NDG

Peter: 19th Jun 2006 - 14:40 GMT

love it! these are some of my favorite sorts of posts... the informative ones- both visually and textually- that leave you with a real feel of a place.

also: those spiral staircases on the fire-escapes are really cool. i wish we had those in nyc, but we'd probably end up with folks coming up them to get into our apartments, heh.

Chris Erb: 20th Jun 2006 - 17:09 GMT

Thanks Peter!

I love the staircases in Montreal but I've heard they're not allowed to be used for fire escapes on new buildings anymore. Apparently people will become disoriented when rushing down the stairs and having to go in circles. If it's true, it's too bad because they're quite wonderful.

Catherine Penfold-Waxman: 20th Jun 2006 - 17:18 GMT

I've always thought that they should have poles as fire escapes (just like at the firehouses) for the able bodied to get out superquick. Although I would put on a negligee and wait to be rescued by a hot fireman.

EvilGentleman: 20th Jun 2006 - 17:36 GMT

Many of the winding staircases you see here in Montreal (although not this one) are in fact, main entrances. This is especially true in Verdun and the Plateau Mont-Royal. Just imagine having to shovel 3 floors of stairs after an ice storm. Talk about fun.

Chris Erb: 20th Jun 2006 - 21:34 GMT

When I was in Montreal, I didn't see too many main entrances that were full sprial staircases like the one above. Most of what I saw (Mostly in the [Plateau], I didn't make it to Verdun) were staircases that made a rounded 90 degree turn at the top or 2 rounded 90 degree turns (one at the yop and one at the bottom). Some examples of this can be seen in the post I linked above.

Most of the sprial staircases like this that I saw in the areas I was in were fire escapes at the back or attached to back porches.

I didn't get to see much of the city so I'm sure there's a lot I didn't see. Do other cities have stair cases and walk up apartment buildings like Montreal?

EvilGentleman: 20th Jun 2006 - 22:10 GMT

Good point, Chris. Most of the truly spiral staircases are in fact, either fire escapes or accesses to rear balcony entrances. Then there are the double spirals, one for the left side and one for the right, although they share the same landings in the middle. Confusing? Yes, it is even worse to look at them. I think my friend Marc has a double spiral on the back of his place on Bourbonniere, I'll have to go visit and double-check.

But many of the winding (but not spiral) staircases are front entrances, as well. And some are appendices to staircases for entrances to apartments on the middle floors. I really must go on a drive around the city with the express purpose of taking pictures of the staircases. You know, I am so used to these things that I never would have thought to post an article about them. They are so normal that they are virtually invisible. Thanks for making me notice some things that I see every day, yet seldom pay attention to.

Chris Erb: 21st Jun 2006 - 03:40 GMT

I made sure to take pictures of the double stairs as I found them so intriguing. It actually took me a couple minutes to figure out whwhere each one was going and how they worked.

The staircases really popped out at me. They were so new and unusual. I had heard that Montreal had a lot of sprial staircases in the working class neighbourhoods as a means to save space but I didn't know it was to such an extent. I was very surprised as to what I found for buildings in Montreal as they were so different from any I had ever seen before.

simdave28: 21st Jun 2006 - 04:57 GMT

LOl, I can't beleive the guy thinks the corner of Decarie and Sherbrooke is interested. An esso, a kfc, a shell and an ugly 80s apartment tower. There are some WAY more interesting areas in Montreal than this.

dave: 21st Jun 2006 - 05:13 GMT

I actually live in the ugly '80s building. This is the view looking east2 downtown from the roof. The area becomes the city of Westmount in a few blocks. Which is quite posh and Pleasantville-ish. And it's no surprize you heard kids speaking english. Contrary to popular belief this isn't a french city-it's bilingual.

p.s that's not fog in the pic, it's smog-hot day!

Chris Erb: 21st Jun 2006 - 15:11 GMT

I found it interesting because it's all new to me. Growing up in [New Brunswick] and doing little traveling I don't get to see much of what I saw in Montreal. There definitely were more interesting areas but to an outsider, even he most mundane of sights can be exciting. EvilGentleman gave an example of this above when he realized that he's been pretty much ignoring one of his city's most striking features just because he's lived there so long and sees them constantly. I've always thought that an outsider can tell you infinitely more about your town/city than someone who has lived there their entire life.

I love your picture Dave, you have a great view! I knew that there was a lot of English spoken in Montreal and even very English areas, it was just a surprise to hear it after spending nearly a week in the [Plateau] which is almost completely French.

Chris Erb: 23rd Jun 2006 - 16:35 GMT

Also, when I was in this part of town, I had to go to the bank. As I was going out the door, I walked right into a pane of glass beside the door and hit my head. The security guard looked asounded by my stupidity and asked me if I was ok. NDGers seem to keep their glass very clean.

EvilGentleman: 23rd Jun 2006 - 19:41 GMT

Banks in NDG tend to get robbed a lot, so they prefer to keep their glass clean. Had you been running with a money bag when you hit the glass, you would have wound up on the "America's Dumbest Criminals" TV show. (Like AFV, they show Canadian stuff, too). Those clean windows catch more bank robbers than the guards do.

As far as the corner of Decarie and Sherbrooke goes, that Esso has a Tim Horton's, right? Or am I thinking of a different Esso? And when I am cruising around at night, if I am not paying attention to where I am, the light-saber style lighting on the Sherbrooke overpass over the Decarie Expressway is a landmark that one can never miss.

Oh, and Chris, I will have to get out when I feel better and take some pictures of the staircases I am referring to, the back-to-back double spirals that share a single bottom end, but immediately split into spirals headed in opposite directions. They are totally symmetrical, like mirror images of each other. Nice shots, by the way.

Chris Erb: 31st Jul 2006 - 17:02 GMT

I guess I'm living proof that the clean windows do indeed work. I could have gone without the headache though.

I just realized that I was standing on the foot of my future street. Not that it means anything considering I'll be living about a three hour walk from this spot.

markus: 1st Aug 2006 - 19:49 GMT

Did you go for breakfast in NDG and was it Cosmos if you didn't try to next time little grease spoon was placed third in favourite breakfast in Montreal. Thanks for the pics haven't been there in awhile.

Chris Erb: 1st Aug 2006 - 21:08 GMT

I was only there for an afternoon. I'll keep it in mind for the next time I'm there though.

Daniel: 27th Nov 2006 - 02:20 GMT

Can the guy who posted the photo from the top of his building looking east from NDG post one looking west?

There's a great photo from the same area from 1925 on the McCord Museum's website.

I grew up in this neighbourhood and always found it nice. Lots of big trees. There are lots of Arabs here now, which is a change from when I grew up. And there are a LOT more people. It's not the same place I grew up in, but it is less violent (though it also was nice somehow in my youth too).

lisag: 2nd Jul 2008 - 21:07 GMT

Maybe because I am from Vancouver - but I like the "useless and dangerous" green spaces around buildings.

That said, I LOVE Montreal, and your pictures are like a walk down the streets...thank you!