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TripOut Gay Travel:
Montreal

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Gay Friendly Rating: Gay Friendly Rating Very welcoming; this place is gay-tastic!
Quebec's shimmering jewel is the perfect mix of European style and North American smarts. Who wants poutine?

Montreal Fast Facts:

  • Gayborhood The kitschy besotted fun of the Gay Village tarts up St. Catherine Street with party boys, drag queens and fun-seeking locals.
  • If you live in the Northeast you can drive or even take the train to Montreal. But consider flying gay-friendly Air Canada. They share routes with United, and the Air Canada flights are handily convenient--and they're bi-lingual, which makes the whole enterprise seem very international. Oh la la! http://www.aircanada.com/
  • Staying in the Plateau neighborhood is a good bet. You can walk through the tree-lined streets to great eateries, and the Gay Village is a short trek (or a shorter Metro ride) away. Plus, it's got just a great, college-town vibe. Besides, while its postcard-pretty, Old Montreal (Vieux Montreal) is a big too tourist-filled.
  • For a run-down on the local gay scene, pick up the gay mag, Fugues (http://www.fugues.com), at any homo-friendly establishment in town. It's a monthly and will clue you in. For details on other arty/cultural happenings, check out the free weekly paper, The Mirror (http://www.montrealmirror.com).
  • If you want to do some research on food in Montreal (and, in all seriousness, the city's French-influenced culinary landscape is a reason to visit in and of itself), a fun place to get primed is the great foodie blog, Endless Banquet (http://endlessbanquet.blogspot.com/). It's written by the fun couple Michelle and A.J., and they'll offer rundowns of Montreal's best restaurants, as well as serve up great recipes and food-related chatter.
  • Gay Pride (known here as the big fest called Divers/Cite) is always a multi-week, arty/party blowout in July.
  • When you're out for drinks in Montreal, take note: The serving size of hard liquor is monitored by the government in Montreal. (Which seems weird since they're so relaxed about so many thing--like nude strippers for example.) Cocktails are limited to only 1 ounce of booze per drink, which means that any mixed drink is gonna be weak. So I'd order beer, and given the tasty local Canadian beers on hand, it's a happy compromise.
  • Montreal makes for a great trip anytime. The springs and summer's are mild, the fall is gorgeous, and the winter can be gorgeous and snowy (or, yes, cold and damp and gray, but there you go). If you're looking for gay action, hit October's leather-tinged Black & Blue Montreal annual Circuit party (http://www.bbcm.org/en_MainSite.htm), or July's Gay Pride, Divers/Cite. (http://www.diverscite.org)
  • Oh Canada we just can get enough, that's why Montreal was nominated for Best Global Desination in the 2009 Gay Travel Awards.

Montreal: A Feast for the Senses

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Buzz, buzz... Yep, that subtle yet insistent encouraging noise you’re hearing is the sound of savvy travelers’ gushing slyly about Montréal, the welcoming Quebecois city invitingly nestled on an island in the St. Lawrence River just north of... Read More Montreal: A Feast for the...
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Montreal Top 5

Don't leave town before checking out...
  1. Bike Montreal's LaChine Canal
  2. La Banquise
  3. Le Drugstore
  4. Old Montreal
  5. Casa del Popolo

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