Montreal: C/D S&D

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It might just be because it's so late at night, but Montreal just struck me as a really cool city. Is it? I've never been there, but someone in this bitch must know. Tell me about it.

― Dan i., Thursday, 28 November 2002 09:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Montreal is one of the most impressive cities I've seen. the residential fabric is woven pretty tightly with the commercial fabric, so most neighborhoods have good shopping and amenities quite close. There are a ton of record stores; anyone into vinyl should go. Also the best vintage clothing stores I've been to. They have cool bars. EVERYONE takes public transit; they have a subway and bus systems which were loaded with people at 3 a.m. last time I was there. they have that olympic stadium, I don't know what happens there now but the design is really interesting.

If you don't know French there is a possibility that some residents may look down on you, but mostly they are okay with English. Also it is really hard to find an iced latte, if you ask for one you may get a sweet chilled coffee drink with whipped cream. But--if you go to the news room cafe they shake the latte martini-style and strain out the ice, producing one of the best coffees I've had.

so if you are into any of these kind of things, you will like it.

― webcrack (music=crack), Thursday, 28 November 2002 09:25 (twenty-three years ago)

I lived there last year. It's a great city, super-cheap for one thing. A public transit pass is $50/mo, $25 if you're a student. It's much more 'European' than other North American cities. I spent a lot of time at Casa del Popolo, a vegan cafe owned by one of the GYBE guys where they have shows almost every night, mostly indie, experimental, and electronic. The food is good too. The cultural life is phenomenal. There are always festivals going on, particularly in the summer. I particularly enjoyed the free jazz and electroacoustic festivals but there are all kinds of festivals - film, comedy, sex, etc. There are also often interesting parties, shows, etc happening in people's lofts. You'll find fascinating low-priced stores, galleries, and cafes walking down St-Denis or St-Laurent. If you're going to live there, you should have at least a basic knowledge of French. If you're just visiting, don't worry about it. There's a more liberal attitude towards sex and drugs than in the other parts of the continent I've been to. Drawbacks, I dunno, it's not particularly clean, it's not the greatest job market, real estate was getting tight last I checked, there's a lot of gang activity, I think a fair bit of crime in general. I might look to settle down there eventually.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:09 (twenty-three years ago)

The Casa site seems to be down right now. I'm hoping to catch Fred Frith there on the 13th of December. BTW, I know it's not really your cup of tea but experimental music (esp free improv, but also some modern comp) is surprisingly big there, well-organized, well-funded, available, relatively well-known.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Search: Saint Joseph's Oratory, the Casino, Mount Royale, those funky apartments from Expo, the love of push up bras, the women, stripclubs with relatively cheap beer while waiting for delayed trains, Fremont Bakery and other fine sources of bagels.
Destroy: Severe shortage of decent rock venues, snobbery, the need to be fashionable even to go to the depainer, the language laws, the slush from hell, the traffic, the 40 est enterance ramps, the crazy misleading signs on the 20 Est & Ouest, the walls next to the highway as you enter the city from Ottawa, the perennial construction on the 20 Est as you leave the city (though its the greatest/easiest strip of the TransCanada to burn rubber on afterwards), the racism running wild at Concordia and of course the knobs in the pie brigade.

All in all its a pretty classic city. I liked Quebec City more because they were more accepting of my pathetic French and I like Laval's physics program and the old city and its protecting wall. You not going to see or feel another city like it, so at odds with itself at times and at others like it was the coolest place on earth filled with the beautiful people. I liked Quebec City more in part due to its resemblence to being a friendlier and more humble Montreal.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I lived within walking distance of L'Oratoire St-Joseph. Sometimes I'd go to the free organ concerts on Sundays. Mont-Royal is a search as well, yes. I forgot to mention Foufounes Electriques, a nice usually metal/sometimes alt bar. Mr Noodles is completely mental - I can't imagine ever wanting to live in Quebec city though it is pretty to visit. What would you ever do? I also have trouble believing that the almost totally francophone Quebec City would be more tolerant of anglophones.

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Tell me more about Quebec City.. I really wanted to visit it earlier this year on my trip, but it was out of the way.

That said, I had a lot of fun walking around St. Catherine in Montreal the night I was there. I'll never forget the two street punks cornering me making me think I was about to get mugged, only to have one of them pull out a bag of weed, violent shake it in front of my face while I was walking briskly, and growl "YOU KNOOOW YOU WANT SOME OF THEESS, EEEEEH? YEAAAAAAAAAAAH!" -- thenlater watch that same kid scare the living shit out of all the fashioned out teen girls walking ahead of me.

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 28 November 2002 19:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Im not supposed to be Anglophone though, that just happened growing up in Toronto suburbs. I just found language was much less an issue in Quebec City and got by everywhere driving a van of physics geeks except some sportsbar where I wasn't even given a chance. I liked its more relaxed style.

Montreal is probably a better city in the end to live, but if I was offered a job from the optics companies in Quebec city I'd take it in a second, sigh. As for touristy things, old Quebec city is the only Walled City north of Mexico City I think. The whole quarter is wonderful, though the city doesn't have a decent recordstore from what I saw. It also has the same problem as Montreal in a drastic shortage of live music venues with only one of any note for touring bands.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 28 November 2002 20:34 (twenty-three years ago)

six months pass...

OK. I might be coming to Montreal in a few weeks.

(1) Anyone know of a nice super-cheap place where my friend an I can stay? I could deal with a hostel but maybe there's a hotel thats as cheap?

(2) Anyone want to meet for a drink? It may be around June 19th or so, but nothing's nailed down.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 5 June 2003 05:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know of any cheap lodgings myself, but yeah a drink sounds good. If you want I can give you all sorts of tips on good things to see + do. What are you going to be here for?

― s1utsky (slutsky), Thursday, 5 June 2003 05:41 (twenty-two years ago)

It's just a pit stop on the way to NYC, really (a bit out of the way I'll admit). I'd like to practice my French a bit, and no that's not a euphemism for anything. I'll probably be there for just three days or so. I'll look at some of the Montreal threads for ideas, but feel free to suggest things here.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 5 June 2003 05:43 (twenty-two years ago)

well just off the top of my head the casa del popolo empire has expanded across the street, where they have a larger venue (la sala rossa, situated in an old jewish union hall) and a fantastic spanish restaurant. all these places are worth checking--generally friendly people, good percentage of shows worth seeing, good eats, fairly affordable booze.

― s1utsky (slutsky), Thursday, 5 June 2003 05:47 (twenty-two years ago)

& if in a few weeks means the 24th, you'll be here for the great crazy holiday that is jean-baptiste day/fête nationale

― s1utsky (slutsky), Thursday, 5 June 2003 05:48 (twenty-two years ago)

i won't be there the 24th--I'll be in NYC. is there a website that has local music and movie listings etc.? and what are the good record stores? i hear le pick-up is good--i ordered some of those ultrachicks comps fom denis a few years ago.

― amateurist (amateurist), Thursday, 5 June 2003 05:53 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, le pick-up is worth checking out (damn, you're on top of things amateurist)--they've moved though, around the corner to mont-royal--you also might wanna check out disquivel--and the million or so other record shops on mont-royal just east of st-denis.

there are some crappy websites you can check out like montreaplus.ca if you want to look for things in advance, but they probably won't be much help. for movies, check out:

http://ex-centris.com
http://www.cinemaduparc.com
http://www.cinematheque.qc.ca

and as above check the casa del popolo website -- htt://www.casadelpopolo.com

― s1utsky (slutsky), Thursday, 5 June 2003 05:59 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

I'm here and it is really good! I have seen noise bands and cool stuff, tomorrow I'm gonna see Habitat 67 and pretentious movies, we heard the tam tams but I didn't go, also poutine will be eaten soon. Where do tourists get weed? Also are you around?

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 19 September 2005 23:30 (twenty years ago)

hi gravel! i'm home now after being away for a while. what you doing here? what bands have you seen? how long are you here?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 00:22 (twenty years ago)

there's a fucking ton of weed dealers down at the bottom of mont royal, near where the hippies have their tam tam. When I was in Montreal, guys were all over me, peddling their wares

― sffd, Tuesday, 20 September 2005 00:26 (twenty years ago)

It won my heart and I live here, for now at least. Mail me if you fancy a drink!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 3 October 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

i'd like to move there, too. i don't know much french, just a year in hs. but you don't need to, i guess. how can i move to montreal.

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Monday, 3 October 2005 22:25 (twenty years ago)

CLASSIC. One of my new favorite cities.

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Monday, 3 October 2005 22:26 (twenty years ago)

it's very nice. once i went there with my friend but we didn't have anywhere to stay so we drove home at 4 am. we almost died. border patrol stopped us and i was driving my friend's car. i was so tired i didn't remember how to drive stick or what country i was from. montreal, great place.

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Monday, 3 October 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

If you're ever in Nouvelle Delhi on Rue St. Denis, would you ask them for their bindi bhaji recipe? I had it there in May and I've been thinking about it ever since.

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Monday, 3 October 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

Whoa, G, you live here! You totally made the right decision. There will have to be some kind of FAPage or noise-show-going or something soon.

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Monday, 3 October 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

mmm le bagel burger chez Dusty's circa 1994. (I mean "Dustys", I think apostrophes were outlawed.)

― Thea (Thea), Monday, 3 October 2005 22:50 (twenty years ago)

OOOOOOOO:

Co-presentation with the German General Consulate of Montreal :
SAT
9pm - 3am
Doors at 8:30pm
20$ advance
25$ at the door

SUPERPITCHER (GER)
ADA (GER)
METOPE (GER)
YUKSEK (FRA)
JESSE SOMFAY (CAN)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 13 October 2005 22:03 (twenty years ago)

That's on the 21st but we should totally FAP before then!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 13 October 2005 22:03 (twenty years ago)

Dood Jesse throws DOWN. He'd be a bigger draw for me than Superpitcher or any of those scat-obsessed germans (jk Kunstler)

― LeCoq (LeCoq), Thursday, 13 October 2005 22:09 (twenty years ago)

(I'll be wearing a blue&white sorta truckerish shirt if you wanna say hi, at this...)

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 21 October 2005 19:45 (twenty years ago)

(I hope I see you, Greg! even though I have little idea what a "truckerish" shirt is. I will be wearing a brown (slightly patterned) dress, with boots. However, I will not be wearing my glasses, and therefore blind in dark, disco-lit places, so I'll most likely bump into you before I see you. I look like Robyn the Canadian.)

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Friday, 21 October 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

FUN!!

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Saturday, 22 October 2005 07:06 (twenty years ago)

(i mean :) for you, but... :( for me!!!)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 22 October 2005 15:17 (twenty years ago)

c: strippers, the habs arent the gay-ass maple leaves

d: frogs

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!, Saturday, 22 October 2005 16:56 (twenty years ago)

SO FUN!

It ws great seeing rrrobyn again & her LASER FACE-RECOGNITION EYES. And Ada! Sorry we left so early, M wasn't well :( I leave here today but I will be back, definitely.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Saturday, 22 October 2005 18:40 (twenty years ago)

haha, "so early" = roughly 2am. You are speaking Montreal-language already, G! Yes, so nice to see you and M, and you must come back for more Mtl. Too bad you didn't make it, Slocki, ah, well. You missed great music and dancing fun, but I will tell you the (v. minor) downsides so that you feel better: crazy blinding eye-level SAT strobe lights (which they didn't use too much, but still!) plus something weird going on with their smoke machine so that the smoke, which they used not much but enough, smells like, for about a minute, I swear, sewage/fartiness in the first half of the dancefloor. These two things should never have to happen. Other than that: a good time for German (and French and Cdn) warm-techy-house. And, yes, ADA!

― rrrobyn (rrrobyn), Saturday, 22 October 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

:( / :)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 22 October 2005 21:09 (twenty years ago)

go find superpitcher. he just got kicked out of his hotel and he's still drunk. probably wandering around with his records

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 22 October 2005 21:10 (twenty years ago)

kicked out?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 22 October 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

what hotel?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 22 October 2005 21:22 (twenty years ago)

i dunno, he didnt say. did you go the party? the one in new york was sooooooooo good. superpitcher is so cute! metope too! ada as well! dunno these jesse guy though

― phil-two (phil-two), Saturday, 22 October 2005 21:28 (twenty years ago)

Montreal is my favorite city in the world to visit. I can't think of a greater weekend than having a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz's, hanging out in the old port in the afternoon, shopping for clothes on St. Laurent, drinking pints of Guinness at McKibbon's early evening, martini's at the Jello Bar, dancing 'till close at Tokyo & then stumbling back to the Holiday Inn on Sherbrooke. Lately, however, I've been lucky to skip the last one as we have family living in Cote-St.-Luc, which has it's fair share of nightlife as well.

For anyone looking for a really unique dining experience, try the Ethiopean restaurant on Monkland.

― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Sunday, 23 October 2005 23:55 (twenty years ago)

cote-st-luc has its fair share of nightlife? really?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 24 October 2005 02:01 (twenty years ago)

seven months pass...

i wish the bagels had more SALT in them.,...

― phil at antexit's house (antexit), Monday, 29 May 2006 19:47 (nineteen years ago)

YOU SO CRAZY.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:06 (nineteen years ago)

and i wish the black cherry gelatos weren't so disgusting

― antexit (antexit), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:18 (nineteen years ago)

I WISH PPL WEREN'T SO MEAN TO THEIR DOGS

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:20 (nineteen years ago)

phil you did not try the right gelato. and i am sorry for that.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:24 (nineteen years ago)

its not your fault. i blame those 4000 people in line at that famous gelato place. we're going to go see that korean movie if you want to come

― phil at antexits house (antexit), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:28 (nineteen years ago)

i'm there

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:28 (nineteen years ago)

im supposed to meet antexit at 6:15 at his work. if youre at home, u want to come here and then we go?

― antexit (antexit), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:32 (nineteen years ago)

oh well leaving now. seeya later.

― antexit (antexit), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:52 (nineteen years ago)

LOL @ meeting Phil at 5am sat. night at that sweaty ass party, walking home totally fux0red at 6ish, barely enough energy to shower and climb into bed, falling luxuriously to sleep, then BEEP BEEP! oh shit who's calling me? it's phil with a reminder to 'sleep'!!!

― LeCoq (LeCoq), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 10:03 (nineteen years ago)

oh haha yeah, sorry about that

― phil at antexits house (antexit), Tuesday, 30 May 2006 17:28 (nineteen years ago)

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