Architectural/Culture (Old and New), Montreal

Favorite thing: In planning our trip to Canada I came across this excellent website about Old Montreal:

vieux.montreal.qc.ca

It has lots of really detailed information about Vieux Montreal and an amazing knowledge base with interactive maps which let you examine detailed information from the city records about every building in the area, including pictures (recent and archive), construction and architectural notes, ownership and current usage etc. and this for every single building in the area. There are even notes on each street and piece of public art.

The direct link to the knowledge base is here:

vieux.montreal.qc.ca/inventaire/hall_htm.htm

This is by far the best civic/architectural heritage site that I have seen.

But I will have to wait until November to see if the actual reality lives up to the virtual representation of this website.

We shall see!

Favorite thing: This is a steeple on the campus of the University of Quebec at Montreal which you'll notice when you exit the Berri-UQAM Metro stop at St-Denis Street.
St-Denis is a great place to grab bite to eat and people-watch and is far less touristy than Old Montreal.

Fondest memory: Montreal is full of churches, monuments and beautiful buildings.

Fondest memory: I liked Montreal for contrasts in architecture. For example, these buildings were designed by one of the competitors of architectural contest. These are apartments of the future - highest priority for privacy. None of the windows are facing each other.

Favorite thing: Montreal is known for the 'French' culture. The francophone population in general is a warm and fun loving people, ready for a party for no particular reason. The cuisine here is known world round. The biggest problem in eating here is there are too many choices! Stay a while and try out the various types of restaurants around the city.

Fondest memory: I miss the colourful Victorian houses. Some of the neighbourhoods of East End Montreal are quite dreary, but suddenly out of the blue pop out amazing examples of restored Victorian architecture. Some of the best examples can be found on the Square St-Louis, Avenue Laval, Avenue Prince-Arthur, and Rue Cherrier. Below are homes just off Prince-Arthur.

Fondest memory: The stairways! Those cast iron stairways leading up to the upper level doors are absolutely beautiful. You can find them all over Montreal. I imagine they must cause a lot of accidents in the winter, and they don't exactly live up to disability laws, but their detail and grace gives Montreal character unlike any other North American city.

Favorite thing: Take in the beautiful buildings, old and new as you walk around Montreal. The building with the green dome is the Roman Catholic Cathedral Marie-Reine-du-Monde.

Favorite thing: This building was modeled after the Empire State Building. The location is the block northwest of the Notre Dame Basilica.

Favorite thing: Visit St. James Square and the coulored pintoresque houses. They look like some old houses of New England.
You can go there by subway, to Sherbrooke.Don´t forget your camera!!!

Favorite thing: Montreal has an exciting architectural mixture of sky-scrapers and older and lower buildings. I found this neo-gothic church between shops, malls and business districts.
for more see the travelogue