So I’m a first-year student in Montreal, and Reading Week is coming up. I had wanted to go skiing, but all my friends are going home to family and friends for the week (which is not an option for me as I’m European) and I don’t want to go alone.
I’ve decided to just stay here for the week and discover the city outside the Anglo Bubble, which I haven’t had much time or opportunity to do so far. I figured I’d just do classic “touristy” things, but I don’t want to spend the whole week in Museums etc…
So, Montreal Dopers, what local tips can you offer a semi-broke student? I can speak semi-fluent French, but probably not enough to understand an entire play or the like. I’m into cultural things like poetry readings, live music and such, preferably the type of things where it wouldn’t be too awkward to show up alone. A cool coffeeshop referral or the like is awesome too.
I’m (typically enough) situated in the Plateau/Ghetto area, so anything within walking/metro (how I love the metro!) distance is especially cool.
I could spend a whole day at the marche atwater, and in fact have done so. If you cook, it would be a great time to cook a bunch of fresh meals and freeze them for the more hectic times. This would be my idea of a great day, anyway
Hm. I live in the Anglo Bubble, too, so I’m not sure I can make a ton of suggestions outside of it. Maybe go spend some time wandering around the Old Port, explore East and North on St. Denis… I wonder what the Botanical Gardens do this time of year.
Thanks for the suggestions! Marche Atwater is on my list, as is St. Denis. Patisserie’s sound like heaven, any particular ones?
Also, I’ve decided to do a lot of for-pleasure reading over the holiday, since I’m a huge reader, but haven’t managed a single book since Christmas due to studies. So new question: What’s your favorite cafe?
IMO, Jean-Talon is even better than Atwater, but it’s on the other side of the city. I’m pretty sure there’s a metro stop over by it, though. Sorry, I was always driving when I was there.
You could check out some of the architecture. Old Port is very beautiful, and if you haven’t been in Notre Dame it’s somewhat awe-inducing. I’m not sure if Indigo has a cafe, but they’re pretty lax about letting people lounge and read their books. My gf read one of the Harry Potters there over a couple of days without buying it. In terms of actual cafes though, you can’t go wrong with Santropol. Almost everything I remember getting there was delicious.
And if you haven’t y’know, been up the mountain, there’s always that.
La Grande Bibliothèque du Québec is a great place to visit. Become a member, if you aren’t already. Fascinating building. Tons of services. Tons of books/CDs/DVDs/periodicals/maps/etc. in numerous languages. Corner of De Maisonneuve and Berri. Métro Berri-UQAM (there’s an entrance to the library from the métro). Borrow a book or CD or something and then go hang out in a bar/café on nearby rue St-Denis.
Do you have skates? Go to any local park of a reasonable size and go skating on the outdoor rink that’s set up there. Don’t go to one of the big tourist rinks in the old port, or on the mountain, go to the local one. If there’s a pick up game of hockey, buy or borrow a stick and join in. Now, my friend, you are a Montrealer. I used to play pick-up hockey on a local rink in the east end with a rag-tag crew that included a really unbelievable transvestite, a whore and her pimp.
Go for a walk on île Ste-Hélène (métro of the same name, I believe). It’s very quiet at this time of year, especially since the winter fest was cancelled (although maybe it’s back on – I don’t know).
The Montreal High-Lights Fesitval is on; definitely lots to see and do. My husband and I are planning to take some of it in during Reading Week as well (I’m a student too, and he’s taking vacation).
There isn’t much outdoor skating to be done, at least not as of today (the local rink was a giant pond, and Lafontaine Park will probably not be open. If you haven’t done it, go visit the underground mall; I know I tend to know the area around McGill and Peel metros quite well, but it’s interesting to see just how far across the city you can get just by walking around!
I also recommend going up to the top of the mountain if you can; the view is fantastic. I love walking around on Mont-Royal, St-Denis and St-Laurent, even if I’m not actually shopping. There is so much to see!
Helen’s Eidolon; are you back in Montreal at the moment? When do you finish in PA?
