Outremont - Montreal

Outremont is a mainly francophone district north of Mont Royal. Its borders correspond to the borders of the former Outremont municipality (which was merged with the city of Montreal in 2002). Except in its eastern part, Outremont consists mostly of upscale detached houses sitting on large lots along tree-lined streets - in other words, a perfectly suburban environment, yet relatively close to the center of the city.

The “exceptional” eastern part mentioned above is rather interesting, however: first, it is much more urban and dense than the rest of the borough (this neighborhood's main artery, Avenue Bernard, is lined mostly with 4-story mixed-use apartment and retail buildings); second, many of its residents, totaling almost a quarter of the borough's population, are Hasidic Jews. The presence of this religious community is somewhat controversial: according to some, it adds a bit of welcome diversity to the area, and according to (sometimes very vocal) others, it makes the life of other residents of Outremont pretty damn near impossible. To hear certain local activists tell the story, life in this part of the district is one long religious celebration involving long processions and the sacred ancient ritual of double-parking. To which the first group and the community in question itself respond, predictably, with accusations of anti-semitism. Both sides seem to have taken quite a liking to campaigning, writting letters, launching blogs, and talking to journalists.

Outside the mildly controversial part, life is actually good in Outremont: the district is safe, mostly wealthy, has access to several parks, contains many restaurants and shops, and boasts several decent schools. Tourist attraction-wise, however, there isn't all that much to see, although a stroll through the area can be very pleasant.