Montreal Trip Report (appointed, neighborhoods, live in)

[5Lakes]

So last weekend I spent 4 days in your fine city as a first time visitor. I have to say that Montreal is a great city and after this trip consider it one of my favorites. I just wanted to give a run-down of some of my observations while there.

The People
The people I encountered were very friendly and helpful. I didn't feel any animosity or have any problems as a non-french speaker. Someone even stopped to ask where I was going one day when I was wondering around looking confused with my map, which is not something that is typical of big city behavior.

The vibe of the people I got was kind of a mix of hipster and blue collar. I would have to say that the hipster factor in Montreal is pretty up there, and there are some interesting characters walking around your city for sure. Much more than in Chicago where I live.

The student population was also quite high around downtown and the city felt more international than I expected. I was surprised to hear Spanish on the streets multiple times.

Neighborhoods
Was able to explore a lot of areas and loved the vibrancy and character of your city. The Plateau is one of the best urban areas I have been to for sure! There was actually more neighborhood pedestrian activity than here in Chicago from what I saw, although Chicago has a more active downtown (not by much though).

Parks
Went to Mont Royal Park, Fontaine Park, the botanical gardens, and St Helen's Island. I really like how Mont Royal gave the impression of having a forest in the city, and it was so cool to walk through the trees and see the city in the distance.

I also really liked checking out the Piknic Electronik on St Helen's Island. What a great event to have every weekend in the summer!

Transit
Used the Metro a lot and think it's the best rail system I have used in North American other than New York City's. It certainly seemed to be better than our rail system in Chicago. I did have one complaint though: lack of climate control on the trains and buses! What's up with that? Every time I got on a train it was like entering a sweat box.

Jean-Talon Market
A great, authentic market. You guys are lucky to have this place!

Food
Had the chance to eat some seriously good food in your city, and was able to try the Montreal staples (bagels, poutine, smoked meet). Particularly enjoyed my meals at L'Avenue and Au Cinquieme Peche. Also loved seeing duck items on many menus, which is not too common in Chicago. Have to say that Montreal smoked meat was a bit of a let-down though.

Old City
This area offered some very cool streetscapes, but overall I was a bit disappointed. It was just too much of a tourist trap for me, and did not feel much like a "real" neighborhood. I expected something similar to the French Quarter in New Orleans (minus the crazy nightlife and strip clubs), but it was not nearly as layered or interesting of a neighborhood. I'm guessing that very few people actually live in the Old City?

[jambo101]

Love to hear feed back from visitors to Montreal.
Agreed that Old Montreal as a bit of a tourist trap , when i go its mostly to appreciate the architecture.
Hard to imagine not liking Montreal style smoked meat, what was it you didnt like.?

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Hard to imagine not liking Montreal style smoked meat, what was it you didnt like.?

I wouldn't say that I did not like it, but it was not as good as I had hoped for. I have just had better deli style sandwiches in other places. One problem may have been that I grew up near Cleveland, which unbeknownst to many has a lot of places serving amazing corn beef and ruben sandwiches that are tough to beat.