Montreal's Uniqueness: A City Full of Food, Art and Accessibility
This staple city in Canada’s Quebec province has its own personality that’s one-of-a-kind! Boasting with plenty of festivals, art, cuisine, and innovation, Montreal also has a sense of comradery and welcomingness! American author and travel enthusiast Mark Twain once called it “the city of a hundred steeples” due to the high number of churches, and that’s just a snapshot of why this city is so special!
Fun Fact: Did you know that Montreal is an island? It’s actually five times larger than Manhattan!
Read on to find out more about Montreal’s food culture, art scene and accessibility!
Accessibility in Montreal
Montreal features one of the largest underground networks in the world! It has a series of tunnels and structures which can offer shortcuts and safety from the harsh cold during winter months.
The Underground City is over twenty miles with links to shops, metro stations, restaurants, and museums (Tousignant)! Known as La Ville Souterraine, the underground network was first built in the 1960s and has since expanded into tunnels, corridors, and plazas (Galipeau).
Montreal boosts the reputation of enjoying one of the most bike friendly cities in North America, according to the Copenhagenize Index (Fadden)! There are hundreds of miles of cycle lanes that connect together throughout the city. Visitors and locals hop on bikes all year long to see the city sights and ride through different neighborhoods.
Montreal’s Art Culture
Montreal has a huge art and graffiti scene that celebrates all types of art and encourages various cultures to embrace themselves. Montreal exudes an open and welcoming atmosphere, given its powerful identity.
In 2006, Montreal was actually named a UNESCO City for its architecture and artistic design (Design Montréal). The city’s commitment to walkability, especially demonstrated by the neighborhoods’ designs which show this in particular, embodies their initiatives to increase happiness for the people in Montreal.
Photo of Mile End, by Alan Rouiller, Flickr
Montreal’s creative neighborhood, known as Mile End, features artists, musicians, writers, and houses bookstores, entertainment venues, vintage shops, and even a one-hundred-year-old bagel shop (Yogerst). Another distinctive area, referred to as Quartier de Spectacles, has promoted Montreal’s initiative to boost morale and culture for the past two decades (Yogerst).
The prominent district ignites cultural exploration through many forms of art due to its close proximity to the Place des Arts complex, Central Library, Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Montreal Opera and Symphony Orchestra. In past years, this district has even displayed musical swing sets for locals to play for free!
Place des Arts, Photo by Guilhem Vellut, Flickr
delicious food in the City of Saints
There’s more to Montreal than the cherished and widely popular dish known as poutine! Although the city receives well-deserved praise for its delicious dish, Montreal continues to revolutionize the culinary scene! This city is known for being incredibly innovative and creative with incorporating modern twists to traditional favorites.
The cuisine found in Montreal truly captures the diverse population, with over 120 cultures influencing the city’s gastronomy (Roberts). All communities, including Greek, Italian, Eastern, African, Asian, and Jewish, have shaped the dining scenes in various ways (Roberts). Traditional Quebecois dishes are worth trying, but so is the ever growing and diverse international cuisine!
In the past, students and teachers have visited the iconic Notre-Dame Basilica in the heart of the Old Montreal are in the city. They’ve enjoyed learning how to prepare traditional Quebec cuisine with a local chef, and there’s
Hungry for more? Check out our past blog, “Culture and Cuisine: Savoring Canada’s Legendary Dishes”, for a look into dishes worth trying on your next adventure to Canada!
Sources
Fadden, Robyn. “Guide to All Things Biking in Montréal.” Tourisme Montréal, 29 Jan. 2020, www.mtl.org/en/experience/guide-to-all-things-biking.
Galipeau, Tobia. “Underground City Montreal: 16+ Amazing Attractions for 2020: Local Tips.” Local Food Tours - Beer and Food Tours, 16 Jan. 2020, localfoodtours.com/montreal/underground-city-montreal-destinations/.
“Montréal UNESCO City of Design.” Design Montréal, 19 Dec. 2019, designmontreal.com/en/about-montreal-unesco-city-of-design.
Roberts, Simon. “Beyond Poutine: Exploring Montreal's Growing Cuisine.” National Geographic, 29 Sept. 2017, www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/canada/quebec/montreal-restaurants-food-cuisine-global-international/.
Tousignant, Isa. “Your Guide to the Underground City.” Tourisme Montréal, 29 Jan. 2020, www.mtl.org/en/experience/guide-underground-city-shopping.
Yogerst, Joe. “12 Of Montreal's Best Neighborhoods.” CNN, Cable News Network, 16 Mar. 2017, www.cnn.com/travel/article/montreal-most-interesting-neighborhoods/index.html.