# CENTRAL MONTREAL... (Except Old Montreal!)



## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

This won't be one of those threads depicting little-known places in obscure locations. What I mean here by "Central" Montréal is the downtown area and other centrally located neighborhoods. I have a separate thread for Old Montréal, my favorite area in the city. Check it out here: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1104555&highlight=

First, the obligatory skyscraper shots. Nearly all of these were taken on or abound Rue Ste Catheine and René Lévesque Boulevard. 
























































































































































































































































































Now, for a place much closer to my actual liking... The Pleateau Mont-Royal and adjacent Mile End neighbourhoods! After decades of gentrification this former working class area now includes some of the hippest, most desirable urban neighbourhoods in the country. It is also a bastion of the city's cultural intelligentsia, which remains firmly leftist and pro-sovereignty.




































































































Storefronts on St Laurent Blvd and Av. Mont Royal. Some of these photos are no longer current, though...


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## Falubaz (Nov 20, 2004)

Nice shots... but this one surprised me:








Are there really such huge hills in town?


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

That's Mount Royal, the only 'huge' hill on the island. It sits prominently right up against the downtown. The word 'Mont-real' is French for the same thing: Royal Mountain. Those beautiful old buildings nestled up against Mount Royal are part of McGill University, one of the most prestigious and storied schools in Canada. (Modern north American football traces its roots to this school!)


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice photos from Montreal


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## Benonie (Dec 21, 2005)

Looks great! Only two months and we'll be there. Looking foreword to it. Thanks for sharing those nice pictures!


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Gorgeous snaps and amazing attention to detail in your photography! Bravo!!


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Update time!

The Montreál metro isn't exactly beautiful, but some stations are really interesting! Can't remember which station this is...














































Just a few shots of Outremont, a mostly residential area, which has historically been the area favored by the French-speaking elite.








































































































































And images shops and a few othr places in the Plateau and the Mile End area, most of them on Avenue Laurier, I believe...


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)

Love the shots on your latest update.....thanks.:cheers2:


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## DukeNukem (Oct 23, 2010)

the most beautiful city in Canada


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

First, a few downton shots














































A few shots, already a bit dated, taken from the Jacques Cartier bridge!


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## PhilippeMtl (Aug 17, 2005)

This pic is awesome


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## DanielFigFoz (Mar 10, 2007)

Interesting pictures, I'm going to go and see the Old Montréal one too


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

Superb shots of a beautiful city! Keep up the great work!


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## Chadoh25 (Dec 28, 2007)

Great photos!


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Central Montréal time! 

Church time! :lol:
Now, seriously, before the Révolution Tranquile ("Quiet Revolution), Montréal had a devout Catholic majority and the Church had a big role in everything from education to social mores. Church-building was therefore a major enterprise in this devout region. The protestant minority (a lot of it Anglophone) contributed too. The "revolution" turned Québec into one of the most politically and socially liberal, least religious areas in the continent. And thank god! Empty churches are easy to photograph!! :lol:

St James, of the United Church of Canada, finished in 1889.





































Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, of 1859.























































Saint Viateur (1911) in Outremont, a fancy neo-Gothic church for the wealthy area...













































































































The Notre Dame Reine du Monde Cathedral, finished in 1894. When it was built, the site of the archbishopric of Montreal was controversial, not only because such a big Catholic church was being built in the middle of a traditionally protestant, English-speaking area, but because it was a carbon-copy of St Peter's in Rome, no less! :nuts:



























































































Random photos of the Plateau Mont-Royal / Mile End area...

















































































































































Back downtown...




















The beautiful, huge, Dominion Square Building of 1930.


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

Can someone please tell me the name of this building, the architect if possible and anything else about it. An amazing, seemingly golden-mean proportioned, classically detailed highrise. :cheers:


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

This is the Sunlife Building, started in the 1900s and finished in the early 1930s. Very interesting history. It was at some point the largest building in the British Empire and a repository of British gold during the world wars.


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## openlyJane (Feb 3, 2010)

I've really enjoyed looking through this thread. Your pictures convey a,certain, relaxed & laid-back feeling. Montreal looks to be an easy city to live in.


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

aljuarez said:


> This is the Sunlife Building, started in the 1900s and finished in the early 1930s. Very interesting history. It was at some point the largest building in the British Empire and a repository of British gold during the world wars.


 Great, thanks. I'll look further into it when time permits. :cheers:


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## Chadoh25 (Dec 28, 2007)

Great updates! I've always loved Montreal. Hopefully I'll be there next year!


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Some random images from random files of mine and random times of year... and from several years! :lol:

Place des Arts





McGill College Avenue























St Catherine Street


























Living the fancy life on Sherbrooke Street and Westmount





















The Masonic Temple on Sherbrooke









Dawson College on Sherbrooke





Square Victoria












Views




















Details and zoom-ins


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Reviving the old thread with recent pics. I need to go to MTL more often! 

Montreal is cosmopolitan and cool!




























Saint Patrick’s basilica is the traditional main church of the Irish community


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## Nightsky (Sep 16, 2002)

Nice photos! Looks already cold though. Hope to go to Montreal some day, now when I've been to Toronto and Niagara Falls.


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

Surely Montreal's trees still have leaves on them. Montreal summers and similar to Toronto and it was 27C yesterday. There winters are colder and snowier though. 

*Nightsky:* you should definitely go to Montreal. It's a fantastic city especially for those interested in architecture. If you have time, make stops in Ottawa and Quebec City too.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Scenes and places downtown



































The Palais de congrès (remember not to capitalize French common nouns!) a.k.a Convention Centre and its vecinity 



















The Place des arts (Square of the Arts) is one of the world's largest purpose-built cultural facilities. It has kept on growing over several decades and keeps morphing. Concert halls, theatres, galleries, museums and opera, all conveniently located next to each other and linked underground. The area around it includes some of the city's most significant development and redevelopment projects. 







































Just beyond the Opera House, the pretty Anglican church of Our Savior and part of the Université du Québec à Montréal. 















More of downtown


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*PLACE VILLE-MARIE*

Place Ville-Marie, the 1960s development that marked the start of the move of downtown Montréal away from old Montréal. Not universally loved and definitely clunky, it has a character that most newer developments can only aspire to. 

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Downtown Scenes

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*Square Victoria*

Square Victoria is where new Montreal meets Old Montréal. 

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr


Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Great, very nice updates from Montréal :cheers:


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*Plateau-Mont-Royal, Mile End, Laurier-Est*

If you visit the neighbourhoods of Plateau-Mont-Royal, Mile End and Laurier-Est, you'll be in the heart of Montreal's hisperdom. But these hoods aren't copycats. The Plateau has been a hub for creativity since the 1960s, and the whole area would take weeks to know intimately. These neighbourhoods also offer some of the best examples of québécois residential architecture, with its distinctive tin mansard roofs and exterior stairs. 

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*Avenue McGill College*

McGill College may or may not be the city's nicest avenue, but its perspective linking the Mountain with Place Ville-Marie, its broad sidewalks and gardens with skyscrapers rising on either side, definitely make it a candidate.

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*Musée des beaux-arts*

The Fine Arts Museum is a large, ambitious institute with a collection that spans the history of art from European masters to contemporary design and aboriginal art. It has been expanded through the years and its buildings are linked underground. 

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*Rue Crescent*

Up until the 80s, Rue Crescent used to be downtown Montréal's showcase for its local fashion scene. Globalization pretty much ended that, and a few years later, the street was invaded by the lowest-brow type of party locales. It has now come full circle, and its pretty buildings now house unique boutiques, design shops and better restaurants now cater to the people moving into the new residential towers built in the area. 

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*Centre-Ville*

Downtown

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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Montréal, Canada by [
url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/]Alejandro[/url], on Flickr


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

^^ Great, very nice photos from Montréal :cheers:


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## Niemand (Sep 6, 2016)

Cool pictures. Great vibe in Montreal!


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## Why-Why (Jul 20, 2016)

Nice shots of Montréal, and an especially fine set from the Musée des beaux-arts.


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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*McCord Museum*

On your back from the hill McGill university sits on, you can visit the McCord Museum of Canadian social history, a small place that focuses on Montréal, also owned by McGill. 

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

*Redpath Museum*

At the end of McGill College avenue, McGill university is one of two major English-language universities (the other is Concordia). Besides looking at the pretty neogothic buildings, you can visit the Redpath Natural History Museum, a wonderfully old-fashioned place. 

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

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## aljuarez (Mar 16, 2005)

Downtown scenes

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr

Montréal, Canada by Alejandro, on Flickr


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