The Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin), just south of the Plateau, has been a center of student life since the 18th century, when Université de Montréal students gave the area its name (courses were given in Latin), and today it continues to infuse the city with youthful energy. When night falls, its streets are filled with multinational hordes—young and not so young, rich and poor, established and still studying.
The Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM) spreads across the district, along with theaters, restaurants and bars, bookstores, and movie theaters. Some area businesses cater to a young clientele and their penchant for the loud and flashy, but the quarter is also home to some of the city's trendiest restaurants and nightspots. In summer, the streets of the Latin Quarter are busy with summer festival events, such as the Just for Laughs Festival in July.
