Montreal Neighborhoods

Downtown is easily Montreal’s busiest neighbourhood. It’s where all the action happens, and where many of Montreal’s best-known attractions are located. Montreal’s downtown area is a perfect combination of modern and historic buildings. You’ll find various commercial buildings, stores and malls.

Montreal’s Gay Village is one of the largest gay villages in North America. It is located on Saint-Catherine Street East and runs from around Berri Street to De Lorimier Street. There is also a large section of the Village that runs between Sherbrooke Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard on Amherst Street. With many LGBT organizations located inside the Village, you’ll discover local shops, festivals and a fantastic nightlife inside this diverse district of Montreal.

Montreal’s Chinatown located around various Montreal streets, which include lower Saint-Laurent Boulevard, Saint Urbain street and the pedestrian-only street, rue de La Gauchetière. Not surprising, Montreal’s Chinatown features some of the best Chinese restaurants in the city. It is also home to some of Montreal’s most important Asian businesses and newspapers.

As soon as you step onto the cobbled streets of Old Montreal, you will feel like you have stepped into a time machine and are experiencing Montreal as it was centuries ago. Complete with horse-drawn carriages, old Montreal features wonderful attractions which include public squares like Place Jacques-Cartier and Place d’Armes along with the magnificent City Hall building.

Montreal’s Outremont neighbourhood is located just north of downtown and on the northern part of Mount Royal. The English translation of Outremont is Beyond the Mountain. Outremont is a quiet and peaceful neighbourhood that contains many parks and offers a great outdoor lifestyle. You’ll find various foot trails, parks and natural woodlands in this neighbourhood.

Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood is affectionately nicknamed The Plateau by Montreal’s locals. Considered by many to be Montreal’s trendiest and hippest neighbourhood, the Plateau is famously known for Montreal’s unique architectural feature: the exterior staircases that are present on many of the houses in this neighbourhood. You will find many brick houses and popular streets in this trendy hotspot. You will also find many multi-colored buildings, clothing stores, boutiques and bakeries along with various bookstores in this neighbourhood.

Westmount is a wealthy residential area where many of Montreal’s wealthy English residents live. The hills of Westmount feature some of Montreal’s most extravagant homes. Although it is located within the city of Montreal, Westmount is considered a city in itself. The city of Westmount has its own schools, public library and many parks, including Westmount Park.