Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montreal
Le Plateau-Mont-Royal (English: The Plateau) is a borough (arrondissement) of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Plateau, located just north of downtown and east ofMount Royal is one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Canada, with 101,054 people living in a 8.1 square kilometre area.
History
The Plateau was formerly a working-class neighbourhood, with the Eastern part being largelyFrench-Canadian, and the Western part largelyJewish. The neighbourhood was the childhood home of Quebec writers Michel Tremblay and Mordecai Richler and both have set many stories in the Plateau of the 1950s and 60s.
The Plateau is characterized by brightly-coloured houses, cafés, book shops, and a laissez-faireattitude. It the location of some famous attractions on Saint Lawrence Boulevard, including Schwartz’sDeli (famous for its Montreal smoked meat), and a weekend street fair during the summer that sees extremely crowded streets. In 1997, Utne Reader rated it one of the 15 “hippest” neighbourhoods in North America.
In the 1980s, the area’s bohemian aura and proximity to McGill University attractedgentrification. As rents increased, many of its traditional residents and businesses were dispersed to other parts of the city. For example, a historic local grocer, Warshaw, has recently been replaced by a Pharmaprix. The neighbourhood continues to gentrify, and it is now home to many upscale restaurants and nightclubs, and any number of trendy clothing stores have their place along this strip of St-Laurent and St-Denis.
Geography
The borough is located northeast of downtown, and was part of the City of Montreal prior to the 2002municipal mergers.
It is bordered to the south by Ville-Marie, to the west by Outremont, and to the north and east byRosemont–La Petite-Patrie. Clockwise from the south, it is bounded by Sherbrooke St., University St., Pine Ave. (av. des Pins), Park Ave. (Avenue du Parc), the southward projection of Hutchison St., Hutchison St., Mount Royal Ave (av. Mont-Royal), and the CP railroad tracks.
Government
Municipal
The current borough mayor is Helen Fotopulos of Union Montreal.
The borough is divided into three districts (as of 2005):
- Mile End
- Jeanne-Mance
- De Lorimier
Federal and provincial
The borough is divided among the following federal ridings:
- Outremont
- Westmount—Ville-Marie
- Laurier—Sainte-Marie (the bulk of the borough is in this riding)
It is divided among the following provincial electoral districts:
- Outremont
- Mercier (the bulk of the borough is in this district)
- Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (a small southeastern corner)
- Sainte-Marie—Saint-Jacques
- Westmount—Saint-Louis
Features
Overlooked by the eastern face of Mount Royal, the borough is served by part of the orange line of the Montreal metro, including Sherbrooke,Mont-Royal, and Laurier stations.
Important features of the borough include the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, Lafontaine Park, and Jeanne Mance Park.
The borough is largely composed of the well-known Plateau neighbourhood, famous for its bohemian reputation and characteristic architecture. The neighbourhoods of Mile End, Côte Saint-Louis, and Milton-Parc (including the McGill Ghetto) are also located in the borough.
via: wikipedia
