I’ve been thinking a lot about why I live in Montreal lately, in a happy way. There are many positive things I would lose from my lifestyle if moving away, and I truly hope this city, unlike others, stays affordable with the sky-rocketing real estate greed. It’s may sound like whining but I think it’s really unjustified, especially considering some apartments in Montreal have not been renovated in probably 100 years. I wish I was joking.
One of the main reasons I live in Montreal over any other city is its walkability. You may have heard the term “car culture” to describe American cities and towns. In the US, cities and towns are being built without sidewalks; it is a rare gem to live somewhere I can walk a kilometer and have most of my needs met. In a 30 minute walk radius, I have many grocery stores, pharmacies, several gym options, pubs, cafes, restaurants, pools, and an amazing waterfront park that runs all along the Saint Laurent coast up & down Montreal. This is my day to day.
It’s true I am physically disabled, but it is very good to do low-effort exercise everyday. My hip replacement, scoliosis, and other issues would lead to a lot of painfully stiff tension in my body if I did not break from painting at my desk, the computer, the couch (to be honest), or the sitting/driving position. I think that passive exercise built into the everyday is something most people miss out on and part of why it’s so hard to keep our health. It’s pretty normal for me to get 4k steps in everyday just doing my thing, then get more exercise at the gym, cycling, or otherwise.
Another benefit is I get to see the neighbourhood, run into people, and spontaneously discover things across my walks. This perks up my mind, inspires conversation and ideas. When I was going to high school, I couldn’t stand living in a dead suburb, where no one even went out on their porch or walked the street. I swear, you could be butt-naked in the middle of the road, and no one would notice because it was so dead.
I had no motivation to leave nor inspiration to go anywhere, except the outskirts where I found abandoned buildings and the countryside. I could hang out with cows… I also think it contributed to social anxiety and being shy. In the city, you have to interact with people and there’s people everywhere. You can’t stay shy and anxious forever, it naturally pushes you past that.
Ironically, I think much of the urban housing in Montreal is laid out like a suburb. Most of the buildings are pretty cookie-cutter, but it’s the style of architecture, the civic planning (or lack thereof) of the neighbourhood that keeps it alive. I think any suburb would simply benefit from some zoning changes to allow a few businesses around. At least, so they can have one place for you to hangout without needing to drive! I love that I recognize people in the neighbourhood, even though we never spoke. I see them in the shops, the gym, the cafes, then in online groups for the neighbourhood. I know store owners by name. There is a real sense of community most car-culture areas just lack.
I only learned to drive a few years ago, and one odd experience I noticed immediately is how isolating it is to drive. Driving is like a living room on wheels. I don’t have to interact with anyone and no one can bother me, but I drive by anything that could’ve been interesting and forfeit any interesting conversation. It becomes about getting from point A to B, just doing the errands, and the vibrancy in between is gone.
Because my neighbourhood is so compact, I don’t have to travel far so I rarely drive. Today, the fact I don’t own a car saves me a tremendous amount of money. With the metro system, the bus, taxis, and car-share programs, I really don’t need it. The few times a year I rent a car to go long distance still adds up to what I calculate is a 3rd of actually owning and maintaining a vehicle. Sure, it sucks to share with people. Sometimes I end up late, it’s more planning to go somewhere, but it sucks more to babysit a machine, pay a fortune for gas and parking, and choke on a surprise repair bill. The other benefit of that is not having to do the stressful mental labour of driving every single day.
As an introvert, I feel grateful that the city fulfills my very basic social needs. I get just enough people into my day I don’t feel a desperate need to talk to someone. That’s precious when I work from home, and I can’t imagine how much my social skills would deteriorate if I hermited full-time. Usually when I finish my work day, I go out and just wander because it’s enough. I’ll see people, something will happen, I can grab a drink, or I might even run into a street party.
I didn’t even touch on how great the food and events are here. Being immersed in the recreational culture, the music scene, arts, and entertainment is very important to an artist like me. What I pay in rent I feel like is savings in travel costs, because I don’t have to go to another city, province, or country to have great experiences. There are so many festivals, so many musicians pass through here, all the usual touristy things. Sometimes I visit another city and find myself thinking, “Yeah, we got this back home.” Seriously, besides roads, this city just needs new housing and renovated apartments and it’ll be amazing.
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That said, I don’t think I’d feel this way if I lived in a city that’s all condo buildings, corporate towers, noise, and lacks that close-knit feel. I used to live downtown, which is like that. Although it was neat and definitely eye-opening for a while, it’s very stressful, expensive, dirty, and lonely. You’re a forgettable face in a crowd. I’ve been to bigger cities like Toronto and Chicago, and just like Montreal, they have those urban suburbs hives hidden away from the downtown core that feel like cozy communities. I’m here for that bustling, lively, local neighbourhood vibe.
