MONTREAL SHOPPING
Low-budget clothes
- Avenue du Mont-Royal The blocks on this street between St-Laurent and St-Denis are lined with second-hand stores. Stock varies wildly, so it’s hard to recommend one shop over another. But as the strip’s popularity rises, so do the prices.
- Chabanel Street Just north of the Metropolitain between St-Laurent and du Parc is schmataland. Montreal still has a large textile industry, most of which is located in this district. Here you’ll find factory outlets that sell to the public directly, but only on Saturday mornings.
- Eva B A great selection of leather and women’s clothing, much of which is made on-site. For the theatrically minded, they also rent costumes at reasonable rates. Costume shop visits require an appointment. 2013 St-Laurent (at Ontario), 849-8246
- La Bohème A small shop, chock-a-block with vintage-wear for the whole family. Everything from footwear to headwear, including a fair selection of leather jackets. Cash only. 206 St-Viateur W.
- Friperie St-Laurent Second-hand clothing boutique with great ‘40s ties and other treats. 3976 St-Laurent, 842-3893
- Fripe-Prix Renaissance This smaller, lesser-known discount chain is actually cheaper than Village des Valeurs, with a $1–$10 price range tax included. At the branch on the Main, there’s the bonus of a used book, record and computer basement. Various locations including 7250 St-Laurent, (corner Jean-Talon), 276-3626
- Le Château Warehouse All the stuff you saw in the regular outlets that didn’t sell. They slash the prices. 5255 Jean-Talon W., 341-5301
- Lolita This friendly and boutique-y frip on the St-Viateur strip offers an extremely affordable selection of women’s fashion and accessories from a variety of eras; a decent jeans selection but also a wide array of dress-up gear ranging from kooky-fun to über-sophisticated. 274 St-Viateur W., 270-5858
- Village des Valeurs An institution for Montrealers on a budget, there are five locations in the greater Montreal area and stock is not limited to clothing. Don’t just go to the store closest to downtown-it’ll be the most picked-over. 4906 Jean-Talon W. (metro Namur), 739-1962; 6779 Jean-Talon E. (metro Langelier to connecting Northbound bus), 254-0433; 2033 Pie-IX, 528-8604; 7427 Newman, 595-8101; 5630 Henri-Bourassa (corner Lacordaire), 327-7447
Low-budget furniture
- City of Montreal Public Auctions Call for the schedules and details. 969 Louvain E., 872-2340
- Duvet Ungava Good selection and prices for futons and duvets. 10 des Pins W., ground floor, 287-9276
- Ikea Hard to get to without a car (if you’re going by bus it’s a good idea to call their switchboard for detailed directions before setting out). The usual do-it-yourself furniture fare at moderate prices awaits. 9191 Cavendish (off the Metropolitain), 738-2167
- Salvation Army Used furniture and a wicked array of clothes and household goods at insanely low prices. Get everything you need, and the cash goes to a good cause. 1620 Notre Dame W, 935-7425; 4890 Jean-Talon W., 738-1796; 5762 Sherbrooke W., 488-8714
Books
- Abya-Yala Librairie des Amériques Loads of books and info on Latin America are hoarded away in this little textual cave. 4555 St-Laurent, 849-4908
- Academic and General Book Shop New and used books on a range of topics, and what they don’t have, they can order. 385 Sherbrooke W., 849-3833
- Argo Eclectic collection of used books. 1915 Ste-Catherine W., 931-3442
- Bella Shares a shop with Mojo (see CDs/Records), specializing in obscure fiction, comics, and other arty books. 3968 St-Laurent, 282-7730
- Chapters Three huge floors of books, magazines and a Starbucks café. Occasional launches and signings. Open late. Downtown location is at 1171 Ste-Catherine W., 849-8825
- Diamond Bookstore Second-hand, remaindered and rare stock. 5035 Sherbrooke W., 481-3000
- Double Hook Canadian Books Canadian literature is this Westmount store’s specialty; occasionally also hosts readings. 1235a Greene, 932-5093
- L’Échange Buy and sell books (mostly French) as well as music and comics. 713 Mont-Royal E., 523-6389 or 3694 St-Denis, 849-1913
- Indigo As they say, it’s “books, music and café.” Second, smaller location at 395 Jean-Talon W. (metro Parc), 278-2673. The store at McGill-College & Ste-Catherine is roomy and open to 11pm nightly. 1500 McGill, 281-5549
- Librairie Allemande German bookstore has everything from children’s novels to biographies. 3488A Côte-des-Neiges, 933-1919
- Librairie Alternative Bookstore Collectively run bookstore offering books and magazines on alternative media, environment, animal rights, labour, anarchy, feminism, sexuality and queer literature. 2035 St-Laurent, 2nd fl., 844-3207
- Librairie Astro Used books, comics and trading cards. 1844 Ste-Catherine W., 932-1139
- Librairie Italiana Italian books, magazines, video rentals and records. 6792 St-Laurent, 277-2955
- Librairie Las Americas Spanish books. 10 St-Norbert (off St-Laurent just below Sherbrooke), 844-5994
- Librairie Michel Fortin Inc. Specializes in language books, but also serves as a general bookstore. 3714 St-Denis, 849-5719
- Librairie du Moyen-Orient Specializes in books from the Arab world. 877 Décarie, 744-4886
- Librairie Ulysse Excellent selection of travel books, guides and maps. 4176 St-Denis, 843-9447
- McGill Bookstore A comprehensive selection with a cybercafé upstairs. Closed Sun. 3420 McTavish, 398-7444
- Mélange Magique Metaphysical, holistic and occult books. They also carry incense and crystals. 1928 Ste-Catherine W., 938-1458
- Nicholas Hoare Highbrow champions of bookstore feng shui. Also sell CDs. Ogilvy basement, 1307 Ste-Catherine W., 499-2005; 1366 Greene, 933-4201
- Odyssey Buys and sells used and rare books, especially art, literature and history, plus used and classical and jazz records. 1439 Stanley, 844-4843
- Paragraphe Good selection of new books, including a great children’s section; if it’s not in stock, they’ll order it for you. Attached to a Second Cup. 2220 McGill-College, 845-5811
- Stage Theatre Bookshop Great selection of theatre, film, music, dance and visual arts books. 2123 Ste-Catherine W., 931-7466
- S.W. Welch Used and rare books bought and sold; good prices offered for used books., but can be picky about what they take. 3878 St-Laurent, 848-9358
- Vortex Mostly used books, but the owners take great care to make sure they’re in the best condition. A lot of rare and first-edition stock. Name your subject. 1855 Ste-Catherine W., 935-7869
- The Word Buys and sells art, philosophy and literature books, and has all of last year’s McGill textbooks. There’s also a wall of classic must-reads for only a dollar, and a comprehensive supply of zines and literary mags. 469 Milton, 845-5640
Magazines/Newspapers
- Au Tabasoir Sturdy selection, and a good film rack. Across from metro Mont-Royal. 425 Mont-Royal E., 845-5727
- Maison de la presse internationale A great selection of up-to-date newspapers and magazines from around the world. Found all over the city. 550 Ste-Catherine E., 1393 Ste-Catherine W., and 1645 Ste-Catherine W.
- Medi@phile Independent newsstand with excellent selection of international newspapers and magazines, as well as gifts, greeting cards and cigars. Will do special orders. 1901 Ste-Catherine W., 939-3676
- Metropolitan News Agency The place is tucked away, the shop is small and messy, but they have just about any newspaper and lots of foreign-language magazines. 1109 Cypress (south of Ste-Catherine between Peel and Stanley), 866-9227
- Multimags Magazines and newspapers from all over the globe. All over Montreal including 1570 de Maisonneuve W., 5236 Queen-Mary, 352 Ste-Catherine W., 2085 Ste-Catherine W. and 3552 St-Laurent
- Point Vert Strong on artsy mags, design & music. May have titles the others don’t. 4040 St-Laurent, 982-9195
CDs/Records
- Archambault A huge selection of CDs, from classical, jazz and world to francophone, rock and pop. 500 Ste-Catherine E., 849-6201
- BPM Muzik DJ store with variety of dance music. Techno, house, R&B, reggae on vinyl and CD. 1154 Ste-Catherine E., 527-5912
- CD Plus Second-hand CDs. 5128 du Parc, 273-1088
- CDément Mostly used, and some new rare stuff. Good prices. 388 Ste-Catherine W., 866-7616
- Cheap Thrills New and used CDs, as well as used books. 2044 Metcalfe, 844-8988
- Disquivel New and second-hand vinyl and CDs. Covers everything, especially electronic music. One listening post. 1587 St-Laurent, 842-1607
- DNA Science, Moog Audio Techno/drum & bass, hip hop and sound equipment. Three stores come together under one roof, making it the place to come to for all your urban music and the stuff that makes it loud. 28 des Pins E., 284-7434
- Inbeat: Specializing in house and techno on vinyl. A great start for club DJs. 3814 St-Laurent, 499-2063
L’Échange (see books)
- HMV You’ll have to forge past the Top-40 display units at the front to get to the CDs, but the selection is good for all tastes. Many locations including 1020 Ste-Catherine W., 875-0765
- L’Oblique A touchstone for francophone musicians and scenesters looking to upgrade their collection with new, used and rare discs. 4333 Rivard, 499-1323
- Le Pick-Up Buys and sells everything from CDs and 45s to vintage magazines and posters. Big funk and soul selection. 262 Mont-Royal E., 849-9484
- Marché du disque Cheap vinyl, and a great selection of CDs from soundtracks to rockabilly to exotica. 793 Mont-Royal E., 526-3575
- Mars The store is like a spooky attic, but has some finds. Also posters, magazines etc. 460 Ste-Catherine W., 844-4329
- Mojo Rare vinyl re-issues with emphasis on jazz. Also funk, pop, groovy soundtracks, and a used CD rack. 3968 St-Laurent, 282-7730
- Noize A rich collection of new and used discs and vinyl, many musical genres. Two couches, two decks. 3697 St-Laurent., 985-9989
- Phantasmagoria Alternative, classical and jazz specialist, has some hidden treasures. 4914 Sherbrooke W., 488-2004
- Pop Shop In the former location of Rayon Laser, this new store has CDs and vinyl. 3656 St-Laurent, 848-6300
- Primitive Second-hand CDs, tapes and records. Great prices. 3828 St-Denis, 845-6017
- Rotation Techno, house, deep house, drum & bass, breakbeat and a little hip hop. Vinyl and CDs. Four decks. 30 Prince Arthur W. (corner St-Laurent), 848-9562
- Ricochet New garage, mod, punk, as well as collectibles and rare vinyl. 372 Ste-Catherine W. #105, 393-6410
- Stomp Ska & garage rock, plus a selection of mod clothes. 78 Rachel E., 842-5887
- Tabou International DJ Club The city’s HQ for club DJs: techno, house, jungle, rap, R&B, dance. 1021-A Ste-Catherine W., 288-5609
- Underworld Music Hardcore, punk, ska specialist. 271 Ste-Catherine, 284-6418
Instruments & sheet music
- Archambault The one stop for all the classical music you could ever want to have on paper. Instruments too, including pianos. 500 Ste-Catherine E., 849-6202
- Italmelodie Inc. Sales, leasing, service, trade-ins and lessons. Large selection of instruments and sound systems. 274 Jean-Talon E., 273-3224
- Steve’s Music Guitars, drums, keyboards, rock songbooks and rental sound equipment. 51 St-Antoine W., 878-2216
MORE MONTREAL SHOPPING
Montréal offers a myriad of shopping to choose from. Browse the upscale boutiques, funky shops, and public markets. Each district offers
something unique, from cutting edge fashions to rare antiques. In the Underground City alone there are more than 1,500 shops to choose
from.
Shopping neighborhoods
Chinatown
Just outside of Montréal's bustling downtown is the exotic allure of Chinatown and its fascinating array of shops. Discover the wonders of
the food markets, sampling Asian delicacies. Or head to the souvenir stores to find Montréal mementos or unusual trinkets in the crowded
shops of la Gauchetière street and St-Laurent blvd.
Notre-Dame Street
Notre-Dame is often referred to as 'Antique Alley.' And with more than fifty shops lining this half-mile stretch, not including the
multiple-dealer co-ops, it's easy to see why. Antiques hunters flock to this pedestrian-friendly street, complete with wide sidewalks, old-
style lampposts, and flowering pots, to find vintage advertising and magazines, tin toys, neon signs, memorabilia, rare china and upscale
antique furniture.
Old Montréal
The striking 17th Century architecture of the old city houses interesting stores and souvenir boutiques. For the best selection of mementos,
ranging from the tacky plastic variety to Native sculptures and fine art, head to St-Paul, St-Sulpice and Notre-Dame streets. No shopping
trip to Old Montreal is complete without visiting the historic Marché Bonsecours. Headquarters of the Conseil des métiers d'art du Québec
and the Institute of Design Montréal, this market houses 15 stylish boutiques featuring Quebec designers, including crafts, fashions,
accessories and jewellery, and furniture.
Plateau Mont-Royal
No trip to Montréal is complete without a visit to the Plateau Mont-Royal and its bustling main strip Boulevard St-Laurent. The 'Main', as
the locals call it, is a good place for alternative shopping, with lots of funky shops and one-of-a-kind boutiques. Chic shoppers head to
rue St-Denis and avenue Laurier are filled with cutting edge fashions from emerging Québécois designers. In between your shopping sprees, be
sure to stop at one of the countless cafes to people watch and sip espressos.
Public Markets
Along with state-of-the-art shopping centers and fashion forward boutiques, Montréal is also home to large public markets. The Marché
Atwater market is located near the Lachine Canal, is recognizable by its tower and is known for its flower vendors and butcher shops. Over
in Little Italy the Marché Jean-Talon market features nearly 100 vendors from Québec and beyond, including bakers, fresh produce, and
specialty foods. Not only are the markets great for picnic fare, but the specialty fare makes for terrific souvenirs as well.
Rue Sherbrooke
Québec designers are quickly taking center stage on the world fashion stage. For the latest looks and high fashions, serious shoppers head
to Rue Sherbrooke for international and Quebec designers, luxury items like fur and jewelry, and upscale department stores. While browsing
the upscale boutiques, stop in at the numerous cafes for a break from shopping and a sweet pastry.
Rue Ste-Catherine
Much of Montréal shopping is centered around rue Ste-Catherine. Home to the city's four top department stores and myriad shops, boutiques
and restaurants, Ste-Catherine is no fewer than six extravagant shopping complexes. Most of the shopping is centered between Peel and
Aylmer, with countless cafes dotting the spaces in between stores.
Underground City
When the wintry winds or sultry summer temperatures become tough to deal with, the tough go shopping! Montréal's Underground City has made
shopping a year-round sport. Heated in the winter and air-conditioned in the summer, it's always the perfect climate for bargain hunting.
Linked by underground tunnels and three Métro stations, the Underground City boasts two major department stores, a dozen shopping malls, and
more than 1,000 boutiques and restaurants. Head to the Underground City in the heart of downtown and unearth some terrific deals.
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