Montreal
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Montreal, Canada


- Montreal shines bright in the beauty and richness of its culture and history. Considered as the next largest city in Canada, it has received a consistent recognition of being a part of the most populated cities in the world.
The Life: Vibrant
- Located at the heart of Quebec, Montreal comprises of attractive and stylish people making it richly deserving for its status as being one of the dynamic cities in the continent of North America.
- It is known to produce an admirable blend of jazz as well as rock music. Remarkable and well-recognized visual arts, theatre, dance and similar fields are also products of Montreal.
- With the unique mix of French and English traditions, it has developed equally exceptional cultural features.
- The excitement of Montreal’s downtown, especially during summer, is greatly influenced by both cultural and social happenings with festivals as its highlights. The thrills during these special events and even on ordinary days form another distinguishing characteristic of the city.
Cost of Living: Pretty Much the Same with America
- There is no significant difference on the cost of living between the US and Montreal, Canada. A meal at a restaurant typically costs $18 with fast food meals around $8. Fitness club membership fees for adults are at about $40.
- Accommodation costs are quite similar as well. One-bedroom apartments cost $900 and larger rooms approximately fall at $1700.
Poker: Legal
- Poker games have just recently been implemented in Montreal and have tremendously attracted people from different places.
- Its most popular poker game is called Texas Hold’em Poker which is now widely played all over the world.
Internet Speed: Good
- It’s slower than the U.S. and you choose a bandwidth plan which will vary in rates. Gamers/Torrenters that will use 100GB a month in bandwidth expect to pay $80-100+
- Rogers – Biggest branch that handles Cable/Phone/ISPs.
Weather: Fair
- Tourists should take note of the weather conditions in Montreal. Winter season is frequently icy and cold while summer time, although short, is often humid which may cause discomfort to some people.
- The month of April has the tendency to bring mild and sunny weather while May can be warm at the same time wet. Snowstorms may occur during March and November.
U.S. Visa/Entry Difficulty Level: Moderately Easy
- US tourists are not required of any visa and are allowed to enjoy Montreal for three months after arrival. Tickets as well as other travel documents proving return flights are necessary.
Banking: Easy
- BMO – Bring a U.S. Passport, your US ID, and from what I’m told, using a U.S. Address is OK. You can set up two accounts to hold both CAD and USD currencies. There are no conversion fee rates for swapping currencies within your own accounts.
Language: Mixed
- French – More than half of the population in the city use French as their primary language making it second to Paris in the largest French-speaking cities around the world.
- English and others – About 16% speak English while the remaining percentage goes to other languages spoken in Montreal.
- A great number of people of people can speak both French and English.
Language Schools: Highly Recognized
- Montreal is an ideal place for study programs, particularly French and English. Most schools provide accommodation. However, prices can be high for US visitors. Many recommended universities are located at the center of the city.
- It is a home to McGill University, considered as among the most prominent universities in Canada.
Food: Great – Tasting
- A lot of people regard Montreal as a culinary mecca with a wide range of food selection. US tourists can choose from diners to budget-meals in ethnic restaurants and more.
- Montreal ranks next to San Francisco as the best dining city in the whole of North America. It has outshined New York, which got the third position.
- Two of Montreal’s masterpieces include poutine and its smoked meat sandwich. Moreover, it offers vegetarian friendly menus as well.
Recreation: Full of Thrills
- The famous Amazing Race is available in Montreal for 24 hours. Joining Montreal’s own version of Amazing race takes tourists to self-guided adventures as they are brought to some of the most interesting sites in the city.
- Water sports lovers will be delighted with Montreal’s offer of different water activities – river surfing, kayaking and more.
Safety: Low Crime Rates
- Montreal is a relatively safe destination as it shares in the impressive low-violent crime rates of Canada. However, property crimes are surprisingly common. Some areas in the city also contain homeless people. Even though a few of them may seem polite, others could be aggressive.
- US tourists are therefore strongly advised to keep watch over their belongings.
Additional Sources:
http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/Travel-Information/Accessible-Montreal
http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/city_result.jsp?country=Canada&city=Montreal
http://www.canadaimmigrants.com/Montrealiving.asp
http://www.traveldocs.com/ca/er.htm