Montreal: The Unknown City

by Kristian Gravenor, John David Gravenor

The Unknown City is the newest addition to Arsenal’s bestselling series of urban city guides. As one of North America’s most popular travel destinations, Montreal is world renowned for its European style, countless festivals, scintillating nightlife and world-class cuisine. But with more than 350 years of history, Canada’s original megalopolis conceals more than its share of -little-known charms. For example, did you know Movie star Veronica Lake actually died in Montreal, but her body was transported to Vermont so she would not have appeared to have died in "Sin City North." The Pinball Wizard from Pete Townshend’s The Rock Opera may have been based on a Montreal waif named Pamela Marchant. Baseballer Barry Bonds has married not one, but two Montreal exotic dancers. The Unknown City offers a lesser-known take on the remarkable places, wide-open spaces and world-famous faces that make the city and district unique. A fun-filled resource for visitors and locals alike, its ten -sections are packed with notorious scandals, strange-but-true anecdotes and indiscreet facts. From whispered-about cycling paths to cut-rate shopping, astonishing eateries to skinny dipping, this book has Montreal uncovered. Read it and you shall come. Two-color throughout, with more than 150 black-and-white photographs. Kristian and John David Gravenor are writers and editors in Montreal.

276 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2003

Reviews

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an older book, published 2002 in Canada. I bought a used copy at The Word, a funky used bookstore on Milton Street not far from McGill University. (Also one of the few places where you can still buy books written in English: French is the official language of Quebec; almost all of the new-book retailers in Montreal sell Francophone publications exclusively, though I did stumble across a Chinese language bookstore in the Underground beneath the Desjardins Mall. Anyway, check this place out, then take your newfound treasures to Cafe Milton or Lola Rosa, a vegetarian restaurant, both on Milton Street, and read while savoring a drink and a snack.)

Originally, I was looking for a history of Montreal written in English; this book wasn't what I had in mind, but it's filled with urban legends and local gossip, the kind of stories you would only hear by conversing with longtime residents of a city. Haunted streets, political scandals, sports legends (I didn't know that Jackie Robinson started his professional baseball career in Montreal), not-so-hidden burial grounds in public spaces, and failed business schemes: it's an amusing read, the sort of book that's fun to browse through as you ride the subway or take a break at a bar or coffee shop. There are also tips on where to go if you're into kayaking, hiking, or hunting for street art. Unfortunately, the restaurant and bar portion of the book has dated badly, which is probably why it's no longer in print. Many of the places closed in the wake of the 2008 recession: but many new places have sprung up. Montreal is a lively city with a long and great history: this book, however dated, is a fun place to learn about it.

[Amar Pai · Rating 2 out of 5]

The section on strip clubs lists 6 clubs, only to note that each of the 6 listed is sucky. This is typical of the book in general. "Here's a bunch of restaurants you wouldn't want to go to... and here's a couple of bowling alleys we hate."

Also it opens with the statement "Geography is the most sentimental of sciences," which I find jejune in the extreme.