UrbanTurf On The Road: Montreal’s Le Plateau

• July 6, 2012

by Shilpi Paul

UrbanTurf decided to take advantage of the holiday by jetting off to Montreal. Yes, we know that wasn’t the most patriotic idea, but it was great experiencing a city that is a little French, a little American and very cool.

I spent one day wandering around Le Plateau, which, according to at least one source, is the 15th hippest neighborhood in North America. It is quite hip, with cafes, boutiques, and vintage shops (all playing American soul music and 70’s rock) lining the main Avenues, and residents in their 20’s and 30’s.

Perhaps the closest comparison to it in DC is Logan Circle. Like the 14th Street Corridor and the surrounding blocks, Le Plateau has row houses,

boutiques,

sidewalk cafes,

furniture stores,

lofts,

some green space,

and pop-ups.

Besides size — Le Plateau goes on for dozens of blocks and has several commercial corridors and a park at least ten times bigger than Logan Circle — the primary difference between the two is age: the Montreal neighborhood has been the same for several decades already. Originally a working class and immigrant neighborhood, Le Plateau was gentrified in the 80’s and is now completely hip.

While Logan Circle is on it’s way, it is definitely still very new and you can see changes every day. It was instructive to get a glimpse of a neighborhood that has been cool for years.

This article originally published at http://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/urbanturf_on_the_road_montreals_le_plateau/5736