Black neighborhoods in Montreal - which are safe to visit (townhouses, safe area)

[atlcharm]

Hello,

Going on a solo trip to Montreal. Will be staying downtown and visiting the typical attractions but would also like to add more cultural diversity my spending about half a day maybe visiting a neighborhood with a high proportion of blacks.

However since I am traveling solo I would like the make sure that I am going into a safe area and also preferably an area with a lot to see and do such as restaurants and museums.

Oh in addition, I would like the neighborhood to be easy to get to from downtown. I will not have car but am willing to take public transportation.

Here are some neighborhoods that I heard have high percentage of black canadians. I just not sure which are worth visiting and are easy to get to. Oh and I wouldn't mind some carribean or african food. Never had african food but worth a try. Love Carribbean food!

Notre-Dame-de-Grace, Cote-Des-Neiges, Plamondon, Snowdon, and seems to me there's a high population in Pierrefonds

Little Burgundy, NDG (Notre-Dame-de-Grace), Snowdon and Cote-des-Neiges. Pierrefonds, St-Michel, Montreal-Nord and RDP (Rivière des Prairies).

[ThroatGuzzler]

Little Burgundy has a long established African American community dating back to the 1800's, not sure how AA influenced the other neighbourhoods you mentioned are, they may be moreso Carribean (Haitian) than African American, but then again I don't know.

[atlcharm]

Thanks. I'd be interested in visiting Carribean neighborhoods as well.

Is little Burgundy a safe neighborhood? Do you know?

[ThroatGuzzler]

Here's some food for thought:

As one of the most important sites for the nascent trans-Canadian railway industry, a great many African-American workers were brought in from the United States. Later Caribbean blacks were also brought in, leading to Little Burgundy's unique niche as the home of Montreal's working-class English-speaking black community. [1]
The neighbourhood is famous as a centre of black culture, having produced several talented jazz musicians. During Prohibition and the later pre-Jean Drapeau years as an 'open city,' Little Burgundy was home to many lively nightclubs featuring homegrown and international performers; one of the most famous was Rockhead's Paradise, owned by Rufus Rockhead, after whom a street is named. Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones are the two best-known musicians who emerged from the bebop and post-bop era. Canada's first black Governor General, Michaëlle Jean, also spent part of her childhood in the area.
Today, the neighborhood has endured several phases of gentrification, partly stemming from the construction of townhouses over the former railway yards through the 1980s, and then the 2002 reopening of the Lachine Canal to boat traffic, the revitalization of the Atwater Market, and towards its eastern boundary, the continued expansion of UQAM's Ecole de Technologie Supérieure. Little Burgundy is home to the North American arm of Ninja Tune records, many architecture and design offices, new restaurants, as well a longstanding antiques row along Notre-Dame Ouest, formally organized as the Quartier des Antiquaires.


Little Burgundy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The community is quite the tourist spot, offers many restaurants and Jazz music attractions, and events usually run throughout the entire night. If you're interested in the nightclub scene, LB will not disappoint you. It's not a dangerous area by any stretch of the imagination.

If you are interested in architecture at all, LB has some great 19th century works.

[atlcharm]

Oh!!! Thanks so much! Adding Little Burgundy to my list!

[ckhthankgod]

Here's more on Little Burgundy: http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montr...-burgundy.html

Little Burgundy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Montreal Little Burgundy Restaurants - RestoMontreal.ca

Hour.ca - News - Negro Community Centre to reopen in Little Burgundy

Little-Burgundy - Rap Dictionary

and some other areas and info.: Montreal - Rap Dictionary

Montreal - Rap Dictionary

Montreal - Rap Dictionary

BlackMontreal.com

Black Websites, Montreal and environs

[sancty]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Here's more on Little Burgundy: [URL]http://www.sitebits.com/canada/montreal/districts/montreal-little-burgundy.html[/URL]

[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Burgundy"]Little Burgundy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/URL]

[URL="http://www.restomontreal.ca/districts/montreal-littleburgundy-petite-bourgogne.php?lang=en"]Montreal Little Burgundy Restaurants - RestoMontreal.ca[/URL]

[URL="http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=12732"]Hour.ca - News - Negro Community Centre to reopen in Little Burgundy[/URL]

[URL="http://www.rapdict.org/Little-Burgundy"]Little-Burgundy - Rap Dictionary[/URL]

and some other areas and info.: [URL="http://www.rapdict.org/Montreal#Hoods"]Montreal - Rap Dictionary[/URL]

[URL="http://www.rapdict.org/Montreal#Official_City_Boroughs"]Montreal - Rap Dictionary[/URL]

[URL="http://www.rapdict.org/Montreal#Carifiesta"]Montreal - Rap Dictionary[/URL]

[URL="http://www.blackmontreal.com/"]BlackMontreal.com[/URL]

[URL="http://www.blackmontreal.com/id1353.htm"]Black Websites, Montreal and environs[/URL]

great info, man.

[kaymcl]

So how was the trip?

Originally Posted by atlcharm

Hello,

Going on a solo trip to Montreal. Will be staying downtown and visiting the typical attractions but would also like to add more cultural diversity my spending about half a day maybe visiting a neighborhood with a high proportion of blacks.

However since I am traveling solo I would like the make sure that I am going into a safe area and also preferably an area with a lot to see and do such as restaurants and museums.

Oh in addition, I would like the neighborhood to be easy to get to from downtown. I will not have car but am willing to take public transportation.

Here are some neighborhoods that I heard have high percentage of black canadians. I just not sure which are worth visiting and are easy to get to. Oh and I wouldn't mind some carribean or african food. Never had african food but worth a try. Love Carribbean food!

Notre-Dame-de-Grace, Cote-Des-Neiges, Plamondon, Snowdon, and seems to me there's a high population in Pierrefonds

Little Burgundy, NDG (Notre-Dame-de-Grace), Snowdon and Cote-des-Neiges. Pierrefonds, St-Michel, Montreal-Nord and RDP (Rivière des Prairies).

[atlcharm]

My trip was successful and I had a great time. I didn't get to visit any of the recommended neighborhoods but I plan to go back again and will do so.