1. Rents are escalating. Property rates have jumped some 60-70% over the past few years in all neighbourhoods.
2. There is culture because people a) smoke and b) don’t work and c) are alcoholics during the depressive winter.
3. There’s may not be road rage, there’s simply hit-and-run death strikes from cabbies. Cycling in this city is seriously dangerous. Nobody signals. Anyway, read the stats: Quebec has the worst accident rate in Canada. The construction holiday this year (when all the crews go on a holiday over the same 2 weeks, leaving the roads in shambles) resulted in some 12 or so deaths.
4. The city is polluted and recycling and environmental awareness are not nearly as ingrained as in Vancouver.
5. There is no view mania because err, there is no view.
6. The “parks” are nothing compared to Stanley Park. Mont Royal is a paved, controlled area.
7. Yes, if you live in the pricey Plateau you can walk anywhere but if you are in the depths of Cote-des-Neiges, by the highway, where the immigrants are, where they put the highway through decades ago — destroying the old black neighbourhood — you better be prepared for the worst slumlords in the country, spiralling rent, gangs, prostitution, etc.
8. Don’t forget the Hell’s Angels ran this town for many, many years.

Grass is always greener ..

tV