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TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
I'm an American living in Texas, and have a couple months of open time until job prospects materialize (and I can self-support for a long while in the meantime), so I need to shack up somewhere just to chill out and apply for jobs in the US and Europe. In the past, SA once convinced me to move to Newfoundland (ended up living there three months) and I spent a few months of 2015 in Savannah based on goon recommendations, so overall I've gotten surprisingly good advice. Though I did not get the chance to take the Capetown advice last year since I ended up coming straight back to the US from West Africa.

If I'm going to Montreal, say starting in April and hopefully leaving in June or so, just me and a backpack and a duffel bag for a couple months, what's the best way to find temporary housing in a house-share? AirBnB, Kiji?

I'm not bringing a car, and so I want to live somewhere really walkable and near public transportation. I enjoy being right in the middle of things, so any recommendation on neighborhoods that are walkable and have a lot of cultural stuff going on, lots of people out and about doing interesting things? Maybe close to large parks or whatever public spaces to chill?

Any can't-miss cultural experiences I should seek out? I like museums, folk music, bicycling, pretty standard "less tech-nerd more culture-nerd" hobbies, etc.

I would ask in the Montreal Goonmeet thread but it got archived, but maybe I can figure out who the social queen-bees are in the thread and ping them.

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PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

I'm an American living in Texas, and have a couple months of open time until job prospects materialize (and I can self-support for a long while in the meantime), so I need to shack up somewhere just to chill out and apply for jobs in the US and Europe. In the past, SA once convinced me to move to Newfoundland (ended up living there three months) and I spent a few months of 2015 in Savannah based on goon recommendations, so overall I've gotten surprisingly good advice. Though I did not get the chance to take the Capetown advice last year since I ended up coming straight back to the US from West Africa.

If I'm going to Montreal, say starting in April and hopefully leaving in June or so, just me and a backpack and a duffel bag for a couple months, what's the best way to find temporary housing in a house-share? AirBnB, Kiji?

I'm not bringing a car, and so I want to live somewhere really walkable and near public transportation. I enjoy being right in the middle of things, so any recommendation on neighborhoods that are walkable and have a lot of cultural stuff going on, lots of people out and about doing interesting things? Maybe close to large parks or whatever public spaces to chill?

Any can't-miss cultural experiences I should seek out? I like museums, folk music, bicycling, pretty standard "less tech-nerd more culture-nerd" hobbies, etc.

I would ask in the Montreal Goonmeet thread but it got archived, but maybe I can figure out who the social queen-bees are in the thread and ping them.

Don't live right downtown around McGill and Concordia, it's bad and full of jerks (in my experience, at least; I know some people disagree with me). Do live in Mile End, it's full of cool poo poo, the people are way, way friendlier, and it's pretty close to metro stations and major bus lines. I should've done that and I didn't and I regret it.

There's enough English that you won't have too much trouble if you don't speak French, and it's French enough that you'll actually be able to learn pretty quickly.

EDIT: Although if you've spent time in West Africa, it occurs to me you might already know French, so that might not be a concern for you either way.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
Good deal, one vote for Mile End; I'm fixing to look up some names on the archived Montreal thread and ping more folks to answer here too.

So far as French, I speak Spanish and Portuguese, and managed to get by even with monolinguals while living in Quebec City for a month a few years back. Basically by knowing several dozen French-specific terms and then fleshing out my vocab with stuff that I knew transitions over from Spanish and Portuguese. I have some experience teaching English, so I might look online for local folks that want to professionalize their English and help them in exchange for helping me improve my French.

Is Kiji the main place to look for month-to-month housing, like getting my own room in a shared house?

Parahexavoctal
Oct 10, 2004

I AM NOT BEING PAID TO CORRECT OTHER PEOPLE'S POSTS! DONKEY!!

Verdun is reasonably cheap these days.

you'll want to stay the hell off the west island

also, it's kijiji.

as for cultural stuff: you'll absolutely want to do Montreal Museums Day on May 28.
"One Sunday every May, more than 30 of the city's largest museums and galleries offer free admission and extended opening hours.[3] To facilitate visitor access to as many museums as possible, the Montreal Transit Corporation provides free shuttle buses"

you will also want to do the Tam Tam, which is a spontaneous public drum gathering in mount royal park every Sunday afternoon when it's warm enough to hang around on the lawn.

Development
Jun 2, 2016

lol do not stay in Verdun or you'll turn into a balconville

+1 to stay in Plateau/mile-end.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres

Development posted:

lol do not stay in Verdun or you'll turn into a balconville

I lack the context for the joke; is the punch-line "tabarnak"?


EDIT: naming a neighborhood "Verdun" seems poor marketing, having your 'hood associated with "mobs of men being mowed-down and poisoned with mustard gas" and all.

Development
Jun 2, 2016

there's many poor people there, many of which who live on social assistance programs.

they sit on their balconies people watching and drinking cheap beer

Parahexavoctal
Oct 10, 2004

I AM NOT BEING PAID TO CORRECT OTHER PEOPLE'S POSTS! DONKEY!!

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

I lack the context for the joke; is the punch-line "tabarnak"?


EDIT: naming a neighborhood "Verdun" seems poor marketing, having your 'hood associated with "mobs of men being mowed-down and poisoned with mustard gas" and all.

to be fair, it's been named "Verdun" since the 1670s, when the original was more associated with antisemitism and the plague.

TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
Booked my tix; flying to Montreal on Friday!

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TapTheForwardAssist
Apr 9, 2007

Pretty Little Lyres
Flying up Friday morning and will stay at a backpacker hostel for a few days until I find month-to-month housing in Mile's End.

If there are any Montreal goons who want to grab a beer while I'm in town (could be a few weeks, could be a few months) shoot me a PM, or post here and I'll post my goon-purpose throwaway email.

Quick planning question: when I'm at Duty Free in the US, what should I grab to bring to Canada as gift/trade fodder? Years ago Marlboro Reds were hard to find in Canada and considered a cool novelty (and way cheap at DF). Still the case? And for booze, should I just buy the max of whatever cheap vodka or are there any specialized drinks hard to find in Canada that I should buy from DF? Neither of these are for me, I just want to capitalize on Duty Free to get things that would be handy in Montreal.

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