb. These areas are popular with families and with people who work at the university or hospital.

The East End

A wide area including Quidi Vidi (with the village, the lake and the Royal St. John’s Regatta), Pleasantville, White Hills, Virginia Park, Stavanger and Clovelly, Wedgewood Park and Airport Heights. You’ll find a mix of established homes and newer subdivisions close to the airport, the Stavanger Drive shopping area and the East Coast Trail.

The West End

Established neighbourhoods like Cowan Heights (from the early 1970s), Waterford Valley, Bowring Park and Mundy Pond.

Kenmount Terrace

A newer, growing subdivision with mostly newer homes. It has its own community centre, splash pad, skate park and dog park.

Southlands

A newer subdivision near the highway, next to Mount Pearl. It was once part of Mount Pearl, but has been part of St. John’s since 1991, so City of St. John’s taxes and services apply.

The Goulds, Kilbride and Shea Heights

Communities that joined the City over the years and keep their own character:

• The Goulds: has active farms and its own recreation complex.
• Kilbride: a former farming community, now residential.
• Shea Heights: looks out over the city and the ocean.

Heritage areas

St. John’s has four heritage areas, mostly in and around downtown, including The Battery. If you own a home in one, exterior changes need heritage approval as part of the building permit. That includes:

• replacing or moving windows and doors
• new siding or clapboard
• decks and verandas
• roofline changes
• additions
• fences or sheds visible from the street

Routine maintenance, repainting and re-roofing in a similar material are exempt from heritage review. Design standards apply too — for example, vinyl siding isn’t allowed in Heritage Area 1. Buying a heritage home? Check the City’s heritage pages before you plan renovations, and ask about the City’s heritage incentive program.

Schools

• English public schools: St. John’s has close to 30, and most offer French Immersion.
• High schools: Gonzaga, Holy Heart of Mary, Prince of Wales Collegiate, Waterford Valley High and St. Kevin’s High in the Goulds.
• French first-language schools: the CSFP’s two French schools, École des Grands-Vents and École Rocher-du-Nord, are both in the city.
• Post-secondary: Memorial University (including the Marine Institute) and two College of the North Atlantic campuses.

Some west-end schools changed their grade levels in 2024 as an interim step while new schools are built, including a new school in Kenmount Terrace. Always check the zoned school and the full path to Grade 12 for the exact address — our school zones guide shows how.

Getting around

• Roads: the Outer Ring Road and Pitts Memorial Drive are the main highways. The Team Gushue Highway connects Kenmount Road, Topsail Road and Mount Pearl to Pitts Memorial Drive. Kenmount Road and Topsail Road are the big commercial strips.
• Airport: St. John’s International Airport is about 15 minutes from downtown.
• Bus: Metrobus runs routes across the city, including Kenmount Terrace, the Goulds, Kilbride, Southlands, Shea Heights and the airport, with hubs at the Village Shopping Centre, the Avalon Mall, Memorial University and downtown.
• Accessible transit: GoBus is a door-to-door service for people who can’t use Metrobus because of a disability.

Check Metrobus for current routes and times.

Driving times outside rush hour (estimates):

Estimated with OpenStreetMap routing. Expect longer at rush hour and in winter.

Weather: what to expect

Based on Environment Canada’s 1991–2020 climate normals for St. John’s:

• Snow: about 363 cm of snowfall a year on average, with snow on the ground about 114 days a year. Snow can fall into May.
• Fog: about 114 days a year with fog, most often in May and June.
• Wind: one of Canada’s windier cities, with gusty days common in every season.
• Freezing rain or drizzle: about 31 days a year.

When you look at homes, it pays to think about a steep driveway, where you’ll put the snow, how exposed the house is to wind, and the condition of the roof and windows. Our post on buying or selling in winter has more.

Recreation and the outdoors

• The Grand Concourse: about 125 km of walking trails linking the city and neighbouring towns.
• Signal Hill National Historic Site: Cabot Tower and the North Head trail.
• The East Coast Trail: starts right in the city at Fort Amherst, Signal Hill and Quidi Vidi.
• Large parks: Pippy Park (about 3,400 acres), Bowring Park and Bannerman Park, which has an outdoor pool, splash pad and winter skating loop.
• Community centres: across the city, including indoor pools at the H.G.R. Mews and Paul Reynolds centres.
• Mary Brown’s Centre: the downtown arena for hockey and concerts.

City services and rules to know

Property tax

Property tax and the water tax are set each year in the City’s budget. St. John’s uses a slightly lower rate for homes without both water and sewer. See this year’s rates, and how they compare with neighbouring towns, in our property tax by town guide, or try the property tax calculator. The City also offers a tax reduction for some seniors — check the City’s website for who qualifies.

Water and sewer lines

In St. John’s, homeowners are responsible for the water and sewer service lines on their property, including the section under the street out to the City main. Older homes may still have lead service lines. The City has an online lead pipe lookup, which is worth checking for any older home you’re considering.

Garbage and recycling

Garbage is collected weekly, and recycling goes out in blue bags every second week (no glass). Look up your collection day on the City’s Curb It St. John’s schedule.

Snow and winter parking

St. John’s has an overnight on-street parking ban each winter, usually from early January into April, and weather-related bans during storms. Some streets also have all-day parking restrictions through the winter. The City announces each season’s dates in late fall on its winter parking page. Fines and towing apply, and off-street parking matters more here than in most cities.

Permits

• Need a permit before work starts: renovations, additions (including apartments), decks, fences, sheds, pools, driveways, structural changes and demolition.
• Separate permits: electrical and plumbing work need their own.
• Who’s responsible: the owner is responsible for getting the permit, even when a contractor does the work.
• Questions: call the City’s Permit Counter, or 311 for anything else.

Basement apartments and backyard suites

The City widened its rules in 2024 and 2025: a single detached house can now have up to two apartments, and backyard suites are allowed on many lots. See our two-apartment homes guide for the details and what to check before you buy.

Radon

Health Canada recommends testing every home for radon with a long-term (three-month) test, ideally in fall or winter, since the only way to know a home’s level is to test.

Health care

• Hospitals: St. John’s is the province’s main health care centre. It has the Health Sciences Centre (with the Janeway children’s hospital and the Mental Health and Addictions Centre) and St. Clare’s Mercy Hospital, both with emergency departments.
• Urgent care: there’s an urgent care centre on Stavanger Drive, along with family care teams. Check NL Health Services for current services and hours.
• Finding a provider: if you need a family doctor or nurse practitioner, register with Patient Connect NL, and call 811 for health advice.

Questions people ask