Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake tend to steal the spotlight when it comes to Niagara getaways, but there’s another charming city along the way that’s finally getting some well-deserved praise. Time Out magazine recently released its annual list of the 40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2026, and downtown St. Catharines landed at No. 9. It was one of only two Canadian neighbourhoods to make the ranking, alongside Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant at No. 35. With the list including neighbourhoods like Seoul and Rome, this might be the year to stop driving past it.
Editors looked at factors like food and drink, culture, unique local businesses, liveability and sense of community, and downtown St. Catharines stood out among neighbourhoods around the globe. If you spend a little time there, it all makes sense: the downtown core pairs a Michelin-recognized dining scene with vintage shops and chic indie boutiques, while its historic streets are tied to a much deeper story (including the city’s important connections to the Underground Railroad).
St. Catharines is just under 90 minutes from Toronto, and travellers without a car can also get there by GO Transit on the Lakeshore West corridor, or by VIA Rail, so you can turn a day trip into a car-free getaway if you stick mainly to downtown!
Start your visit on St. Paul Street. The curving downtown strip is lined with more than 100 heritage buildings, some dating back to the early 19th century. Today, many of these historic buildings house indie galleries and restaurants.
For breakfast, sip on an espresso at Mahtay Café & Lounge, or head a few blocks away to Sugar + Butter Baking Co for a warm cinnamon bun. Grab some pastries at Beechwood Doughnuts for a mid-morning snack: the vegan doughnut shop is known for its rotating, over-the-top flavours! Brindle is another St. Paul Street option that serves coffee alongside house-made pastries and a daytime food menu.
If you’re visiting on a Thursday or Saturday, head to the St. Catharines Farmers Market, which operates year-round on Saturdays and from February through December on Thursdays. The market traces its history to 1848 and offers fresh Niagara produce, baked goods, cheeses, meats and other locally made products at Market Square, just off the main downtown strip.
Afterward, dig through vinyl at Mindbomb Records on James Street before browsing other indie stores in the neighbourhood. Out of the Past on St. Paul Street offers racks of vintage and alternative clothing, while Auds N Ends Boutique and the NAC Studio Shop are also worth checking out for vintage and locally made finds.
Take a break from the shops at Montebello Park, just a few blocks away. The downtown green space opened in the late 19th century and was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect behind New York’s Central Park. The park is steeped in history and is a perfect spot for a stroll; Olmsted’s original 1887 plan included the curving paths that still help define it today.
Then there’s the food scene. In recent years, St. Catharines has become one of the top spots in the Niagara region for amazing eats. Fat Rabbit on Geneva Street is an absolute must. The Michelin-recommended space combines a restaurant, a butcher shop and a bottle shop, with house-made charcuterie and steaks cooked over charcoal among the draws. The Michelin-recommended space combines a restaurant, a butcher shop and a bottle shop, with house-made charcuterie and steaks cooked over charcoal among the draws. Michelin describes it as casual and unfussy but especially strong on meat and charcuterie (we’ve even named it among our top 10 road-trip-worthy restaurants near Toronto).
If you want to skip the dinner reservations, check out oddBird on St. Paul for playful, chef-driven plates, or It’s about thyme Mediterranean cuisine on Geneva for shawarma and falafel. For wine and share plates, Twenty Kitchen & Bar sits right in the downtown core and works particularly well before a show at the Performing Arts Centre.
The arts scene is just as enviable. The Niagara Artists Centre operates exhibition spaces from its St. Paul Street home, with changing contemporary art shows, concerts, markets and other events. Just down the street, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre houses four performance spaces, including the Film House, and hosts hundreds of events throughout the year.
St. Catharines’ history adds another layer to the downtown neighbourhood. The city became an important destination for people escaping slavery through the Underground Railroad, and Harriet Tubman even lived in St. Catharines during the 1850s while continuing her abolitionist work. Salem Chapel on Geneva Street was built in 1855 and became an important centre of abolitionist and civil-rights activity closely associated with Tubman.
If you can, extend your day trip into a weekend getaway. Autumn is a super pretty time for a visit as Niagara moves into harvest season and the fall colours start appearing!
About a 20-minute drive from St. Catharines, travel along the stretch that links Pelham, Wainfleet, Fort Erie and Port Colborne, and you’ll find a quieter kind of escape surrounded by country roads, enviable beaches and more charming downtown cores dotted with cute cafés and chic indie shops.