Photo by Tristan Brand
St-Patrick’s day is kinda like Montreal’s Carnival. At this point it has very little to do with celebrating Irish-ness (I mean, there’s a Ukranian float) and everything to do with having a big, outdoor, all-ages, inhibition-lacking, block-the-streets spring party. Post parade last Sunday, hundreds of people stayed outdoors to soak of the sunshine along with their drinks.
This parking lot between Crescent street and Bishop, below Ste-Catherine, acted as a spontaneous public square for the afternoon, cathing the overflow from all the packed bars.
I’ve often wondered how such a great, tourist-friendly location has lasted as a $7 parking lot for so long, and apparently I’m not the only one. Yesterday, I came across a sign advising me that someone was applying for a permit for a 10-storey residential development with commercial space on the ground floor. The new building would integrate part of 1220 Crescent street, which, until very recently housed the increasingly nomadic Mad Hatter’s bar.
So that’s good news for one of the sad gaps on this block. Mind you, I’ll miss the direct access between Grumpy’s and Bru…
6 comments
St Patrick’s day has become nothing but an excuse for people to buy and consume more beer than on any other regular day. It’s consumerism at its 4th best (after Xmas, Valentine’s day, and Halloween).
It’s amazing to think how many parking lots in the city we have lost in the last 8 years for residential buildings (some of which apparently haven’t sold THAT well). Makes you wonder if our priorities are being taken into consideration at all.
Really, SeekOdin? Why is an excuse to buy and consume more beer than usual a bad thing? Negative, negative.
Also, I think most readers here prioritize those parking lots being filled in.
The parade was a blast! I took about 200 photos and met some really great people. And yes, I drank a few beers during the parade.
SeekOdin, all of the days that you listed are simply good excuses to have fun. Get together with friends and family at Xmas, spend a nice evening with your partner on Valentine’s, dress up and go dancing on Halloween and hoist a few pints on the street with your fellow citizens on St Paddy’s.. consumerism needn’t enter the picture unless you allow it to.
Personally, I’d love to see every surface parking lot disappear.
Who needs more parking lots downtown….. it makes no sense! We’re trying to limit traffic so we can actually “live” in this city, and you want more available parking?
To each his own, I suppose.
I was there!
I think filling in the downtown core with more residential buildings is a great idea. Walking along de Maisonneuve de Maisonneuve is a pleasure these days (eg near de la Montagne). I love that Montreal is a city where we all live close to downtown.
and..
In terms of parking downtown, I think we need more bike stands and a stronger metro system before we need more car parking.
Fray, as you said, to each his own. However …
I am not saying we need MORE parking space. Far from it, but taking up every single EXISTING parking space and replacing it by unaffordable apartment buildings is not the answer either. If you look at all of the recent condo projects that mushroomed in the city (that haven’t sold THAT well by the way), you will notice they are all very expensive and are mostly being bought up by rich foreigners. This will only drive prices higher until we reach a point where normal Montrealers will not longer be able to live in our beautiful downtown (as you said Jess).
As for the consumerism bit, I don’t need predetermined dates to socialize and meet up with family and friends. Yes, it is very important to have social get-togethers, but unfortunately, today, these holidays have been mutated into mass corporate events where the only thing that counts is for everyone to spend money. There is no real celebration of Irish culture in St Paddy’s day anymore. What are you telling me that Irish people just get drunk all the time?
Anyhow, that’s just my opinion. Thanks for the feedback.