I’ll be traveling to Japan for the next few weeks so I won’t have time to write new articles but I will be using this blog to post photos and perhaps short stories if I find the time.
See you soon!
Off to Nihon
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Monthly Archives: July 2012
The Living Room
This is our living room. Like the other rooms in our home, it isn’t big, but what it lacks in size, it makes up in height and cachet. This means that we’ll be using these tall walls by adding lots of shelving in order to store our (quickly growing) collection of books, DVDs and random deco items. I’ve commissioned a huge built-in style bookshelf to be assembled by my step-dad. It will replace the precariously standing unit we have right now. Good thing we don’t live in an area with strong seismic activity because that thing is so unstable that I’m scared it’ll drop any time I even so much as walk next to it!
Living Room
The chosen color scheme of the room is a dominant of white with fushia, yellow, blue and black accents. This is reflected in the mural that I painted on the back wall a few months back. When we visited the place, as soon as I spotted this huge piece of wall, I knew it would be covered in art. I had a few designs in mind but I ended up choosing to replicate a drawing I’d done six years ago, that I’d always kept because I loved the look of it. It represents a funky, lively view of a modern city, with highrise buildings that are more Hundertwasser then Rockefeller.
Cities inspire me. I grew up in a small town, but I always had big city dreams. Ever since I was young, I was absolutely fascinated by metropolises like Paris, New York or London.
We didn’t come often to Montreal, but every visit was memorable to me, so I couldn’t wait to move here when the time to go to university came. To me, cities are vibrant, colorful and beautiful with all their imperfections. There’s always something to discover because the evolution is constant.
Even though I live in one now, my passion for big cities is still not satiated and I’m always attracted to objects that feature urban patterns on them. That’s why I decided to play around this theme for the living room.
This built-in armoire is what sold the apartment to me. It’s so unique and cool (regardless of the old fashioned stucco design inside and bad paint job done by the previous owner, we’ll fix that!).
We inherited this sofa from family, and although it’s nice and comfy, the original forest green slipcover really didn’t do it for me. I’d love to have it reupholstered but that would cost a fortune so instead, I used the easy solution: sheets. Never one to leave things just like they are, I had to paint them up Pollock style.
There’s still so much work to be done but we are doing things at our own rhythm and trying to do them the right way.
For now, welcome to my living room. Sit down, relax, have a cup of tea, I’ve got lots of stories to tell you here!
Little Japanese girl
I got this card for my birthday two years ago. A colleague had gone out to the papeterie next to our workplace during her breaktime. When she came back she handed me an envelope with, inside it, this cute card.
She said it reminded her of me.
I look Asian. I know that’s a vague affirmation, but that’s what people think when they first see me.
I have a round face, a small button shaped nose, dark brown hair and almond shaped eyes.
When I meet someone, I know they’ll eventually ask me where I’m from. For some, it’ll come soon after we are acquainted, where as for others, it will take more time. One friend tells me now that she first thought it was a sensitive subject since I didn’t bring it up myself so she was afraid to ask.
It isn’t. The whole truth: I’m the product of many mixes like most people. On my mother’s side everyone has been Canadian for multiple generations and on my dad’s side I have an Italian grandpa and a Canadian grandma. So where do those almond shaped eyes come from? The most plausible explanation is that someone, somewhere along the line, was a native American. We don’t know for sure and haven’t bothered to check, but it’s what’s most likely.
When I was young, people thought that I was adopted. Whenever I was asked, I laughed it off, but sometimes I’d stare at my parents, wondering: ‘What if? Is there something they are hiding?’
‘No, that’s impossible’. I’d shake the thought off instantly. Over time, I noticed that I’d inherited the same body shape that my dad’s sisters had, as well as his hair and my mom’s delicate features, so I felt reassured.
For other people though, it isn’t so clear. Just last week my downstairs neighbor asked my boyfriend if I was Japanese. I wish!
I’ve also been mistaken for a latina girl by a flirty counter guy at the Dominican bakery close to my former apartment. He addressed me in Spanish, and when I looked at him, confused, he said ‘You’re not latina?’. ‘No.’ I replied.. ‘Really?’ He asked, seeming doubtful.
When people ask ‘the question’, most times I’ll tell them to guess. It creates so many possibilities and I love hearing people’s perception when they see someone that looks different enough to them that they’ll enquire about their origin, whilst still seeming local. I’m lucky, I’ve never felt racism because of my features (language is another question but that’s a whole other subject to write about). Once, a kid in elementary school called me a stupid Chinese girl but that hardly counts.
Most times people will think that I’m Vietnamese, Chinese or Korean. My boyfriend, on our first date, guessed that I was Mongolian (no joke!).
I love to hear all the possibilities of what I could be in the eyes of someone else. Sometimes I’ll even play with that idea a little bit before disclosing the truth to the person I’m with.
Like I said before, I myself don’t know all the elements of the truth. I have no idea where this native blood fits into the genealogy of my family. One day, if I have time and money to spend on that type of research I’ll do it. For now, I like not knowing. It kind of makes it more exciting to keep things mysterious.
Who knows what’s real? Does it matter? Will knowing the full truth change my identity or my view of the world?
Another funny story:
In 2009 I traveled to Rome with my boyfriend. We were people-watching at the piazza navona, when suddenly I saw this little girl, about 3 years old, playing with the pigeons. She was the spitting image of me at the same age, face, haircut, colorful clothes and all. When the pigeons stopped being friendly, she started crying and her parents came to comfort her. That’s when we realized that her father was Chinese and her mother Caucasian. Interesting!
I wonder if, wherever she lives, she’ll be faced with the same question over and over again, like I am.
I hope if she is, she’ll have fun blurring the lines of her identity like I do!
Little Japanese girl, little Chinese girl, little Italian girl, little Léa….
The concert ticket stub keepsake box
Note: By clicking on the names of the bands, a new tab will open and you’ll get to hear a song by the band in question. If the band’s name is mentioned more than once, each one will be linked to a different song. Enjoy!
I have box full of concert ticket stubs.
Esthetically speaking, the ticket is quite a banal object in itself. Once the event is over, it has served its purpose and therefore becomes a small piece of paper with words on it. Nothing very interesting there.
So how come I keep all of my tickets and stuff them into an empty shoe box like old polaroids or past diaries ?
Because they tell stories, of course!
I’m quite the music fan. Although I don’t play any instruments (yet), I come from a fairly musical family with, among others, a great-aunt on one side that is a classical music composer, and an aunt on the other side that is a professional musician. Music is a big part of our lives. Both my brother and I are human jukeboxes (unfortunately for me, I have a rather flat voice whilst he sounds like a jazz crooner).
Going to concerts is something I love to do. When a concert is good, you can feel so many emotions at once, and the concert hall becomes sort of isolated from the rest of the world. You feel like you are experiencing something unique whilst sharing it along with hundreds of people. That can be quite magical.
In that sense, the box of tickets serves as a key to accessing many beautiful memories.
I admit that although I don’t go out every week to see a show, I have attended quite a few in my time and I sometimes forget that I’ve seen certain bands. Opening this box can be a nostalgic affair for me. I don’t that think I’m a sentimental person in general, but reliving great concerts and events can bring back certain emotions that couldn’t be rooted anywhere else than through live music. Remembering these moments can bring you back to that state of mind, if even just a little bit.
I like tickets for that. Even when I go to a free concert, I sometimes cut out an article mentioning it in a newspaper, as memorabilia.
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- Ticket stub keepsake box
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- Mes Aïeux La Rochelle Francofolies festival 2007
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- Ours, La Rochelle Francofolies festival 2007
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- Tété, La Rochelle Francofolies festival 2007
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- Barcella, La Rochelle Francofolies festival 2007
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- Tété et sa guitare, Jean-Talon Market 2007
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- Mariam Doumia, Amadou et Mariam, Nice, 2009
When I opened the ticket box to write this article, the one item that popped out among others was the concert pass to the 2003 Warped Tour. I was 17 in 2003 and this was my second time at the Warped tour. (For those not in the know: the Warped tour is a one day festival touring around North America that includes dozens of bands and focuses on the punk, ska and hardcore genres).
All I wanted for that day was to replicate the fun I’d had the year before, in august 2002. All the elements for success were present: beautiful weather, friends and some of my favorite bands at the time (Pennywise, Rancid, Me first and the gimme gimmes). I don’t know what happened but at the end of the day, I found the whole thing had been just OK, not incredible. I felt dissapointed.
Friday August 16th 2002, day of the first Warped tour I attended, had been an important day in my teenage life.
Five of us had gathered and found a ride to go to Montreal (the big city for us small town folk!). We were all decked out in our fiercest teenage punk attire, scared but excited at the prospect of being at our first real punk show. It ended up being quite the introduction!
At first, we didn’t know what we were doing or where we were going. We decided to make a stop at the first stage we stumbled upon. It was a tiny stage, and some local punk band was playing. Apparently, they never made it big after that because I don’t remember their name, but we did get a free CD out of it!
We then found the big billboard where the day’s schedule was displayed.
One of the nice things about the Warped tour is that they don’t publish the schedule ahead of time. Bands themselves learn their time slot when they arrive on site in the morning. This means that festival-goers have to come for the whole day just to make sure that they’ll see the bands they love. During pauses between the shows, most people will then go to check out new bands that they aren’t familiar with.
I guess that now that people have cell phones, concert times could be shared via twitter or Facebook, meaning that some don’t show up early if their favorite bands are playing late, but I still think it’s a good idea and I do remember people at the door being strict about going in and out of the site.
We were in luck as many of the bands playing in 2002 were among our favorites at the time: New Found Glory, Something Corporate, Mxpx, Goldfinger, Bad Religion… All favorites of the pseudo-rebellious poppy punk teenager of the early aughts that we fancied ourselves being.
The heat was intense, we were covered in dirt and I don’t remember us eating much throughout the day, but when the concerts wrapped up and we headed back towards the south-shore of Montreal to catch our ride, we were ecstatic.
We’d all been to concerts before but this was one of the first that we had enjoyed by ourselves, as a group of unchaperoned teens. It was the start of many more to come.
I lost the ticket to the first Warped tour I attended so now when I see the one from 2003, instead of reminiscing about that year, I’m reminded of the year before, which was such an epic event that I actually tried to recreate it.
I’ve done that a few times, trying to recapture great moments by going back to the same places, eating certain foods, seeing certain people. It never works. I always end up being disappointed that I couldn’t bring back the moment’s sentiment.
How about you? Have you done that before?
Here are short recaps of other great concerts I’ve had the pleasure to see and that I would highly recommend you attending if these acts play in a venue in or close to your city:
Arcade Fire: Twice, once for free in the Place Longueuil shopping centre parking lot. Another time, also for free, at the Place des festivals.
Arcade Fire being a local band here, we fans are lucky because the group treats us well! In June 2010, not long before the release of their album The Suburbs, the band announced that a free show would be happening the very next day in the parking lot of a mall in a suburban town close to Montreal. People didn’t believe it at first, as it started out as a rumor, but then the group confirmed it. On their website, they gave instructions as to how to get there, telling us to download a file that would accompany our walk from the subway station to the location where the concert would be held.
News spread quickly on Facebook and twitter and it was even printed in the newspapers that had time to add it to their pages last minute before sending their issues to print.
No one knew what to expect. We all got to Longueuil subway station a few minutes before the scheduled time of start. We found ourselves following a trail that had been drawn on the pavement with chalk. Scattered throughout the lines and arrows where short phrases, which we would later learn were lyrics from one of the new songs. Everyone put their headphones on and listened to the file they had been told to download: it was a recording playing one of the new songs and namesake of the album: The Suburbs, twice in a row. The file played out long enough to take us from the subway station to the stage. Once we got there, we could see members of the band chilling out on the grass in the backstage area. They also seemed not to know what to expect.
Ten thousand people showed up and witnessed something beautiful.
A little more than a year later, one hundred thousand people came to see Arcade Fire when they played another free outdoor show in Montreal. This one had been well announced beforehand and was happening at the Place-des-festivals. Once again, it was a great show. This band really gives it their all when on stage.
Radiohead: Outdoor show at the Parc Jean-Drapeau (on Ile Sainte-Hélène a small island near Montreal).
Towards the end of the show, the weekly summer fireworks competition held at the amusement park on the same island had started and it made for a beautiful, if unplanned finale. I heard afterwards that Thom Yorke was annoyed and didn’t really appreciate the surprise light show that was competing with their own that was playing out on stage. I don’t care, it was superb and seemed well timed (plus I’m one of the only people on earth who hates the sound of fireworks cracking, so having such gorgeous music covering it up and only being left with the beautiful light explosions was a great thing for me).
Thomas Fersen: Free at the Francofolies music festival.
Crowds that attend free concerts at music festivals are often strange. There’s always a mix of true fans, people that know only one song by the artist, people that were dragged here by friends and people that have no clue and are just here because it’s free. The Thomas Fersen show at the Francofolies 2010 was no exception. Arrogant teenagers screamed random curse words at each other, a group of african mamas stared at the stage and seemed unsure that they liked the music and an obviously stoned middle-aged man danced around spastically. It was beautiful. Beautiful because everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and a large part of the crowd were true fans so it became quite the sing-a-long. That and the fact that Fersen came back to the stage for four encores meant that is was a memorable show.
Amadou et Mariam– Twice. Once at the Metropolis in Montreal and another time at Palais de la Méditérranée in Nice (France). The famed blind couple from Mali make beautiful music together and surround themselves with a great entourage, making for a nice concert even though they themselves don’t move around much on stage (except when Amadou has crazy guitar solos). Most of the music is very upbeat so if you attend one of their concerts, expect to dance! One note: Amadou et Mariam have blind fans who come to concerts for the music. I learned that the hard way. At the Nice concert, my boyfriend and I had a great spot right in front of the stage. During the concert, I felt a guy touching me. Thinking he was trying to grope me (it happens a lot at concerts, sadly) I pushed him away over and over and eventually got my boyfriend to stand right in back of me. The guy stopped and I felt relieved but still irked. Finally, when the lights came on at the end, I saw that he was blind and was just trying to see where the stage was! Needless to say, I felt horrible and tried to apologize but the guy left too quickly.
Karkwa– Undoubtedly one of the best live bands we have here in Quebec. I’ve seen them three times. Once at a rocking Quebec National holiday concert, once when they opened for Arcade fire at the Place des Festivals and another time as a main act, playing at the Metropolis. Don’t expect to mosh or dance like there’s no tomorrow at one of their concerts. Karkwa plays rock music, but more in the category à la Radiohead circa OK computer or even Kid A, so most times the crowd floats into a trance, carried by the beauty of the melodies and the singer’s delicate voice.
Eiffel: A powerful rock band that has a large following in France but is largely unknown here. They came and played at the latest Francofolies festival this summer. Their music is rocking and packed with lots of energy. If you understand french, the lyrics are worth reading as frontman Romain Humeau has a way with words. I attended both shows that they played, the free outdoor one and the paying indoor one. It was strange knowing that they have no trouble selling out large venues across the Atlantic, but that here they are no better known than the next up and coming band. Even though the room at the indoor show wasn’t very full, Eiffel gave it their all and seemed to have fun. We, fans (all thirty of us!) sure did!
I’d love to hear about your favorite concert experiences! Feel free to tell me about them in the comments section.
SHOES-WALKING ON SAINT-LAURENT BOULEVARD
For this second walk, I suggest that you only have a light breakfast because you will be well served in terms of food here. Find some comfy shoes and get walking!
Shoes: Bohemian spartan sandals
Time: 1h30 to one day. Pressed on time or lazy legs? Hop on the 55 bus line starting at Saint-Laurent/Viger. The bus runs the whole walk (and more). Since Saint-Laurent is a one way street, you can’t follow the walk as described here, you’d be doing the opposite.
Distance: 5.5 kilometers (3.4 miles)
Here are some photos of the area you’ll be visiting
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- Bohemian spartan sandals
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- Street art on Saint-Laurent
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- Boulevard Saint-Laurent
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- Rokokonut thrift store
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- Eva B
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- Paifang gate through which you enter Chinatown
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- A Bixi bike rack
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- Chinatown
Saint Laurent from Jean-Talon to Viger (Little Italy/ Milton Park/ Chinatown)
Walking down Saint-Laurent Boulevard is like traveling around the world in half a day. Many, many migrants hailing from various countries settled along this street from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th. Even though most of their descendants don’t live here anymore, there are still marks of their presence in the form of stores, restaurants and the names of certain places. The boulevard is so vastly renowned for this that Parcs Canada has even designated it as a national historic site.
This walk will start in Montreal’s own little Italy, at the corner of Jean-Talon boulevard. Nowadays, most Italian Montrealers live in the neighborhoods of Montréal-Nord and St-Leonard. However, around 1919, the recently arrived immigrants all converged towards this particular area, just north of Beaubien. For many years, most Italian families of Montreal called it home. In the 50s, as the population became richer and started seeking a quality of life that this urban neighborhood could not provide, people started moving towards the eastern part of the island. Still, the spirit of Italy remains here. It is estimated that 250 000 people in Montreal have Italian ancestry, so this has had a major impact on local culture.
This is a foodie’s paradise. Head to Milano’s and you’ll feel, just for a moment, that you’ve walked into a supermercato in Verona. As patrons and employees around you exchange courtesies (or insults?) in the language of Leonardo Da Vinci, you’ll have a hard time choosing what you want to buy for lunch. Shelves are piled with dozens of types of pasta, olives and sweet pannetones, and the smell floating around is a mix of fresh espresso, prosciutto, basil and lovely gianduja (hazelnut chocolat paste).
Next door is Épices Anatol. Here, your nose will be doing most of the work. This shop carries no less than 600 varieties of spices, as well as lots of bulk items like cereal, coffee or tea. Surely, there’ll be something to your liking!
Walk off Saint-Laurent towards the left and you’ll find yourself in one of Montreal’s big outdoor markets, the Marché Jean-Talon. Open year-round, this place thrives in the summer, when local farmers bring in fresh produce and meat products every morning, bright and early. Montrealers from all over town come here to stock up, as do most good restaurateurs. You might even unknowingly stand in a shot for a local TV show, as many film and TV productions take part here.
After having pleased your senses and filled your bag with appetizing snacks, you can return towards Saint-Laurent and stop at the little park you’ll see across the street, so you can enjoy a light lunch before strolling on down past more Italian stores, cafés and bakeries.
Walking down past Bellechasse, you’ll find yourself in a somewhat less interesting part of the boulevard, as you will be passing under train tracks. Fans of industrial landscapes will find good subjects for photography here.
Turning left on Bernard, and then right on St-Urbain, will show you a more residential area. It’s quiet, but you’ll get to see the way many Montrealers live, in colorful row houses adorned with outdoor staircases. Why do montreal apartments have outdoor staircases? Find out here
Reaching the corner of St-Viateur, you’ll find yourself standing in front of the impressive neo-byzantine style St Michael church. It can seem a bit out of place amongst the other types of architecture present in this neighborhood, but it definitely has a lot of character and is very telling of this area’s history. It was first built for the Irish community. In later years, as populations moved around, the polish and ukrainian communities took over this place of worship. Guided tours have been offered in the past, but nothing is confirmed for 2012. Don’t hesitate to contact the diocese for any inquiries.
Keep walking down Saint-Urbain, past more colorful houses and small neighborhood community centers. Once you reach Fairmount, turn left until you meet Saint-Laurent. Having avoided the concrete jungle part of the road, you can now return to what Montrealers call La Main (Main street). Before you do, stop to buy some bagels at Fairmount bagels. Even New Yorkers, protective as they are of their own round treats, will have to admit that you’ll find a pretty good bagel here (just ask famed New-yorker and TV host Anthony Bourdain ;)).
On this part of Saint-Laurent you’ll find the newest trendy restaurants, vintage clothing stores and record stores. Don’t be surprised if you cross paths with a member of Arcade Fire here.
On of those hip spots is the Casa del Popolo, and its sister La sala rossa which is right across the street. Both these places, managed by the same owners, serve coffee and food, and host events (mostly concerts). Edgy and indie is the word here. Casa del popolo serves vegetarian fare while La sala rossa is a tapas joint. Both are very good and not too pricey.
Along the way down, you’ll find some nice stores like Katrin Leblond, who sells colorful dresses and Myco Anna, local designers who create designs that are funky as well as being friendly to environment.
Once you pass Mont-Royal avenue, you will find yourself in the heart of the Spanish/portugese quarter. This can be observed by the heavy concentration of restaurants, stores and community centres dedicated to elements from those cultures. If you are here later at night, check out La elastica, a gallery space/concert room located inside the Gallego social club. They host screenings, exhibits and concerts, focusing on the experimental side of art. Just downstairs, there is a club for fans of flamenco dancing.
You’ll also encounter plenty of great places to stop in for a coffee or a drink (check the list for addresses).
Just after Marianne street, there’s La Centrale Powerhouse, a feminist art gallery that features the work of prominent and up and coming artists.
After you’re done with the gallery, stop in at Divan Orange to check out who’ll be playing later on. This small venue hosts many, many shows year-round, and is a veritable hot-spot for the Montreal music-scene. When looking at the calendar, many names may seem obscure at first sight, but some very popular local artists, even after having graduated to bigger concert rooms, like to come back here to test new songs (Patrick Watson, Yann Perrau, Karkwa). Tickets are affordable so if you are open-minded, go for it!
If indie is not your thing, the next part of the walk may be where you find nighttime entertainment that fits to your liking. Saint-Laurent, although it has somewhat declined in the past few years, is still where many Montrealers come to have fun and party. The area has bars that cater to all tastes. One piece of advice: don’t book a hotel room in this area, between thursday and sunday, if you want to sleep. It gets noisy. Even during the cold months of winter. Come here to party, not to get some shut-eye. (See Bars / Clubs section for suggestions).
During the day, this area of Saint-Laurent boulevard is also fairly animated. It’s here that you’ll find all things eastern-european, starting with legendary deli Schwartz’s. When you walk past it, the line is sure to be impressive, especially in the summer. Speedy service and plenty of pressure to swallow your sandwich minutes after sitting down will make it so the wait isn’t too long, no matter how big the line is. If it seems a little intense, it’s because it is, but it’s an interesting experience and the food is undeniably good.
If waiting isn’t an option, a mean sausage sandwich can be bought at Charcuterie Hongroise, Slovenia or at La Vieille Europe (which is also a nice little store selling lots of imported food products, mainly from Europe).
Avid thrift shoppers will love to go treasure hunting in the area’s vintage stores. Just under Duluth street, shopping is made easy as no less than 4 thrift shops can be found practically side by side: Cul de Sac, Kokokonut, Kitsch and swell and Friperie Saint-Laurent. All of these are vintage shops and tend to be a bit pricey as far as used goods go, but the selection, be it old issues of Playboy or yellow pleather jackets, is definitely interesting.
The piece de résistance is Eva B, with it’s two floors stocked to the brim with clothes, books, posters, housewares, clothes, clothes and more clothes. Prepare to spend a good amount of time here if you want to explore all the rooms and racks. No worries though, the friendly staff will make sure you get a refreshing beverage, and there’s always a plate of chips and salsa available for all clients, so you can keep your energy level up. The decor and atmosphere in this place is worth the visit in itself. Don’t come here if you are claustrophobic. Before going in or after leaving, be sure to cross the street so you can observe the full facade in all its’ craziness (see picture).
Feeling tired yet? Don’t worry, you’ll be headed next to the perfect place to end a long day’s walk: Chinatown. You’ll know you’ve arrived once you pass the paifang gate. Montreal’s Chinatown is tiny, when compared to those in New York or Vancouver but it remains a good place for cheap eats.
Choose between the delicious vietnamese pho soup at Pho Bang New York, tasty japanese ramen at Sumo Ramen or dim-sum at Maison Kam fung. After your meal, if you aren’t rolling around already, make a stop at Harmonie for some sweets.
After you’ve wrapped up your one day trip around the globe, if you aren’t too jet-lagged, be sure to check out who’s playing at Club Soda, another one of the city’s fine concert rooms. Oasis, Melissa Etheridge, Hanson and Skrillex have all played at this former cabaret.
Bars/ Clubs:
If you prefer to be surrounded by beautiful people dancing in their Louboutins, head to Koko lounge, Buona Notte or Globe (all of three are also restaurants). If you’re in town during NHL hockey season, you may encounter some of the players who come here to blow off some steam in their off time or after a good game.
Goth, Rockabilly, Punk or Metal Head? Go to Le Saphir, a dark cave-like club where you can dance, drink and mingle with a funky crowd. It has two floors and a decent sized balcony. Check the schedule to see what’s on, as there are theme nights that dictate the type of music that will be played.
Another good spot for fans of all things loud: Katacombes bar/coop. Come here for intimate shows and a nice outdoor terrace. At concerts, expect moshpits.
Standard bars that will please those just looking for a cheap pint of beer and a fun crowd: Mckibbin’s Irish Pub, Bifteck, Barfly
People just looking to dance with a mixed crowd, to top 40, pop or hip/hop: B-side, Radio-Lounge, Café Campus
The arty/ hipster crowd: Jupiter room, Blizzarts, Belmont
If you like to dance to beats from around the world: Ballatou, Les Bobards
Activities:
Milano Fruiterie
6862 St Laurent Montreal (514) 273-8558
Épices Anatole
6822 boul. St-Laurent, Montréal
7070 Avenue Henri Julien Montréal, QC (514) 277-1588
6355 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal, QC (514) 393-1999
4873 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal, QC (514) 284-3804
Théâtre la chapelle
3700 Rue Saint Dominique Montréal, QC (514) 987-1639
3536 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC (514) 847-2206
Société des arts technologiques
1201, boul Saint-Laurent, Montréal, QC (514) 844-2033
4602, boulevard Saint-Laurent, Montreal, QC,514-843-3821
4296 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal, QC (514) 871-0268
Places to eat: (per person, tips and taxes not included: $= 10 dollars or less, $$= 25 dollars or less, $$$= 40 dollars or less)
Robin des bois $$
Robin des bois is the french moniker of Robin Hood, the heroic outlaw of children’s fairytales. This restaurant was named after him because it is a charity restaurant. All profits go to charities (listed on the website). Service is provided by volunteers, as is most of the work in the kitchen.
Though the waiters are friendly novices, the menu and decor are solid and worthy of any top-notch urban restaurant. You’ll come out of this meal satisfied and pleased in knowing you’ve made a nice gesture.
4653 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal, QC (514) 288-1010
La cornetteria $
A bakery where you’ll find the ubiquitous canollis, but also cornetti, another sweet treat hailing from Italy.
6528 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montréal, QC (514) 277-8030
Sumo Ramen $-$$
(see description in text)
1007 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC (514) 940-3668
Pho Bang New York $
(see description in text)
1001 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC (514) 954-2032
Maison Kam Fung $-$$
(see description in text)
1111 St Urbain St Montreal, QC (514) 878-2888
Jano $$
Portugese grill (seafood, chicken, sausage)
3883 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC (514) 849-0646
Rumi express $-$$
Fancy fastwood with a middle eastern flavor
4403 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC (514) 670-6770
Stores:
4647 St Laurent Bl Montreal, QC H2T 1R2 (514) 678-9616
4660 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC (514) 844-7117
3976 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC H2W 1Y3 (514) 842-3893
3968 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, QC (514) 845-6789
Cul de Sac
3966 Boul Saint–Laurent Montréal, QC (514) 504-8417
2013 Boulevard Saint-Laurent Montreal, Quebec (Province) (514) 849-8246
Places to relax:
Else’s: A cosy, artsy café/bar that is quiet during the day, lively after dark. Frequented mostly by locals who come here to drink cider and snack on some nachos while watching the day slowly go by.
156 Rue Roy Est Montreal, QC (514) 286-6689
Café névé
Located on a quiet street corner, this place serves excellent coffee and snacks, and is a very popular place among students.
151 Rue Rachel Est Montreal, QC (514) 903-9294
A storytelling home 