Montreal Lives up to the Hype (But Isn’t Perfect)
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- Опубликовано: 26 июн 2024
- Many people think of Montreal as a pretty special place, and we’re no different. After having lived there as well as in many other cities in Canada, Montreal does indeed stand out.This video looks at the unique features that make Montreal a one-of-a-kind city, while also looking at some of the less desirable features (so that our rose-coloured glasses don’t get the best of us).
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I feel like Montreal could greatly benefit from underground dumpsters like are used in various places in the Netherlands; they're perfectly suited for mid-density areas, as they can fit into a single parking space, can be emptied road-side in a fully automated manner, are critter-proof, have enough capacity to handle an entire block, and don't visually stand out like above-ground dumpsters would.
We have them in the suburbs. They're called moloks and my apartment complex has them. They're also used in mall parking lots for recycling, trash and even for used clothing donations
Unfortunately lots of places in Canada has a municipal garbage collection service that is literally run by the mob. So it's unlikely they would invest to lower their business.
Every city would greatly benefit from that
I don't like how big dumpsters smell bad.
YOu have to consider the age of the individuals in the more densely populated buildings. The fact Canada Post was looking to install mailboxes on corners of streets caused a huge uproar because people with disabilities and older age individuals would have difficulty getting their mail, especially in winter months. Imagine them carrying bags of litter?
Sometimes when I’m having a crappy day I remind myself “Well, at least I’m in Montreal” which this video did automatically for me today.
I’ll be visiting you guys for the Tulip festival BTW!
So happy to see my other favorite Montreal youtuber here!
There is a tulip festival?
how about those road conditions after the winter...something to consider when needing to improve the city's infrastructure!
Any city with my family name on one of the major roads can't be that bad.
@@Zsanebula Yes, there is. In Ottawa there certainly is. Canada receives thousands of tulips each year from the Netherlands. This is a way of saying "Thank you" for the Canadian Army's help in freeing that country from the Nazis in 1944.
You two are giving Not Just Bikes a run for his money with your ability to convince me to move to a new city
@@maplecrow1981 Montreal is by no means on the same level as the Netherlands but I think your description sells it short. The REV might be the best but there are so many other parts of the network that are very useful and pretty comfortable. The strongest criticism of Montreal is that it's not so much a "cycling city" as a city with some cycling neighbourhoods.
By moving to Montréal you're moving to a new country, Québec.
If you can, stay and help cities realize that they can make good changes to give everyone better spaces.
Stay where you are and try to make that place a better place.
@@jellybeansi What's so funny?
The city of Montreal should just hire you at this point to run their marketing department lol. Great video as always
this is true. i often feel like we live in a crappy city, but this video definitely reminded of the good things.
For instance, it's fun to visit Toronto from time to time, but everything there is ridiculously expensive, even though there are more fringe/niche stores than here. But downtown can be kind of a hell hole populated by people who seems more like robots. it can be kind of depressing.
“Montreal: our main export is good ideas”
To eliminate the use of English in Quebec they have been going to every French speaking countries and have brought in so many people from forien countries that Quebec is soon not going to be Quebecois because the people coming in are nothing like is was when English speaking Canadians living there. Before their were two cultures, the French of Quebec and and every other cultures who preferred English culture more because the French culture don't accept other cultures because they speak English. But now that English speaking people are not preferred they now have to deal with very forien cultures that want nothing to do with French culture.
I lived in Montreal many years ago as an American student, and I can honestly say that there is SOOO much American cities could, and should, learn from Montreal. For the past few decades, I have lived in an American city of comparable size (city proper and metro area) and I always wonder how Montreal can have such amenities and high quality of life while my city is a dump that does not even come close to measuring up to Montreal in ANY area of importance. I've come to the conclusion that our politicians (both parties) are rotten thieves. Honestly, just knowing about Montreal makes me feel horribly cheated. Every American city should at least TRY to be like Montreal in whatever ways it could.
What quality of life?
@@AC-zq9tv
1. Montreal has usable public transportation (the Metro); my city doesn't have usable public transit.
2. The Canadian healthcare system won't cause you to have to declare bankruptcy, and waits for medical care are no longer than where they are where I am.
3. In 2022, Montreal had 41 murders; my city (same size metro area as Montreal's) had 438.
4. Montreal has much cleaner air than where I live.
5. Montreal has MUCH better architecture and art.
Stuff like that.
@@timward3116 You're welcome to come back any time you want my friend
Greetings from Montreal
@@timward3116
1. Not if you live outside the core or city limits in general.
2. But the Canadian healthcare system might have you search another country for a family doctor.
@@shauncameron8390 I understand, Shaun, but that is generally true down here, too. The farther you are from services and amenities, the farther you are from services and amenities LOL.
But you do have over 60 metro stations in the greater Montreal area. We got nothin' where I am. We have one little trolley line that runs on a diagonal from northwestern suburbs to southeastern suburbs, and a person can wait for hours for connecting busses. And when the bus arrives, it will likely be full of drug addicts hopping around.
A car is absolutely necessary here. In much of Montreal, a car isn't necessary (unless there's a bus/Metro strike, I suppose). I lived in Longueuil four decades ago, and Montreal had a lot more then than Phoenix has now. Regarding healthcare, I suspect you are losing some doctors to the U.S. because doctors can make somewhat more money down here - but often not as much as they might assume. It's the insurance companies and the medical groups/hospitals that rape the patients down here. Waits to see a general practioner down here can still be a month, though - and a hospital stay can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars/week. Also, there is no real way to shop for hospitals since you can never know what they'll charge until they charge you - and medical emergencies don't allow for shopping around anyway. Medical bankruptcy is the major cause of bankruptcy - and even those who have paid for insurance will find that the insurance company often will not pay much of the bill. So, for most things, Canada is still better - though I understand your frustration. Everything could always be improved, and sometimes something needs a lot of improvement. But do yourself a favor. Never believe our system is better than your's. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
I lived in Montréal back in the 90. I studied at the Université de Montréal and I lived in a plex close to Côte des Neiges. One of my favorite walk was to go up to the parc of Mont Royal, walking around the cemetery, then going up to the Observatoire and then going down to McGill university buildings. I would then head to Saint-Catherine and have a coffee and a muffin. As a European, this did not strike back then as being exceptional. 30 years later I must say I was quite wrong.
4:58 These points would fit perfectly for LA also. The rich homeowners get on city council and keep banning more housing and act like they are doing it to protect the city from greedy developers. The irony.
5:54 And then people will say exactly this. "You aren't entitled to live anywhere you want". How about this: You aren't entitled to tell people they can't build more housing on THEIR property.
More like: you aren't entitled to live in my neighbourhood. You are poor and therefore should live on the outskirts in an impoverished trailer park.
Same in Hong Kong as well. One of the previously elected government tried to allow more land to be used for property development. Homeowners protested against the act because they were concerned about their home prices going down with more housing supply. :(
@@Scorpiotide I didn't realize Hong Kong faced these same issues. I just recently discovered NYC has a housing shortage due to restrictive zoning. I think many people don't realize it's illegal to build housing there because the tall buildings give people the false impression that building housing is always allowed.
@@mariusfacktor3597 Nuh. I am not sure about Los Angeles, but in San Francisco for example. The loudest people are the poor neighborhood, they will march & scream banned gentrifications everytime more housing is build around their area. Then they complained about people not having enough sunshine because high rise apartment blocked sunlight. They wont have enough vitamin C needed. Some of their arguments are so non sense. Its not just the rich people who complained the most, the poor as well.
Those homeowners don't think about the general collectivity and longterm sustainability for the next generations, they care only about what would affect them directly and immediately, pretty resistant to change, with a NIMBY mentality (not in my backyard) and tend to forget a simple truth that you don't have a city if there's no people living in it, if there's no affordable housing, people (the next gens, including their own children and grandchildren, etc) will leave. Pretty short-sighted and selfish, if you ask me
I am also born and raised in Ottawa and moved to MTL at age 18 and was also a case of 'never look back'. I think this video is absolutely bang on in its analysis of pros and cons which was fair and balanced. I have always said it: Montreal is a hate it or love it type of place. The good thing about that is a lot of the 'hate it' people leave, so you are left with a lot more of the 'love it' crowd which explains why there is in my opinion an open-minded, passionate, 'joie de vivre' culture here that is lacking in most international North American cities.
Lot of the hate (or jealousy?!) comes from Toronto and western Canada.
@@SA-sf2cqbecause it's recycled from the quebecua
This makes me miss Montréal so much. I’m from Houston but when I went to school near NYC, I’d make my friends join me and they all fell in love with MTL as well. It actually inspired me to start learning French at L’alliance Français de Houston. I hope to return to MTL one day soon!
There was a kid's show called "Mighty Machines" about real life vehicles and work machines. The episode on snow clearing was shot in Montreal and oh man is it ever on a different level than Toronto. Snowblower vehicles going down sidewalks with a dump truck keeping pace beside it to collect the snow, for example.
Snow removal in Montreal is a marvel - we actually have a video on it: ruclips.net/video/EiG8QD5wsbI/видео.html
@@OhTheUrbanity Just watched it - wow. I don't remember the air raid sirens being shown on the Mighty Machines episode. That is an impressive operation.
Man you just took me way back. I had a couple episodes of Mighty Machines recorded on VHS as a kid that I would watch religiously.
I'm from Boston but have frequently visited Montréal and Québec City over the years for away hockey games. I don't travel domestically in the USA too much simply because most American cities are depressingly similar to each other and suffer from the same issues. The aforementioned Canadian cities offer a breath of fresh air from both the city planning and linguistic points of view. Of course I get a few jeers around the Bell Center with my Marchand jersey on, but seeing the River, having a quiet dinner in Verdun, and exploring the city are always rewarding experiences. Every time I go I discover something new people can do with their duplex balconies. Hopefully QC gets a team to give me an excuse to return.
Not even New York?
I could say the same thing.
As a Montrealer i have always appreciated educated open minded americans than closed minded obnoxious english canadians envying the best quality of life in Quebec in both official languages of Canada . Toronto and Vancouver has the same culture and architecture than any average americam cities . I love Chicago for the urban planing, green city and friendly people . New York ( Manhattan ) is also an aamazing walkable city that is similar to Montreal , built on an island with a central park,some buildings in Montreal have the same architects from New York but a cleaner and more modern subway. . Montreal island is 10 times bigger than MAnhathan but of course a population of only 5.4 millions in the greater Montreal.
@@jeanbolduc5818 I'm an American who loves Québec. It seems every Anglo-Canadian I know absolutely hates Québec and I find that really unfortunate, especially considering all the things that those same folks clutch to as 'Canadian' desperately to prove they're not American (poutine, hockey, maple syrup etc) are actually Quebecois...if they ever were to lose Québec they'd completely lose anything that makes them remotely unique on the world stage.
@@RodoMallard
Exactly. Also Quebec was the reason Canada didn't get annexed by the US as the French agreed to fight alongside the British to stave off invasion.
As a Bostonian who now lives in Montréal, I understand the garbage critique but in my mind Montréal is a wicked clean city. They are pretty rigorous with their street cleaning compared to a lot of other North American cities I’ve been to. In the spring right after the snow banks melt it can get pretty bad since any trash stuck in the banks are left on the ground. But literally a week later all the streets are clean again. Yes there’s always room for improvement, but all the time I’ve lived here I’ve never once thought of Montréal as a dirty city.
Montreal hires a lot of people for more than $20 an hour and a load of benefits, including students, to just walk around in a neat city worker uniform with a bin and broom in tow, and clean anything lying around on the sidewalks, streets and alleys. They can call a truck for bigger messes. The city's residents in dense areas generally tend to clean around their property too, and garden, and renovate, keep things neat and take care of their neighborhood.
Good timing with this video; there was an article in the Globe and Mail this weekend about how last year, for the first time since 1971, more people moved from Ontario to Quebec than the other way round. This is a perfect complement 👍
That's bad for french Canadians
@@gl4989 Is it? They will have more allies and get to flex their superiority when it comes to city planning and gets a few more allies. Or are you concerned that these new people will not properly assimilate and only increase demand?
@@gl4989 Ils peuvent apprendre le français, comme moi.
Sad to say I have lived my entire 52 years of life in Winnipeg,and had never been further east than Sioux lookout until years ago ,I drove out east all the way to Halifax NS. we ended up in Montreal juring the first weekend of their world famous comedy festival,we had a fantastic time.
Quebec city is also amazing as well,along with the entire east coast.
Doing the same trip this summer but this time we're giving ourselves 5 weeks to do it.
I lived in Winnipeg for 28 years and yeah I am definitely moving
Something I love about Montreal is how amazing it is for school trips as well, since its so walkable it greatly reduces the costs of the trips, allowing more kids to experience new things and various cultures
I love how the REV is evolving. Even when I'm living notably removed from downtown, I can get there in half an hour on my bike. The Peel addition was also great for getting to work downtown. It's part of my daily commute.
Thanks to you guys and Paige Saunders I rediscovered Montreal. Just a few days ago I got my acceptance letter to Concordia for urban studies and I'll be moving up there over the summer. I really want to thank you guys for helping open up this new chapter in my life.
Bienvenu a Montreal, you will love this city.
Enjoy your time at Concordia and be sure to check out the other educational institutions in the city while you’re here.
Welcome to Montréal! Hope you do not have too much trouble finding an apartment!
Welcome! Make sure to bike around during the summer, and enjoy what this beautiful city has to offer ( especially the parks). Also, the Geography Department in Concordia is amazing, you will enjoy it very much.
Don't bother with the elevators to the Geography and Planning floor. The escalators will get you there faster if you walk up.
5:00 Toronto's approach reeks of short-term thinking. By adopting policies that benefit homeowners who bought before the price spike (who are generally older and no longer having kids) at the expense of renters (who are generally younger and in a position to choose to have more kids), they're trading long-term sustainability for short-term gains. You can't have a city without people.
As a Montrealer, I can't convey enough how great it is that you put the French language as your first reason to love the city! Too many outsiders see it as a negative, as something that you enjoy the city "in spite of", rather than the asset it is! Merci pour ce vidéo!
Shouldn’t it be “Merci pour cette vidéo” :) I love being in Montreal for the French language. Am not perfect but try everyday to become as perfect as I can be.
@@hansymillery8309 Thank you for the clarification. I do find these differences quite difficult to absorb, since I learned French « in France» way rather than what is used in Quebec before immigrating here. However it is quite interesting how French differs in terms of French from France and French in Quebec :)
I like Montreal because of the French language, it's different from the rest of Canada, those people that complain because of the language barrier are racist.
@@bassamal-kaaki3253 Same as English from Canada and from England. All european languages were transformed when people moved to America, (English, Spanish, Portuguese), why would people think that French would stay the same is beyond me.
@@ericktwelve11 I don’t think those that are conveying “French” as being a barrier to them are considered racist!. Being racist is totally different and not a nice word to use in this context. The barrier being a language is described as not being able to speak the language well enough to get better jobs, as employers look for French speaking candidates and those only speaking French will be better off. It does not harm to learn French and immerse oneself in it. After all, they chose Quebec knowing it’s first language is French. As such, they need to atleast know the basics in French and be positive, opportunities will come for all.
When I visited Montreal with my family we walked literally everywhere and I loved it! If I went again I would definitely love to try the metro, but I just loved how easy it was to walk everywhere
You two nerds are really great at making balanced, informative and interesting videos about controversial topics without going anywhere near the polarizing political commentary that we would expect basically anywhere.
One of my favorite cities in the world. I’m American but my aunt and uncle moved up there in 1974 for work and stayed through 1982, so I got to go a couple times as a small kid and have been back since.
Great video! The section about the underlying cultural differences in the attitudes about housing affordability in Montreal vs. Toronto really resonated.
And it’s always good to see Denzil Minnan-Wong put on blast.
I was born and raised in Park Ex just across the train line from Jarry Park long before the Expos had a stadium there. Nice to see the old city again. Not many cities have the character of Montreal in Canada or Australia where I'm now living.
What timing! I just got back to Ottawa from a trip to Montreal, and I’ve decided to move! This video was just the nail in the coffin
Maybe you should watch the last 4 minutes of the video again...As a native Montrealer, I can attest that living in Montreal is a joke. Hundreds of thousands of people have been moving out over the past 45 years. Do a little research and read up on Quebec's new Bill 96 that will screw the Anglophone community and the English language even more. Good Luck.
I visited Montreal about 19 years ago. I loved it and Quebec in general. But it's the last place my wife and I went as a married couple, and my marriage fell apart almost immediately after. I hope to someday recover from that enough to go back, but after all these years I still haven't.
I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like an incredibly tough experience, and I can see how it could 'taint' other things that were previously enjoyable. I hope some day that you get to go back, maybe with better people, and enjoy it again! It might not be the same love you felt last time, but it may not be as bad as you are dreading either.
Montreal is a great city in which to find yourself single again. With so many beautiful, elegant women, you'd be bound to have fun and eventually find your forever woman.
maybe you need a french wife
Thanks so much for doing this wonderful video! I lived in New Hampshire for five years and traveled to Montreal all the time. I was about two hours from Montreal and two hours to Boston. In terms of the vibrancy, beauty, food, culture, there was no contest. Montreal was way more interesting and fun than Boston. I love the slightly grungy aspect as well, and the more bohemian feeling compared to most other cities. I feel like because the city is less expensive, it allows more interesting businesses and cultural assets to develop. Would love to work in Montreal but sadly I am in the medical field so I doubt I could ever get proficient enough at French to work there in my field.
Quebec wants you to learn French! There are so many programs and classes to help you master the language fast! Plus, we are in such need of doctors that we can tolerate a thick accent! 😉
In the medical field? You’re hired, we’ll worry about proficiency later.
Many neighborhoods (mostly the West side of the island) are anglophones, so I'm sure you could find a job 😉
@@vincenthuynh7742
But most anglophones who live in West Island are bilingual.
@@philippebleau4809 unfortunately you cant without a french profiency exam completion. You cannot get a license without it. This is why many of those in the medical field leave the province in addition to higher taxes.
Excellent video as always. I also want to add that June and July are surprisingly hot and humid. If you're used to mild temperate climates, winter will not be the only shock for you. I barely get any biking done during those months.
But still, the quality of life is real. I come from the suburbs and moved to a mid-density borough often mentioned in your videos. Sure its dirty, but having all the services at walking/biking distance is incredible.
I agree with your list of drawbacks at the end, except for Winter. First of all, I think a lot of people enjoy that Montreal gets a real Winter instead of a mix of rain and slush you get in more southern cities (tough we still get a couple of rainy days in January and February, which leads to lots of ice...). I also think our harsher winter is a big part of why summers are so vibrant in Montreal (you do mention that). We just go crazy in Spring when it's finally warm, and I think it's part of why our parks get so full for the few months we can use them.
Unfortunately, Winter is also a big culprit for one of your drawback: cleanliness... With the snow melting, the city is pretty nasty at the moment with all the trash that was buried reappearing all at once... Hopefully the cleaning crew (and the residents!) will get to work soon.
Great content as usual by the way!
I’ve experienced winters elsewhere in Canada. Dirty snow is inevitable as long as there are gas and diesel powered vehicles on the road. But the garbage is inexcusable. A $20 garbage bin with a tight fitting lid will keep the squirrels out. It takes just a few minutes on garbage day to pick up any trash that has blown into and around your yard. The city needs to enforce existing by-laws by fining building owners who don’t comply. And individuals should be reporting garbage and recycling contractors who are sloppy doing pickups. The worst times for garbage on my street is just after the recycling truck has been by.
I too disagree with winter as a drawback! I love that we get snow and snowfall here: I get to enjoy what winter has to offer by the city's various free skating rinks, themed winter parks, and even cross country ski trails. We also have "Igloo Fest" which is a huge outdoor winter concert.
Winter is tough for many reasons, in any city, but besides it's obvious drawbacks as a season, I think Montreal makes the most of it
@@polishtheday And cities could provide block garbage bins at the cost of a curbside parking space. *glares at Manhattan, with an even bigger garbage bag/rat problem*
100% agree. Been here 4 years now, and I love the fact that I never get wet in the winter. The worst bike rides I ever take are always in the fall, when there is a mix of lack of daylight, wind, and rain which make the experience miserable. Montreal winters are pretty sunny, and snow doesn't drench your pants.
Le premier dimanche de mai, plusieurs villes organise le nettoyage des berges donc la situation va s'améliorer bientôt.
I used to live in Montreal for a year and a half, having moved from Ottawa. That year and a half were the best of my life. Beautiful scenery and culture, plus it was really fun to learn French (still read the news in French). I'm living back in the states and I still think about Montreal every day. Fortunately, I'll be living in DC soon and plan on visiting MTL often.
I'm lucky to have traveled and visited many cities around the world and have visited Montreal around 50 times due to business trips from Europe. When asked which are my favorite cities, I always say Montreal and Glasgow.
I used to love staying at the Hotel de la Montagne. The Manager, Tina Rodreges, always looked after me for a room for Formula 1 weekend. 😀
I’m an ex-Montrealer, living in Toronto. I agree with your views in this video, as with others you publish. I’d love to hear more about you.
Montreal is such a beautiful city. Thank you for the tour and so much great information. Greetings from the West Coast! 👍😍
This was such a great explanation of what makes Montreal great. I've always loved it and have gone almost every year for the past few years.
I, as a French speaking Montréal native, agree with all of the stated downsides to living in Montréal. The political policies implemented in the last 40 years have contributed to a degradation of the quality of living. One of the most obvious is, as stated, a degradation of cleanliness. That's unfortunate.
Montréal est particulièrement dégueulasse cette année... Je n'ai jamais vu autant de déchets dans les rues dans mon coin dans l'est de Rosemont.
je pense qu'il faudrait vraiment faire un renforcement de la responsabilité citoyennes sinon les coût des services de la ville vont augmenter. et c'est pas si dure de se ramasser faut juste prendre l'habitude.
@@pidgelord9445
Tout à fait d'accord.
Cependant, il y a un immense problème de priorité en ce qui à trait aux dépenses budgétaires. Pourquoi a-t-on suffisamment de budget pour installer des fleurs dans certains quartiers ou sur certaines artères mais pas suffisamment pour un nettoyage de base dans d'autres lieux. Si un quartier est laisser à lui même, il est plus facile pour certains citoyens de justifier des comportements irrespectueux de leur environnement.
Combien de cadre et de d'élus de la ville de Montéal habitent cette ville ? Il est plus facile de fermer les yeux quant à l'existance d'un problème quand il ne se trouve pas sous notre nez.
@@gl4989 C'est à nous de nettoyer aux pieds de nos immeubles et habitations au débuts du printemps. Je suis souvent choqué commet les gens laissent les déchets accumulés durant l'hiver devant leurs Plex !.
De plus, Montréal a retiré plusieurs poubelles publiques il y a 5 à 7 ans (dans les parcs, dans les stations de métro et même sur les trottoirs). C’est un défi collectif : pour les citoyens et la ville!
This video made me nostalgic of early pandemic when I used to walk for hours around the city. From my old neighborhood of Centre-Sud, I would either go to Hochelaga, the Plateau, old port or downtown and it was truly a different experience each time ! Now I live on the South Shore and even though it is quieter and cheaper to rent, I sometimes miss this beautiful city. Also, what a surprise to see my childhood elementary school being featured at 8:35 !
lol nostalgic for passing through hoch'lag
I love that you shared the downsides too! It's awesome to hear your honesty.
This video was soooo good! I'm on an exchange semester in Montreal from the winter until June, and coming from the Netherlands the winter was definitely a big challenge. People seem to be less outgoing and no one wants to do a lot of activities. But now summer is around and the city is so lively and enjoyable, with lots of fun stuff and festivals coming around. At first I hated the city, seeming very "American" with 90 degree corner streets and neighborhoods feel very clear cut. But after traveling to cities like Toronto and Ottawa especially, Montreal has A LOT more character, and it doesn't feel like a concrete jungle as much.
Great video as always! Loving your channel more and more, you explore both the pros/cons so accurately. I’d say this video perfectly describes life in Montreal
Thank you!!
your videos are so helpful. you see things in a very neat way. as someone living in vancouver with... conflicted views on things here... the comments you sprinkle in about my city are always a highlight, too.
I couldn't agree more about the "mixture of good and bad" in relation to a certain culture of being open to art (like murals) and acceptance of a tad bit of "anarchy" in urban surroundings. This applies to many Europeans cities too. Being from Switzerland, I'd say our cities rather tend to suffer from too much sterility, especially in areas with recent investments or just newly developed areas. There's a lot of money in Switzerland, even if not always with the people, and it shows. But our too perfectly in shape neighborhoods often transport a sense of exclusion, seem to express how "not everybody belongs here". At least to me, personally. And I'm just unable to appreciate that, in fact it makes me feel a little uncomfortable, unhappy. Also, I'm simply a fan of color. I actually even appreciate a certain amount of shabbiness, as it very often has its own distinctive look and feel, is something you can still feel at home in, see beauty in. Nonetheless, if a certain thin line is crossed it can quickly become a bit depressing. A too intensely run-down neighborhood will simply start to feel neglected, the last bit of romanticism will be lost, it will all just feel like given up on. And, well, that's not good for any place I'd say.
Well done and very accurate! I have never been bored when visiting Montreal.
Excellent video! You captured a lot of the essence of Montreal!
Montreal is such a cool city. Great video. If you like unique neighborhoods and biking (along with hills), you should checkout Pittsburgh Pa. If you live in Toronto, it’s only about a 5-6 hour drive. Worth it in the summer!
I always hear this about family doctors but both my partner and I were (separately) able to be assigned one in about 18 months. With no pre-existing conditions.
I for one, love Montreal because it has allowed me the opportunity to free myself from car dependency. It's so freeing being able to walk a couple of blocks and hop on the metro, or grab a bus home from a big box store if I bought something heavy.
Ya, the stat is an average wait time, so that means of course some people have better times and some have worse. The CAQ govt has been fiddling with policy so much that the variability is increasing as well. That applies to SAAQ wait times, immigration, waitlists for the french courses, and pretty much any point where humans have to interact with govt these days.
I was unemployed for my first four months of living in Montreal, then covid for the rest and didn't make any connections or friends. But I still really really miss it. What a city.
You filmed outside of my building on Duluth at 3:42. Thrilling for me as I am a big fan of your work!! Great as always.
Perfect video, I've been living here for 2 months, I agree with every topic!
Every time I go out to walk to get to know the city it seems I'm going to a different city, every region/neighborhood feels so different from each other
I lived in Toronto for a decade and when ever I see images of it I’m reminded of how ugly many of the main roads are and how they hide the beautiful wooded smaller streets lined with Victorian and Edwardian homes.
t.o. is great, but I have to agree with Anthony Bourdain when he said it's an ugly city...
@@m.e.3862 Honestly I've come to accept it as part of Toronto's charm. The main streets are very messy with 3 story brick buildings next to massive glass and steel towers. When I've shown pictures to some of my european relatives they said it looked photoshopped because they couldn't phatom the lack of coherence. Personally I love it, but it's certainly not for everyone. I do think a lot of urban planning channels sell it kinda short though. Certainly not perfect, but old Toronto is very walkable and easy to live car free in and I say this as someone who grew up in Europe. (The part about it being disgustingly expensive is true though...)
I'm French and I moved to Montreal for my job last September. Weirdly enough, I barely speak any French there, aside with some friends I see on weekends. Since most people speak English either way and my workplace's language is English due to being full of people from all around the world, I use this opportunity to immerse myself in English while still having the convenience of being able to have French as a backup, which I highly appreciated when the time came for tax statement, immigration processes, registering at the bank and health insurance ;)
Also, having a body that prefers cold weather (i sweat just by thinking about 20°C), and being an absolute lover of lone strolls under the moon, Montreal's winter was quite enjoyable for me! Walking the Mount Royal covered with its first ice, biking down Lachine canal, jumping in meters of snow in Arthur-Therrien Parc, ...
Also, maple butter. Just... Gimme that!
But yeah, not a perfect place (if that even exists). I was particulalry surprise by how people just pile up their trash on the streets. And not just bags, sometimes just random garbage, bits of furniture, broken chairs, ... Just dumped on the sidewalk for trash collectors to pickup next morning. I remember once, walking on St Catherine West, zigzagging between piles and people, on my way to a dinner date x)
Also, before moving there I was told that this city was a mix of French and English, and lots of people spoke both; which seems true to some extend (at least in the neighborhood I've been the most, I know English is more prominent in some areas). But living there, I discovered that some places/people don't see this as a happy linguistic coexistence (and some clearly just don't this to even take place). Which kind of made me sad. Most of the stuff is a mere passive-aggressive bickering. But unfortunately, some of my colleagues and friends don't have the luxury of speaking both French and English, so I've witnessed stuff I wish should not happen in such poly cultural city...
It is legal not to use french in your work place . Bill 101
y... yes?
En fait c'est un peu tendance aussi à Paris, ce "tout à l'anglais" surtout chez les jeunes travailleurs et étudiants, dans les entreprises en lien avec l'international ainsi que dans les universités et hautes écoles "internationales". J'ai même entendu à la radio (France Inter) une dirigeante de jeune pousse française qui s'en réjouissait, que c'était "business-friendly" et que le français c'était bien mais chez soi en famille ou avec ses amis, que le français n'avait aucunement sa place dans les entreprises un tant soit peu internationales, qu'elle n'incitait nullement ses employés non francophones à apprendre le français.
C'est un peu triste, même très triste de voir tous ces expatriés venus du monde entier et qui malheureusement n'ont jamais eu l'envie de se mettre un peu au français (comme s'ils en avaient royalement rien à carrer de l'opportunité linguistique et culturelle qui s'offre à eux). Et puis c'est quelque part aussi tous leurs petits collègues français trop content de pouvoir s'immerger dans une bulle anglophone et de pratiquer leur anglais "à la cool" au boulot et en "after-work". C'est vraiment tendance car je l'entends beaucoup cet anglais dans les groupes de conversation des terrasses parisiennes : exemple un étudiant brésilien et un jeune étudiant disons bourguignon parleront en anglais, un ingénieur Hollandais expat et ses collègues venus des 4 coins de la France parleront anglais, etc.
Après tout ça c'est le fruit de la mondialisation, de l'uniformisation, du numérique omniprésent qui ne vous oblige plus à communiquer avec les habitants, à vous imprégnez de la culture locale. Les fastfoods, les applis et les séries Netflix sont les mêmes partout.
Après moi je comprends très bien les Francophones de Montréal qui en ont ras-le-bol de se voir déposséder de leur ville et de ce bilinguisme à sens unique, de ces Français ;-) qui fraîchement débarqués à Montréal, dans le but de parfaire leur anglais, préfèrent côtoyer les anglophones (et autres internationaux allophones trop flémards pour apprendre le Français).
J'ai le souvenir d'un voyage à Montréal il y a 10 ans et de ces gens qui dans certains quartiers du centre(-ouest) vous abordent directement en anglais ou encore (toujours dans ces mêmes quartiers) de jeunes caissières ou employés ("allophones et anglophones") qui soupirent longuement avec exaspération quand vous leur posez une question en français. Moi j'allais à Montréal en me disant que c'était le charme de la langue Québécoise en Amérique du Nord, je pensais à des chansons de Charlebois ou bien de Zachary Richard... Eh bien en fait c'était plutôt "welcome in a global world".
Je dis ça en étant moi-même un ancien ardu pratiquant de l'anglais à Paris en entreprise et en dehors. C'est simplement une question de choix : soit on pratique le français (quitte à remonter à contre-courant), soit on suit les autres et le français se dilue alors peu à peu en devenant vraiment pour le coup une deuxième langue accessoire (y compris sur le plan culturel) comme le pensent bon nombre d'anglophones de Montréal.
my old neighborhood had such an unflattering image here (saint-henri) still so much nostalgia
Has Saint-Henri ever looked flattering? I hope not. It would've lost all of its charm.
thank you for that video..... it's nice to hear visitors talk so nicely about my home town .... i dont have the experience of living in another city as i lived here all of my 60 years of life .... just about everybody that lives here complain about winters, it is a bummer and we cant do anything about it ... i choose to marvel at the first white snow covering all of the urban landscape and dimming the city noises ... and when summer comes, no time to fight or complain, it is time to enjoy the outside and the people .... i love my city and i am happy other people like it too
I often visited Montreal when I was younger (my mother is from the Eastern Townships) and I always enjoyed it. Neat to see how it stacks up on the urban scale/design side of things (something I wasn't paying much attention to when I was younger :P). It's in my mind to maybe move back home in a few years and this has put Montreal on my list of places to look into for sure. I'll just have to brush off my french. :)
Magnifique vidéo de ma ville Natale. Vous faites de merveilleux vidéos. ❤️
Merci!!
@@OhTheUrbanity The French insert a space before exclamation points. 😉
@@31redorange08 Pas au Québec!
@@samuelgervais2116 Bizarre! 😀
Then I take everything back!
One of the best, if not the best, video about Montreal. Greatly appreciated. Have you guys been in the Seneville Lakeshore tour already? That's a nice island corner for you to add to your itinerary and perhaps a video in the future
This is so cool!! Great exploration!! Cheers from San Francisco!!
Amazing video ❤️
Thank you!!
Same thing is true about Philadelphia with art. You can either find the most beautiful murals/graffiti everywhere or annoying tags.
Also most north American cities have alot to catch up on when it comes to trash.
We took Amtrak from NYC to Montreal in 2017 and loved it! It was so easy to get around via rented bikes and the metro. We loved the many restaurant options for vegetarian and vegan food as well.
I grew up in Ottawa, lived briefly in Toronto & New York state, but have lived mostly in Montreal for last 20 odd years. I have travelled a fair bit and in North America, you can't beat the mix you get in Montreal. I am technically an allophone being born behind Iron Curtain, but am functionally trilingual. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
When I lived in Montreal in the 1970's it was a very clean and neat city...those days are long gone.
Montreal is getting worse year by year.
I left Montreal, now in BC, the best decision honestly :)
But your video is just great, honest. Had a minute of nostalgia. Miss winter with a lot if ice rinks (lived near La Fontain park). But summer there was a challenge :D
Great vid! Thank for sharing!
Wonderful video!! 👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you!!
As a former Montrealer, I still love the place. I left long before their bike infrastructure was developed, so I'm sure I'd enjoy it even more now. Great report! Thanks.
Why did you leave. It looks like a beautiful and vibrant city
@@nomahope3182 it is a wonderful place. In my heart I'll always be a Montrealer. I left for employment purposes. Had an amazing job opportunity in Toronto that I could not turn down. Which is okay, I love Toronto, too. 😀
@@nomahope3182 LOL
On the language point: it's tough to find certain kinds of jobs if you're not comfortable in French. I've noticed that that's also true for people who don't speak English very well, depending on domain. A lot of office work still requires English even if it's not *technically* legal. I'm fortunate enough to be perfectly bilingual, and most native Montrealers are at least somewhat bilingual, but people from outside Montreal sometimes struggle if their English is weak.
In 2008 I visited Montreal. I chose it because of the old world charm of Old Montreal, and the modern feel of the rest of the city. Bonus - being able to take the subway then a bus to a place where you can get on a raft and shoot Lachine Rapids (which I did). Nice local eateries, poutine, good beer, a fun time.
Another fabulous video you two… Thanks so much. Cheers! John
Thanks John! We actually watched your Oklahoma City and Oslo videos just last night. Hearing about and seeing different cities is so important.
@@OhTheUrbanity You are quite welcome and that's wonderful to hear, thanks so much. btw I'd be honored to have y'all on the Pod at some point. I'll send you a DM to see if you'd be interested. Cheers! 😀
I really enjoyed this video - you guys do quality work. Agree with all your points - even the negative ones. Spring is the dirtiest time of the year since the melting snow reveals several months of garbage that was discarded on the street but it gets cleaned up within a few weeks.
I moved to Montreal 30 years ago from British Columbia with just high school French. I was able to get a job in my field without too much difficulty. I would definitely recommend to others to do the same. French people are very friendly. Depending on what area you live in, you can live in English but you would miss out on quite a lot.
It should be stated though that the images you show are from the central area of the city. The further you go away from the center, the less walkable and more suburban the city becomes. I live in a semi-detached home in the NDG neighborhood of the city within walking distance to the suburban train and several bus routes (including 2 that come every 10 minutes). I rarely need to use my car.
Great video! Montreal is a beautiful city. I'd add another criticism (admittedly this comes from a particular perspective on policy and governance): Montreal and Quebec are about as hostile to business and as tax burdened as any jurisdiction in the US and Canada. That's a big factor to consider when thinking about moving there or spending considerable work-related time there.
Ontario's small business income tax 3.2%, Quebec 4% .... not a big difference, considering all the cost benefits of _living_ in Momtreal vs Toronto
@@DANNY40379 people worried about business taxes don't give a single shit about what it's actually like to live anywhere. They're more worried about the three on street parking spaces in front of their storefront being taken up by a bike path than they are about whether they actually see more walk in foot traffic because of it.
Probably the best city in North America for an EV owner without a parking space at home. Living in a condo in mtl and visited Ottawa and it’s a hell. Don’t understand how they are going to achieve the 2030 or 35 goal of 50% of cars electric when the capital city isn’t doing anything. In Montreal, literary every 5 blocks, there is a charger.
Thanks for another video on Montreal from a higher standpoint. And it's more comfortable to watch 60FPS video which is mostly of moving shots.
I've been in Montreal 5 years now, originally from Vancouver, and I'm surprised no one has mentioned the construction! If you drive, it's usually an absolute nightmare to get anywhere. The roads are worse than some third world countries even after they've been "repaired" XD
I think my favourite thing about Mtl is its architecture and history. Also, there are a lot of cats!
Great video ... I agree with all of it and this is what I have been saying for years about urbanism, affordability, zoning, culture and so on : Toronto vs. Montreal ... I come from Belgium, living in Toronto and honestly I can't understand why Toronto is so bad at housing and urbanism. It is a city made for robots vs. Montreal being a city made for humans :)
The gov is finally doing something about affordability but it is not only way too late but useless; instead of changing the zoning laws, their actions will probably have no impact or continue fueling demand (thus higher prices and higher prices in cottage country). I wish more people in North America were interested in urbanism and understand a city is a place we live and not an extension of a bank for specilation and storing money in real estate.
Robots vs Humans haha, I see your point. Coming from Toronto, we really prefer Montreal much more. The people are just warmer from personal experience. What a nice city!
Try living in any other city in North America and then see what you say about Toronto. Toronto is miles friendlier than most, which is funny because it is not terribly far away from probably the worst one.
@@jrus690 I've lived in different places in the US, Canada and Europe... Honestly the "friendlyness" and safety (thing that comes up often too about Toronto) doesn't mater as much to me than the culture, walkability, price for what you get, urbanism, climate, natural environment (access to the sea, montains, ...) ... Toronto is,s os far, one of the most boring places I've lived in. For some reason, it is sometimes compared to NYC; but honestly in term of vibe and energy, it is more like Mineapolis :) ... It wouldn't be so bad if it was afforable; but it is one of the worst city in North American if you compare real estate price to the median salary ... I just don't understand the appeal at all and can't wait to be able to leave this place (I won't go into the detail resulting of me being stuck here for a few more years).
@@aselvais I believe Toronto is usually compared to NYC because of the similarities of media, volume of people on the sidewalks at any given time, the centralization of banking and corporate heads there. Toronto is a big hub for many things in Canada, just like NYC is in the USA. I guess I will have to visit Minneapolis at some point to make a comparison, but I know it has nowhere near the population in the core that Toronto has. Toronto's real estate is hurting because they are stupidly trying to replicate the high rise look of midtown Manhattan, without the appropriate space, there are still rowhouses next to the downtown.
wow, this really echoes the comment i just left a few spots up! i'm from Montreal and every time we go to Toronto my girlfriend and i are kind of disguted by how robotic and self-centred a lot of people seem in Toronto!
good video, nice reminder of my few days in montreal a few years ago
What a great look at one of my favourite cities in the world. I’ve been yearning to visit, and you just made that yearning worse!
I lived in Ottawa my whole life and moved to Montreal. Oh boy, is it way better! I can get everything done on my bike, 365 days a year. It's such a joy to keep fit and healthy and pay 1/2 the rent I would elsewhere.
About learning French, I also attended Centre Saint Louis. The program is doing its best but it just doesn't cut it. One learns a language by true immersion, not practicing phrases on other students who are struggling as much as you are. Get some people in your life who speak French and pray that their English isn't good enough that they just exclusively speak to you in English!
get a french girlfriend/boyfriend. you'll learn French fast! most people I know from other places moved here because they fell in love with a Quebecois/e
@@m.e.3862 Lol, I was just about to say the same. French humour!
Wonderful city. Can't wait 'til it's finished. ;-)
This is by far the most honest and fair video about Montréal that I’ve watched! Just a little something to consider though for your next videos - maybe bump down the pace at which you talk, especially between sentences. Otherwise, great video!
Wonderful video, thank you, merci!
Oh I can hear that same tremor in your voice that I had when I left Montreal to return to Ontario and then on to Ottawa. Like I said last year, I hope you keep trying to get back. Some people don't get Montreal, I have friends who could only see the garbage and the snow. I am never more happy than when I get back for visits in any season. I will always be in love with Montreal.
Vous nous faites honneur. Revenez à Montréal, s.v.p.
montreal was the first city i ever experienced, i spent a summer there when i was 15, and it's always going to have a special place in my heart! the summers are so lively and there's always something to do. i'd love to give it a shot living there again, i could polish up my french!
You and I have taken the same city trajectory and I completely agree!
Just because it's more affordable than Toronto or Vancouver, doesn't make Montréal affordable. House prices have gone up 30% or more in the past years 😭
Higher taxes , less work, especially for Anglos.
We moved to Ottawa from Newmarket 4 years ago. I think one of the aspects of Ottawa I like best (and there are many), we're only a 2 hour Via ride to Montreal. We went each of the first 2 years we were here and then Covid hit. It is a trip I hope to make regularly, I love it there.
Nice memories for me! I miss living in Montreal... although my blood has thinned out since moving to San Francisco. Although we have warmer weather and a similarly diverse city with great outdoors activities, Montreal has that joie-de-vivre, urbanity, public spaces that feel like living rooms, stylishness, and that code-switching bilingualism that made every day fun (at least those days above -20C!). :)
Nice, balanced overview of Montreal. I wish my fellow Yoo Essians would better appreciate urbanism and community! Yes, I've met French Canadians in La Floride in wintertime. The sidewalks and stairs get too slippery and winter sports are too dangerous for the elderly.
Well said , it is not because we speak english in the ROC that it is England .
Great video!
Very well articulated document on Montreal. I think you forgot or didn't exposed enought how Montreal explose in the summer time ( Anyway, it used to , before you know what!!!🙄🙂)
The tons of cool festivals and events ( cultural , sports, activities...) that takes place in the summer is just crazy and make you endure winter just knowing how cool Montreal is from May to October!!!
Been there a few times as a visitor .. Best North American city thus far.
This is an excellent video. I am a native Montrealer who also lived at some point in Toronto for 8 years. I agree with just about everything you said. I complain about winter here only because it lasts too long but it can also be very enjoyable at times. I think mayor Plante is doing a great job of promoting social interactivity with mixed neighbourhoods (owners and renters) and greater use of outdoor public places for biking and park enjoyment.
Hey guys nice video! A great summery of the pros and cons.
Thanks Jaime!
Thank you for this video, I'm moving to Montreal in June from Dublin to work at a VFX company and it was great to see what I was in for, with some of the warts revealed as well. Though to be fair, nothing negative you mentioned compares to my issues with Dublin.
I'm really excited to get over there, explore the city and everything on offer. Heck I'm even curious about having a proper winter as well, Irish winters are a bit grim, and when Snow happens we get very excited.
Cold but cloudless sunny days are the best in Montréal. It is completely different from rainy Europe winters.
With a good coat, hat and gloves, if the is no wind, you could feel too hot even if the temperature is -20. Very little humidity in the air is the reason.
@@alaingadbois2276 yeah I have a friend who went to Calgary a few years ahead of my move and he says much the same. He's sent our group chat many a photo of himself sat in the sun on his balcony with snow covering everything in sight saying it's lovely and warm.
The wind definitely counts for a lot of it here, and even our sunny days can be miserable if there's too much wind about.
@@alaingadbois2276it is so old that humidité can't stay in the air. Around 10c Montreal is also Grey.
Excellent video! I live in Montreal and I agree that it has many qualities that make it a very nice place to live.
Regarding Montreal’s affordability, while it’s true that housing prices here are lower than in many other big North American cities, the housing crisis here has been getting worse in recent years and many people are finding it more difficult to find an apartment that they can afford. The minimum wage in Québec is currently $13.50CAD (it’s going to increase to $14.25CAD in May). Many people earning minimum wage are having a hard time paying rent or finding a place to live that they can afford. Unfortunately, just like in other North American cities, there are a lot of NIMBYs here who are against densification and transit expansion and this could end up creating a scarcity of affordable housing on the island of Montreal.
4:40 lol what a ghoul. "The people who pay the taxes in this city." Yeah, they pay it with the rent you pay them.
There's a whole section of Council that seems to believe that the only "real" residents of Toronto are property owners and motorists. The numbers 9, 0, and 5 come to mind...
Yep. Lifelong resident here and this video is on point.
As a local I agree with everything said. Montréal is not for everyone, but those who love it, really love it.
You guys met through the Explore program? I'm starting that this year at Laval!
Yeah! Although it was a decade or so ago. Cool to hear you're doing it this year, it's a wonderful experience, especially if they're strict on using French.