Local

Montreal Neighborhoods Inside Out

By Evelyn Reid, About.com Guide

Montreal is an island. Montreal is also a city. The city itself is divided into 19 boroughs (or arrondissements), with each borough further subdivided into neighborhoods (or quartiers). However the island of Montreal counts an additional 15 towns independent of the city of Montreal and its boroughs.

Confused yet? Let me help! Find out everything you need to know about living and playing in Montreal's various neighborhoods, districts, surrounding towns and more. And this section will continue to grow, so drop by from time to time for updates and neighborhood additions.

Renting Apartments in Montreal: The Lowdown and the Law
Ville-Marie Borough
Southwest Borough
Plateau-Mont-Royal Borough
Rosemont-La Petite Patrie Borough

Renting Apartments in Montreal: The Lowdown and the Law

montreal renting apartments real estate laws regulations

Montreal is a city of tenants. And according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Montreal offers the cheapest rent in the country, compared to Canada's other major cities. And with almost two thirds of Montreal's dwellings listed as leased, it's no surprise Montreal has a strong tenants rights movement and prominent rental board. The irony, though, is that many residents don't know their rights as tenants and stories of landlord intimidation are still abound, despite the law. Don't be be bullied. Learn about the ins and outs of renting an apartment in Montreal with a little bit of guidance, just below.

Ville-Marie Borough

Housing the heart of Montreal's sociocultural and economic activities, the Ville-Marie borough seldom sleeps with neighborhoods like the downtown core, the Gay Village, Chinatown, Old Montreal, Latin Quarter and McGill Ghetto to keep it hopping. Affordable housing is a little harder to come by in this borough compared to other Montreal locations, and don't count on finding anything cheap in Old Montreal. But getting around with public transit is a breeze. Read up on Ville-Marie's top museums, restaurants, shopping destinations and more!

Southwest Borough

Montreal's Southwest Borough, aptly named for its location southwest of downtown's Ville-Marie, has a nitty gritty past with the ghostly likes of Griffintown. The area has been gradually gentrifying over the last decade with pockets of new condos popping up in Southwest's traditionally working class neighborhoods like St. Henri, Little Burgundy, Côte St. Paul, Ville-Émard and Pointe St. Charles. But this area's roots are strong. There's still plenty of affordable housing in this borough and public transit is easily accessible.

Plateau-Mont-Royal Borough

montreal plateau neighborhood quartier mont royal

It's hip. It's trendy. It's overpriced. And unless you're planning on buying a fresh new condo in the heart of one of North America's coolest neighborhoods ever or have some serious happy-go-luck on your side, your floors will be crooked and your apartment, undersized. But the nightlife, the shopping possibilities, the glaring creativity of the area and candy-store selection of restaurants you'll have access to on the Plateau and in the Mile-End will remind you on a daily basis why you moved here in the first place. And public transit is easy to come by as well the borough's many bike paths.

Rosemont-La Petite Patrie Borough

Rosemont La Petite Patrie montreal borough neighborhood

Montreal's third most populated borough -- containing neighborhoods like Little Italy, La Petite Patrie and Rosemont -- offers lots of affordable housing. This particular borough is significantly cheaper than what neighbors just south, on the Plateau and in the Mile-End, can expect to pay in rent. An important sociodemographic feature of Rosemont-La Petite Patrie is that a statistically higher than average proportion of residents are unilingual French speakers. So anyone considering a move to La Petite Patrie as well as Rosemont will find it helpful to have a moderate to strong working knowledge of French.

Montreal