Downtown Ottawa is the central area of Ottawa. Like other downtowns it is the commercial and economic centre of the city. It is bordered by the Ottawa River to the north the Rideau Canal to the east, Somerset Street to the south and Bronson Avenue to the west. The area east of the canal but west of Nicholas Street, which includes the Rideau Centre and the Byward Market, is also normally considered downtown. The neighbourhoods around the central business district are also generally referred to as being downtown. These include Centretown to the south and Sandy Hill and Lower Town to the east. North of the Ottawa River the centre of Gatineau, Quebec can be considered an extension of Ottawa's downtown.