First few days in Montreal Downtown

Montreal gets its name from Mount Royal, when Jacques Cartier climbed upriver to the mountain in 1535 and christened the hill as Mount Royal.

Montreal's charm lies in its old world atmosphere rather than its star attractions. Nonetheless, this city of immigrants has managed to carve out a place for itself as Quebec's economic and cultural centre. That it's friendly and easy to get around helps.

Quebec's largest city keeps one foot in the past and one in the present, with 19th-century churches nestled in the shadows of soaring modern skyscrapers. During the day, the city has a typically North American bustle - while French-speaking Montreal takes pains to retain its linguistic heritage.

Locals say that you will find every bit of the entire world in Montreal. The downtown skyscrapers will give you a feeling of Manhattan, whereas the suburbian condos take you away to Europe; the French street signs and culture makes you feel that you are in Paris; the meandering St Lawrence river makes it feel like Venice; the English architecture buildings and the open top double deckers gives a feel of London. Probably that’s why it attracts a lot of Hollywood film makers here who want to depict a particular "city" but don’t have the budget to shoot in that city.

My stay in Marriott (Chateau Champlain) on the 24th floor had the best view of the Downtown Montreal. The green building is a miniature replica of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

The end of Downtown is marked by "Mount Royal" on the west and St. Lawerence river on the east. A climb up the Mount Royal is worth the sweat, offering a bird's eye view of the Downtown skyline. Note the tallest building with the atrium is "1000 de La Gauchetiere Street West". This 51 storey building, is a jewel in Montreal's skyline, exemplifies a new architectural philosophy through its artful use of materails. Standing 205 meters tall, it features an indoor skating rink.

Montreal's downtown scene is a bustling study in contrasts. Witness the Victorian brownstones that nuzzle skyscrapers, while the latest architectural marvels saor beside stately neogothic churches. The stores, museums, galleries, restaurants and green spaces present a moving convas peopled 9-5 crowd, students, locals and tourists. When night falls the hectic phase surrenders to a more relaxed ambiance, as friends congregate for after work cocktails on terraces, in bars, or at the city' smany festivals that fill the air with their resounding notes.

The sun sets and the nightlife begins! There's Montreal's love affair with all things Latin! The bars close at 3 AM, followed by the night owls to an after-hours-club on Sainte-Catherine Street.
The multi cuisine restaurants and eatries in the city reflects the true cosmopliton nature of the city. Finding a "BombayPalace" 30,000 miles from Mumbai would be a substantiation enough.

"How do you find women in Montreal?"
Me- "Different"
"That's a politically correct answer.. Hahaha"
An excerpt of my conversation with a firnag colleague of mine. But a lot of Americans who do come here are crazy about the women in Montreal. The smartly, a.k.a skimply, dressed females with cleavages bulging out of their blouses and shorts so short that would substitute for an underpant; the women of Montreal are considered to be the best in the world currently.

Well I too got a chance to lay my hands on one.. hehe.. don' t get your tongue out of your mouth..just kidding.. she's a model hired by Ford to get snaps clicked with patrons and the car, of course. Ps. there's a car in the background which is sexier than the model ;)