I’ve lived in Montreal for 22 years and I can comfortably say that Montreal is an amazing city. Probably one of the best in the world. But holy fuck does the province suck ass. 40%+ income tax, 15% sales tax, tax de bienvenu, tax over tax, etc. only to get treated like a second class citizen if I start a conversation with “Hi” instead of “Bonjour” with the wrong person.
The weather, the healthcare system and the infrastructure are by far the most miserable things about the city. The rest is fantastic. But those 3 together make it a rough pill to swallow sometimes.
(any politics aside) Consider learning even just some French to maximize your experience. IMO you’ll open yourself up to more experiences/interactions.
Absolutely this ^ Don’t hesitate to take classes at the YMCA or join French immersion groups to improve your language skills. You’ll be surprised how far that’ll get you. And it will be much more appreciated by the francophone locals. (like me ;) )
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I regret living in the Plateau - I have lung problems and there are a lot of people in my neighbourhood who smoke and/or wear perfume/cologne :( I’m told other neighbourhoods aren’t so bad and that the Plateau is bad for this since there are a lot of people from France but have yet to live anywhere else in the city.
For me the other pain points are Loi 96, how many offices/clinics/etc close at 4pm (or even 3pm now), and the heat of the summers here.
I actually find the winters an improvement over Toronto! There are so many cross-country skiing routes within the city parks and the bike paths are actually plowed in the winter, so going outdoors in the winter is far more enticing for me. I also have more tolerance for cold than for heat. (I bought a used pair of cross-country skis off kijiji and it was the best 60$ I spent on combating seasonal affective disorder.)
Primary care medicine is an absolute disgrace but I will say the specialist care I’ve been getting has been hands down the best I’ve had in my life. Getting referrals from random walk-in clinics was annoying but now that I have a team of quality specialists I’m actually getting better care than I did in Toronto, Vancouver, or Calgary.
smoke and/or wear cologne
Ta faute pour avoir déménagé dans un cartier de français européens!
Joking aside, je te comprends, j’haïs me faire agresser par les fortes odeurs des autres. La plupart des quartiers sont compris de gens beaucoup plus respectueux envers nos narines, n’importe où ailleurs est probablement mieux que dans le plateau pour ça :P
Also quick tip for anyone without a family doctor: If you need to see a doctor for ANY reason (prescription, pain, injury, etc.), call 811, state your ailment and request to see a doctor. They should book you with a physican relatively soon, depending on the urgency of your case.
If you are young and single there are very few cities in the world better than Montreal.
I’m old and married and I’m still having fun.
Haha, I didn’t mean that in an exclusionary way. I was also married while living in MTL and if I had to choose a city again that would be the one.
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Moved here 10yrs ago from Toronto. No ragrets at all
Life is totally different here compared the to rat race in Toronto.
Moved from Toronto 4 years ago and never looked back! More affordable, better urbanism, and the joie-de-vivre culture is so much better than Toronto. As others said, there are issues at the provincial level (high tax, healthcare, language politics), but the city itself is amazing!
I love Montréal! But maybe I would be a little less enthusiastic in March after the 56th snowstorm of the year
not me personally but i just got back from montreal, my friend moved there in may and she let me stay in a spare bedroom - she loves the city, says it’s way more affordable, easier to get around and safer (coming from downtown toronto)
its a beautiful city with lots to do and plenty of great neighborhoods to choose from, you won’t regret it
I just spent 2 weeks in a Toronto suburb and all I can say is I’m going to be glad to be back in Montreal. Every city will have its suburban hellscapes and healthy vibrant walkable urban fabric, but Montreal has a LOT of it and have citizens and politicians who are actively supporting and protecting it.
It seems that Montreal is slightly behind the inflationary curve compared to other major Canadian cities, but not by much. Affordable housing is as huge an issue here as everywhere else, it seems.
Do yourself a favour and invest in French lessons if you aren’t fluent already. Otherwise you won’t be able to fully participate in life. The provincial government offers an (almost) free francisation course.
