North America's most unique city

Djesus777 · #1 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 4:08 AM**

Showing off North Americas most unique and artsy city: Montreal!. these pictures were taken by my girlfriend and I throughout this year, with lots more coming your way! photos were taken with my girlfriends S4 phone, the crappy quality ones by my crappy quality phone, but regardless, hope everybody enjoys the pictures!

of course some pictures of some new skyscraper additions

Other various photos

For more photos, they're at https://the514lifeblog.wordpress.com/

The North One · #2 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 4:49 AM**

A truly incredible place, thanks for the photos.

BnaBreaker · #3 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 5:05 AM**

To play the role of contrarian very briefly, I don't think Montreal is the most unique city in Canada, much less the whole of North America. That being said though, I do think Montreal is an absolutely phenomenal city, and I absolutely love your photos. Thanks!

niwell · #4 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 5:48 AM**

I thought this was going to be a New Orleans thread! But great pics regardless - I recognize all the places especially after visiting the other weekend.

scottharding · #5 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 5:56 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

I thought this was going to be a New Orleans thread! But great pics regardless - I recognize all the places especially after visiting the other weekend.

So did I! I think it would be tough to argue against New Orleans being North America's most unique city, but Montreal does look worthy of a visit.

Centropolis · #6 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 7:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottharding

So did I! I think it would be tough to argue against New Orleans being North America's most unique city, but Montreal does look worthy of a visit.

i was actually thinking quebec city, haha.

certainly NOT dissapointed when i saw montreal.

lio45 · #7 Posted **Jun 5, 2016, 1:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Centropolis

i was actually thinking quebec city, haha.

certainly NOT dissapointed when i saw montreal.

For the record, Montreal is more "typically North American" than Quebec City on basically every imaginable metric. So in other words: you are correct.

(Not saying that it's good or bad, it's just how things are.)

Evo5Boise · #8 Posted **Mar 3, 2018, 3:09 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

I thought this was going to be a New Orleans thread! But great pics regardless - I recognize all the places especially after visiting the other weekend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottharding

So did I! I think it would be tough to argue against New Orleans being North America's most unique city, but Montreal does look worthy of a visit.

First city that came to mind for me as well.

Djesus777 · #9 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 3:00 PM**

Hello everybody! glad you like the pictures. As to why I called it the most unique city in North America. its due to the European fusion with North America and that energy and creativity you'd only see here in Montreal. Plus living in other cities on the continent, none can compare to MTL. Not saying its not the only unique place, but theres just something i can't explain about it.

For more photos, visit https://the514lifeblog.wordpress.com/

hipster duck · #10 Posted **Jun 6, 2016, 6:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Djesus777

its due to the European fusion with North America and that energy and creativity you'd only see here in Montreal.

Montreal has very little in common with a European city. Its built form is largely Eastern Seaboard with some local Quebecois flair (eg. wood-framed, brick-facaded rowhouses with exterior spiral staircases; streets that intersect at right angles with one another). Its demographics are the product of centuries of North American-style immigration. Stores are open on Sundays. Suburban kids hang out at the mall, ride yellow school buses and get 2 months off for summer.

Acajack · #11 Posted **Jun 6, 2016, 7:16 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Montreal has very little in common with a European city. Its built form is largely Eastern Seaboard with some local Quebecois flair (eg. wood-framed, brick-facaded rowhouses with exterior spiral staircases; streets that intersect at right angles with one another). Its demographics are the product of centuries of North American-style immigration. Stores are open on Sundays. Suburban kids hang out at the mall, ride yellow school buses and get 2 months off for summer.

Not sure about the demographics argument. Not too many big cities on this land mass where "centuries of North American-style immigration" have produced a city with a majority population descended from French colonists who migrated in the first part of the 1600s.

It's true that Montreal's immigration patterns in the 1800s and 1900s were more in line with what you saw elsewhere on the eastern half of the continent, but contemporary immigration is again making the city's demographics diverge from what we're seeing in other big cities in Canada and the U.S.

hipster duck · #12 Posted **Jun 6, 2016, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Not sure about the demographics argument. Not too many big cities on this land mass where "centuries of North American-style immigration" have produced a city with a majority population descended from French colonists who migrated in the first part of the 1600s.

It's true that Montreal's immigration patterns in the 1800s and 1900s were more in line with what you saw elsewhere on the eastern half of the continent, but contemporary immigration is again making the city's demographics diverge from what we're seeing in other big cities in Canada and the U.S.

What I meant to say is that Quebec is a new world society, where its demographics reflect colonization. As you point out, the majority of French Quebeckers can trace their origins to a combination of original French colonists, Aboriginal ancestry and some early 19th century European immigration, notably Irish. No other part of the Americas has this combination, but most other parts of the Americas - at least the ones that got settled very early on - had this sort of practice.

In that sense, Quebec - and Montreal especially, given that it continued to be a huge magnet for immigration after the rest of Quebec ceased to be - is really an "American" (i.e. of the Americas) society and not European at all.

Acajack · #13 Posted **Jun 6, 2016, 7:53 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

What I meant to say is that Quebec is a new world society, where its demographics reflect colonization. As you point out, the majority of French Quebeckers can trace their origins to a combination of original French colonists, Aboriginal ancestry and some early 19th century European immigration, notably Irish. No other part of the Americas has this combination, but most other parts of the Americas - at least the ones that got settled very early on - had this sort of practice.

In that sense, Quebec - and Montreal especially, given that it continued to be a huge magnet for immigration after the rest of Quebec ceased to be - is really an "American" (i.e. of the Americas) society and not European at all.

If you put it that way, then I get it.

I just find it's a bit ridiculous when people say Montreal/Quebec are just your regular run-of-the-mill Canada/USA, except in French.

It's like when people say Canada is exactly the same as the U.S. except for different colour money and universal healthcare.

(We all know how people loooooove that!)

Djesus777 · #14 Posted **Jun 6, 2016, 7:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Montreal has very little in common with a European city. Its built form is largely Eastern Seaboard with some local Quebecois flair (eg. wood-framed, brick-facaded rowhouses with exterior spiral staircases; streets that intersect at right angles with one another). Its demographics are the product of centuries of North American-style immigration. Stores are open on Sundays. Suburban kids hang out at the mall, ride yellow school buses and get 2 months off for summer.

To be fair, my family is from Europe, they all agree Montreal is the most European big city. Other family members who have moved to Toronto or NYC say Montreal's lifestyle is "just like home" referring to Europe, while Toronto is American. And its also many European immigrants here who agree that the lifestyle is more European than American.

Coldrsx · #15 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 8:47 PM**

Montreal is ok, I like going there, but dont be so pretentious. Still. Ways to go to be a great ville.

Djesus777 · #16 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 9:25 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Montreal is ok, I like going there, but dont be so pretentious. Still. Ways to go to be a great ville.

Pretentious in what way? And the city is already a GREAT place to live, and only getting better.

Acajack · #17 Posted **Jun 6, 2016, 1:33 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

Montreal is ok, I like going there, but dont be so pretentious. Still. Ways to go to be a great ville.

Montreal may not be the greatest, but in terms of Canada or Canada + USA, there aren't that many great cities to go around. Montreal is certainly on the list, if not at the top of it.

SignalHillHiker · #18 Posted **Jun 4, 2016, 9:50 PM**

Montreal is my favourite city in Canada. It's just so cool and self-aware.

Centropolis · #19 Posted **Jun 5, 2016, 12:53 AM**

saint louis square i presume. always reminds me of a tighter lafayette square in saint louis. i could be a-clockwork-oranged and force-fed images of montreal and be satisfied.

Djesus777 · #20 Posted **Jun 5, 2016, 2:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Centropolis

saint louis square i presume. always reminds me of a tighter lafayette square in saint louis. i could be a-clockwork-oranged and force-fed images of montreal and be satisfied.

Yes indeed, its such a beautiful area, along with all the entire Plateau-Mont-Royal borough.