roomiematch.com’s Montreal roommate rundown:

Montreal has been nicknamed “the city of a hundred steeples,” for their number of churches. There are about 650 churches, with most dating back to the 1800s or earlier. And Old Montreal (Le Vieux-Montreal) is richly textured with a lot of historical landmarks from the 17th and 18th centuries. Take a walk along their waterfront (Le Vieux-Port), and feel very Old Europe.

Ice hockey is an overwhelming favorite, with the Montreal Canadiens the most important. If you’d like to get along with most Montrealers, they should be important to you too, at least insofar as avoiding insulting them. They’ve won the Stanley Cup more than any other team!

When it’s not winter and the waterways thaw, Montrealers love river surfing and kayaking.

There are also four major universities and several smaller schools. Montreal is lousy with college students that could be potential roommates . . . some of whom consider themselves more Quebecois than Canadian. They may be offended if you assume otherwise.

It’s a surprisingly eclectic range, the merging of multiple cultures and the very old with the new.

And they adore festing together. A lot of festivals, all through summer and fall, at least 100. They’re trying to bring them to winter too, but that’s still in progress.

One of the most popular is the Montreal International Fireworks Competition, with teams competing from all over the world. You could buy tickets to get closer to the orchestral music, or sit on any rooftop or balcony with a view of the center of the city and watch the whole thing for free. The Montreal International Jazz Festival is the world’s largest jazz festival! It excitingly attracts internationally-ranked artists, while less excitingly closing off a number of downtown streets. The jazz festival also offers quite a few free outdoor shows, but Montrealers are probably happiest NOT driving to them.

You also might get confused if a local shows you their map or compass, and yours is from outside Montreal. They like to assume north = Mount Royal, even though that’s not exactly true. “Montreal north” might not be the same as compass or pole north. Just keep this in mind in event of confusion.

Biking is extremely popular, particularly in the most densely populated neighborhoods. The city has become one of the best for urban cycling, rapidly increasing its number of separated bike lanes in the last several years. Bike lanes are also located in key locations and traverse the city, connecting to popular sites, not just around. For the most efficient routes you should consult the Montreal City Council interactive map. The only serious drawback to biking is winter, or that while Montreal clears snow from its most popular bike lanes, that won’t be all of them, and the remaining ones could get icy.

Also unfortunately, in those very same delightfully bike-friendly neighborhoods, bike theft has become popular too. Never forget to secure your bike to a bike rack, then loop in anything else detachable as well (seat, basket, wheels). Then secure the entire situation with a u-lock or some other cable that definitely can’t be cut quickly by a thief.

And if you really want to maximize your cheaper transportation options? Bikes are also allowed inside metro trains, as long as it’s not too crowded (people take priority). But don’t ride around inside the stations, and keep in mind your bike could be temporarily denied at a station near a major event during a huge rush. But likely you could just take a later train.

Walking is also extremely popular in most neighborhoods, but beware of ice on any uncleared sidewalk. Winter boots with soles that grip are highly recommended after a snow storm.

Driving is too popular, most Montrealers would say, because it’s chock full of both literal and metaphorical hazards. Right turns on red are not permitted. Popular roadways tend to pothole, because the weather plus the snow-melting salt destroys them. Some potholes are deep enough to cause real damage if driven over quickly, and repair is difficult until spring. The stop lights are less obvious than many in America, which could cause a collision if you’re not very careful. Street parking is hard to find, and tickets are expensive. The symbols on road signs are the same as in English-speaking Canada and the US, but the words are usually in French.

Last but not least . . . sort of? Never leave your car parked on a street that might soon be experience snow removal! There’s actually a siren! But if you don’t move your car almost immediately after it goes off, you’ll be very expensively and inconveniently towed.

Some Montrealers feel they’re both Quebecois and Canadian, while others would prefer to separate from Canada. No one other than a Montrealer should assume they’re adequately informed on this issue to contest any Montrealer’s opinion. Locals advise the most respectful and considerate thing would be to avoid the subject yourself, but feel free to listen and learn if others discuss around you.

Locals also say many Montrealers consider it more respectful to at least attempt a few words in French even if you’re primarily Anglophone. They’ll probably hear your accent and reply in English, but will appreciate the effort anyway.

And lots of adult language-immersion programs are available if you do want to learn French, some from non profits, some from the government, and many are free. Locals report the ability to speak at least beginner-level French is preferred for many jobs. If you’re not from Canada, do not already speak French, would like to immigrate to Montreal, and you’re not already sponsored as a skilled worker, learning French in advance would likely help.

Montreal has its own free public extensive wireless network (MTLWiFi). It’s one of the world’s largest, with 825 access points, including many public buildings, libraries, and parks! Even many major intersections have free WiFi. However, they need you to keep in mind that it’s meant for you to use while out and about, not longer-term from your house. Also, while you may be using passwords various ways for various things on your own device, MTLWiFi itself is not encrypted.

Montreal shares the rest of Canada’s lower violent crime rate, with some spikes in property crime. So like any large city, keep an eye on your valuables, don’t leave anything in your car, and beware of pickpockets, especially in touristy areas. 

Specifically Montreal safety tips are that the streets are most dangerous, particularly for driving, at 3 a.m. That’s the magic moment when all the clubs close and their drinkers empty out. A few might be unruly. Also, metro cars are usually safe, but just to make sure, ride the first car with the driver late at night or anytime your station seems substantially less crowded.

Montreal has some of the best budget dining in North America. Lots of cheaper but still great Indian food, a lot of kosher restaurants with less expensive dishes, as much smoked meat as you could possibly consume, and a lot of vegetarian-friendly (probably without the corned beef on top) plus economical poutine!

(Poutine is squeaky. And it definitely squeaks in French, with or without smoked meat.)