Sylvain has a nice clean place in a good neighborhood. Our stay there was very pleasant: there are restaurants (including one that serves Poutine - traditional Canadian dish) across the street and Sylvain even left us some fruit. The place is located close to St Catherine street with all the restaurants and interesting crowd. It is about 30-40 mins away from downtown Montreal (slow walking) and about the same distance from the old city. We like to walk and did not have any problems getting everywhere on foot. We did not get to meet Sylvain, but his friend Marcel, who let us in and helped us with everything we needed was incredibly friendly and generally awesome. Wireless was a little weak, so if you need to work or do video conferences, you may have troubles with it. However, it is perfectly fine for checking your emails. Overall, a great experience, great hosts, wonderful visit to Montreal.