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Does that defeat the purpose of it being a cool city at all if one doesnt speak french?
Is it at all anything like an east coast city in the US attitudewise?
Is it a real snobby city on the whole?
Does that defeat the purpose of it being a cool city at all if one doesnt speak french?
Is it at all anything like an east coast city in the US attitudewise?
Is it a real snobby city on the whole?
No, no, and no.
Montreal is very bilingual. Living there without speaking French would be challenging at times since the city's infrastructure is in French, and most jobs would require an ability to converse well in French...
... but visiting? No problem. The French language does not thwart Montrael's coolness factor - it adds to it.
In terms of comparing it to east coast cities... what is a typical east coast city attitude? Are people in Boston, New York, etc - snotty?
Montreal's demographics are entirely different from what you might experience in any city in the USA, with exception to say, New York. Like New York, Montreal has an enormous Jewish community. Like Boston, they have a large Irish community. Yet they also have a large Greek and Italian community. But that's predominantly the English speaking minority demographic of Montreal. When you go to the Francophone (French-speaking side) of the city, you're looking at people that are descendents from pioneers from France that arrived in Montreal in the 17th and 18th centuries. Or in terms of recent immigration, Montreal has a large Carribbean community... people from the French-speaking islands like Haiti. You also get immigration from French speaking African countries, like Senegal, Algeria, etc. So it's tough to really take this group of people and give them one attitude.
I would say, from my experience in Montreal, that Montrealers are not afraid to tell you what's on their mind. They're also the most experimental people I've come across - not afraid to be daring.
FYI - Montreal, though in the Eastern time zone, isn't considered an east coast city in Canada. Although it's easy to draw parallels between Canada and the USA, there is no parallel to Montreal in the USA.
I agree with Robynator.
You can get by in Montreal without speaking French. But I wouldn't say the same for other Quebec cities.
Its not a snobby city, people are really friendly. In my opinion
Outside Montreal is different.
I went to Trois-Rivieres (city) last summer and I felt that the people werent all that friendly as much as those in Montreal.
But the hotel workers were extremely friendly and helpful.
French is also a must there. I attempted to communicate in English but not many would reply, so I stuck to speaking French.
Quebec city is pretty much the same. French is a must.
Depends if you are going there to visit or to live.
Visiting, it won't be much of an issue. Pretty much like visiting a European city like Amsterdam or Stockholm, or a place like Cancun in Mexico. Most people who deal with the public in their work speak pretty decent English.
Living there without speaking French (especially long-term career-wise), though not at all impossible, would be more of a challenge.
I have many relatives in Montreal, Quebec City and in Aylmer. They are all fluent in both English and French as is the rest of the population there. I don't know where people get the idea that Montrealers can't speak English or refuse to. The schools in Quebec are now teaching English classes so people are mostly bilingual now. Quebec city itself is one of the friendliest cities to visit, if some still do not understand every english word they just have you explain it and laugh it off, so eager are they to please.
Depends if you are going there to visit or to live.
Visiting, it won't be much of an issue. Pretty much like visiting a European city like Amsterdam or Stockholm, or a place like Cancun in Mexico. Most people who deal with the public in their work speak pretty decent English.
Living there without speaking French (especially long-term career-wise), though not at all impossible, would be more of a challenge.
I agree, one thing is to be tourist and the other to work in Montreal. I can speak French but I'm not confortable with it and it tends to break my English when I use it. The language and the cold weather are two main reasons why I plan to leave Montreal to some other western locations.
Montreal is by far the best city in North America. Everybody is really cool and down to earth. You can walk around the city for hours and not get tired. It seems like Montrealers took the best of Europe and the best of America to create their city. It is cheap. It is a haven for artists, muscians, performers, and all sorts of cultural types. It seems like it is open to anyone who wants to be there. In a way it is what it is because of the French and Quebecois' effort to be the "anti-Toronoto".
In this day and age, with banks and financial institutions collapsing, I think this is Montreal's moment to shine. While it does have a financial district-like all big cities-the city is not defined by that. I think more people will attracted to places that don't necessarily make money the source of happiness. I find that in Montreal people want to create and express themselves. People who want see that there is more to life than just money, should go to Montreal.
As for the language, everyone knows English in Montreal. But spend enough time there, and you'll start to speak French. I only spent a week up there. But by the end of my trip, I was ordering coffee in French, telling cab drivers where to take me, saying Bon jour to whomever I met. People knew I was American, and appreciated the fact that I made the effort to speak French. If I do decide to move their, I would definitley take immersion classes.
Sorry, I have to disagree with you. Montreal took the best of Europe? What a joke. I come from Europe so I know how it compares.
Montreal is a big, ugly and filthy city. With bags of garbage laying on streets and municipal cleaning services lacking. Anjou looks way better, newer, and cleaner.
Montreal, crowded downtown and old people at peripheries.
And about English in Montreal, yeah, very good for touristic purposes. But let's see once you get a job and, moreover, live on eastern side.
I personally hate this city and planning to move to western side of Canada.
Old Montreal is nice but geared towards tourists. It has nice neighborhoods (Mont Royal, The Plateau). The business district looks like any other (not distinctive). It has scuzzy neighborhoods. So its like any other city. Good, bad, ugly and not so ugly. Some people love it, I don't.. nor do I hate it. I won't go out of my way to see it though as I've alreday been there at least a dozen times.
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