Quote:
Originally Posted by infinity & beyond
I keep hearing what a great city Montreal is. Tell me about it. Is there any US city that is most comparable to Montreal?
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There is nothing comparable in the USA because Montreal has a very unique history and culture. Some could argue that there are superficially bits and pieces of Montreal that are reminiscent of Boston or New York... although there are more differences, in my opinion, than similarities.
For starters, Montreal's fully bilingual, but essentially French-speaking with French signs everywhere. Street signs, store signs, menus, billboards, etc - all in French. English, if it appears on the signs at all, will be much less noticeable.
Montreal was first explored by the French in the early 1500's and then was colonized by the French in the subsequent centuries... so you have that initial French aesthetic, architecture, language, religion... (with beautiful churches and cathedrals everywhere).
While Louisiana, sure, was also colonized by the French way back when, the dominant culture of Louisiana is not French speaking or really dominantly associated with French culture in the same way that Quebecois culture is. Montreal is the largest French-speaking city outside of France.
That alone sets Montreal apart from anything in the USA because the French language isn't dominant anywhere in the USA. It gives Montreal a "European" vibe. It's more historic/European than most North American cities.
The city is very historic - buildings from the 1600's and 1700's... but also modern - lots of skyscrapers and modern 1960's/1970's towers. So it's a blend of both worlds. It also has really unique duplexes and triplexes with curly wrought-iron staircases leading to the front doors on the second levels. I think it's an architectural design unique to Montreal - there's a specific name for it.
It has a huge cosmopolitan fashion/arts/cafe scene... a seemingly eccentric population who are more Latin in spirit than with the rest of Canada. This is a city that embraces the arts more than anywhere else I've been too. It's also a lot cheaper to live in Montreal than Toronto or Vancouver, so that in itself is highly attractive to artists and creative individuals.
There's also the demographic difference - a lot of immigrants from French-speaking countries like Senegal and Haiti move to Montreal. There's also a very prominent Jewish community in Montreal (which gives Montreal its famous smoked meat and Montreal style bagels) which is why Montreal has elements most people associate New York with. It also has a prominent Irish population, which... again, Boston similarities. Of course, this is just a mass generalization, but the mix of people in Montreal is different from most North American cities.
There are many more reasons... but essentially, no... there is no comparison in the USA to Montreal. Montreal also gets the reputation as a "party town" because of its vibrant nightlife. The legal drinking age there is 18, and even then, it's not strictly enforced compared to most Canadian cities. It's also a famous bachelor party city because of the sleezy strip clubs there.
There's a woman who lives in Texas, I think, who loves Montreal, who started up a website called Love Letter to Montreal, which features the best photos of Montreal... I think it gives you a taste of why Montreal is "so great":
http://www.lovelettertomontreal.com/
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