I was born in Montreal and moved in 1999 to attend graduate school so I can confirm that if you want to stay in a central neighbourhood that is literally adjacent to downtown, this is the place!
The space is the 1st floor of a two family house (duplex) across three floors. Although the house is in the gay village, it represents a typical “plateau” style house with the steep internal staircase (where the host Nizar and his family live upstairs). This unit is literally one step off the sidewalk. Access is super easy. Nizar met me in person and gave me the keys, which was extra nice. The suave itself is shaped like a square. It’s an open floor plan with a compact living room, dining area, and renovated kitchen with an abasing island and stainless steel appliances.
The bedroom was perfect and opened up to an extra room, which serves as the office/solarium. Amazing and smartly designed workspace that opens to a cute outdoor back terrace.
The open living /dining room is tastefully designed with modern, comfortable furniture and the dropped ceiling was removed and the exposed beams are visible, which make this modern renovated space feel both industrial and rustic at the same time.
The wifi is super strong; there is one main network in the apartment and another wifi in the office area that is an extension of the bedroom. The place was spotless, bright, and there was so much lighting (I teach evenings online (“live”) on Zoom, so i need a well lit environment). The shower pressure is strong and reliable and the bathroom even comes with a washer and dryer, which is a plus.
The location is amazing. Tucked in the middle of the gay village in the east end of downtown Montreal by De Maisonneuve near Papineau, it’s very close to Beaudry metro and Berri UQAM metro.
It is super easy to walk up the hill to Le Plateau, as well as other neighbourhoods like The Latin Quarter (Saint Denis), Old Port of Montreal (Vieux Montreal), Chinatown, and the touristy Place Des Arts area near McGill University.
Montreal is so walkable, there is no need to take the Metro (unless you visit in the winter and you can’t stand the cold weather). Overall, my 3 days at Nizar’s place was perfect and I was extremely happy and relaxed. I definitely felt at home.
I would return in a heartbeat and I would definitely recommend a longer stay. The location, space, cleanliness, and amenities in the unit were perfect!