Summer 2017 Montreal

May 23, 2017 4:45 AM

We're going to Montreal this summer! We've been before but not for a decade, what's new and exciting and can't be missed? We like fine dining, secondhand menswear, homosexual bonhomie, tours of engineering projects, and the werid/unusual.
posted by The Whelk to Travel & Transportation around Montreal, QC (6 answers total)

Mile Ex is a restaurant not to be missed. No reservations so show up a little early.

I really enjoyed Montreal Plaza when I went there last summer.

All of July has the fireworks competition. It's really quite fun. The best place to check it out is just to the east of the base of the bridge, down by the water. Just follow the huge crowds. While you are down there you should check out Village au Pied-du-Courant.

Schedule for the fireworks competition.

Piknik Elektronik might not have been as happening a decade ago as it is now. Fun and dancing in the sun on the Island.
posted by tillermo at 4:55 AM on May 23, 2017

It's the 375th anniversary of the city, not usually a major milestone but the current administration is making much of it. There's an official site for events connected with it.

Here's a list of festivals that I do, which may help you make some choices.

In recent years Eater has become the best English-language site for restaurant news and reviews.

You can tour the hydro dam on the Back River, and you can even get there by public transit. Hydro also has a station in Beauharnois just outside Montreal, a short drive from town, which you can visit, and there are others. Depends on whether you have a car here, of course. Details here.

In Quebec French, used clothing stores are usually called "friperies" in case you're doing any searches. The big guns here are Village des valeurs and Fripe-Prix Renaissance, with several outlets around town, but there are others.
posted by zadcat at 9:21 AM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

I had a very nice meal at Fantome lately. And half the city is under construction, it's a living engineering project (sigh).
posted by jeather at 10:30 AM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

For weird/artsy, we loved visiting during the circus festival in July last year.

For weird/cheesy, my husband and I enjoyed the pirate-themed ropes course at the Old Port much more than two ostensible grown-ups ought to.

For engineering projects, perhaps cycling the Lachine Canal?
posted by teditrix at 5:28 PM on May 23, 2017 [1 favorite]

For secondhand menswear, there's a cool little shop near Pine & Coloniale, on the north side of the street. I forget the exact name but they have a lot of jackets & vests & pants and it's pretty great.
posted by oranger at 7:50 AM on May 24, 2017

You can find both secondhand menswear and the weird/unusual at Eva B's. (Ignore the not-updated-since-2009 website, Eva's is still there... it's just not really the kind of place that updates its website.)

More weird: if you're in town in late July, the annual Twin Parade is part of Just for Laughs Festival. I can't explain. It's great.

As for homosexual bonhomie, the epicentre of party gay is the Village, which you'll find along rue Sainte-Catherine between Saint-Hubert and Papineau. The street is in pedestrian mode, complete with rainbow balls hanging overhead, for the summer. Terrasses are a highlight, both at street level and above-ground... some of the rooftops are really not well advertised, so keep an eye out for signs. My favourite is Sky. (I like the green sangria--but heads up it's not really exactly sangria.)

Another rather queer neighbourhood is the Mile End, where the gallery and/or events at Never Apart might be of interest. Notre Dame des Quilles seems to be another queer hotspot up in that area, but I'm not cool enough to know for sure. Foodwise in the Mile End, have a vegan pulled pork sandwich at Depanneur le Pick Up. Not fine dining, but super delicious.
posted by snorkmaiden at 7:27 PM on May 25, 2017