This apartment rental is in a block of them, in an area that feels very up-and-coming. Indeed, immediately out the window is a new skyscraper going up. The apartment is outfitted with barebones basics from a certain Scandinavian superstore — very barebones, not even a shelf in the shower for soap. I enjoy the brutalist aesthetic but some might feel it lacked warmth — though not physically, since only one tiny window cracks open. There are no blackout curtains, just translucent roller blinds. It wasn’t super clean, especially the very downmarket linens, which smelled rather strongly of previous occupants. All in all, fine, but can you do better in pricey Montreal?