When you say you live in Montreal, people get a pretty distinct image in their head. They either think of Old Montreal’s cobblestone streets or our famous walk-up triplexes with the exterior staircases.
And that’s not incorrect, but it’s not the whole picture. Montreal is full of neighbourhoods with very different vibes. Someone living in Pierrefonds-Roxboro, for example, is going to have a different Montreal experience than someone living in Ville-Marie.
After giving it a lot of thought, these are my top nine neighbourhoods in Montreal. Granted, this is from my very biased opinion as a somewhat eccentric writer – but I’ve tried my best to be objective about the quality of life someone will have when living in these areas.
9. Notre-Dame-de-Grace
Fun fact: My first apartment was in NDG! It was a studio with parquet flooring by the train tracks, and I somehow crammed my piano in there. It was probably too small to have lived there as long as I did, but it was a perfect fit when I first moved in as a 21-year-old freelance writer.
Pros: It has great restaurants and venues, good walkability, and a lot of green space. There’s a great mix of families, students, and professionals, giving the area the vibe of a real urban community. And the buses are (usually) well-organized with short wait times compared to other neighbourhoods.
It strikes a good balance between being a proper residential neighbourhood and being a stone’s throw from the downtown core.
Cons: What used to be an affordable neighbourhood has gotten more expensive in recent years. There’s a not insignificant amount of crime, and I’ve personally experienced more street harassment here than anywhere else in Montreal. And the local nightlife consists entirely of pubs.
8. Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
People lowkey forget Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (called Sainte Anne’s by locals) even exists a lot of the time. But as someone who spent her early years in the West Island, I knew I had to add at least one of its neighbourhoods to this list.
Pros: It’s an entirely walkable, friendly community with tons of gorgeous green space, year-round public concerts and events, and restaurants with terraces that open straight onto the historic boardwalk. It has one of the Island’s best farmers’ markets and the best thrift shops in Montreal, hands down.
Basically, it’s the town from Gilmore Girls. But with Franglais.
Cons: The local businesses rely on the busy summer season when tourists and yachters come flooding in, so winters can be comparatively dull. While the monorail has sped things up considerably, it’s still a commute to get downtown.
And the flipside of living in a close-knit community is that everybody knows your business – for better and for worse.
7. Chinatown
It may only span a few city blocks, but Chinatown is a distinct, historic part of Ville-Marie that absolutely deserves a shoutout on my list.
Pros: It’s extremely walkable, with the main drag being a pedestrian-only road. The aesthetic and architecture are striking and totally unique on the Island. The Asian-style night markets and restaurants are, obviously, the best in the city. And it’s steps away from multiple bus routes and the metro’s orange line.
Cons: Parts of Chinatown need repairs. Rent prices are steadily rising here along with the rest of Ville-Marie. And, unfortunately, there’s little green space in the area.
6. Westmount
I’ve lived and worked in Westmount as a broke Millennial 20-something, so I feel like I have a nuanced grasp of the area.
Pros: It is gorgeous. There are literally laws around maintaining the aesthetic of the place. It is full of awesome restaurants and shops. It has one of the best-designed parks on the entire Island and perhaps the most beautiful library. It’s very walkable and has excellent public transit.
Also, the local drama, as recounted in the freely distributed community newspaper, is hilarious.
Cons: Oof, is it expensive! There’s also quite a significant class divide between the affluent homeowners and the people who actually work there. And nightlife is non-existent.
5. Little Burgundy & St. Henri
These two neighbourhoods, making up the Sud-Ouest borough, are totally worth the hype.
Pros: Both of these neighbourhoods have retained their historically working-class architecture, giving the entire area a Brooklyn-style feel. They’re on the Lachine Canal and have tons of green spaces. And they’re full of restaurants and nightlife on walkable streets.
Cons: Both areas are (say it with me) getting very expensive. It can also be surprisingly hard to find a good grocery store in certain corners of Sud-Ouest, making general liveability weirdly tricky.
4. Plateau-Mont-Royal
I used to live here in a gorgeous condo I could barely afford, until I got laid off and priced out of my place in rapid succession. Honestly, it was such a vibe while it lasted; I regret nothing.
Pros: This is the neighbourhood for restaurants, art installations, political rallies, and nightlife. It’s surprisingly walkable with ample green space. If you’re at all creative, bohemian, left-leaning, or just cool, you will find your people here.
Cons: Omg, is it expensive. It’s also the dirtiest neighbourhood I’ve ever lived in and it can be pretty rough. For instance, this is the only neighbourhood I’ve lived in where I’ve seriously considered keeping Narcan by the door in case I needed to save a stranger on my stoop — which can be a low-key traumatic way to start your Tuesday morning.
3. Verdun
Another historically working-class neighbourhood, this is one of those neighbourhoods that’s actually great to live in, but will make your parents break out in a cold sweat when they hear your new address.
Pros: It’s affordable, it has parks all along the Saint-Lawrence River, and public transit is reliable. It was built to be a neighbourhood first, so the area is walkable and embraces its roots with its aesthetic and architecture.
Verdun has awesome restaurants and bars, and arguably the best food festivals in the city. Despite its reputation with a lot of older Montrealers, it’s extremely safe. And it’s the only neighbourhood on this list with its own swimmable beach!
Cons: While still comparably affordable, it’s not the most affordable neighbourhood on this list. And nightlife in the area has more of a low-key, hipster vibe, as opposed to a party vibe, which might be a downside for some people.
2. Rosemont
Actually called Rosemont-La-Petit-Patrie, this is a small-ish neighbourhood just North of the downtown core.
Pros: It’s relatively affordable, walkable, and has a truly wild amount of green spaces – including over 100 ruelles vertes. Where Westmount’s beauty is a direct result of its affluence, Rosemont has a charm that comes straight from its Montreal-style triplexes with outdoor staircases.
It’s also where you’ll find some of the best restaurants Montreal has to offer and a cozy-cool nightlife scene of microbrasseries and speakeasies.
Cons: Affordable housing is often a bit of a schlep from the nearest metro stops. And if you’re looking for an exciting party scene, you’ll have to continue your search elsewhere.
Mile End
Mile End has always felt like The Plateau’s cool older sister to me – the one that has a stable 9-to-5 and two kids but is still somehow effortlessly cooler and more chic than you. And you’re not even jealous, you just hope some of that awesomeness rubs off on you.
Pros: It’s gorgeous. The streets are walkable with the quintessential Montreal aesthetic, and the alleys are full of painted murals. The restaurants are amazing. The nightlife is quirky but elevated. Even after gentrification, the area remembers its artist ghetto roots.
Cons: Public transit is a little lacking. And (deep sigh) it’s so expensive.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.