My partner and I spent three days and two nights at Julie's apartment and had a great experience. Julie was great about arranging a flexible time to meet us and was there to give us a quick tour when we arrived. The building really is beautiful, filled with charm, character and vintage furniture. It feels like a real, authentic Montreal experience, complete with the characteristic iron staircase seen out front of almost every residence in the city.
When we arrived the room was clean and decorated beautifully. A couple of glasses, a jug of water and a plate of grapes were set out on a dresser, and it was those kinds of little touches that made us feel welcome. The space is shared by a number of other people but the room has its own entrance accessible from the street, so it does feel like your own space.
And then there's the neighbourhood - oh man, the neighbourhood. The house is located fairly close (about a 10 minute walk) to the Beaubien subway station but even better is the fact that it's located just a bit north of the fantastic Mile-End neighbourhood. Of all the places my partner and I saw in Montreal during our stay, Mile-End was our favourite, and it just so happened to be the place we were closest to. So you can basically spend a perfect day in Montreal without ever having to take the metro.
About a 15 minute walk will bring you to a fantastic brunch (Vieux Velo) and coffee spot (Odessa). Ten more minutes will bring you to countless amazing vintage stores, an incredible graphic novel/book store (Drawn and Quarterly) and awesome record store (Phonopolis). And about 10 minutes more will bring you into the heart of Mile-End, with the classic bagel places everyone talks about (St. Viateur and Fairmount), Montreal-based clothing stores (the amazing Atelier b, for example) and even more great cafes.
So, yeah. In summary, the house is quirky and beautiful and located near one of the coolest areas in Montreal.