Montreal Downtown Inside and Out

Walking tour of the downtown core. Sherbrooke street -part of the "Golden Square Mile" which in the 19th century was the most exclusive neighbourhood in Montreal and Canada. Demolition of exquisite buildings in the 1970's made me realised how rich architectural legacy in Montreal was and needed to be protected. That's when I decided to start my collection of Montreal's post cards and history books. Sainte-Catherine street, the most thriving commercial street in Canada. René-Lévesque boulevard, the main artery of corporate Montreal (including Dorchester square); then to the south of the downtown toward Victoria square, center of huge urban renewal project about 20 years ago. All of that by getting in and out of the underground city with its more than 60 buildings connected to it.

We'll see : Sherbrooke street including : -McGill University -Montreal Museum of Fine Art (from outside) -Ritz-Carlton hotel Sainte-Catherine street Dorchester Square and surrounding : -Sun Life building, once the largest office building in all of the Commonwealth in the 1930's -Montreal catholic cathedral, Mary-Queen-of-the-World Place Ville-Marie and its surroundings : -Queen Elizabeth hotel where John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed their famous bed-in in 1969 ; -the Central Train station, fine example of "modern style" architecture Square Victoria and its surrounding : -Stock Exchange Tower, once the tallest all concrete building in the world (18 months record in the 1960's) ; -Centre de Commerce mondial, my personnal favorite of recent building in downtown. All this by walking on street level or underground in the famous "RÉSO" -Montreal "indoor pedestrian network. The starting and finishing points can change depending on your hotel/lodging location or other considerations.