What is the best area of Montréal in which to live?

Question

I recently graduated with an undergraduate degree, and plan on moving to Montréal, Québec to both experience the city and be able to speak French on a daily basis, before starting law school the following year. However, I don't know what area of Montréal is best! Can anyone give me any advice in terms of the best areas to rent an apartment?
Merci d'avance! Any good advice would be greatly appreciated... and 10 points would be given quickly.

Answer 1

It all depends on what your budget is.

Outremont is an amazing place to live, but expensive. If you can afford it though, go for it. The person above me described it pretty well. Most french people in this part of town are immigrants from France, but there's also other ethnicties as well (I'm one of them :) ). If you can find something close to the metro stations then you have it made. There are two metro stations to look for something: Outremont station and Edouard Mon Petit (which is close to University of Montreal). People here are very friendly, and there's so many coffee shops and restaurants to try from at your doorstep. Also, great for taking walks/jogging/biking and very safe.

If you're on a stricter budget, there's Cote Des Neiges, which is very multi cultural, but it's also not the greatest scenery and so on. There's alot of restaurants there as well, that are very affordable too. You have everything you need when you're there, from banks to shops to entertainment and transportation wise it's great, as major bus lines run through there such as the 165/535 and two metro stations: Cote Des Neiges and Plamondon. If you are to look in that sector, look for something closer to CDN metro than Plamondon.

There are alot of apartments for rent downtown, but again that depends on your budget... There's Prince Arthur Street and Sherbrooke and Stanley and Peel close to the McGill campus as well. There's alot of students around there and alot to do.

Answer 2

Here are some options:

(1) Outremont is a suburb located in the heart of Montreal that is just a 10 minute drive to downtown. It borders Mount Royal mountain where you can hike/bike/take in the sun or just enjoy the green space. The burb is very french (I own a retail store in this city). A fair amount of Europeans live here (Swiss,France,etc.). There are two main hot spots to live near: Laurier or Bernard streets. Laurier street has trendy boutiques and bakeries. Bernard street has all the great restaurants (bistros,cafes,etc.). On any given day, both streets will be busy with people having a glass of wine on the terrace to shopping. Rent will start at about $1000 and up for a small 2 and a half but expect to pay over $1200 per month for a decent sized flat.

(2) Plateau Mont Royal is a very hip place to live in (sort of like Greenwich Village in NYC). St-Laurent street cuts through the district. You can find Polish sauages to Portuguese chicken on this city strip.

(3) Downdown Montreal is also a great location but this part of the city is very bilingual. You will meet anglo and franco people.

I would not recommend the east end of the island as it is farther to travel to and there are tougher neighborhoods. The west end of the island is not recommend because it is pretty much all english.

Whatever you select, you can't go wrong...Montreal is a beautiful multicultural city. It is an inexpensive city to live in (much cheaper than Toronto). Don't forget to try St-Viateur Bagels and Schwartz's Smoked Meat. Have fun and enjoy yourself before starting law school.

The Dude from cmdstore

Answer 3

I think that the best area to rent an apt will be anything that is not far from the metro station and where you'll have night buses running. Remember the winter is too long and Im sure you dont wanna skate on the streets.
I live in the Plateau, (very french as you heard b4) close to the subway (orange line), few blocks away from St Denis St and St Laurent where you have lots of bars, restaurants, shops, etc but the rents in here could be quite high.
There is aplace close by, where they have studios for rent, per week, months, etc... Close to metro Sherbrooke. You can call and maybe stay there a ton arrivee 514-845-0916.. Also, I saw this number somewhere offering room & pension for about $500 a month 514-271-8342 but I have no idea where they are.... For you to find out.

Answer 4

Not all parts of Montreal are as French as others, so since speaking French is your priority, that should be a factor in choosing.

If you can afford it, around St-Denis street and Mont-Royal would be a nice combination of speaking French and experiencing the city. Further east (near the Olympic stadium) you'd get a bit more French but less enjoyment on a lower budget; further north or west you might get as much enjoyment but probably less French on a lower budget. Further south (Old Montreal) is also nice and French, but not cheap.

And yeah, Ste Catherines is good for hookers and bars. And shopping, but not too many apartments.

Answer 5

It depends on your budget, actually. If you have the dough, The plateau Mont-Royal is very french and awesome to live in; shops, cafes, very european. If you're not very rich, go to the east, maybe around marché maisoneuve, or in St-Henri: cheaper, a bit dirtier, but still not that far from downtown by metro (subway). There's also all the area around Universite de Montreal around Queen Mary, but you're farther away from everything. If you like the suburbs life, go to Longueuil or Varennes; they're on the South shore of montreal and agian, not too far from the city by bus or metro. Lastly, if you don't necessarily want to live in a completely French area, look around Jean-Talon metro; still alot of frnech but it's right beside little Italy and there's a huge market for groceries where you'll bump in dozens of different ethnicities in every store.
Good luck!

Answer 6

By a Supermarket is the Best Place to Live. Never by the Mall.

Answer 7

St Catherines is best for bars and hookers.