Montreal is the place to be NOW!

Montreal is the place to be NOW!

Before I suggest a half-day walking itinerary for a fun day in Montreal in the summer (a little lower in this post), let me share a Montreal secret with you: summer fun in Montreal is more fun than elsewhere!

There are a few reasons for this. Yes, the European, multicultural and multilingual vibes of the city have something to do with it. But there are other reasons as well. Montreal is a foodies' destination, for Montrealers are obsessed with food. Good food, lots of it, all the time. People here also take their fun very seriously. Maybe it’s a result of the “latin” origins of a good chunk of the population, or perhaps it's a by-product of most French speaking Catholic families here having ditched the Church in the sixties. In any case, rest assured that Montrealers are not waiting for their afterlife to party! But the one single reason why Montreal really goes over the top in the summer is - as Montreal author Dany Laferrière once said - winter! Our winters are so insanely brutal and unbearable in the city, that the second the Grand Prix weekend is upon us in early June, people here just go berserk, take (most of) their clothes off and over-celebrate until the leaves fall in October …

And here’s another secret for you. The best part of the summer in Montreal is usually from late June until late July, during which period the Jazz Fest (https://www.montrealjazzfest.com/) and Just for Laughs (https://www.hahaha.com/en) go back to back (this year’s Montreal concert scene between late June and late July features dozens of headliners including: Seal, Herbie Hancock, Ben Harper, Metronomy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Charlie Musselwhite, Kamasi Washington, Ranee Lee, Old Sea Brigade, Jessie Reyez, Dumbfounded, Radiohead, Beck and Pink).

So, Montreal is definitely the place to be over the next few months - if you ever plan on coming here, now is the best time! And if you do visit, here is a nice half-day walk I recommend from downtown that highlights a lot of the best that the city has to offer in the summer in the minimum reasonable amount of time …

Montreal Downtown Walk: A small hike, THE view, the Main, lunch on the Plateau, the Quartier des spectacles, the MOFA, Jazz or some fun Just for Laughs, and anything else you can put up with!

(See plan of walking path below)

Start around 9:00AM on the corner of Ste-Catherine and McGill College (if you want to have breakfast in that area before your walk, there are tons of options (not all good :-)), but I'd suggest any of the following four for sit-downs: Reuben's on Ste-Catherine for a traditional American breakfast (https://reubensdeli.com/), Rosélys for something more sophisticated (in the recently revamped Queen Elizabeth https://www.restaurantroselys.com/), LOV on De La Montagne for the best vegan sit-down place in the city (https://www.lov.com/), or for something high end, la Maison Boulud at the Ritz-Carlton (https://www.maisonboulud.com/montreal/menu).

From the corner of Ste-Catherine and McGill College, walk North (towards the mountain), until you get to the grounds of McGill University. Keep walking North and turn left before you get to McGill’s Moyse Hall, walk past the Redpath Museum until you get to McTavish street.

Walk North on McTavish, cross Dr. Penfield Ave and keep heading North still on McTavish. As you progress and walk past the McTavish reservoir (on your right), you will get great views of the city.

At the top of McTavish, turn left on Des Pins Ave until Peel Street. There, cross Des Pins Ave and start climbing the Great Mountain Stairs. Use these to climb all the way to the Mount-Royal Terrace/Belvedere all the way up (that is when you will be in the best position to appreciate whether you made good choices for breakfast :-)). If you wonder as you walk the grounds of the mountain, you should know that the entire park was designed in 1872 by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted – the same lad who designed Central Park in NYC.

Once you arrive at the top, walk the Terrace at the Mount-Royal's Belvedere, enjoy the breathtaking view of the city, and take a few selfies (don't fall down!). Then make sure to also take a look inside the Mount-Royal Chalet, just behind you (https://www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en/plan-your-visit#/services-mount-royal-park-267/public-buildings-242/mount-royal-chalet-9). The Chalet was inaugurated in 1932. The walls of its spacious interior are decorated with pictures tracing the history of Montreal, including many painted by famous artists. It is used for special events throughout the year …

After a little rest, use the map below (and I mean, use it, or you won’t find your way!) to walk a little uphill still via the Olmstead dirt road and then, right after you've walked past the mountain's huge iron cross, negotiate your way down to the East-side facing 2nd Belvedere of the Mount-Royal after a little stint in the forest on the way down. From this second Belvedere, you’ll be able to enjoy a view of the east side of the city, showcasing, in particular, our own beloved white elephant, the Olympic Stadium from the 1976 summer games. You can also try and count how many Church bell towers you can see from up there and appreciate why one of Montreal’s nicknames is the “City of 100 bell towers”…

Thereafter, walk down the mountain through the trails in the forest below (use the map again!) until you get to Mount-Royal Avenue. There, you’ll walk east and pass by Beautys on your left, a famous Montreal diner featured in the works of the likes of Leonard Cohen, Mordechai Richler and countless others. A couple of blocks later, you'll cross the Main, or St-Laurent Blvd – by far the most colorful and historically meaningful street of Montreal in my view.

Turn right on St-Laurent (head South) and take a couple of hours to stroll towards downtown. You’ll first walk past nice furniture shops (Montauk and Biltmore in particular). Then by the Portugual Park and through the Portuguese quarters (have lunch at Romados on Rachel St just off St-Laurent - the piri piri chicken and fries there are the best: https://www.romados.ca//). Keep walking south after lunch and enjoy the Main’s colorful crowd, specialty shops, coffees, eateries and bars (historical Jewish eateries and restaurants such as The Main, Moishes' and, yes, Schwartz’ are in that area on St-Laurent).

Eventually, you'll pass Sherbrooke street and walk down a small hill, still walking South on St-Laurent. When you get to the corner of St-Laurent and Ste-Catherine (which used to be the epicenter of Montreal’s red-light district until the mid-eighties), turn right on Ste-Catherine (westward) until you get to the Quartier des spectacles, or Theatre District, a couple of blocks away. There, you will be at ground zero of the Jazz Festival/Just for Laughs and right next to the Museum of Fine Arts (MOFA) as well. Plenty of things to do there as you will discover.

From there on, improvise for the rest of your day. You won’t have to think too long to find great options. But plan on making a reservation in advance if you want to have diner in this busy area (I recommend Chef Normand Laprise's Toqué spin-off, Brasserie T!, located right on the main place of the Quartier des spectacles (https://brasserie-t.com/) …

Enjoy, and touch base if you're in town!