The McGill Ghetto: greystone and the student quarter

Stops along the way

Things to notice.

1. 01

   1

   Roddick Gates, McGill

   Start at the campus gates on Sherbrooke, the clock above them, the lawns climbing to the mountain behind. Walk in a little if you like — nobody minds — then back out and turn east. The quarter below McGill is where the students actually live, and that's the walk.

   01

   Roddick Gates, McGill

   Start at the campus gates on Sherbrooke, the clock above them, the lawns climbing to the mountain behind. Walk in a little if you like — nobody minds — then back out and turn east. The quarter below McGill is where the students actually live, and that's the walk.

   ◉Street View
2. 02

   2

   Rue Prince-Arthur

   The pedestrian street, car-free since the 1980s, lined with the restaurants and terraces that have anchored student nights for decades. Quieter by day. Walk its length east toward Saint-Louis Square; the brick mall underfoot is part of the old experiment in giving streets back to people.

   02

   Rue Prince-Arthur

   The pedestrian street, car-free since the 1980s, lined with the restaurants and terraces that have anchored student nights for decades. Quieter by day. Walk its length east toward Saint-Louis Square; the brick mall underfoot is part of the old experiment in giving streets back to people.

   ◉Street View
3. 03

   3

   The greystone rows of Rue Sainte-Famille / Rue Hutchison

   The heart of the matter — terraced houses in grey Montreal limestone, bay windows and outdoor staircases, built for the Victorian middle class and now full of students. Look up at the cornices; this is the densest surviving greystone in the city. Walk slowly and read the doorways.

   03

   The greystone rows of Rue Sainte-Famille / Rue Hutchison

   The heart of the matter — terraced houses in grey Montreal limestone, bay windows and outdoor staircases, built for the Victorian middle class and now full of students. Look up at the cornices; this is the densest surviving greystone in the city. Walk slowly and read the doorways.

   ◉Street View
4. 04

   4

   Milton-Parc co-op houses

   The blocks that organised against demolition in the 1970s and won — saved from a tower scheme and turned into Canada's largest housing co-operative. They look like ordinary greystone, which is the victory. The plaques tell the story; it's one of the city's great civic wins.

   04

   Milton-Parc co-op houses

   The blocks that organised against demolition in the 1970s and won — saved from a tower scheme and turned into Canada's largest housing co-operative. They look like ordinary greystone, which is the victory. The plaques tell the story; it's one of the city's great civic wins.

   ◉Street View
5. 05

   5

   Café cluster on Avenue du Parc / Rue Milton

   The corner where the quarter does its coffee and its arguing — cheap eats, long tables, dog-eared paperbacks. This is the literary end of the Ghetto, the place a thesis gets stalled over a second cup. Pick a table; you'll be in good company.

   05

   Café cluster on Avenue du Parc / Rue Milton

   The corner where the quarter does its coffee and its arguing — cheap eats, long tables, dog-eared paperbacks. This is the literary end of the Ghetto, the place a thesis gets stalled over a second cup. Pick a table; you'll be in good company.

   ◉Street View
6. 06

   6

   Carré Saint-Louis

   End at the square of grand Victorian houses around a fountain, where Montreal's French-language poets and singers once lived — Émile Nelligan among them. The most elegant green room in the city. Cut south down Rue Saint-Denis or back to Place-des-Arts for the metro.

   06

   Carré Saint-Louis

   End at the square of grand Victorian houses around a fountain, where Montreal's French-language poets and singers once lived — Émile Nelligan among them. The most elegant green room in the city. Cut south down Rue Saint-Denis or back to Place-des-Arts for the metro.

   ◉Street View