My husband and I loved our stay at Esplanade Ave. The place looks just like the pictures, and it was a nice sized apartment. We particularly liked the kitchen, as we did a lot of cooking, and the cooking ware was of great quality. There is a nice grocery story only two blocks away that has allergy/natural friendly products...so if you want to save money, have allergy concerns, or love to cook yourself, go for it! A seafood restaurant we went to (twice!) that we loved was "Maestros" on St. Laurent--about a 20 min walk from the apartment. It was the best seafood we have ever had, and we loved the oysters and staff. "Maestros" did a great job accommodating my food allergies.

Don did a wonderful job explaining everything to us and was available for help if needed. We spent almost every night on his front porch, enjoying the lovely neighborhood. Otherwise, the washer and dryers, the TVs in both the living room and bedroom, and the kitchen nook were great added features. The couch was comfortable as well.

The apartment was close to a lot shopping/restaurants on The Main (St. Laurent) and about 2-3 miles from Old Montreal, Fine Arts Museum, Mont Royal's Chalet, and St. Joseph's Oratory. Walking there was usually fine with good shoes, but we were pretty tired on our way back--there are lots of hills! We rented Bixi bikes to get to the Botanical Gardens and this was SO much easier. I wish we would have tried it sooner! When we went to Old Montreal we took the bikes down the hills and then just walked back by foot.

The only thing that I would have people be aware of is the little feet that begin running around 7 am above you. As a mom of little ones, I could not sleep through the noise (I felt like I HAD to get up) so sleeping in was out--a bit disappointing as I do love to sleep in whenever I can, but I suppose a better thing in the long run--as we got a good start on the day every day and were out to explore Montreal by mid morning. This did not seem to bother my husband, as he is not obsessed with extra sleep time (he also falls asleep within seconds and I do not!).

Montreal as a whole was a wonderful experience. EVERYONE we met was so NICE. And of course, it helps that almost everyone is fluent at speaking both French and English. Amazing. We would definitely visit this safe, historic, and fun city again. Esplanade Ave apt. is recommended for those who like a quiet residential street at night, those who desire an authentic feel for the city, and those who are ok with 30-90 min walks/10-30 min bike rides to tourist sites. We would stay again. :)