The parish of Saint Michael is home to Bridgetown, the capital of Barbados. So-named for the bridges over the Careenage, Bridgetown is the center of commercial activity in Barbados, as well as a central hub for the public transport network. Also found in St. Michael are: the local mental institute, commonly called Jenkins; several schools, including the prestigious Harrison's College ; various government offices such as the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Industry and International Business.

St. Michael also houses the international seaport of Barbados - the Deep Water Harbour. A large percentage of the tourism traffic the island experiences arrives on cruise ships from various lines such as Royal Caribbean and Cunard. The harbour features several sugar towers for loading locally produced sugar into transport ships, and a tower for loading flour for transport.