My husband and I stayed with Simon & Pablo for 6 nights and had a fabulous time. First off, the location is ideal: it straddles both the Plateau Mont Royal and Mile End neighbourhoods, and is only 2 short blocks from boulevard St Laurent which is now a mix of stylish boutiques and old-style shops reflecting the waves of immigrants who traditionally lived in the area, especially Portuguese. Second, Simon is quite the discerning foodie, and gave us some very good tips. One tip we especially appreciated was breakfast at Larry's, a 7min walk from their place. Third, we were on a long trip & had large heavy suitcases, and their place is *at ground level*. Many apartments in montreal are walk-up triplexes, and trust me, even if you're very fit it's challenging getting suitcases up those steep stairs.