Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shopping
35
BacardiE2
Balmain Antiques(see 45)
Balmain Art Gallery(see 45)
36
Brass & Leather ShopsD3
37
Coin of the RealmE3
38
Coles of NassauE2
39
Colombian EmeraldsD2
40
John BullD2
41
Kennedy GalleryE3
42
Perfume Shop & Beauty SpotD2
43
Philatelic BureauE4
44
PlunderC3
45
Solomon's MinesD2
46
Tortuga Rum CakeE2
Retreat
GARDEN
(
www.bnt.bs/parks_retreat.php
;
Village Rd; admission $2; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri) Just
southeast of downtown but a universe away from the hustle and bustle of Bay St, this
11-acre urban garden has one of the largest private collections of palms in the world.
Wander the shady pathways admiring some of the 176 species on display, from the frilly
Cuban petticoat palm to the aggressively spiny Zombie palm. Native orchids grace the
trunks and splendid ferns nestle in the limestone holes in which the palms are planted.
OVER-THE-HILL
Just south of downtown Nassau on the other side of a steep rise, the Over-the-
Hill neighborhood is home to many of the island's working people. The Gregory
Arch, a stone-cut tunnel on Market St, was blasted through the hill in the mid
1800s to allow workers a shortcut home; it now marks the dividing line between
downtown and Over-the-Hill. During the daytime, feel free to explore this vi-
brant neighborhood, stopping at takeout chicken shacks or small local bars. The
historic 1847
Wesley Methodist Church
(Market St) and the 1846
St Agnes
Anglican Church
(Cockburn St) are both worth a visit. At night, it's probably
best to stay away - Over-the-Hill is the nexus of the disturbing rise in drug viol-
ence that's plagued the Bahamas in recent years.
