FOTOTOURMONTREAL an >FI3200/ bLOG: a few reasons why everyone loves Montreal

Few reasons why everyone loves Montreal are more obvious than the Old Town's spectacular architecture

The will to raze most of the old city by then mayor Drapeau was blocked by opposition, thank god. He also wanted to raze Chinatown. We ow Drapeau a lot, he put Montreal on the map, but as far as vision, his was doubtful.

The Old City is the single most important tourist attraction of our city. It is by far North America's largest concentration of very old streets and buildings. Without this heritage, Montreal would be just another 3rd rank north american city.

After a long 40 year sleep, the old town lived a renaissance in the 80's. Today it is one of the city's most vibrant and economically dynamic district. High end restaurants, galleries, boutiques & hotels are all over its 50 blocks area. What's more, the adjacent districts have themselves sprung into a renaissance thanks to the attractive next door neighbor. Economics 101, very simple : preserving heritage will attract tourists and investments in the future.

Romanticism is for real in the Old City

The street corners and buildings breath and speak history

Montreal was a major North American city in the early 20th century, 5th largest on the continent. Now it is ranked 16th for all the reasons that we know. Stalled growth, political unrest and corruption has stopped the city in its steps. It still is the fourth largest Port city however. This stall just may have served the community well though because the rapid growth of mid 20th century wasn't very well managed and it spoiled a lot of heritage areas such as the Latin quarter, in large part destroyed and disfigured. Thanks to this arrest in growth, the city's cultural and architectural heritage rampage was also halted leaving something to work with for the future. Most of the growth happened outward spreading the large suburban areas around the city. The greater Montreal area is populated with 60% of its 3.5 million population in the suburban cities.

Montreal's preserved cultural and architectural heritage is making it one of the continent's more interesting destinations

(above) Bonsecours Market entrance

The city's past glory and prestige is easily verifiable when you stroll the Old Town. It was the place to be in Canada, and even in the world as it peaked during history's most successful world fair when 50 million tourists visited the city and its fair grounds in 1967. Now, approximately 5 million foreigners visit Montreal every year.

Some of the Oldest buildings on the continent can be found in the Old City, like the The Old Sulpician Seminary (1684)

You can find hundreds of reasons to come to Montreal in that district only. Old Montreal has the city's largest concentration of heritage but all districts of the city have a concentration of old heritage structures