Montreal Neighborhoods & Streets

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.

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.

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.

Crescent Street (Rue Crescent) is located in the western part of downtown Montreal, between Sherbrooke Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard. Although Crescent Street consists of only three blocks, it is one of Montreal's most popular streets and it is visited by thousands of visitors each year. This popular hotspot is famous for its trendy restaurants, vibrant nightlife, art galleries, designer boutiques and specialty stores.

Montreal's Saint Denis Street (rue St-Denis) is a popular street that crosses both the Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood and the Latin Quarter district. It is one of Montreal's most popular streets because there is always something happening on rue St-Denis at any time of the day. The street is popular amongst tourists and locals, with its assortment of specialty stores, restaurants, bars, cafés, boutiques and shops.

Saint Catherine Street (rue Sainte-Catherine) is the heart and soul of downtown Montreal. Spanning more than 15 kilometers (9 miles) from East to West, Saint Catherine Street is the commercial artery of Montreal. Loved by Montreal locals and tourists alike, this street contains everything from name-brand stores, boutiques and restaurants. There are 9 Metro stations that run parallel to this street and it crosses many of Montreal's popular neighbourhoods.

Montreal’s Boulevard Saint Laurent is affectionately known as The Main by many Montreal locals. Boulevard St-Laurent runs North-to-South and crosses the entire island of Montreal. It is often seen as the dividing street between Montreal’s English-speaking population, who lived traditionally on the Westside, and the French-speaking population who lived traditionally on the Eastside. Today, St-Laurent is Montreal's physical division of East and West (Est and Ouest in French). The Main is one of Montreal’s most popular hotspots. Boulevard Saint Laurent features a huge selection of restaurants, stores, galleries and a very vibrant nightlife.

Montreal’s Sherbrooke Steet (rue Sherbrooke) is the second longest street in Montreal. Sherbrooke is divided into Sherbrooke East, located in Eastern Montreal and Sherbrooke West, located in Western Montreal. The street dividing both sides of Sherbrooke is Saint Laurent Boulevard. Although it is not as flashy as Crescent Street and not as popular as Saint Catherine Street, Sherbrooke Street is still one of the most recognizable streets in Montreal.

The Quartier Latin is known for its theatres, artistic atmosphere, cafés, and boutiques. The Quartier Latin got its name from the large student population that has lived in this area of Montreal since the 19th Century. During that time, it was once compulsory for all students to study Latin. Today, this section of the city is quite Bohemian and home to some of its hippest bars, clubs, and shops.

Designed to be the central area where most shows and performances occur in the downtown Montreal area, Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles (Entertianment district) occupies a square kilometer within the city of Montreal. The Quartier des Spectacles contains various venues with the two most popular being the Place des Arts and the Place des Festivals.

The Mile-End is actually a small subsection of Montreal's Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood. However, Mile-End residents are quick to point out that the Mile-End is far more multi-cultural than the rest of the Plateau district. The Mile-End is also the home of many Montreal artists and musicians.