Oak Bay

One of several urban villages around greater Victoria, Oak Bay is probably the oldest and best-known. Described as a place "behind the tweed Curtain" for its adherence to Tudor facades, pubs, and tea shops, this historically British area (with its own mayor and municipal hall) is home to the Penny Farthing Pub and White Heather Tea Room as well as sweet shops, bookstores, galleries, and antiques stores. Several more contemporary boutiques and eateries have moved in, too.