Im heading to Montreal for a while and was wondering if anybody knew of a good lab to get 4x5s developed and overall good experience.
Also wouldn't mind meeting up with a few of you for a walk about of the secret gem spots in town.
cheers
www.denizmerdan.com
Some interesting and varied architecture:
http://www.habitat67.com/home.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ma...Bonsecours.jpg
Deniz,
As much as I bitch about the changes, it is a great city!
I am rushed now but I will post more later,
the ONLY lab I know that is still doing large format is:
The are trying to find their 5x7 hangers, they say I am the only guy to ask for 5x7.
Dafo Eclair, by far the best lab in the province for years and years, closed and the building is for sale.
http://www.borealislab.qc.ca/html/eng_borealis.html
A brief Montreal City Guide.
Montreal has lots of great buildings to shoot, but it is not London (UK) by any stretch.
The city hall is all boarded up for a reno, no pictures to shoot there.
The cityscape from the look out at the CHALET is nice, but you must walk from the lower parking lot. The view from the drive by look out is not really worth a sheet of film. There are some really great detail shots to be done in Old Montreal, but the city has construction everywhere right now (summer 09)! So be prepared for delays and to find the building you may want to shoot surrounded by junk.
The mayor (Tremblay) HATES cars, and it is getting harder to get around by car. Parking meters are 3 dollars per hour, max 2 hours, except in the arts district where you can load three hours to see a show and not run to the meter.
I have ranted many times already about the landmark ruling in a civil case that allows people to sue if their image was used in a publication without consent. But this has morphed into something else and people scream out "no pictures". You may take ANY picture you wish, you may not publish any picture you wish however.
Bixi Bike:
Rent a bike drive a few blocks, or across town and end the rental do your thing and take another back, great system to just jump a short distance. The bikes are heavy and awkward, but they are great.
Taxi drivers will try to take you the VERY long way if they think they can get away with it, GPS in Taxi to keep them on track has not caught on here like it has in Paris or other Euro cities.
Best small camera store and Leica shop:
Camtec Photo
514.875.5110 ask for Jean, the owner.
Notre Dame street east in front of the Palis du Justice.
Big camera shops:
L.L. Lauzon ( I hate the place but many like it)
Photo Service in Old Montreal.
Best Men’s stores:
Uomo Montreal: 1452 Peel st. 514.843.5527
Kiton, Loro Piano, Borrelli, Zegna Couture
Edward Green, John Lobb, Zimmereli.
Watches and Jewelry:
Chateau D’Ivoire:
Sam, the owner, is a true gentleman!
This is the only place to shop for a high end watch or jewelry. (unless you want Philippe Patek, then it is:
Kaufman du Swiss)
Best shop to take your girlfriend/wife for one of a kind dresses and skirts:
Designer George Levesque’s
Scandale, St. Laurent street, around 3650 or so.
This is on the funky side, no clean classic navy dresses in this shop.
High End Audio:
Coup de Fondre
1110 Bleury st. Deal with Graeme, the owner.
Said to be one of the best audio shops in the country, the one US shop that rivals it, is in NYC.
Disclaimer: This is not my rating, but that of other clients I met in the shop. You can see everything they have at other shops, just not all under one roof, I am told.
Restaurants:
Montreal is a city with plenty of great restos (as the locals call them in slang French), and plenty of mediocre restos that are places to be seen. On average, if you ask someone for a restaurant suggest, you will be given a place to see and been seen first and fore most.
Suggestions to eat well:
Au Pied de Cochon *Heavy Quebecois meat dishes, old school.
Bonaparte *French cuisine
Boris Bistro *Nice outdoor terrace
L’Express *French Bistro, loud but a great place.
Golden Curry *Indian, small but very good.
Milos *Greek, one of the best seafood
Stash *Polish
Toque *Best “degustation” menu in city
Bronte *Nouvelle cuisine
Chao Phraya *Thai
Ferrara *Seafood
Troika *Russian
La Porte *Haut French
There are several new and very good restos in Old Montreal around the Customs House. Old Montreal is having a "rebirth" and there are many new shops and lots of old building renos going on, it has changed more in the last three years than for the 25 years before that.
Middle ground:
Cafe Cherrier
Holder
Blue Nile *Ethiopian
Ouzeri *Greek
Red Thai *Thai
L’Entre Cote St. Jean. Steak and fries A or B. That is the only choice you have to make other than the wine.
A nice place in the Passage du Musee, right after the chocolate shop, the name escapes me at the moment.
Sherbrooke street kitty corner to the west of the Musee.
Suggestions to see and been seen and “just eat” because you need to:
Buona Notte
Rosalie
Cavalia
Queue Chaval
Cube
Newtown
Primmadonna
Suggestions for quick but good lunch:
Schwatz Deli St. Laurent st.
Smoked meat, huge lines at times. Over rated, but worth a quick trip. The Main across the street is as good but is not a “landmark”
Vasco du Gamma Peel street down town.
Olive et Gourmando in Old Montreal, great pasteries.
Best Baguette:
Premier Moisson
(but generally very bad coffee, take the baguette to go)
Pain Dore
(but also generally very bad coffee, take it to go)
Can’t have every thing I guess, they make great bread.
Best Cheese shop: (there are many, but this a good spot)
Atwater Market, ground level. This shop has great Deli meat too, get some 25 year old balsamic vinegar and you are ready for a day out and a great pic nic. There is an SAQ (the state run liquor board) across the street and a mini SAQ at the far end of the market near the canal. You have all you need for a lunch or dinner out.
Part 2: The text was too long.
Hotels:
The city is full of beautiful small hotels. Stay away from the Sheraton etc. unless you are on points. The Ritz was a touch long on the tooth and is closed for a reno and being portioned off into condos much like the Plaza was.
St. James
Hotel Nelligan
St. Paul
Place D’Armes
Xix Siecle
St. Germain
St. Sulpice
Best streets to people watch:
St. Laurent
St. Denis
Mount Royal
Worst street to people watch:
Cresent street.
Cresent street has no redeeming value what so ever and should be avoided despite what all the tourist guides may say. It can get a little rough late at night as drunken boys realize they are going home alone! It is not the street of our childhood anymore!
Little Italy, located around St. Laurent street just south of Jean Talon,
Dante is a great shop to visit if you like odd things for the kitchen imported from Italy. Jean Talon market is a great spot if you want to stock up on fruits and food.
Mount Royal is a great place to go for a pic nic or just a walk, there are some nice small paths that lead away from the crowd that offer great views to the city.
The park at Cite du Harve is a great place to just relax, have a bottle of wine and watch the sun set behind the city. Bring the camera, some great views, Thursday night is the night that has the most lights on in the buildings if you want to do a skyline). No bus, you will need a car to visit this spot. Park under the bridge to the Casino. The city has cut the shuttle ferry from the old port to the park.
Avoid the Casino, it is pretty ugly as casinos go, a waste of time if you are only here for a few days, the restaurant there is over rated, (it did get some good reviews) but there are some good shows from time to time.
Mount Tremblant is very over rated, it is a tourist trap and the charm of the hill is long lost. Don’t waste the travel time.
There are many other, much better places, to visit if you wish to leave the city for a day trip.
If you are feeling very brave and have a rental car,
Charlevoix, it is God’s country, but it is a 3 hour drive. Well worth it if you can. Leave Montreal at 4am, have breakfast by the river where the mighty Saguaney meets the St. Lawrence, spend the day if that is all you can and leave at dark, back in your hotel before midnight.
The peak whale watching season, is late summer. The whales are gorging in early to mid summer and barely break the surface. Go for the Zodiak if you want to have fun and see some whales in the fall.
If you are staying overnight, book anywhere from Baie St. Paul on the western limit to Les Escoumins on the eastern limit. Do not cheat and take the south shore highway and a ferry across, the drive once you approach Baie St. Paul is beautiful, before that point unfortunately is rather boring.
The Eastern Townships are closer, 1 1/2 hours each way and very beautiful also, but not on the scale of the Charlevoix.
Musee des beaux arts, is almost always a good bet, the Musee d’art contemporain is hit and miss, better check first.
* Seasonal *
The Montreal Canadiens are generally sold out, the new building has none of the charm of the old rink, sort of like hockey in an Imax setting with outrageously expensive beer. God I miss the days when the Molson family owned the team!!
If you wish to drop between 300 and 500 (for the best seats in the house) on a scalper, tickets to a game would be great. A jacket is generally worn by men who are regulars in the lower seats, (the team jersey wearing mind set has been taking hold at the rink sadly, this was pushed by the marketing dept to sell product and bothers the old timers) or the bleacher seats are cheap, but do not dress well, beer flies from time to time. Personally, I do not see the point in the bleachers, half the charm is hearing the players, having the boards move as they slam into them right in front of you.
Please note that any Cell phone usage while driving is now illegal in Quebec. $130.00 fine as of July 1st 2008.
You may use your cell via a blue tooth, but you may NOT dial a number while driving, holding the phone is considered using it, no text, no e mails. Answer calls only.
Photo radar and red light radar is now on line in Montreal at areas deamed “high accident risk areas”. There is also a mobile mini van that trolls the streets and corners.
Jay Walking, once consider a fine art in Montreal is now heavily ticketed!! Parks are now under an 11pm curfew. Drinking wine while pic nic’ing in the park is still tolerated, unless you upset the cops, then they enforce the rules and make you pour out your wine and possibly ticket you.
There is a bi-law that allows ticketing (any where from 200 to 800 dollars) for “using city property for a purpose other than which it was intended”. They pull out this bi-law and ticket when they want to get you for something but you really have not done anything.
It would be cool if we could get a few guys together, drop me an e mail when you are heading to town.
wow Allen,
What a reply.. I hope you copy pasted it all, cause thats alot of thinking and typing.
I personally am not to interested in the superficial side of Montreal. I like it dirty, and i like it gritty. dive bars are my fav spots.(right after live jazz venues)
I will be living in Montreal for a while so, that rules out the hotels as well.
I should be around Mcgill ghetto area or la fontain park area if all goes well.
If you have a place i can rent, let me know!
I will be arriving on canada day. Which QC appearently doesnt care about.
we shall meet up indeed.
cheers
Allen, that is a tome. I spent a lot of time in Montreal in the 60s and 70s. Looks like its' changed a lot. I agree with you on Charlevoix. I have stayed at La Pinsoniere up there overlooking the St. Lawrence and love the whole area especially the mountains in the interior. Used to ski at St. Anne des Monts on the way up to Charlevoix.
Nate Potter, Prince Edward Island, canada, temporarily.
deniz
when you get hungry ...
there is (used to be) a killer lebanese restaurant just outside of town.
i wish i knew the name of it, i went there with a cousin last time
i visited. i am sure if you ask around you will have no trouble finding it.
Nathan,
Next time you are up skiing in the area, go to Le Massif, it is an amazing view to ski down towards the St. Lawrence river.
I have not been to PEI in years, but there are some really nice scenes to shoot there too! You must be enjoying it??
Originally Posted by Nathan Potter
This City needs some serious chemical backup. not a whole alot of shops carry chemicals. and processesing is a ripoff.
Shame.
I miss Beau photo already and almost miss Leo's Camera!
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks