Muck dredged from the St. Lawrence expanded the pile. Expo 67 had its grounds, and Montreal catapulted into world consciousness. Touted as the most European city this side of the North Atlantic, Montreal offers vestiges of Old World allure. Flowers front downtown apartments, outdoor markets vend fruit and vegetables, and shops of ill repute stand next to Burger Kings. Public art is widespread thanks to a rule that suggests developers apply 1 percent of a building's cost to its artistic embellishment.
Language adds to the foreign charisma.
With a population of 3.3 million, Montreal is second only to Paris as the largest French-speaking city in the world. For those linguistically challenged, the community also has a sizable English- language population, and most of its residents are bilingual. Whatever their tongue, Montrealers brandish a francophone elan for life. Others seek peace and recreation in tree-shaded parks. When you talk to Montrealers, we will always say that the quality of living comes first here.