Montreal-disappointed but maybe I misunderstood?
 

I went to Montreal for the weekend (from Toronto). Haven't been there in 20 years. We stayed downtown Sheraton which was lovely. Though it would be nice and central to rue Ste. Catherines. We walked and walked in the area (didn't get to old Montreal unfortunately). We went to Simons and Les Hailles and The Bay and Holts. But otherwise, where were all the so-called boutiques I thought were supposed to be on rue Ste. Catherine? It looked more like Yonge Street strip? I expected nice little gift and clothing boutiques all along the street...did I miss something? I just didn't see them.

Yes, you did miss a lot. If you had ventured on the Plateau Mont-Royal (St-Denis, St-Laurent, Mont-Royal, Laurier, etc.) you would have seen a lot of unique boutiques. <BR>True, this area was not as hip 20 years ago as it is today.

Restricting your exploring to St. Catherine while in Montreal is a bit like getting a vanilla ice cream at Ben and Jerry's - very good but not the most interesting!

Oh crumb! I only had a day so we &quot;did&quot; rue St. Catherines on the advice of a shopkeeper. Louis - are all the places you mention close to the Sheraton? And zootsi - do you echo Louis places of interest if one is staying downtown. I'm heading back in two months.

VIsited,<BR>I , too, live in the Toronto area and hadn't been to Montreal for many years. I wasn't really sure where to go or what to see.<BR>But I had such a great time. I absolutley loved Old Montreal. Also we did a walking tour that was wonderful and I'd highly recommend it. It took us to so many places we never would have found. We went to the main tourist office downtown, and went downstairs and the walking tour place was on the right side.<BR>I hope you enjoy your next trip. I can't wait to go back.<BR>

Plateau Mont-Royal is a 15 min. Metro ride from the Sheraton...Sort of going from Bay St. to Yorkville. Next time plan to spend at least 3 days... and do a little research.

I agree with &quot;visited&quot;, after a 5 day trip to Montreal I was underwhelmed. I think a big problem is very poor tourist information. The handouts regarding shopping and antiques are quite difficult to negotiate. No maps, no &quot;areas&quot; just listings of shops. If one is unfamiliar with the city its impossible to be charmed. I also found the signage on streets unhelpful, nowhere did I see indications of all the underground shops from street level. If one is not from Montreal its not very user friendly.

Louis is totally correct. Anyone visiting Montreal, if they haven't taken advantage of all the enormous resources on the web and travel forums, not to mention the plethora of printed tour guides available at any bookstore, needs only spend some time with the Concierge at their hotel. Or, visit among other &quot;locals&quot; and visitors during any &quot;happy hour&quot; anywhere. Or, even strike up a conversation with folks in the hotel elevator, store clerks, restaurant servers, bartenders - anyone! <BR><BR>Too bad you didn't wander about from your hotel, along Sherbrooke, Montagne, Crescent, etc., etc.

I agree with Louis. St. Denis is lined with eclectic shops, cafes, all kinds of stores of every description. St. Laurent is a bit more ethnic and blue collar - going thru Chineese, Jewish, Portugese, North African, etc neighborhoods. Mt. Royal is funky with second hand stores and cutting edge shops. Laurier is upscale and expensive. These areas also have some of the most interesting places to eat.