Moving to Montreal (Different questions)

[okko622]

Hi,

I've read through a few threads about moving to Montreal. And although I have found it very helpful, I still have a few questions.

I'm 21 years old, and have lived in Vancouver now for 4 years. Since I first came here, rent has gone UP. I'm sure many of you have heard Vancouver is something in the top 5 most expensive cities (don't quote me on that stat...). To give you an idea, I am currently doing marketing and online social media for a small company, making $12.50 an hour. I live in a quiet neighborhood which has a lot of shops nearby, however it's a pain to get downtown/out of my area. I share a small basement suite (I am going to say maybe 700-800 sq ft) with another roommate, and pay $750 a month with utilities. So it's a financial struggle and I am getting really sick of it.

I'm not too worried about french. I was in french immersion up until high school, and was surrounded by many french Canadians all of my life. I can easily understand french (even when spoken quickly, or slang usually). However I hate speaking it because I'm paranoid about how horrible my accent compares to someone who is actually french. So, I would like to live in an anglophone area.

So my unanswered questions would be the following:
-Given my story above, is Montreal the right destination for me? Or is the grass not much greener?
-It sounds like I should be looking in the West End. However, I haven't heard much about the areas enough to know if they match with my hopes of living around boutiques/cafes/ etc. So far I have written down: Cote St. Luc, St. Laurent, Pierrefonds, Outremont, Plateau Disctrict, Town of Mount Royal, Westmount, and Hampstead.
- I do have a friend who is thinking about moving with, but I don't want to rely on that. If I do end up moving alone, would you recommend I rent a room out in a house with other roommates, which is what I did when I moved to Vancouver.
-Craigslist is a biggie in Vancouver, same goes for Montreal?

Any more advice or personal stories that may be helpful would be much appreciated.

Thank-you!

 

[Goober]

Hi,

I've read through a few threads about moving to Montreal. And although I have found it very helpful, I still have a few questions.

I'm 21 years old, and have lived in Vancouver now for 4 years. Since I first came here, rent has gone UP. I'm sure many of you have heard Vancouver is something in the top 5 most expensive cities (don't quote me on that stat...). To give you an idea, I am currently doing marketing and online social media for a small company, making $12.50 an hour. I live in a quiet neighborhood which has a lot of shops nearby, however it's a pain to get downtown/out of my area. I share a small basement suite (I am going to say maybe 700-800 sq ft) with another roommate, and pay $750 a month with utilities. So it's a financial struggle and I am getting really sick of it.

I'm not too worried about french. I was in french immersion up until high school, and was surrounded by many french Canadians all of my life. I can easily understand french (even when spoken quickly, or slang usually). However I hate speaking it because I'm paranoid about how horrible my accent compares to someone who is actually french. So, I would like to live in an anglophone area.

So my unanswered questions would be the following:
-Given my story above, is Montreal the right destination for me? Or is the grass not much greener?
-It sounds like I should be looking in the West End. However, I haven't heard much about the areas enough to know if they match with my hopes of living around boutiques/cafes/ etc. So far I have written down: Cote St. Luc, St. Laurent, Pierrefonds, Outremont, Plateau Disctrict, Town of Mount Royal, Westmount, and Hampstead.
- I do have a friend who is thinking about moving with, but I don't want to rely on that. If I do end up moving alone, would you recommend I rent a room out in a house with other roommates, which is what I did when I moved to Vancouver.
-Craigslist is a biggie in Vancouver, same goes for Montreal?

Any more advice or personal stories that may be helpful would be much appreciated.

Thank-you!

Rent is much lower.

Excellent transit - culture - food - music - history. Roommates can be a problem. They have yearly leases in Que that expire and or renew on 01 July.
Look for inexpensive until you get your legs under you - money - and upgrade your skills.

People will help with your french,and it is a skill set, but some will always be ignorant. But that is not restricted to the french.

 

[Orion]

Okko, in an overall fashion Vancouvers cost of living and housing is dramatically higher then Montreals... here are a few recent stats for you.... one bed room averages 960$ in Van vs 640$ in mtl. A two bed rooms averages 1240$ in Van vs 720$ in mtl...You can also rent a room for 200-300 a month which can be very accomodating..... Now it is true that wages are a higher in vancouver however it isnt proportionnal to the higher overall cost where Salaries in Vancouver are more or less +107% compared to montreals... but housing costs are nearing 165% of Mt and that for the same canadian dollar my friend ... transportation is also slightly cheaper in mtl (75$ vs 81$ 1 zone) so from a strictly financial standing point this may be a good move for you if currently struggling.

Montreal is extremely multicutural and as an anglophone you can virtually find your fit anywhere in my opinion.... but..... i do agree that your area selections above are in the top 10 if you want a smooth transition from bc...

Oh and craiglists, lespacs and kijiji are strong market holders in montreal as far as online classified advertisement sites...

hope this helps...

 

[no color]

If you're looking for a predominantly English speaking neighborhood, then the West End (NDG, Westmount, Montreal West, Cote St. Luc, Hampstead) or the West Island (Pointe Claire, Dorval, D.D.O, Kirkland, Beaconsfield, Baie Durfe, St.Anne, Senneville ...) would be good choices on places to live. These towns are all located within the Island of Montreal. If you want to live in a bilingual neighboorhood then downtown Montreal would be a good option. McGill and Concordia are English language universities both located in the downtown area.