I've spent about three weeks solid in Montreal and loved every minute of it. The scenery, the food, (THE FOOD!), the people, Old Montreal, the shops, the utter coolness of it all.
Did I mention the food? Every restaurant is chock full of bargain priced, gourmet quality food. Lobster for $20 American? Check...that includes drinks and creme broulet. (which happens to follow every freaking meal there).
I stayed both times at the Hotel St. Paul downtown, and that place is FABULOUS. Like the rest of Montreal, it's an old building that's been renovated to the hilt in a modern-retro style that combines poured concrete with animal skin rugs on the floor. Go afterhours to "Blue" the bar on the first floor, which becomes a nightclub at night. Hell, just walk around Old Montreal (spring/summer/fall, of course) and take it all in. The folk are kind and warm and totally bilingual (mostly). You speak English, they speak it back to you. It's especially flattering (I have found) to pepper your sentences with some French (at least try?) like "bon jour" or "merci" at the very least. "manifique" worked the best for me.
One of these days, when I'm a millionaire, I'm buying an old building in downtown to call my summer home. I fucking love it there! I go back in August for work and I can't wait!
right on... love the hotel st. paul. loved their cube resto...
picking up on what someone said about bostonites warning them about montreal... well, i worked downtown for three years and boston/new england people/college kids FLOODED the city every long weekend, bruins game, grand prix weekend, jazzfest, etc. how do i know they were from boston? aside from the way they said Cah (for car) and Bah (for bar), the sheer amount of bruins/redsox/patriots hats and paraphernalia was a dead giveaway.
i lived in montreal for 14 wonderful years and i lived in europe, israel and the US and montreal is a goddess. montreal is like the gorgeous girl next door who is not only pretty, she's well-read, cooks like a chef and shags like a minx!
and maybe SOME montrealers are rude to SOME americans because SOME americans come into the city expecting to enjoy american comforts and privileges. when i worked in the coffee shop, i was routinely asked if the prices posted were in american or canadian dollars. and, true story, had people drive in with skis in august looking for snow. it's 90 degrees in august in montreal.
yes, the language is a hot potato, but politeness will get you everything and everywhere. but that goes for any city.
montreal has the highest student ration in north america (higher by a hair than boston), has world-famous festivals such as the jazz festival, just for laughs (the comedy fest), the international fireworks competition, a grand prix race, NHL hockey, historic architecture (think 1600-1700s), incredible restaurants, bars open late, all-nude strip joints, a thriving gay scene, a thriving club scene, a thriving music scene, cheap and extensive public transportation, really nice people...
i loved the tourists coming into the coffee shop because every one of them was a chance to promote the city. i'm really in love with it. gosh i miss home... :'(
(http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/images/virtualpostcard/Pdestination.jpg)
Old Montreal
I love Montreal. I have always had a wonderful time there. I don't know it too well, and only ever seem to go for short spurts (which doesn't give a lot of time to really get to know it), but it's a splendid place.
Art is major there. The arts scene is brilliant, and that is largely due to the fact that the city of Montreal really supports their arts scene through heavy funding. That is pretty hot and lends to making it such a diverse and interesting city. The Montrealers are generally more apt to get out and do things, as well. More open to newish art and music styles.
you're doing a great job of selling the idea of a holiday in montreal at the moment!!! maybe one day...! :)
it sounds lovely... how big is montreal? population-wise
QuoteI go back in August for work and I can't wait!
Listen you John Conaway - what is this business about you coming to the north?!
How long?
When exactly?
Can you make them let you come to Toronto?
biz conference and training. sorry, no Toronto as the company I'm going to is only in Montreal. :'(
it's in August (around the 20th, I believe). I'm staying for at least one week, maybe a few days more than that.
And it's going to be awesome! I echo Wellfleet's comments about SOME Americans who travel the world like it's a mall or whatever. Jesus-you're in a DIFFERENT COUNTRY!
french-canadians = snobby and dumb
(Couldn't resist. btw, that was a joke originally made by Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, so please direct any retorts to said hand puppet). ;D
its spelled creme brulee with an accent on the last E of brulee ;)
Check out the song Montreal by Ataxia (its a John Frusciante side project)
been there once, and its only 2 hours away. saw radiohead play. it was crazy as hell. we had hotel right behind the old montreal forum-turned massive movie theatre. it was great. smoked dubes all night long right on the balcony 2 floors up, and watch a crazy brawl outside some house party. the woman are beautiful too, hard to find a nasty one. they all had that hot librarian look, with those black rimmed glasses. must go back soon!!!
i've heard from a credible source that montreal is the 2nd best city in the world for beautiful women, behind new york city.
i tried on some black framed glasses a while back, they made me look like a secretary ;D
Quotei've heard from a credible source that montreal is the 2nd best city in the world for beautiful women, behind new york city.
Actually this is true. That was the first thing I noticed when I was there. 95% of the people there are attractive. I was constantly taking double looks at people. It was amazing. I told my brother this before he took a trip up there, and he full-heartedly agrees!
Great food, great people, great atmosphere, great everything. Montreal rules.
sounds like a good place to take a trip sans family. see that, sans. i'm even starting my french. ;D
Quotei've heard from a credible source that montreal is the 2nd best city in the world for beautiful women, behind new york city.
Singapore - a melting pot of Western, Middle-Eastern, Indian, Thai & Malay etc.
I never seen so many beautiful women in my life!!!
montreal has roughly 3 million residents, and almost 4 million if you include the immediate surrounding 'burbs and north+south shore cities of laval and longueuil (MTL is an island).
but you can get anywhere, anytime easily and cheaply. bus/metro/train cover most of the area and you can find a cab 24/7.
dragon... always wanted to go to asia, just really concerned about language. i can speak french, english, romanian and hebrew, can fudge my way through spanish and italian but have no knowledge of any eastern language. how did you deal? or do you speak catonese or the local dialect?
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dragon... always wanted to go to asia, just really concerned about language. i can speak french, english, romanian and hebrew, can fudge my way through spanish and italian but have no knowledge of any eastern language. how did you deal? or do you speak catonese or the local dialect?
If you stick to the big cities or tourist areas you should be fine. In Singapore everyone speaks English.
I've been to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia & Indonesia & not had any problems.
Go for it Wellfleet, you won't regret it :)