This is a canal that was dug from a river. It connect a series of lakes to the sea. There used to be train tracks along the side of the river (because it was so flat and level), and there still are. It’s just that they’re almost gone: filled in, paved smooth, and grown over.
The city was born from the railroads and canals, but now the railroads are gone and the canal is used for sailing. To the right of the canal are software development buildings; to the left are houses, houses, and a really nice saloon.
It’s very pretty.