Housing in Montreal

[CREA.tive]

Hi guys! Since May 13th is approaching very quickly, I was thinking about finding an apartment in Montreal (assuming I end up at McGill or UdeM). I would simply like to know if the areas mentioned are good for someone who would be new in town. By the way, I am looking for a safe neighborhood, so I don't mind paying a little bit more.

 

Do you know these streets are safe? Are there grocery stores/pharmacies close? Do most apartments in these areas get rented in April?

 

Cote-des-neiges:

- Chemin Queen Mary (around Snowdon metro station)

- Ave Ridgewood (close to Chemin de la Cote-des-neiges)

 

Notre-Dame-de-Grace

- Sherbrooke W/Monkland (or very close to those streets)

 

Westmount

- Sherbrooke W (or very close to that street)

- anything else above Maisonneuve W

 

Plateau

- anything that is very close to Ave des Pins Ouest

 

Downtown

- around Atwater/Place Alexis-Nihon/bus 144

[feversugar]

I would say that cote des neiges isnt the safest neighborhood, but public transportation is a great asset in those two areas you mentioned. Apparently there are people stealing ipods and iphones at the metros, but ive never actually witnessed it so i dunno if that's accurate. Really close if you end up going to UdM I've lived in cotes-des-neiges all my life and nothing sketchy has happened to me, though im rarely out alone after dark. There is a JeanCoutu (pharmacy) and a mcDonalds really close to metro snowdon! 4-5 pharmacies on Cotes des neiges as well, and two grocery stores extremely accessible by bus (passes every 10 minutes or less on cotes des neiges)

 

Westmount is a rich neighborhood so I'm assuming it's pretty safe...

 

Downtown is always busy so less chance of getting rapped or mugged (I think?)? Also metros everywhere and shopping is a plus

 

I've never heard anything negative about NDG really, and the plateau either.

[CREA.tive]

feversugar: Thanks a lot! Do you know if there's an area in Cote-des-Neiges that is safer than another?

[johndoe88]

Hi guys! Since May 13th is approaching very quickly, I was thinking about finding an apartment in Montreal (assuming I end up at McGill or UdeM). I would simply like to know if the areas mentioned are good for someone who would be new in town. By the way, I am looking for a safe neighborhood, so I don't mind paying a little bit more.

 

Do you know these streets are safe? Are there grocery stores/pharmacies close? Do most apartments in these areas get rented in April?

 

Cote-des-neiges:

- Chemin Queen Mary (around Snowdon metro station)

- Ave Ridgewood (close to Chemin de la Cote-des-neiges)

 

Notre-Dame-de-Grace

- Sherbrooke W/Monkland (or very close to those streets)

 

Westmount

- Sherbrooke W (or very close to that street)

- anything else above Maisonneuve W

 

Plateau

- anything that is very close to Ave des Pins Ouest

 

Downtown

- around Atwater/Place Alexis-Nihon/bus 144

 

Really depends where you get in. McGill it's nice to live either in the ghetto or near the Med building. My gf is at McGill med and she lives in an apartment complex on Parc. La Cite. It's a bit more expensive but it's safe. It's also nice cuz the grocery store is right downstairs so you don't need to wear a ton of clothes in winter to get your food. It's also only about a 10 minute walk to the anatomy building where you will be your first year mostly. The med building is a bit further (20min) but you can bus there in the winter if you want.

 

She knows quite a few med friends in her building but there are also a lot on the west side of campus in the nicer fancier buildings like Peel Plaza etc. Those are a really expensive and groceries are a bit further away.

 

As for safety, Montreal is a safe area crime happens once in awhile anywhere. As long as you aren't walking alone with earphones on and you are vigilant you should be good. None of my friends over my 5 years in the ghetto have had anything happen to them.....o actually one had his credit card stolen lol.

[C2MD]

CDN if u stay near and around the UdeM u're safe (the areas u mention are good).

 

Also, if u want or are looking for a roommate, a friend of mine is looking for someone: http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51214

 

If ever u find specific places and want to know if they're ok or want info on the neighbourhood, just PM me

 

C

 

P.S. moving from Qc city to Mtl is the best thing i've ever done

[CREA.tive]

Thanks a lot guys!!! I really appreciate it!

I am just afraid that there will not be any "good" apartments left towards the end of May:p

C2MD : Haha I can't wait

[C2MD]

Just pm'd you

 

Don't worry about this at all!

 

C

I am just afraid that there will not be any "good" apartments left towards the end of May:p

[feversugar]

feversugar: Thanks a lot! Do you know if there's an area in Cote-des-Neiges that is safer than another?

 

In general near universities like an above poster said is relatively safe, because there are mostly students. Also the eastern part is mostly jewish and seems safe enough. A lot of them walk home in the streets really late at night (im not sure why? but they are dressed in religious black clothing so maybe it's a religious ceremony of some sort that ends very very late unless they are always dressed like that, no disrespect intended) and nothing bad seems to happen xD. I've heard of violence and crimes mostly near (north)-west of cotes des neiges street but that's pretty far from the university so i don't think you'd be interested in that anyway

[feversugar]

I forgot to mention there is a grocery store next to snowdon metro as well

[samy]

Stay away from McGill's Ghetto.

[CREA.tive]

Stay away from McGill's Ghetto.

 

What do you mean:p? I thought it would be worth it to live close to school (for the first year only). I realize that it is quite far from grocery stores and pharmacies though.

 

JamesNixon and feversugar: Thanks for the comments!

[C2MD]

And also a 24hr grocery store close to the CDN metro (corner côte-des-neiges and Queen Mary)! Also, on CDN u have a couple of 24hr coffee shops - they come in handy during finals . Plus u'll find a mini farmers market where u can get fresh fruit during spring and summer.

 

I lived in CDN first year I was in Mtl (as u can guess, I was UdeM) and really liked the neighbourhood. The above are some of the reasons why

 

C

I forgot to mention there is a grocery store next to snowdon metro as well

[Blackkeys]

What do you mean:p? I thought it would be worth it to live close to school (for the first year only). I realize that it is quite far from grocery stores and pharmacies though.

 

JamesNixon and feversugar: Thanks for the comments!

 

The Ghetto tends to be greatly overpriced, probably in part because the high turnover in the neighbourhood means that the rent increases go uncontested. Also, there are some great neighbourhoods in Montreal, why surround yourself with students all the time? You can have a lot of fun in Montreal without being in a little McGill bubble. Public transportation tends to be quite fast and reliable; I'd suggest studying the bus routes before choosing a place and/or living close to a metro station. My $0.02.

[CREA.tive]

The Ghetto tends to be greatly overpriced, probably in part because the high turnover in the neighbourhood means that the rent increases go uncontested. Also, there are some great neighbourhoods in Montreal, why surround yourself with students all the time? You can have a lot of fun in Montreal without being in a little McGill bubble. Public transportation tends to be quite fast and reliable; I'd suggest studying the bus routes before choosing a place and/or living close to a metro station. My $0.02.

 

Thanks! Out of the areas I mentioned in my first post, which ones would be better in your opinion?

[samy]

The Ghetto tends to be greatly overpriced, probably in part because the high turnover in the neighbourhood means that the rent increases go uncontested. Also, there are some great neighbourhoods in Montreal, why surround yourself with students all the time? You can have a lot of fun in Montreal without being in a little McGill bubble. Public transportation tends to be quite fast and reliable; I'd suggest studying the bus routes before choosing a place and/or living close to a metro station. My $0.02.

 

We share the same opinion. My GF lived in the ghetto for 1 year and she paid 1500$/month (750 each) with a roommate for a very tiny 3 rooms appartment.

 

She complained about the fact that she was always feeling at school and never at "home".

 

I'd recommend Verdun for its great accessibility 2 buses going straight to McGill + the green line of the Metro. I live here and my total daily commute time for morning+afternoon is less than 1 hour.

[CREA.tive]

We share the same opinion. My GF lived in the ghetto for 1 year and she paid 1500$/month (750 each) with a roommate for a very tiny 3 rooms appartment.

 

She complained about the fact that she was always feeling at school and never at "home".

 

I'd recommend Verdun for its great accessibility 2 buses going straight to McGill + the green line of the Metro. I live here and my total daily commute time for morning+afternoon is less than 1 hour.

 

Which area would you recommend in Verdun? East or West? Or Nun's Island? Some of my friends who lived in Montreal told me that the metro stations Lasalle, Verdun dans de L'eglise were kind of tough. I don't want to sound like I'm a paranoid freak:p

[cellule]

As a born-and-raised Montrealer, I strongly urge you NOT to choose to live in Verdun or Nun's Island or any another neighbourhood that is only accessible to downtown by car or public transit.

 

It's so easy to find affordable housing in the Plateau, Mile End, Outremont, Little Italy, or even Parc Ex or Rosemont, that is within walking or biking distance of McGill and that will give you a really wonderful, culturally rich experience of this beautiful city. (Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking Verdun, which is a wonderful neighbourhood for many reasons, but it's FAR!)

 

The above-mentioned neighbourhoods are full of life, with great and affordable restaurants, bars, venues, cafés... and super diverse! (One reason I would avoid living in the ghetto, aside from the high rents, is that you'll only meet other McGill students -- the ghetto can be a tad insular.)

 

If you're moving to Montreal and want to get a taste of what makes this city one of the best in the world, IMHO, those neighbourhoods are the places to go! And don't be fooled into thinking that you can't live in a central location for cheap -- especially if you're willing to share an apartment with a couple of other people.

[Corie]

First year, I'd say stick with the ghetto for the convience. The 6 minute walk isn't much if you realized you need to visit the library for solutions or reserve books or need to print stuff at Burnside (some free printing for science students). The years after that, I'd suggest avoid the ghetto. If your looking for a really safe neighbourhood and have money to burn, I'd suggest west-of-campus - like immediately west of McIntyre. Really nice appartments there but they aint cheap (they're at the base of mount royal - fresh air and beautiful area). Westmount is pretty nice too but stick near a metro line. If its taking you more than 20 minutes to get to school, its too far.

[Jectin]

Going to hijack this thread, sorry.

 

I was just hoping some people who have done clerkship or lived in Montreal for a while now can shed some light on this.

 

I am an incoming resident at McGill and will be primarily based at the Jewish General. I don't really like the living quarters in Cote Des Neiges and would prefer to live in the area just south of Montreal General.

 

I would like some insight on how long it actually takes to get from that area to JGH by car and by metro during the rush hour periods.

 

Anyone have any ideas on where residents of the JGH usually live?

 

Thanks, and will be great to work with some of you who just got accepted into meds in a couple of years when you are in your clerkship.

 

J

[Star1234]

Going to hijack this thread, sorry.

 

I was just hoping some people who have done clerkship or lived in Montreal for a while now can shed some light on this.

 

I am an incoming resident at McGill and will be primarily based at the Jewish General. I don't really like the living quarters in Cote Des Neiges and would prefer to live in the area just south of Montreal General.

 

I would like some insight on how long it actually takes to get from that area to JGH by car and by metro during the rush hour periods.

 

Anyone have any ideas on where residents of the JGH usually live?

 

Thanks, and will be great to work with some of you who just got accepted into meds in a couple of years when you are in your clerkship.

 

J

 

I haven't done clerkship yet but I did my undergrad and master's at McGill so I've been here for awhile

 

If living near the Montreal General is what you want, the Jewish is easily accessible by bus. The 165 or 535 will take you directly there in around 20 min. If you choose to live in the Plateau (which is just east of campus) you can easily get there by taking the 129 on Parc (30min travel) or taking the metro (also around 30min).

 

I agree that the area around the Jewish isn't very nice so most people live either east of campus in the Plateau or west of campus near the Montreal General.

 

As for anyone else attending McGill next year, I would highly suggest something close to campus. It's true that the further from campus you get, the nicer and cheaper the apartments get but it gets really annoying wasting an hour travel time every day, especially when it's cold and snowy outside and you have to be at small group for 8:30am.

 

The McGill Ghetto is dirty and overpriced so my suggestion would be to find something just outside that. If you choose east of campus, anything past Parc gets significantly nicer and more reasonable and it's still only a 10min. walk to school. There are lots of really nice high rises on St. Urbain, St. Famille and just past St. Laurent on Sherbrooke that are cheap and good quality. There's also 2 grocery stores on Parc and a 24 hour grocery store on St. Laurent, so getting groceries is no problem.

 

If living west of campus is what you're thinking, there are lots of good apartments on de la Montagne, which makes going to class at McIntyre very convenient (literally a 2 min walk). More west you have nice places too but grocery stores are farther and it's a longer trek to get to school. There are nice apts near the Montreal General (Cote des Neiges) and around Atwater, although the neighbourhood around Atwater is a bit sketch.

 

Hope that helps

[JJ1985]

I know a couple people who are based at the JGH next year who are living around the Montreal General. Anything along Cote-Des-Neiges will be easily accessible by bus. Those buses come often and throughout clerkship thats how I got to the Jewish. The only issue is if you are doing surgery... then the buses are difficult at the hours you need to be there

 

Going to hijack this thread, sorry.

 

I was just hoping some people who have done clerkship or lived in Montreal for a while now can shed some light on this.

 

I am an incoming resident at McGill and will be primarily based at the Jewish General. I don't really like the living quarters in Cote Des Neiges and would prefer to live in the area just south of Montreal General.

 

I would like some insight on how long it actually takes to get from that area to JGH by car and by metro during the rush hour periods.

 

Anyone have any ideas on where residents of the JGH usually live?

 

Thanks, and will be great to work with some of you who just got accepted into meds in a couple of years when you are in your clerkship.

 

J

[CREA.tive]

Wow so much information! Thanks everyone:p

 

Star1234: When you say that the area around Atwater is sketchy, do you mean everything that is around Atwater or just south of Atwater? I was thinking about living there since it is pretty close to the bus 144.

 

Now I read a lot of reviews on apartment complexes in Montreal and it seems like bed bugs are a huge problem (I know it's not just in Montreal). I wrote in my first post that I would live on Avenue Ridgewood but I changed my mind lol.

 

So yeah, having a good landlord would be nice:p Did anyone have a bad experience with landlords in Montreal?

[Star1234]

Wow so much information! Thanks everyone:p

 

Star1234: When you say that the area around Atwater is sketchy, do you mean everything that is around Atwater or just south of Atwater? I was thinking about living there since it is pretty close to the bus 144.

 

Now I read a lot of reviews on apartment complexes in Montreal and it seems like bed bugs are a huge problem (I know it's not just in Montreal). I wrote in my first post that I would live on Avenue Ridgewood but I changed my mind lol.

 

So yeah, having a good landlord would be nice:p Did anyone have a bad experience with landlords in Montreal?

 

Anywhere around the Lionel Groulx metro station is a bit sketch since there is a lot of low income housing around that area.....and if you want to live around Atwater, the closest/easiest way to get to school is probably by either taking the metro at Lionel Groulx or at Atwater since it comes more often and is faster than taking the 144.

 

And I've never heard of bedbugs being a problem.

[CREA.tive]

Thanks Star1234

 

Anyone else? Landlord or bed bug problems?

 

Is it true that the best apartments are the ones that are NOT online? Don't laugh, I'm new at this!

[IAmDisappoint]

The McGill ghetto is a nice area to live (maybe for your first year). Apartments will be small and somewhat expensive (800$ for a one bedroom apartment with a tiny kitchen, relatively large living room, small bathroom, no internet/hydro included). However it's worth living nearby McGill due to the proximity to many places (Metro, Simulation Centre, grocery stores, ComplexeLesAiles/Eaton/MontrealTrust, movie theaters (cheap tuesday!), pubs, McGill gym (GREAT for swimming during summer)), however I think the greatest part is being nearby Mt. Royal - it is very relaxing and fun to walk on during a nice day and you can pass by for Tamtams on Sundays...