Top Winter Activities in Montreal

By |2023-03-23T17:11:59+00:00January 26th, 2019|Montreal, Non classifié(e)|

Look, we get it. It’s freezing out and you have all those Netflix shows saved for days just like this. With temperatures now reaching below -30˚ Celsius, it’s easy to find comfort in your apartment with a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. Maybe it’s that perfect day to read your favourite book or attempt that 1000-piece puzzle of cats you’ve been putting off for so long… But, this is Montreal! With dozens of outdoor events – many of them free – offered throughout the coldest months of the year, now is the time to break out that neon one-piece snowsuit you’ve had in your closet since the early ‘90s and enjoy the city to its fullest. After all, we multicultural Montrealers are [...]

My Favourite Thrift Stores in Montreal

By |2023-03-23T17:12:00+00:00December 6th, 2017|Montreal, Non classifié(e)|

LNF Shop on av. du Parc Montreal is home to numerous thrift stores where you can find a variety of secondhand items, from clothing and accessories to furniture and household items. Thrift stores in Montreal are a great option for those who are looking for affordable, sustainable shopping alternatives. I moved into a larger apartment this June, two rooms all to myself, like a grown boy. After four great years with my ex-roomie, I couldn’t help but feel a little empty on a moving day, my new pad was no different. The truth is, over half of the shared furniture in our old home belonged to her. Each armchair, lamp, and night stand she owned was unique and from a different era though [...]

We’ve Got You Covered: Montréal Summer Festivals

By |2023-03-23T17:12:02+00:00June 13th, 2017|Montreal, Non classifié(e), Uncategorized|

Montreal locals live for the summer months. Family picnics, spontaneous jam sessions, and peculiar smells fill the parks; bikes and BIXIs reclaim the cycle paths; the 5-à-7ers (our happy-hour folk) fill the patios of bars and cafes. A summer visitor could spend an entire long-weekend just hanging and biking, eating and drinking. But then you would miss out on some truly spectacular events. Montreal is renowned for its summertime festivals. For every paid show, there’s at least one free outdoor performance to match! The Quartier-des-Spectacles houses colossal stages with free acts all summer. We’re Canada’s cultural capital for a reason – and our summers cement that. Montreal boasts the largest jazz (Festival International de Jazz de Montreal) and comedy (Just for Laughs) festivals on the [...]

We’ve Got You Covered: Montreal’s Street Art Scene

By |2023-03-23T17:12:04+00:00June 8th, 2017|Montreal, Non classifié(e), Uncategorized|

Montrealers call Saint-Laurent Boulevard La Main for a few reasons. The boulevard divides the city in half (between East and West) and its multi-cultural history gives it a distinct flair. In recent years, La Main has emerged as a hub for street art and creative types. That passion has expanded into nearby streets and boroughs, to public spaces and community centers, and to innovative urban art galleries. Graffiti art now canvasses the entire island of Montreal. And yes, that pun was intended. Did you know that Montreal has actively promoted public art for over fifty years? Beginning in 1961, the Quebec government required public building projects to devote 1% of their budget to art initiatives. That policy has helped produce over 3,500 public works to [...]

A Tour Guide’s Favourite Montréal Festivals

By |2023-03-23T17:12:07+00:00March 15th, 2016|Montreal, Non classifié(e)|

Our city is home to over 100 festivals year round. We don’t just hibernate come winter but come summer we take to the streets, the parks and public squares to soak up every last bit of culture in the sun. The majority of these events are squeezed into the warmer months leaving the impression on visitors that nobody works during our dog days, and with reason. Each year in Spring I grab the old agenda and compile a list of every single party Montréal is hosting, both to keep my customers informed with what’s happening and for my own enjoyment. The problem; and there could be worse ones to have, is there are sometimes six or more festivals worth checking out on a single evening [...]

Chronicles of a Montreal Tour Guide: The Mountain In The Middle

By |2023-05-18T12:18:44+00:00February 21st, 2016|Chronicles, Montreal, Non classifié(e)|

When I was 19 I waited tables at the depressing Montreal restaurant chain, Mikes, on the corner of Jean-Talon and Clark. As I walked by the condos that inevitably replaced the old diner last week, I thought about the patron who came in almost every other day, with a new fellow. She ordered the same items, sat at the same table, faced the same direction and after greeting me as if the first time I served her on her fourth visit, I became aware of what my role in our relationship was. The restaurant was her first date spot and I was her first date waiter. Wherever you are, you’re welcome. On an online dating site the other night a chap asked me what I [...]

Chronicles of a Montreal Tour Guide: The All Mighty Montreal Bagel

By |2023-03-23T17:12:12+00:00October 6th, 2015|Chronicles, Food, Montreal, Non classifié(e)|

When I travel, like many who belong to my young urban and inquisitive generation, I am on the quest for the “authentic” local experience. The wine bar in the small alleyway in Rome where no one speaks English or the ceviche shack in Tulum decked out with plastic Corona-sponsored tables and stray cats salivating under their overflowing of leche de tigre shelters. I remember until today, the 4:00am soup bar in Istanbul that the Kurdish group I befriended during my stay took me to that had me asking myself why I never considered soup a great drunk food. Many cities have their iconic must-try dishes and the locals’ favorite place to get them. Philadelphia has its Cheesesteak, Chicago its deep-dish pizza and Miami its Cuban [...]

Chronicles of a Montreal Tour Guide: Parc-Ex

By |2023-03-23T17:12:12+00:00September 10th, 2015|Chronicles, Montreal, Non classifié(e)|

As a born and bred Montrealer I have the impression that I understand the city’s ins and outs. With a license to guide and eight months of studying the history, culture, the social fabric of the different boroughs, it’s artistic value and economics under my belt, one then truly becomes a spokesperson of the town. At the end of the day however, a metropolis of four million people evolves faster than one can keep up with and like many other large urban centers, the local can live their entire life without needing to step out of their arrondissement, borough or district. I make the point, and not only for work, to do so, without ever truly leaving my comfort zone. Each has its own characteristics, [...]

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