Surprisingly quiet. This cute apartment had everything we needed for 4 days, including an air conditioner in the bedroom, (as it was 34C) - as a result the entire apartment stayed pleasant. We were worried about footsteps overhead but had no need, it was all quite reasonable. There was almost no traffic noise, even at peak hour it was just a little hum/rumble. It's an easy walk to a good Asian restaurant (Thida's) and a convenience store and a cafe for coffee. Matthew has left a good list of recommendations. Getting to the exchange district takes a bit more walking but it's doable. We arrived at peak hour on a Thursday so unloading the car was a bit challenging as we parked across the road. After that we parked in the Impark opposite the convenience store on Donald St using the HangTag app - $21 for 24 hours. I'm sure you can find cheaper but this was convenient. Make sure you cross over to the french side of the river and walk down Provencher Blvd (many cute shops). Also, if you like live music head on up to the High & Lonesome club, it was brilliant.