Quote:
Originally Posted by kool maudit
Interesting, and perhaps reflective of the fact that my impressions came from a vacation and not a real move.
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Interesting thread. As someone who grow up in the6ix, I too have noticed that the city's mentality has done a complete 180, shedding its old Scottish Presbyterian roots as a staid second-city to becoming the shining metropolis of Anglo-Canada. It now has a sense of place, gripped by optimism, and a burgeoning culture and style that's distinctively Torontonian.
At the same time, I was surprised by your observation regarding Montreal's main arteries. I was in Montreal for several weekends over the summer (SO is Quebecoise), and the streets were bustling and overflowing with people. Montreal still has a "je ne sais quoi" about its streetlife that I feel Toronto lacks, and our observation was that people seem to stay out later at night there relative to Toronto.
and the Quebecois definitely know how to throw a party - the Jazz Fest, Juste Pour Rire, Osheaga were all buzzing.
Montreal may have been late to the party in the current development cycle, but it seems to be in a good place at the moment with the new projects on hand. If the pro-business CAQ wins the provincial elections, I think it'll only give Montreal another leg up, and maybe even set the city up for the next golden age. I think even Torontonians would be happy to see more growth spill into Montreal to take some pressure off our own city.