Montreal whats its like?
polycount lvl 666
just out of interest, who lives in montreal? any good, plenty of things to do etc, friendly people etc
Is the cost of living really high?
Is the cost of living really high?
Replies
Good:
Low cost of living. If you're coming from the UK, many brits seem to REALLY love it here. The summers are EPIC (festivals n beer), and the girls are ridiculously hot.
Bad:
Taxes squash out the low cost of living, lots of parisian style inner-office politics, you will be considered a second class citazen if you don't speak french, and if you don't like snow the winters are awful.
it is FRENCH
taxes are retarded
there's a tim horton's every two miles
people are generally nice, but some will roll their eyes if they have to speak English
a good mixture of people from all over the country
the weather in the fall is absolutely amazing
highways are run down
bag your own groceries you lazy fuck stick
gas is expensive
Couch
For those who work there, did you end up learning french? I always thought that it's okay to just know english. What's the food like? Transit system?
Good thing the transit is good, because there's almost no hope in hell you're gonna own a car in the city.
:P
Very Similar to New York in that regard. Cool thing is, everyone is drinking beer, and eating Poutine (fries/cheese/gravy), but they end up walking most of it off.
Food is up in the air.
Quebec food (Smoked meat, and Poutine) are good. I'm not a fan of any of the asian food I've had here, but the French and Middle-eastern cuisine are exquisite.
No matter how many people you'll ask you'll end up with a very mixed bag of feedback.
I wouldn't make up a decision based on some random forums replies
However, and to add to the mixed bag of answers
But Vancouver scenery is a million miles ahead of Montreal's.
Winter are harsh most of the time, although the inner city is mostly well maintained during winter, if you want to live in the suburbs you might face some more challenges though.
Also, as everyone else has already told you, expect to hear -a lot- of french. However, most of the time people will talk to you in english (or try) if you can't hear a single word of french.
Everything regarding food, music, bars, women
One thing though, I don't know your situation, but what I have seen happening many times to other expatriates who arrived with family (wife and/or kids); they may have a harder time than you to make their place here and after some time might want to go back.
cheers.
the nightlife there is fantastic, many good memories of going out the the bars and then having some late night poutine, which rapidly became me achilles heel. I would say like 80% of the people there smoke, and the women are super hot. everything seems much more laid back, there is festivals in the street where people openly drink in public, Piknik Electronik was awesome, a gathering in a big park where you can bring in your own booze or buy some there with a couple DJs spinning all day, happens every sunday till the end of summer I think.
Im glad I wasnt there during the winter but overall it was a super awesome trip, if the right opportunity arose I would probably move out there in a heartbeat.
B
so figured I would find out what folks thought of it.
greuh - if i got homesick I would just think of gordon browns face then I would feel better:)
Goodluck
edit:
ps. i love the food, the music (massive indie scene), the booze everywhere all the time, cheapness and the "scenery". Of course they like dorks as well. A lot of them are dorks.
psss. The only thing i don't like is bill.
edit2:
psssss. Also don't listen jaques. He's just crazy.
I'm two hours up the road in ottawa.. the town of in bed by 10 and a massive inferiority complex for every other major city in canada.
Montreal is great fun.
people from PEI or the maritimes is what people outside of canada consider to be typical canadians... SUPER polite... they'll say good morning to complete strangers on their way into a horny tim's. It's very laid back out on the east coast, lots of fun, friendly people. They also say aboot and eh out there moreso than people from ontario or BC.
Vancouver is awesome too.
HB now has 2 good sized studios, there are a number of small studios in NB, a studio in Newfie land and in PEI we have , Other Ocean Interactive, Bight Games, longtail Studios, Telos Productions and ANother Castle Studios. The talent pool is solid and contains people like me from Ontario and out west, allot of brits and even some talentted people from pei...There is tones of gov $$$$$ in atlantic canada right now and alot geared towards people that want to start there own company. People work out here because they dont want to work at a mega studio and they want companies that will alow them to have a life.
Your correct on all accounts
Incidentally, I was watching one of those real-TV type shows while modeling yesterday, and there was a fire that got out of control in Montreal Canada. When the new reporter interviewed the fireman, they were speaking French. Just goes to show ya.