Montreal a lovely blend of art, architecture, cuisine, history

By: J. David Chapman/September 21, 2023

I was not all that excited when I found out I would be going to a conference in Montreal, Canada. Boy, was I wrong. What I found was a city with a unique blend of cultural diversity, history, and vibrant atmosphere.

The first thing I do when I arrive in a new city is take the Greyline Hop-on Hop-off bus tour. I have found it to be a very efficient method to plan my additional activities. After the two-hour tour, I had a very good idea what was special about Montreal.

First, the bilingual culture. As the largest city in the province of Quebec, French and English are both official languages. This bilingual nature gives the city a unique cultural richness and diversity, with a European feel due to its French heritage.

The culinary scene is well-known, respected and deserved. Seems like everywhere you look there are small shops with bagels, smoked meat sandwiches, poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy), and a wide range of international cuisines influenced and owned by its multicultural population.

The city has a thriving arts and cultural scene. It boasts many museums, art galleries, theaters, and music venues. The city is an island surrounded by rivers with an active cruise ship industry providing guests from all over the world, fueling the demand for amenities such as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Place des Arts, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Guests also find an abundance of public art installations, including murals, sculptures, and street art. The city’s commitment to promoting art in public spaces adds to its unique character.

Montreal is home to one of the top universities in North America, McGill University, contributing to its intellectual vibrancy. As for sports, the city hosts the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, has hosted the Olympics, and is home to one of the oldest and most storied NHL hockey teams, the Montreal Canadiens.

With all this my favorite is Old Montreal. This historic district is characterized by cobblestone streets, charming architecture, and a rich history. We explored landmarks such as Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Port, and Place Jacques-Cartier. It is some of the best architecture I have ever experienced.

With the natural beauty, stunning views, parks, waterways, detail to placemaking, walkability, cultural diversity, educated population, and terrific architecture, Montreal, provided the perfect backdrop for the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) annual conference.

J. David Chapman is a professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).