It’s not only about Montreal being a big North American city with a European flair. After giving you the first five reasons in my initial blog entry, here is the second part of my blog entry giving you more reasons why this city means so much to me:
English Pug and French Poodle – Marc-André J. Fortier
6. The architecture – Old Montreal merits a visit alone to admire the strikingly beautiful variety of architectural styles. Places d’Armes, where the Notre Dame Basilica can be found, has art deco, international, and classical revival buildings just a few steps away from each other. You can also visit the Plateau Mont-Royal area to find the beautiful spiral staircases, and those cute shoebox homes.
7. The natural beauty – Tourists flock to Montreal in the Fall to the colours of the autumn leaves. Red, yellow, brown and green hues surround visitors from around the world. Nothing beats having tourists see those colours in amazement or seeing kids play in the snow for the first time. There are also the many parks including Parc Jean-Drapeau where the many music festivals such as Osheaga take place and where the Montreal Formula One Grand Prix is raced in June. Don’t forget the largest park being Mont-Royal and its impressive belvederes giving you the best views of the city.
Jazz Born Here – Gene Pendon‘s mural paying homage to the legendary pianist Oscar Peterson
8. A Sea of Talent, a Land of Giants – What do Leonard Cohen, Oscar Peterson, William Shatner, the Arcade Fire, Mordecai Richler, Kaytranada, Simple Plan, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor all have in common? You guessed it: they were either born or started their career here in Montreal. It’s an artistic gathering place where inspiration comes from all around.
9. Montreal is a young and vibrant city – There are over 185,000 students that study in Montreal throughout its six universities each year. These students need places to eat, to hang out, and to party. Montreal’s nightlife is legendary and locals will be more than happy to chat about their city over a pint (or two) in one of the many brewpubs and wine bars here.
10. It’s home – It’s the best reason in the world having lived here all my life and I do plan to spend the rest of my life in this city. It’s one of the safest large cities in the world and also one of the friendliest. Ask any Montrealer what they think of their city and chances are that their eyes will be glowing and words spoken with pride. Home is where the heart is… luckily I live where my heart beats.
What do you particularly like about Montreal. The beautiful people? Its joie de vivre, the food? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
Don’t forget to check out this website for the many tours that I offer.
