With its iconic staircase-lined streets and alleyway courtyards, the Plateau is Montreal’s most attractive and liveable central neighbourhood. And though locals might grumble about gentrification or a hipper past, it remains an attractive, energetic and likeable district.

For visitors the selection of shopping, cafes, bars and restaurants is as good as anywhere in the city making the neighbourhood ideal if you’re looking for airbnb digs or the like.

History

The Plateau’s tight grid of streets was laid out in 1860, in a time when horse-drawn trams started to service the main arteries, such as The Main, where various immigrants first made a go of it.

The neighbourhood's mixed ethnicity was given an extra dimension by the Plateau’s location at the fault-line of English and French portions in the city, with the result that you really can find a little of everything here.