Montréal: The Paris of North America

The city streets are filled with gothic architecture, trendy boutiques, and outdoor cafés occupied with diverse groups of people, the majority of whom are chatting in French. The scene I’m describing, however, is not taking place in Paris, an ideal vacation destination for just about anybody. I’m describing a different francophone metropolis, one much closer to home: Montréal.

Go to the top of Mont-Royal for some great views of downtown Montréal.

Located just 65 miles north of Plattsburgh on Interstate 87, Montréal is still under the North Country umbrella, despite its foreign status and exotic aura. Montréal is practically a hop, skip, and a jump away, so what makes it feel so much like a different country? Besides the fact that English is not the main language in the Canadian province of Quebec, Montréal’s cultural identity, marked by the diversity and multi-ethnic neighborhoods, sets it apart from the rest of the North Country. Montréal also has a population 41 times greater than that of Albany, the next largest city in the general vicinity.

"It’s a cute city. A lot of the buildings are very preserved, so the architechture feels like a little bit of Europe without going too far away."

“It’s a cute city,” says Jane Mullee, a New York City travel agent who sends countless tourists to Montréal. "A lot of the buildings are very preserved, so the architechture feels like a little bit of Europe without going too far away." Many of the 18th and 19th century buildings are in Old Montréal, the most historic quarter of the city. In addition to the first colonists, Old Montréal features nearly 100 acres of cobblestone streets, museums, restaurants featuring cuisine from all over the globe, nightlife, and landmarks, including the Notre-Dame Basilica, which looks like it came straight off of a Parisian postcard.

An inside look at Notre-Dame Basilica

One aspect that slightly departs from Montréal’s foreign feel is the lack of passport stamps a trip north will warrant, but that is soon to change. A birth certificate or driver’s license have always been acceptable forms of identification at the Canadian border, but this will only continue for approximately two more years. According to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which was proposed for public comment in September, all citizens of the United States, Mexico, and the British territory of Bermuda will be required to show passports at the border, as of the tentative date of January 1, 2008.

One group of people affected by this change is the large number of Americans attending college in Montréal, such as Shunya Togashi. Togashi, a 21-year-old geography major from Brooklyn, New York, initially went to Plattsburgh State University College. After two years and several trips north of the border, Togashi decided to go on exchange to Montréal. “I was allured by the city’s charm,” he says. “It’s an interesting blend of North American and European culture, and it reminds me of something in the past, like old Brooklyn.”

“I was allured by the city’s charm. It’s an interesting blend of North American and European culture, and it reminds me of something in the past, like old Brooklyn.”

At first, Togashi’s study abroad experience was supposed to last for one semester, which he extended to a full-year. When the year was up, Togashi decided to transfer, and is now a full-time student at Concordia University. Ultimately, his decision to stay was fueled by the culture and laid-back nature of the people, debunking the stereotypes about large cities and nice people.

Montréal certainly is a large city; with 3.9 million people, and is among the most populous cities in Canada, second only to Toronto. The city is also visited by millions more Americans, who are undoubtedly attracted to the endless supply of parks, museums, neighborhoods, nightlife, and shopping, which is certainly enhanced by the low Canadian dollar. While the American dollar is currently struggling against foreign currencies, such as the Great Britain Pound and the Euro, the American/Canadian exchange rate is still beneficial with $1 Canadian being equivalent to about 84 cents.

While the discounted shopping, especially on the trendy Rue Sainte-Catherine or the Underground City, can be counted on for drawing in tourists, many come up north without the urge to splurge. Millions head to Montréal for the various festivals, which seem to exist for every cultural subsection of the city. Every year, there are festivals honoring Latin Americans, the Irish, the Arabic, and homosexuals. However, the most famous of Montréal's festivals is the Montréal International Jazz Festival.

Montréal is world-renowned for its various festivals throughout the year.

The International Jazz Festival occurs for a week and a half each summer. Vouching for the popularity of the world's largest jazz festival, this period encompassing late June and early July marks the time of year when Mullee sends the most travelers to Montréal. Boasting extremely eclectic programming, the Montréal International Jazz Festival has something for just about everyone. After all, what else could be expected of an event in a French-speaking city with a Chinatown?

What's your favorite thing to do in Montréal? Let us know!

Mont-Royal: Created by the same landscaper behind Central Park in New York City, the top of Mount Royal offers a spectacular view of the city. Just go to the top of Peel Street and walk up.

The Underground City: Montréal’s most famous shopping area is not in a mall or an outlet; it’s right below the streets. This wide range of international boutiques is connected by tunnels, and accessible by the Peel and McGill metro stations on the green line, and Bonaventure on the orange line.

Notre-Dame Basilica of Montréal: Inside this gothic masterpiece, you can get a taste of local religious history through stained-glass windows, paintings, and sculptures. Daily tours are administered in both English and French.

Casino de Montréal: For a taste of Las Vegas without the taste of airline food, come to Casino de Montréal, which boasts 24 hours of eating, drinking, and gambling.

Montréal Biodôme: Come to this environmental museum to see some of the “natural” beauty of the Americas. Here, you can see the penguins in the polar world, tropical waterfalls, and marine life from the St. Lawrence River all under one roof.

Cirque du Soleil: This worldwide acrobatic phenomenon has performances everywhere from Miami to Tokyo; however, the show originated in Montréal. While Cirque du Soleil is not currently showing in Montréal, it comes back every spring.