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I lived in Montreal for 2.5 years, and have visited NYC well over 100 times. Personally, I would choose NYC over Montreal in a heartbeat. If your not Canadian (or from another COLD climate) don't underestimate the winter in Montreal. The winter really bummed me out: lack of sunlight; REALLY cold weather; walking up steep hills and sliding all over the place in the ice, with sleet whipping into my face and down my neck due to the wind tunnels of the tall buildings -- and this, just to get home in the evening. Also, yes, the city is bilingual, but fluency in French will help a lot in getting connected within the city. Remember, the rest of Quebec is definitely NOT bilingual; and, speaking French will often get you much better treatment from some of the locals (isn't there some rule that the signs on the buildings must have the french version written twice as big, and above, the English version?).
That said, the metro is superb, the food is great (albeit not as diverse as in NYC), and the women tend to be beautiful, fit, and down to earth. Also, many people are well educated, and the entire system is much more socialized (which can be a good or a bad thing). The summers are amazing: there's multiple festivals every week, and they even close down the Jacques-Cartier Bridge every weekend to shoot fireworks over it.
The income is much lower and the taxes are higher, but the COL is also much lower. My impression is that, on average, disposable income will be much lower compared to NYC (at least for the white collar jobs), even when adjusted for a "basket of goods".
I can see why some people like living there, it just wasn't for me.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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I've lived in Montreal all my life except for the decade that I lived in the United States (Connecticut and Massachusetts). I've spent a lot of time in NYC and I love it, but it's sometimes just too much -- too much of everything; a sensory overload. I've never felt that way about Montreal. When I've had visitors come to Montreal for the first time, they've all said the same thing: "Montreal is like a perfect hybrid of NYC and Paris."
What I've found is that you (or at least *I*) can't compare Montreal to NYC -- there are far too many differences to make a fair comparison.
Places where I've spent time and thought "Wow! This feels SO MUCH like being home in Montreal" are:
- Boston (MA)
- Brooklyn (NY) -- when I walked around my friend's neighborhood (Caroll Gardens) it felt so much like my old neighborhood in Westmount
It's true, NYC can be a bit of a sensory overload. This is actually something I love about NYC: the street culture, the constant activity, the incredible scale and diversity.
You are right: it's hard to compare NYC to Montreal due simply to the massive difference in scale. Montreal has, what, 1.6M people compared to NYC's 8.4M. Basically, NYC has over five times the population of Montreal.
What did you find similar between Boston and Montreal? I've spent most of my life in Boston and found it quite different. Where in CT and MA did you spend a decade?
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bos2014
It's true, NYC can be a bit of a sensory overload. This is actually something I love about NYC: the street culture, the constant activity, the incredible scale and diversity.
You are right: it's hard to compare NYC to Montreal due simply to the massive difference in scale. Montreal has, what, 1.6M people compared to NYC's 8.4M. Basically, NYC has over five times the population of Montreal.
What did you find similar between Boston and Montreal? I've spent most of my life in Boston and found it quite different. Where in CT and MA did you spend a decade?
I love NYC too but there's a difference, in terms of sensory overload, if you're there for a long while (living life) rather than as a tourist (out and about all the time). The senses of a tourist are battered, I think.
You're right -- Boston and Montreal are different, but what felt similar was the old architecture, the cobblestone streets, and the low-key vibe that you get even when there's a ton of people milling around.
In CT, I lived in West Hartford.
In MA, I lived in Worcester. I enjoyed being in Boston because: (1) it felt a bit like Montreal and (2) it wasn't Worcester!
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