Saint-Laurent boulevard tops a recent list of 9 great streets around the world created by NYC-based Project for Public Spaces.
The Main is described as a cool combo of trendy, eclectic and nostalgic, and recognized for its cultural diversity. Apparently 14 different ethnicitys have claimed sections of the Main. (Chinatown, Little Italy, Little Portugal, the traditionally Jewish area, plus surely a good dose of French and English…what else?).
The main was also awarded for its round-the-clock animation. I snapped this photo around 5am one night/morning last June.
Other “great boulevards” were in Spain, Sweden, Argentina and Las Vegas. PPS also list great commerical streets, transit streets, pedestrian streets, residential streets, markets and more. Sainte-Catherine was nominated inthe commerical street category.
PPS also urges people to nominate “worst streets” for their hall of shame. Surely, there are a few around Montreal that could conquor that category as well.
Top photo: Société de développement du boulevard Saint-Laurent, reproduced by Project for Public Spaces.
One comment
Wow. Your pic looks almost exactly like Granville Mall in Vancouver, looking south up towards Georgia Street. It’s interesting how cities around the world develop and evolve similar “compartments” of social activity. I will read the PPS survey with great interest. I love your wide variety of photos around Montreal. Thanks.