Help with Montreal Itinerary

[MalibuCA]

Please review my proposed itinerary for 4 days in Montreal. In addition to commenting on the plans for each day, please respond to the questions that I have included. We will be arriving the evening of Monday, September 27, 2010, so this trip is in the fall season. Thank you! Here goes:

 

Tuesday:

Morning: VIEUX MONTREAL (Frommer's Walking Tour, about 2 hours, + Pointe-a-Calliere Archeology and History Museum) Is this museum worth taking the time to see even if we do not have a special interest or knowledge in archaeology?

Afternoon: DOWNTOWN (Frommer's Walking Tour, about 1-1/2 hours, + Underground City.

 

Wednesday:

All Day: LAURENTIANS, INCLUDING VILLAGES, ESPECIALLY VILLE DE MONT-TREMBLANT) Rent a car. Does it make sense to take a day to do this, or should we stay and do more in Montreal?

Thursday:

Morning: Wander around VIEUX MONTREAL or DOWNTOWN to see streets that we may not have gotten to on Tuesday.

Noon: Check out of the hotel, transfer to the Crystal Symphony. Embark the ship and get oriented.

Early afternoon: Leave the ship. Go to the MUSEE DES BEAUX ART. Return to the ship to unpack.

 

Friday:

All Day:

1) Taxi to BELVEDERE KONDIARONK (CHATEAU) LOOKOUT of MONT-ROYAL PARK. Is this the best lookout that is car-accessible?

2) Have the taxi wait for us, and then, drive to the ORATOIRE ST-JOSEPH. Should we have the taxi wait? How long will we want to spend at the ORATOIRE ST-JOSEPH? Are there other taxis readily available at this location?

3) Taxi to PLATEAU MONT ROYAL. Eat at SCHWARTZ'S DELI. Follow Frommer's Walking Tour. Then, take taxi or metro to JEAN TALON MARKET.

 

Our ship sails away at 9:00 p.m. on Friday.

 

I probably have an itinerary that is tremendously over-packed, but just in case, I have a few other ideas to fill in:

1) QUARTIER LATIN Is this area worth putting into the itinerary? If yes, where?

2) MAISON ST-GABRIEL

3) Take a caleche (horse buggy) through Vieux Montreal at night.

4) Bateau-mouche cruise of Old Port Keep in mind that we will be on a cruise ship for 12 days, but I loved the Bateau-mouche on the Seine in Paris. Is this worthwhile?

5) Musee d'Art Contemporian de Montreal

6) Sitting in a cafe and people-watching!

 

I realize that I have listed many things. Please advise -- Do I have all of the "must sees?" Are they in the best order and on the best days? Is there anything listed that I should omit? I appreciate and welcome your comments! Thank you!!!

 

Shelley

[GTJ]

Please review my proposed itinerary for 4 days in Montreal. In addition to commenting on the plans for each day, please respond to the questions that I have included. We will be arriving the evening of Monday, September 27, 2010, so this trip is in the fall season. Thank you! Here goes:

 

In general I don't think you've got too much. Some of your questions about what to see relate in part to those things where you may have a particular interest. But using Frommer's you will get the basic sights that many tourists seek.

 

You may want to consider the ordering of your activities if you anticipate using the Métro and/or bus routes. There are two relevant passes: one is $9 for one day unlimited travel, the other is $17 for three consecutive days of unlimited travel. See http://www.stm.info.

 

Tuesday:

Morning: VIEUX MONTREAL (Frommer's Walking Tour, about 2 hours, + Pointe-a-Calliere Archeology and History Museum) Is this museum worth taking the time to see even if we do not have a special interest or knowledge in archaeology?

Afternoon: DOWNTOWN (Frommer's Walking Tour, about 1-1/2 hours, + Underground City.

 

The underground city is quite extensive, and goes to the edge of the old city. You can get a good map of the network here. http://www.stm.info/English/info/souterrain2008.pdf That being said, the underground city is really just a collection of enclosed underground walkways in office buildings and a few shopping malls. It is worth seeing, but I find that walking on St. Catherine Street is more interesting.

 

Wednesday:

All Day: LAURENTIANS, INCLUDING VILLAGES, ESPECIALLY VILLE DE MONT-TREMBLANT) Rent a car. Does it make sense to take a day to do this, or should we stay and do more in Montreal?

 

Depending on your interests, this is one day where you may get rushed to get everything in the day since the distances can consume a good part of your travel day. Again, be careful when you specify the Ville de Mont-Tremblant because the political and commercial centre of the city is the St-Jovite sector. You'll likely want to go beyond the city to the mountain resort.

 

Thursday:

Morning: Wander around VIEUX MONTREAL or DOWNTOWN to see streets that we may not have gotten to on Tuesday.

Noon: Check out of the hotel, transfer to the Crystal Symphony. Embark the ship and get oriented.

Early afternoon: Leave the ship. Go to the MUSEE DES BEAUX ART. Return to the ship to unpack.

 

This will probably be a relaxing day. You will have probably seen most of these city parts on prior days.

 

Friday:

All Day:

1) Taxi to BELVEDERE KONDIARONK (CHATEAU) LOOKOUT of MONT-ROYAL PARK. Is this the best lookout that is car-accessible?

2) Have the taxi wait for us, and then, drive to the ORATOIRE ST-JOSEPH. Should we have the taxi wait? How long will we want to spend at the ORATOIRE ST-JOSEPH? Are there other taxis readily available at this location?

3) Taxi to PLATEAU MONT ROYAL. Eat at SCHWARTZ'S DELI. Follow Frommer's Walking Tour. Then, take taxi or metro to JEAN TALON MARKET.

 

Our ship sails away at 9:00 p.m. on Friday.

 

I probably have an itinerary that is tremendously over-packed, but just in case, I have a few other ideas to fill in:

1) QUARTIER LATIN Is this area worth putting into the itinerary? If yes, where?

2) MAISON ST-GABRIEL

3) Take a caleche (horse buggy) through Vieux Montreal at night.

4) Bateau-mouche cruise of Old Port Keep in mind that we will be on a cruise ship for 12 days, but I loved the Bateau-mouche on the Seine in Paris. Is this worthwhile?

5) Musee d'Art Contemporian de Montreal

6) Sitting in a cafe and people-watching!

 

Schwartz's Deli is on the main (boul. Saint-Laurent), part of the Latin Quarter. Most of the commerce in that part is nearby on rue Saint-Denis. You should probably combine these activities given their proximity. BTW, I always enjoyed the bus ride coming back from the Laurentians because the bus travels along rue Saint-Denis from bould. Crémazie all the way to Station Centrale, the length of which I've always considered to be the quintessential Montréal street.

 

I realize that I have listed many things. Please advise -- Do I have all of the "must sees?" Are they in the best order and on the best days? Is there anything listed that I should omit? I appreciate and welcome your comments! Thank you!!!

 

Shelley

[Yves]

Actually, your itinerary is not that bad.... I would have a few suggestions/comments:

 

Day 1: Pointe-a-Callieres museum is interesting to see, so I would visit it... it is not too big, so you can do a quick tour of it.

 

Day 2: It is a pretty long day, but it might be worth it because the Laurentians at that time will be gorgeous with the fall foliage.

 

Day 3: Reasonable day.... I would add one thing though: For the last 8 years, the botanical gardens have a special fall exhibit of Chinese Lanterns. Exceptionally, the gardens stays open until 9 PM, because you want to see the lanterns at night of course. You can always unpack after your visit.

 

Day 4: I would say forget the Oratoire... it is just a big church.. and you will most probably see Notre Dame Cathedral in your tour of Old Montreal. I would go to the lookout, then Schwartz's (expect a wait...) and the Jean Talon market, and then back to old Montreal for a 30 minutes caleche tour that will drop you right back at the ship

 

Maison St-Gabriel is just a restaurant in old Montreal.. I don't even know if you can "visit" it. Quartier Latin is nothing special to see, Bateau mouche is nothing like the original Paris, and as you said... you will be on a ship for 12 days... And I hate Art Contemporain, so I am biased.

 

It is a pretty solid 4 days, but you will enjoy it.

[Ephraim]

I've asked Yves to take a look at your itinerary. I think Friday is definitely over-programmed. The market closed at 6PM. Skip the Quartier Latin, besides, it's a night time thing... great if you want to go clubbing. Just like the village, it's dead during the day, but dinner, happy hour or clubbing... is great.

 

Personally, I prefer the McCord to the Musee du Beaux Art, but it's hard to tell this far out what temporary show they will have at the time. The same with Pointe-a-Calliere, something they have an amazing temporary show (this year it's pirates.)

 

If you want to take the boat to the lachine rapids, be aware that the schedule is very limited after labour day (and so is the competition).

 

As for the lookouts, the Kondiaronk isn't "car accessible" as far as I know... you have to park and walk over, it's pedestrian only. I've linked where the parking is. If you look at the satellite image you can see the walk out to the lookout point. The only two that I know of that are car accessible are the eastern car lookout and summit circle. Summit circle is blocked off, but everyone parks for a minute or two to look at take pictures. They just don't want people parking there. Let's face it, if you owned one of the "little" homes around there (you know... $2M and up) would you want the riff-raff coming to your neighbourhood to park their cars?

 

As for the Oratory, I'd go only if you would have regrets about not going. I've been there and for me it's really not impressive, especially the inside, but there are plenty of people who think it's a must go. If you feel like you will have regrets because you skipped it, then definitely go. It's a shame to feel regret forever when you could spend a half an hour and see it and live without regret.

[Ephraim]

Schwartz's Deli is on the main (boul. Saint-Laurent), part of the Latin Quarter. Most of the commerce in that part is nearby on rue Saint-Denis. You should probably combine these activities given their proximity. BTW, I always enjoyed the bus ride coming back from the Laurentians because the bus travels along rue Saint-Denis from bould. Crémazie all the way to Station Centrale, the length of which I've always considered to be the quintessential Montréal street.

 

Schwartz's is NOT in the Latin Quarter, it is in the Plateau.

 

The Latin Quarter is the area between the village and downtown Montreal, starting from St. Lawrence (St-Laurent in French) and ending at about St-Hubert. And from Sherbrooke Street to Viger. Essentially it is the area surrounding UQAM. It used to the be district of the UdeM (Universite de Montreal) which moved out to northern side of the mountain in the 40s. The Latin Quarter is part of the Ville-Marie borough.

 

The McGill Ghetto (proper name is Milton Park) is the neighbourhood surrounding McGill (but mostly to the east of the university, where east is Montreal's east, not Cartesian east.) Milton Park is part of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough and the Jeanne-Mance ward (my district). The other two districts (Wards) of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough are de Lormier to the east and Mile-End to the north. (Milton Park is considered to be west of St. Lawrence and south of Pine Avenue.)

[GTJ]

Schwartz's is NOT in the Latin Quarter, it is in the Plateau.

 

The Latin Quarter is the area between the village and downtown Montreal, starting from St. Lawrence (St-Laurent in French) and ending at about St-Hubert. And from Sherbrooke Street to Viger. Essentially it is the area surrounding UQAM. It used to the be district of the UdeM (Universite de Montreal) which moved out to northern side of the mountain in the 40s. The Latin Quarter is part of the Ville-Marie borough.

 

Technically true, though it is in the same part of the island. Here where I live in New York City, my community of Flushing is rather compact, but the community's name is oftentimes extended to neighboring communities whose names may not be as well known as "Flushing." Many people don't know all of the neighborhoods in Montréal, so with the same reasoning I extended the Latin Quarter a bit beyond its actual boundaries. It is just a short walk (certainly not as if it were in Mount Royal or some other distant neighborhood) and I would certainly consider combining the visits.

 

Overall, I think the original poster has a decent itinerary, and whether or not it is too much or too little will depend on how quickly one visits various places, and those specific things that hold an interest.

[Ephraim]

It's not just technically true, it's a fact. I'm born and raised in Montreal. I live in the Plateau and I used to live in the Village/Latin Quarter. Montrealers may extend the Latin Quarter to the east or slightly to the west, but never beyond Sherbrooke street.

 

While I sympathize with the habits where you live, any real Montrealer knows that the Plateau extends to Sherbrooke street and not beyond. We know that St-Denis changes character (and direction) at Sherbrooke street. The character change is sudden and very pronounced at Sherbrooke. Not just the fact that it goes from being bi-directional, but the prices and the atmosphere change.

 

Having lived in both neighbourhoods, I can tell you that they are a world apart even from the standpoint of living, politics and quality of life.

 

Schwartz's is without a doubt part of the Plateau... it is not even close to being in the Latin quarter. Is the Latin quarter next to Plateau? Certainly.... but Schwartz's is about 3/4 of a km and about 1/2 a mile out of the Latin Quarter.... or about a 10 minute walk.

 

I'm just clarifying an error and correcting it. There were no value with my correction, I understand that people can make a mistake. I just don't want someone getting the wrong information. I love my city and I want others to enjoy it as well... that is my only intent.

 

Technically true, though it is in the same part of the island. Here where I live in New York City, my community of Flushing is rather compact, but the community's name is oftentimes extended to neighboring communities whose names may not be as well known as "Flushing." Many people don't know all of the neighborhoods in Montréal, so with the same reasoning I extended the Latin Quarter a bit beyond its actual boundaries. It is just a short walk (certainly not as if it were in Mount Royal or some other distant neighborhood) and I would certainly consider combining the visits.

 

Overall, I think the original poster has a decent itinerary, and whether or not it is too much or too little will depend on how quickly one visits various places, and those specific things that hold an interest.

[MalibuCA]

All of you have been just amazing! Thank you so much for your help -- what a wealth of information!

 

I have just a few more questions:

 

1) If we walk along "rue St-Denis from blvd Cremazie all the way to Station Centrale, the quintessentional Montreal street," approximately how far a distance is that?

 

2) If we go to the Botanical Gardens at night to see the lanterns, is this area car accessible for a taxi, or do we need to walk through the Gardens to get to the lanterns?

 

3) Our tour books certainly recognize the Botanical Gardens as a highlight of Montreal, but gardens are not usually our "thing" although we loved the Gardens in Victoria. Is it something that we just should not miss, or is it best for those who hold gardens as a special interest? That's why I was wondering whether or not we need to walk a long distance through the Gardens to get to the lanterns. Perhaps if its car accessible, a taxi could bring us and wait for us while we explored the area.

 

4) What time in the evening are the lanterns lit?

 

5) I understand now that only the eastern car lookout (at Voie Camilien-Houde) and the summit circle outlook (at 40 Cercle Summit) are car accessible. Which of those two lookouts do you think renders the best view? Are those lookouts as good as Kondiaronk (Chalet) lookout view? If not, how far a walk is it to the Kondiaronk lookout view from the nearest parking lot?

 

Please understand that we do not need "car accessibility" for physical reasons. I'm just trying to utilize our limited time as efficiently as possible, and we are not really interested in spending a lot of time walking around the park.

 

6) Regarding our proposed day at the Laurentians, how long a day do you think this would require to see the area properly? More than 7 hours?

 

Again, thank you, everyone, for responding to my plea for help. Your assistance has been tremendous! I look forward to your valuable advice on these questions, and I so appreciate it!

 

Shelley:o

[Ephraim]

That's about 7 km and at least an hour and a half of walking. And if you ask me, it's a waste of time. There is nothing of interest as far as I can think of from Cremazie until Jean-Talon at all. (Other than the fact that Cremazie is the street in Montreal with the most traffic accidents.) Or you really need to the the headquarters of the FTQ (a union). The Jean-Talon market is just west of St-Denis at Jean-Talon. Walking south from here is more than sufficient.

 

And if you ask any Montrealer, the quintessential street is... St-Laurent. It's the street of ethnicities. Every group that comes to Montreal settles on St-Laurent at some point and the traces of that lie in the stores and businesses on the street.

 

The Plateau's main streets are St-Denis and Mont-Royal, with a side of Duluth, Prince Arthur, Rachel and St-Laurent (St. Lawrence in English).

 

The parking lot for the Botanical Gardens is as far as a car can go. You need to walk to the Chinese garden for the Lanterns. I would go earlier though, so you can see the Japanese garden and the Chinese gardens in the daylight (and the rest of the garden if it interests you.) The hothouses are open at night, so that's not a concern, you can see them after the lanterns.

 

If you don't like gardens... don't go. It's a botanical garden... plants (and if you go far enough insect at the insectarium.) It's the highlight of some people's trip and I'm sure that there are plenty who don't like it and don't care. Personally, I really enjoyed it. The lanterns are on all day, but basically you can't really see their beauty until after 6PM, it's just too bright outside.

 

They all look at different parts of the city. The one on east side of the mountain looks... east, toward the Olympic stadium. The one on Summit circle looks south toward the west end of downtown. And the chalet view is the best because it looks over downtown, but you need to walk to get to it, it's not car accessible. It's about 400 m from the parking lot, I guess. Not a great distance, but still a distance.

 

Personally, I think some of this is the Japanese tour of Montreal.... just trying to do too much in too little time and not having enough time to enjoy the city. Montreal isn't about the sights... it's about life, restaurants, living, coffee in a café, stores that only exist in the city and designs and colours that you don't see elsewhere. A patisserie with a fantastic treat you haven't seen before or a bread from a boulangerie. Some cheese. A restaurant where you sit and watch or a park where others stroll by.... doing it quickly... that's just not the pace of Montreal. You will quickly see that you are rushing around while everyone else is enjoying life... Montreal is all about the Joie de Vivre... enjoying the fact that you are alive.

 

As on comedian said, if Montreal and Toronto were brothers, one would be an accountant and the other would be a womanizing lecherous drunk.... and we are proud of it.

 

All of you have been just amazing! Thank you so much for your help -- what a wealth of information!

 

I have just a few more questions:

 

1) If we walk along "rue St-Denis from blvd Cremazie all the way to Station Centrale, the quintessentional Montreal street," approximately how far a distance is that?

 

2) If we go to the Botanical Gardens at night to see the lanterns, is this area car accessible for a taxi, or do we need to walk through the Gardens to get to the lanterns?

 

3) Our tour books certainly recognize the Botanical Gardens as a highlight of Montreal, but gardens are not usually our "thing" although we loved the Gardens in Victoria. Is it something that we just should not miss, or is it best for those who hold gardens as a special interest? That's why I was wondering whether or not we need to walk a long distance through the Gardens to get to the lanterns. Perhaps if its car accessible, a taxi could bring us and wait for us while we explored the area.

 

4) What time in the evening are the lanterns lit?

 

5) I understand now that only the eastern car lookout (at Voie Camilien-Houde) and the summit circle outlook (at 40 Cercle Summit) are car accessible. Which of those two lookouts do you think renders the best view? Are those lookouts as good as Kondiaronk (Chalet) lookout view? If not, how far a walk is it to the Kondiaronk lookout view from the nearest parking lot?

 

Please understand that we do not need "car accessibility" for physical reasons. I'm just trying to utilize our limited time as efficiently as possible, and we are not really interested in spending a lot of time walking around the park.

 

6) Regarding our proposed day at the Laurentians, how long a day do you think this would require to see the area properly? More than 7 hours?

 

Again, thank you, everyone, for responding to my plea for help. Your assistance has been tremendous! I look forward to your valuable advice on these questions, and I so appreciate it!

 

Shelley:o

[MalibuCA]

Haha! Thanks, Ephraim. Hey, there's nothing wrong with a "womanizing lecherous drunk" (unless, of course, it's my husband! Not to worry!)

 

I think you are correct in suggesting that we "slow down and smell the roses." It's just that the temptation to want to do everything when we only have a few days is sometimes overwhelming. I do want to spend some time "people watching" and sitting at sidewalk cafes (provided the weather in late September permits me to do so).

 

What do you think of this? My plan at this point is to scrap the day in the Laurentians unless the weather is so incredible when we are in Montreal that it seems like a "don't miss." If I do that, how would you suggest we spend that day instead? More time in Old Montreal? Downtown? Plateau Mont-Royal? Or something else? If the weather is incredible and we decide to include the day at the Laurentians, how long of a day would you guess it would be? I don't expect to spend a lot of time walking around the small villages on the way to the Tremblant resort unless we see a spot that really grabs us. What do you think?

 

Thanks again for the help.

 

I welcome all responses and advice.

 

Shelley

[Ephraim]

If you are going to the Laurentians, plan a day for it. Leave early in the morning. Tremblant is an hour and a half away. St-Agathe is about an hour away. It takes time. But it's beautiful scenery.

 

I would spend a day in the Plateau, including the Jean-Talon market. Have lunch at Schwartz's and dinner... well it depends on if you want to splurge or not or if you want to nash you way through the Plateau. I can name a few places with treats that might be hard to miss, like Koning Amann for... koning amann (a Breton cake made from crepes, butter and sugar) or maybe a Canalé de Bordeaux from au Pain Dore, but maybe the Fougasse aux Olives will strike your fancy. Or maybe a poutine from Patati Patata, La Banquise or even Maamm Bolduc. Coffee from Brulerie St-Denis, Café Noir, Café Depot or maybe La Vielle Europe where you pick up some raw milk cheese and a kernatzel. Or maybe some chicken from Romado's if you like spicy Portuguese grilled chicken. Of course Greek from Prince Arthur or Duluth (bring your own wine) might be another choice. Starting to sound like a city that you eat you way through.... because it is.

 

Shopping along St-Denis from Sherbrooke up to Mont-Royal and then along Mont-Royal until Papineau or maybe a few streets more... Frommer has a sample walk (though I can tell you that Puce-Libre is gone. And if you are already at Square St-Louis, you can ring my door to see if I'm in and say hello.... just pull up a Google Map of Montreal and write in my name... I'm not the church.

[MalibuCA]

I would love to knock on your door, Ephraim, and meet face to face! You have been such a great help!

 

Thank you for the recommendations in the Plateau. I will definitely spend a day there.

 

My current plan is to spend a full day in the Laurentians, a 1/2 day in Old Montreal, and a 1/2 day in Downtown. If I do skip the Laurentians due to weather, should I spend a full day in Old Montreal, and then, another full day Downtown? Is there enough to do to merit full days in each of those areas?

 

Also, I have no problem starting early for the Laurentians. Do you think that I can make it back to Montreal in time for dinner (about 6:30 or 7:00 p.m. in order to dress for dinner?)

 

Thanks,

 

Shelley

[MalibuCA]

Two more questions about the lookouts at Mont-Royal Park . . .

 

It is a very short distance from the parking lot to the Chalet lookout. If our taxi doesn't want to wait while we go to see the lookout, are there other taxis available in that area that we can flag for a ride?

 

Also, would you advise that we go see the lookout on the same day that we visit the Plateau like I had planned, or should we try to visit the lookout on another day?

 

Thanks,

Shelley

[Ephraim]

That's a really hard place to find a taxi. There is one road over the mountain and through the park (Rememberance/Camillien Houde) and well... taxis likely aren't going to be around. You better get him to wait or drop him and walk to downtown through the steps.

 

If you have a day for Old Montreal, all the better. There is a lot to see. There is a walking tour on the Old Montreal website and if you throw in time at Notre-Dame and Pointe-a-Calliere you are going to find time is slipping by. Not to mention Marché Bonsecours, the clock tower and the two historic homes. Not to mention sitting for coffee in a café and lunch. But be aware that Old Montreal is very expensive real estate and that influences the prices in the area. About the most reasonable places in the area are fast food joints, so be ready to pay more for lunch in the area.

 

If you leave early for the Laurentians you should be able to make a late dinner in Montreal. Just make sure not to leave too late.

 

Downtown Montreal isn't that fascinating. It's a big city downtown core. Lots of shopping in the underground city and a few monuments. The Bay's building has a plaque commemorating when Jefferson Davis slept there (he sent his family for safe keeping in Montreal.) And it's interesting to see the underground city. Spend some time at the Musee du Beaux Art (I'll pay for the regular ticket if you buy the special exhibit tickets... in other words, it's free, so if you don't like it.. you can leave. Walk around Crescent street for the English club area. And a stroll up to the Golden Mile to see how the wealthy live.

[MalibuCA]

Thank you, again, Ephraim. You have really helped me tremendously. I will definitely follow your suggestions.

 

As you probably expect, just a few more questions:

 

1) What is the "Old Montreal website?"

2) What are the "two historic homes" that you referred to in Old Montreal?

3) What streets should we walk to see the "Golden Mile?"

 

As always, I anxiously await your wisdom!

 

Thanks,

Shelley

[wwaggone]

Just got back from Montreal. We took a grayline tour of montreal that visited almost all the places you spoke including Mont Royal and Notre Dame. I would take this tour the first day. It leaves about 10 for 3 hours. After that we walked to the places we wanted to spend more time such as the old town and along the waterfront. The latin quarter is not because of the latino culture but because the college courses used to be taught in latin. There are several colleges in the downtown area.

 

Grayline also offers other tours including day trips outside the city. You could check out their website.

 

Hope this helps. We stayed at the Queen Elizabeth Fairmont and was close to the main shopping streets and within walking distance (for most) of the old town and the waterfront.

[Ephraim]

Thank you, again, Ephraim. You have really helped me tremendously. I will definitely follow your suggestions.

 

As you probably expect, just a few more questions:

 

1) What is the "Old Montreal website?"

2) What are the "two historic homes" that you referred to in Old Montreal?

3) What streets should we walk to see the "Golden Mile?"

 

As always, I anxiously await your wisdom!

 

Thanks,

Shelley

 

http://www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca/

 

Sir George Etienne Cartier's National Historic Site

Chateau Ramazay

 

The Golden Mile or the Golden Square Mile are bordered by Rene-Levesque (Dorchester Boulevard) at the south, des Pins (Pine Avenue) at the north, University at the east end and Guy at the western end. But the main concentration is around Sherbrooke, Dr. Penfield (formerly McGregor) and Pine in the east/west direction. And includes McTavish, Peel, Stanley, Drummond, de la Montagne (formerly Mountain), du Musée (formerly Ontario), Redpath, Simpson and Guy in the north/south direction.

 

Rumour was that well over half of all of Canada's wealth at the start of the 20th century lived in that square mile. This is where people like McGill, McTavish, Simpson, Quesnel, Molson, Redpath and the such lived. Where you will find Holt Renfrew and exquisite jewellers but today is also the neighbourhood of the Fine Arts Museum.

[MalibuCA]

Thanks, again, Ephraim. I mapped it out and it looks very doable. Wow, I can't believe that I actually have a definite plan for my Montreal itinerary! :D Thanks to everyone's help on cruisecritic!

 

I haven't figured out dining venues yet, but that's for another day. Next itinerary to plan: Quebec City. I hope everyone is knowledge and ready for my many questions. Judging by Montreal, there will be many, many, many.

 

Thanks again for the help.

 

Shelley

[PennyAgain]

Thanks for doing all the work on this. I'm printing it out for my next trip to Montreal. I can't do all of it (and have done some of it) but I will enjoy having the verified information.

[MalibuCA]

Not a problem. The thanks goes to all of our cruisecritic buddies who have helped so much.

 

Shelley

[GTJ]

It's not just technically true, it's a fact. I'm born and raised in Montreal. I live in the Plateau and I used to live in the Village/Latin Quarter. Montrealers may extend the Latin Quarter to the east or slightly to the west, but never beyond Sherbrooke street.

 

While I sympathize with the habits where you live, any real Montrealer knows that the Plateau extends to Sherbrooke street and not beyond. We know that St-Denis changes character (and direction) at Sherbrooke street. The character change is sudden and very pronounced at Sherbrooke. Not just the fact that it goes from being bi-directional, but the prices and the atmosphere change.

 

Having lived in both neighbourhoods, I can tell you that they are a world apart even from the standpoint of living, politics and quality of life.

 

I understand fully as the same is true here as well. When the USPS tried to make official the incorporation of all the surrounding communities into "Flushing" there was such a massive outcry that the politics took over and I believe it got to the point where legislation was introduced in Congress to mandate that each community be allowed to retain its name rather than be lumped together with Flushing. The demographics, the character, the architecture, the businesses, etc., all differ, each being distinct. Of all the boroughs in this City, Queens is the most parochial. Nonetheless, many from outside Queens County don't know or don't care about the distinction between, say, Flushing and Whitestone, and when giving general directions I admittedly blur the distinctions for these people, much to my own chagrin.

 

I don't know if you've noticed, but if not, and also for anyone following this thread looking to learn a bit about Montréal, Google Maps has recently added street views for many Canadian cities. You can now go and see the actual street view for Schwartz's location here. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=schwartz%27s+deli,+montreal&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=33.352165,56.162109&ie=UTF8&hq=schwartz%27s+deli,&hnear=Montreal,+QC,+Canada&ll=45.516121,-73.577564&spn=0,359.978113&z=16&layer=c&cbll=45.516177,-73.577666&panoid=zvDVDnsqsyKDFGzJl889pg&cbp=12,10.26,,0,-1.97 The service is also useful for looking at cruise ship terminals and other possible sights.

 

(Interestingly enough, Google Maps has a label for the Plateau--at Berri & Dultuh--but unless I'm overlooking it I see no label for the Latin Quarter. Perhaps not surprising as closer to me there's a label for the neighborhood of Murray Hill but not for Flushing!)

[Ephraim]

That is because the Plateau-Mont-Royal is the name of a borough while the Latin Quarter is a colloquial name for part of the Ville-Marie borough. There are no names on the Village, the McGill Ghetto (Milton Park), Jeanne-Mance, little Burgundy or even Shaunnesey village. On the other hand they have skipped the name on the Ville-Marie borough as well... but all the other boroughs are there.

 

The Google Streetviews in the plateau started in the autumn. I can tell from the front of my house. And Schwartz's is obviously early in the spring because the take-out location is finished but the trees are still bare.

 

The origin point for Google Street Views in Montreal is known. It is at http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=4076,+H%C3%B4tel-de-Ville&sll=45.518684,-73.577607&sspn=0.004864,0.007993&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=4076+Avenue+De+l%27Hotel-de-Ville,+Montreal,+Communaut%C3%A9-Urbaine-de-Montr%C3%A9al,+Quebec,+Canada&ll=45.519278,-73.578851&spn=0.009727,0.015986&z=16&layer=c&cbll=45.519368,-73.57903&panoid=kTeFYeQ95LKw7Std_C0HAg&cbp=12,127.12,,0,-4.42 and basically if you move one step forward or back you get to see the trees lose their leaves... instantly.