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Montreal or bust!
Apr. 24th, 2008 09:58 pmOver the last few years, I've been thinking a lot about the city I choose to live in. For me, Montreal is and will always be home, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, it has its problems; what place doesn't? But I figured I'd tip the scales a bit back towards the positive with my list of why I love Montreal. (Montrealers are encouraged to add their own items to the list or to create their own.)
1. I love our public transit system. Yes, it crashes on occasion, but it's incredibly well-connected and (as far as these things are measured) quite cheap. I estimate that I can do over 95% of my trips without a car.
2. I love the student-centric feel of downtown. I once read that Montreal has the second highest per-capita ratio of students in North America (second only to Boston). With four major universities and myriad cegeps, this city has a youthful, intellectual, vibrant feel.
3. I love our greenspace. Between Mont Royal, Angrinon Park, Parc La Fontaine, Parc Jean-Drapeau, and all the smaller parks, we've got greenspace coming out of our ears! And let's not forget the Botanical Gardens, with its seasonal festivals. Anytime I want to go somewhere green and natural, I've only got to ride the metro for 10-30 minutes. (See point #1.)
4. I love our festivals. Montrealers know how to party. In this summer, you can't go three days without another major festival: The Jazz Fest, Juste Pour Rire, Francofolies... I can't even write them all out or they'd overwhelm this post. We've even got our awesome winter festivals like the Highlights Festival.
5. I love our fireworks. Montrealers are spoiled rotten when it comes to fireworks because we host the International Fireworks Competition every year. There's nothing like watching some of the world's best fireworks from the Jacques Cartier Bridge or Parc Jean-Drapeau to make you feel special.
6. I love the underground city. Yes, it gets cold in the winter. But once I hit the metro in the morning, there's no need to go outside for the rest of the day. Everything I could possibly want, from stores to salons to movies, is waiting for me in climate-controlled promenades.
7. I love our funky cafes and boutiques. Montreal's got character. Yes, we've fallen prey to the franchise curse, but we've also got some intimate cafes, tea shops, and boutiques. When I step out of Berri metro, I have my pick of a chocolate restaurant, a laid-back tea house, and a shisha cafe within a single block. How awesome is that?
8. I love the blending of French and English culture (and language). For all that you hear about the tensions between francophones and anglophones, I've had the opposite experience. In most of my encounters, French people and English people get along great, shifting between the two languages effortlessly, sometimes repeatedly in a single sentence. The culture we've got in Montreal mixes the best of laid-back franco-European and work-hard-play-hard North America. It's so much better than having just one.
So that's it from me tonight. I could go on, but you've read enough already. Like I said, feel free to add your own to the list if you like. And, on behalf of Montrealers everywhere, go Habs!
1. I love our public transit system. Yes, it crashes on occasion, but it's incredibly well-connected and (as far as these things are measured) quite cheap. I estimate that I can do over 95% of my trips without a car.
2. I love the student-centric feel of downtown. I once read that Montreal has the second highest per-capita ratio of students in North America (second only to Boston). With four major universities and myriad cegeps, this city has a youthful, intellectual, vibrant feel.
3. I love our greenspace. Between Mont Royal, Angrinon Park, Parc La Fontaine, Parc Jean-Drapeau, and all the smaller parks, we've got greenspace coming out of our ears! And let's not forget the Botanical Gardens, with its seasonal festivals. Anytime I want to go somewhere green and natural, I've only got to ride the metro for 10-30 minutes. (See point #1.)
4. I love our festivals. Montrealers know how to party. In this summer, you can't go three days without another major festival: The Jazz Fest, Juste Pour Rire, Francofolies... I can't even write them all out or they'd overwhelm this post. We've even got our awesome winter festivals like the Highlights Festival.
5. I love our fireworks. Montrealers are spoiled rotten when it comes to fireworks because we host the International Fireworks Competition every year. There's nothing like watching some of the world's best fireworks from the Jacques Cartier Bridge or Parc Jean-Drapeau to make you feel special.
6. I love the underground city. Yes, it gets cold in the winter. But once I hit the metro in the morning, there's no need to go outside for the rest of the day. Everything I could possibly want, from stores to salons to movies, is waiting for me in climate-controlled promenades.
7. I love our funky cafes and boutiques. Montreal's got character. Yes, we've fallen prey to the franchise curse, but we've also got some intimate cafes, tea shops, and boutiques. When I step out of Berri metro, I have my pick of a chocolate restaurant, a laid-back tea house, and a shisha cafe within a single block. How awesome is that?
8. I love the blending of French and English culture (and language). For all that you hear about the tensions between francophones and anglophones, I've had the opposite experience. In most of my encounters, French people and English people get along great, shifting between the two languages effortlessly, sometimes repeatedly in a single sentence. The culture we've got in Montreal mixes the best of laid-back franco-European and work-hard-play-hard North America. It's so much better than having just one.
So that's it from me tonight. I could go on, but you've read enough already. Like I said, feel free to add your own to the list if you like. And, on behalf of Montrealers everywhere, go Habs!
