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By Matt Mathrani

We Have 369 Photos From Montreal/ca! View Thumbnails View Slideshow

The entertainment capital of Canada, Montreal has gone through a "quiet revolution" since 1960. That's when the people threw off a nasty alliance between a particularly oppressive local version of the Catholic Church and a profoundly conservative political establishment.

They've never looked back, and Montreal has emerged with a joie de vivre that puts the rest of North America to shame. It is no coincidence that this is the home of Cirque du Soleil. You'll notice right away the vitality of this city's multicultural -- but deeply French -- makeup.

And you'll notice that gay people are at the forefront of everything, not only in Montreal but also throughout Quebec. This is a province proud of its people's history as the 16th-century founders of North America. Their fur- trading explorations penetrated deep into the continent. They continued to lead in recent years; Quebec gays were the first in North America to win protection against discrimination.

They're sexy, too. Gay life thrives here, with abundant bars, restaurants, saunas, clubs, lodgings and festivals making this a must-see destination. The Gay Village stretches along Ste-Catherine Street from Berri to de Papineau, and on the north-south axis, from Rene- Levesque to Sherbrooke.

Accommodations: Hotels

Hotel St- Andre; (1285 St-Andre; 514- 849-7070) hotel with modern decor, moderate prices, in-room continental breakfast, free parking.

Hotel Manoir Des Alpes (1245 St-Andre; 514- 845-9803) French/Portuguese flavor, late continental breakfast, modern comforts at modest rates, free parking.

Hotel Felix (1274 Ste-Catherine E; 514-525-2424) across from Beaudry Metro, some rooms have hot tubs, outdoor terrace.

Hotel Dorion (1477 Dorion; 514-523- 2427) convenient to Bar Taboo with overnight or short-term rooms, each with private bath, some with Jacuzzis and fridge.

Hotel Ste-Catherine (1674 Ste-Catherine; 514-527-4440), spacious and inexpensive basic rooms by the hour or the day at the heart of the Gay Village.

Hotel Bourbon (1574 Ste-Catherine E; 514-523-4679) 31 rooms and 5 suites.

Abri du Voyageur Hotel (9 Ste-Catherine; 514-849- 2992) appeals to the budget-conscious traveler, also has efficiency suites.

Hotel Gouverneur (1415 St-Hubert; 514- 842-4881), large high-rise chain hotel with indoor pool, above the Place Dupuis shopping arcade.

Accommodations: Bed & breakfasts
At these B&Bs, most hosts and guests are gay. Full breakfast is the norm.

Absolument Montreal (1790 Amherst; 514-223- 0017) hip urban B&B, film-themed rooms, luxury amenities, gourmet breakfast until noon, all-season garden hot tub.

Alexandre Logan (1870) B & B (1631 Alexandre de Seve; 514- 598-0555), centrally sited prestigious house restored to original splendour, gourmet kitchen, tranquil garden with sundeck and shower.

Aubergell.com (L'Un et L'Autre) (1641 Amherst; 514- 597-0878) has affordable rates, cozy rooms, underfoot comfort with heated floors and plush carpets, semi-private & private bath.

Sir Montcalm Gite/B&B (1455 Montcalm; 514- 522-7747), urban chic decor, two and three-room suites with private bath, community room with fireplace where four-course breakfast is served, free gym passes.

Le Chasseur (1567 St-Andre, 514-521-2238) relaxed and very affordable, shared or private bath by Baudry Metro station in Gay Village, also with private apartment.

BBV Bed & Breakfast Du Village (1279 Montcalm; 514- 522-4771) great values, hot tub, private baths, interior parking, engaging owners.

Belles Vues B&B (1407 Panet #2; 514-521- 9998) central location with great views above Second Cup, large rooms, home comforts, apartment-sized suites.

La Conciergerie (1019 St-Hubert; 514-289-9297) indoor whirlpool, roof deck, cruisy gym, glass-enclosed breakfast nook overlooks garden.

La Loggia (1637 Amherst; 514-524-2493) B&B/Gite with urban garden, includes workshop brimming with works of Canadian artists.

Escogriffe B & B (1264 Wolfe; 514-523-4800) elegant Gay Village guest house, full American breakfasts, affectionate cats and smart dog, rooftop terrace.

Ruta Bagage (1345 Ste-Rose; 514-598-1586) grand Victorian on quiet street, huge windows, full breakfast, sunny terrace.

Click HERE for more places to stay in Montreal.

Circuit parties

Bad Boys Club Montreal (Bbcm.org) circuit parties include: Hot & Dry; Twist Weekend; Black & Blue Weekend; Bal des Boys Weekend, December 31- January 3, 2010 and Red Weekend in February.

Bars: Strippers
In Montreal, dancers can strip down to the bare essentials, and hard-ons are permitted. Lap dances are fine in secluded lounges.

Campus (1111 Ste-Catherine E) buff guys strip for men daily from 3pm-3am, (Sunday for women) with dimly lit VIP section.

Stock (1171 Ste-Catherine E) shower shows, large VIP lounge, two backrooms, seven nights. See their website for live feed of performances.

JP Cabaret (1681 Ste-Catherine E) replaced Bar Adonis this past summer. After renovations and changes in dancers and format for a few months, they returned to the old-style Adonis ambience, and slender nude strippers.

At Taboo (1950 De Maisonneuve E), agile, smooth nude dancers with imaginative routines, every night from 7pm.

Bars: Leather, bears

Black Eagle (1315 Ste-Catherine E) leather, rubber, kink and fetish men's bar, pool table, intense murals.

Tunnel (1296, Amherst) leather, backroom fetish bar beneath Parking dance club, with K-Lub men-only nights.

Woof Bistro Bar (1661 Ste-Catherine E) men's bear bar with fetish theme nights, spaghetti supper karaoke, and rock n' roll nostalgia nights.

Bars: Drag

Cabaret Cleo (1230 St-Laurent) real-girl strippers at street level, and drag shows on the second floor.

Cabaret Mado (1115 Ste-Catherine E) the campiest drag shows in Montreal, seven nights a week.

Bars: Other

Drugstore (1360, Ste-Catherine E) mostly women and drag club in the several levels Bourbon complex.

Bar Cocktail (1669 Ste-Catherine E) lounge & karaoke bar with amateurs and performers in drag, plus games.

Bar Relaxe (1309 Ste-Catherine) unassuming local pub with pool tables and older crowd.

Club Date (1218 Ste-Catherine E) popular piano and karaoke bar with diverse crowd.

Gotha (1641 Amherst) mixed crowd, cozy cocktail lounge with fireplace and local art.

Rocky (1673 Ste-Catherine E) older local's bar sans Stallone.

Dance clubs

Club Unity Montreal (1171 Ste-Catherine E) city's largest gay dance club in three rooms, international DJs, live shows.

Parking Pub (1296 Amherst) shirtless crowd, all-gay dancing, Wednesday through Monday. They're planning to relocate to a big new home under the Olympia Theater (1004 St-Catherine E) by sometime this summer (2010). See website for updates.

Sky (1474 Ste-Catherine E) popular dance complex for gay, straight, young and old, with cabaret, pub, and roof terrace.

Tools (1592 Ste-Catherine E) weekend disco dance club, playing 80's to now music. (Playroom sex club presently closed).

Saunas
Bath house heaven, Montreal has more of these pleasure palaces than most anywhere else in North America. Common facilities include dry saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, massage rooms,labyrinths, porn lounges, snack bars, and towel-clad cruising.

456 (456 de la Gauchetiere W) largest facility in Montreal with swimming pool, internet cafe, massages, and all other comforts.

Sauna 5018 (5018 St-Laurent) terrace, massages, porn cinema, popular with students, in the Plateau.

Sauna Centre- ville (1465 Ste-Catherine E) in the Village on two levels. Room specials and long-term stays welcome.

Colonial Bath (963 Colonial) old- fashioned style in the Plateau with natural stone steam system, mature clientele.

Sauna Oasis (1390 Ste-Catherine E) very popular, also in the Village, with Thursday foam parties.

G.I. Joe Sauna (1166 Ste-Catherine E) big leather guys.

Sauna Du Plateau (961 Rachel E) summer rooftop terrace, labyrinth, "hotel"rooms.

Sauna St- Hubert (6527 St-Hubert) small alternative sauna with bisexual and transsexual crowd, popular "lingerie Tuesdays."

Restaurants

Many of the following places are popular for dejuner (breakfast), diner (lunch) and souper (supper). Most waiters routinely offer separate checks.

Cafe Depot (1800 Ste-Catherine E) coffee and sandwiches.

Lotus Royal Thai (1694 Ste-Catherine E) chic Thai restaurant.

Club Sandwich (1570 Ste-Catherine E) over 60 different sandwiches, tasty breakfasts, poutine (gravy over french fries and cheese -- try it, you'll love it).

Cafe Europeen (1560 Ste-Catherine E) North American fare,patio.

Kilo Cafe (1495 Ste-Catherine E) hangout with sandwiches, cake, great cheesecake.

Pizza Madona (1487 Ste-Catherine E) budget-friendly pizza slices.

Strega (1477 Ste-Catherine E) pasta heaven.

Planete (1451 Ste-Catherine E) global cuisine, exotic cocktails like Up Uranus and I'm Your Venus.

Le Gout du Viet Nam (1389 Ste-Catherine E) a trip to Saigon.

Second Cup (1351 Ste-Catherine E) coffee, tea, lots of eye contact.

La Perle de l'Extreme Orient (1350 Ste- Catherine E) fine Vietnamesedining.

Saloon (1333, Ste-Catherine E) tres gai restaurant for salad, pizza,grilled meat.

Piccolo Diavolo (1336 Ste-Catherine E) basic Italian.

Tabla Restaurant (1329 Ste-Catherine E) Bangladeshi-Indian fare.

Vallarta (1327 Ste-Catherine E) city's best Mexican.

DSens (1330 Ste-Catherine E) French cuisine, elegant setting.

EstAsie Restaurant (1320 Ste-Catherine E) East Asian food, stylish decor.

Bato Thai (1310 Ste-Catherine E) good Thai, easy on the wallet.

Liquid Nutrition (1303 Ste-Catherine E) smoothies, healthy snacks.

Starbucks (1301 Ste-Catherine E) a caffeinated buzz.

Folies En Vrac (1368 Ste-Catherine E) nicely priced made-to-order sandwiches.

Resto du Village (1310 Wolfe) quaint gay 24-hour restaurant.

Restaurant 100 Secrets (1440 Amherst) eclectic cuisine, romantic setting.

Chez Cora Dejeuner (1017 Ste-Catherine E) fabulous breakfast, fruit bowl.

Le Commensal (1720 St-Denis) veggie and vegan buffets.

Shopping & services

Priape (1311 Ste-Catherine E) casual clothing, underwear, beachwear, leather.

Wega Complex (930 Ste-Catherine E) the porn place, with peep shows, movies,merchandise.

Dollarama (911 Ste-Catherine E) bargains for a buck.

SAQ (1250 Ste-Catherine E) affordable connoisseur booze.

Gyms

Nautilus Plus (1431 Saint Andre) and energie- Cardio (845 Ste-Catherine E) each offer daily, weekly, monthly memberships.

Excursions

Septentrion B & B (Leseptentrion.qc.ca) in the Laurentians, is Quebec's only five-star gay inn. Les Chutes (waterfalls) de Ste- Marguerite du Lac Masson, are nearby in Ste Adele.

Tremblant (Tremblant.ca) is a ski resort 90 minutes north of the city. In the summertime the great expanses of waterways are great for an odyssey by canoe.

For a night in Quebec City two hours from Montreal, Le Coureur des Bois (15rue Ste. Ursule) is a Franco-Canadian gem.

Museums

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts/ Musee des beaux-arts de Montreal (1379-1380 Sherbrooke W; Mmfa.qc.ca) is the grand dame of Canadian museums.

Museum of Contemporary Art/ Musee D'art Contemporain De Montreal (185Ste-Catherine W; Macm.org) opposite Complexe Desjardins, has many exhibits of interest.

Notre-Dame Basilica (116 Notre-Dame; Basiliquenddm.org) is a 350 year-old neo-gothic basilica where Celine Dion got married.

Pointe-a- Calliere (350 Place Royale, Pacmuseum.qc.ca) showcases archaeology and history in Old Montreal.

Biodome de Montreal (4777 Pierre-de- Coubertin; Ville.montreal.qc.ca/biodome) illustrates the continent's four ecosystems beneath the dome.

Attractions

Parc Jean-Drapeau (1 Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve; Parcjeandrapeau.com),Quebec's largest amusement and water park, is on St Lawrence River Island.

Montreal Amphi-Bus Tours (Montreal-amphibus-tour.com) lets you view the city skyline and Mont Royal and cruise the St Lawrence River.

Casino de Montreal (514-392-2746) free shuttle from downtown at the Centre Infotouriste on Square Dorchester (Peel at Metcalfe).

Getting there

From Trudeau International, taxis are best; they cost about $38, and most accept credit cards. The Aerobus (destination: Berri- Uqam in the heart ofthe Gay Village) costs $13. Driving from New York takes about seven hours; Boston is just under six hours away.

Pedestrian mall

In 2008, city officials decided to close the street running through the Gay Village from mid-May to mid-September to see if street life would blossom without disrupting traffic. Most people declared the experiment a huge success so the practice has been continued.

Cruising

For details, see Squirt.org.

Local gay media

You can find Fugues and Etre in the gay bars and shops.

Gay pampering

Physotech Plus (1657 Amherst) exclusively male. Massage, hair styling,tanning, skin care, laser hair removal.

Events planner

December 2009
Cirque du Soleil
debuts shows that tour the world
at their Montreal home grounds at Quays, Old Port.
Alegria plays en reprise, December 18-30, 2009
at Bell Center (1250 de la Gauchetiere W).
Cirquedusoleil.com

January 2010
Bal en Blanc (White Party)
takes place January 1st
Balenblanc.com

Winter and Spring 2010
Montreal Jazz Events
Concerts scheduled from January to June so far.
Montrealjazzfest.com

June/July/August 2010
International Fireworks Competitions
all summer affairs filling the skies above the city
Internationaldesfeuxloto-quebec.com

July 2010
Montreal International Art Festival
The Interantional Festival of Arts
dates have been set for July 1-11
Festivaldesarts.org

July/August 2010
Divers Cite Montreal
is the annual gay party extravaganza
July 27-August 2
DiversCite.org

November 2010
The Montreal International LGBT Film Festival
October and November each year.
Image-nation.org

Coming 2010
Village Scene Gay Theater
has stage presentations of interest in French and English.
Coming in 2010: David
Villagescene.com

Resources & Information

Our pull-down menus have more listings and links to most Montreal websites plus additional photos. See also Bonjourquebec.com.

Author Profile:  Matt Mathrani
Email:	matt@guidemag.com