Oh, how cool is Montreal: the art galleries of Le Vieux, the coffee shops of Mile End, the parks of the Plateau, the thrift shops, the restaurants, the little streets with red stone condos, the big streets with modernist and bauhaus buildings in pearl-grey concrete…
Montreal is cool, and like all the most fashionable cities of the moment, it’s here that people come to find the artists, fashion, gastronomy and cocktails that are, like us, in vogue.
And one of the most underrated and exciting neighborhoods of the moment is Little Burgundy. Luckily for you, we’ve got a list of the best things to do in the neighborhood…
Little Burgundy, the “Harlem of the North
Little Burgundy is a neighborhood in Montreal’s southwest borough, bordered to the north by Pointe-Saint-Charles, to the south by the Lachine Canal and to the east by Saint-Henri.
It stretches roughly from Saint-Antoine to Guy, and its main street – the one with the most businesses – is Notre-Dame Ouest.
The district was first called Sainte-Cunégonde, then Saint-Antoine, and was annexed by the City of Montreal in 1905.
It was an industrial district inhabited by many railroad workers, notably those employed at the Gare Bonaventure.
The history of Little Burgundy is intimately linked to the history of Montreal’s black community, and in the 20th century the neighborhood was one of North America’s jazz hotspots, as well as the cradle of several community movements. The Coloured Women’s Club, founded in 1902, was the first organization working for the rights of black people in Quebec.
It was in Little Burgundy that several great jazzmen, notably Oscar Peterson and Oliver Jones, emerged – and the neighborhood was called the “Harlem of the North”.
In the 1960s, the City of Montreal undertook major urban renovations in the neighborhood, but some traces – including murals that honor its heritage – of its past are still visible today.
When I was there last weekend, a large piece of graffiti (which no one wants to erase) stood out on the side of a building: STOP GENTRIFICATION.
The best of Little Burgundy
Today, the neighborhood is residential and artistic – and retains its core of community organizations for mutual aid and cultural exchange among its residents. What’s more, it’s also a neighborhood of antique dealers…
Restaurants and cafés
You know a neighborhood is cool in Montreal because on Sundays from 11 a.m., lines of people stretch out like long, colorful snakes along the sidewalks. In Little Burgundy, the hottest spots for brunch with your best-dressed friends are..;
September Café, 2471 Notre-Dame St. West
Les Mauvais Garçons , at 2661 Notre-Dame St. W.
Sunny’s Dinette, 2705 Notre-Dame St. W.
For dinner, we’d love to try Nolan, with its sunny terrace and neo-French menu prepared by a chef who works with local producers. 1752 Notre-Dame St. W.
For steak (and an oyster bar), go to Grinder, at 1708 Notre-Dame Ouest.
For wine and gastronomy, go to Vin Papillon, 2519 Notre-Dame St. W.
For afterwork drinks where everyone’s sexy and relaxed, we go to bar Le Bureau, which has a little terrace under the trees, cocktails and jazz on Sundays.
And for the coolest café in the neighborhood, which is always full and always playing music-with the regulars out front, it’s as if everyone knows everyone else-we go to Gotsoul Café, at 1970 rue Notre-Dame Ouest. It’s a musical and artistic concept café, where you can see old Porsches at their CARS+COFFEE events.
Shopping
Of course, a cool neighborhood means shopping… And we’ve got a list of our favorite stores!
The flagship of Canadian brand Silk Laundry, at 2465 Notre-Dame Street West.
For soft hands, Aesop, 2493 Notre-Dame Street West.
Unique et Atemporel, at 2725A Notre-Dame St. W.
New York basics boutique KOTN, 2451 Notre-Dame St. W., for the perfect tank top.
bonus…
Lebanese grocer LULU, at 2507 Notre-Dame St. W., which also serves the city’s best manakeesh.
L’allumeur Lampiste at 1904 Notre-Dame St. W., for antique lamps and the dust that makes up the store’s period charm.
Le Marché Bleuet, at 2733 Notre-Dame Ouest, the natural store for our castor oil and preservative-free sunscreen (we’ll be spending a lot of time on the terrace, and we want to bask, not burn).
Enjoy your stroll through Little Burgundy!