Is Montreal a really nice place to live?

Q: I am a British citizen, but I lived for 15 years of my life in Orlando, Florida. However, for the past 2 years I have lived in a horrible place in the UK called Stoke-on-Trent. It is very boring and depressing. I have heard great things about Montreal, and have been accepted into Concordia University there to study economics. Right now, I do not speak a word of French. I am 30 years old, white, single and have a slight american accent. I would be looking to move there permanently. I miss the standard of living that is on that side of the Atlantic. Is it very hard to become a permanent resident in Quebec after you have studied there, and are people in Montreal welcoming to foreigners who move there? Also, is there lots of stuff to do in Montreal? Thanks.

A: Hi. I don't live permanently in Montreal, but I travel/stay there a great deal (about two weeks a month) from my home in Southern California. Montreal is GREAT. The people are generally friendly, outgoing, enjoy life. In general (exceptions noted below), people are very welcoming to those of us who don't speak French (even those from below the south border). There are always a TON of things going on (particularly in the summer) - because the winters are tough, the summers are one big party - Grand Prix, Jazz festival, Movie festival, Comedy festival etc. Because of the combination of the universities, and the French tradition (I think), the city is vibrant - many wonderful restaurants, lots going on, great health clubs, art venues etc. In the summer, many restaurants open in the front, and extended summer dinners 'spill' out onto the sidewalk. Similar to Europe, there is no hurry to leave - stay and enjoy your espresso while watching the world go by. Now, for the caveats - I have the impression that it can be a relatively expensive place to live - perhaps you will get feedback from others on this. Students/new working people seem to share apartments, rather than being able to afford their own. Depending on your budget, this may be a problem. Winters are VERY cold - (minus 20 is not uncommon), and they last a large percentage of the year - so you have to be ready to deal with this. And, finally, there are geographic areas of Montreal where the residents are more aggressively Quebequois, meaning that they will not speak English with you (they CAN, they just WON'T). So I would be cautious in moving here to make sure you end up in a section that is more bi-lingual. Very infrequently, I run into this in the downtown area - I got a free breakfast once because nobody in the Cafe Presse woudl admit to speaking enough English to take my money! :)

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