St. Louis Square (Carré St-Louis)
St. Louis Square (Carré St-Louis)
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Picturesque square popular with artists and writers.
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The area
Neighbourhood: Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie
Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie has one of Canada's most prominent Italian communities, with Little Italy concentrated along the convivial bends of Saint-Lawrence Boulevard. Known for its fantastic bars and authentic Italian fare, the domain includes the Jean-Talon Market, the largest public market in North America. Open year-round, sunny months see fruit and vegetable stalls set up outside the main chalet, while blustery weather draws crowds indoors to meat and cheese sellers, spices and truffles stalls, and for regional delicacies such as rare Charlevoix lamb. While the market dictates what's fresh for local restaurateurs, visitors can please more than their palates, taking in the Renaissance architecture and frescos of Madonna della Difesa, the picturesque Rue Saint-Rominique with its cheerful homes and splendid gardens, or the ornamented thoroughfare of Plaza Saint-Hubert.
How to get there
- Beaubien • 3 min walk
- Rosemont • 8 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
3,510 within 5 kms
Attractions
547 within 10 kms
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
77 reviews
Excellent
29
Very good
29
Average
17
Poor
0
Terrible
2
Dave C
Illinois1,701 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
OK, I'm surprised I'm doing this. I'm giving a 5-star review to a park, of all places. Yet... this was interesting. There were houses (photo attached) of many colors. The square is historic. There's a big water fountain. There's a small coffee shop with munchies. I saw a mother pigeon nesting in the hollow of a tree. it is a great place to relax, or walk, and just take in the scenery.
Written 10 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
montrealandre
montreal91 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
SQUARE ST LOUIS in Montreal. There is a fountain of youth in this Square where I have lived for the last 20 years, on and off , between my stints in LA and TMR, and Jamaica, my beloveds.
So, why do I like this Square. Because it has the imprevisibilty factor, the Bohemia factor, where you can have a major movie shot with Matt Damon one day telling chess player Bobby Fisher,s story, imitating Washington square. .with 1950 s cars all around the Square, .. then the next week, a Just for Laugh Gags Filming, or police-cadet officers that all look like movie stars on bikes in crisp nice white shirts,, or to see Academie Francaise Laureate Danny Laferriere sitting on a bench giving a CBC interview, or some young Australians leaving in a hurry to catch a flight, or the students from Quebec s Hotel School eating their poutine or some fine pastries or the delightful but toxic Montreal's famous Smoked Meat nearby....., or young people going to bars on St Laurent all spiffed up in their best attire , or some rauthor walking his schnoodle, or major foundation work on one of the Victorian beauties that sit on clay on top of cedar beams.
The Scottish have built this well, the 1880s Quebec bourgeoisie that lived here were mixes of French or English Canadian, indian and Scottish like Emile Nelligan , Quebec's premier poet..
There lived here Michel Tremblay, author of Les Belles Soeurs, or Gerald Godin, immigrant friendly PQ Minister and local MP and Pauline Julien Quebec's premier Artist, outspoken, feminist, well educated, or cineast Gilles Carle , whose spirits still floats in the air in this square.
Only 130 years old, these buildings have been occupied by hippies in the 1960's, then were renovated by the yuppies in 1980,s, , then made into B&B or rented to especially McGill Students and some tourists that over-run this place like the squirrels that .dominate this park.
It's also the symbol of Quebec's emancipation and revolution tranquille in the 1960's Beatnick era, The shorter Facebook version of this critique is below.
Aside from the artists- souls that inhabitate the area, the sometime rowdy St Laurent , next to Square St Louis, especially during the World Cup or the Hockey Playoffs, or Molson Stadium Football fans also adds to this particular psychic energy that fills this park. Too many chemicals in the fountain though, possibly to chase the unknown unknown spirits,warned the police cadets on bikes and they discourage dogs and people from skinny dipping..
Lafontaine Park nearby is better for this but the benches are great for romantic picnics or yoga lessons . With the Bixi bikes, born here, you can pedal to Duluth street up Laval or run to see the fireworks, twice a week in summer a short distance away. It is where the action is,... from tokers and their pushers, to Artists Galore, Punk musiciansm, lone guitarist singing opera. It s the Bohemia factor...the diisident part of the elite or wannabee elites of tomorrow. It's Jack Kerouac mindset. and the center of the intellectual and artistic might of Montreal, it is here .My mom used to complain in the early 1980 s that she was regularly stopped by men , expecting hooker service but that lately nobody had asked her. I told her that she probably charges too much...lol.
My fellow neighbors on the Square are retired american or UQAM professors, many Frenchmen in their 20s and 30s , that run fine restaurants and bars around or renovate somewhere near. This Plateau District, has been made home by the Youths from France that see Quebec as their new hope, their new Eldorado.
The dynamic in the place is interesting and business is done on the Cafe-terrasses or Internet Croissant Cafe places like Madame Clafoutis nearby, which acts like the food and lobby lounge for the neighbouring BnBs. It's all very human, very organic. The harsh winter weather kills it outside for 7 months out of 12. So this is heaven on Earth 5 months per year. Prince Arthur nearby is a shambles because of 4 closed restaurants since the 2008 slowdown, the harsh winter, high taxes and a clampdown by Revenu Quebec on some of the restaurateurs that ran a mostly cash business.
Aside from the Victorian Greystone Limestone Facades and their ornate mansard roofs, even the city sewers and water pipes, here are still vintage, which makes you imagine that you're in Istanbul when you shower.
There is a patrol car circling the block every 5 minutes to give parking tickets. The rapacity of the city and high taxation (around 20,000$ in taxes for a Greystone) and Revenu Quebecs clamp down on Bnb may spoil all this magic..
The place isin a time warp ,a time travel,,,lol, a mindset that is from another era..but ., renovated to accomodate Wifi and our busy lifestyles. Most greystones have gone condo and were upgraded. . Only the parking here is made difficult and discouraged . It's mostly pedestrian and a bike mentality, hostility to cars is common. Car sharing , like Communauto or electric cars is encouraged. Laval Avenue runs north to to the grand Rachel street, , premier bike path in Montreal heading to Lafontaine east or to the west, Park Avenue s Esplanade and Fletcher Park 's Monument, nicknamed the ''pharmacy'' and Molson Stadium where the Redmen play by the side of this pretty mountain forest that is Mont Royal. I know, this isn't a review. It's a book. My apologies.
So, why do I like this Square. Because it has the imprevisibilty factor, the Bohemia factor, where you can have a major movie shot with Matt Damon one day telling chess player Bobby Fisher,s story, imitating Washington square. .with 1950 s cars all around the Square, .. then the next week, a Just for Laugh Gags Filming, or police-cadet officers that all look like movie stars on bikes in crisp nice white shirts,, or to see Academie Francaise Laureate Danny Laferriere sitting on a bench giving a CBC interview, or some young Australians leaving in a hurry to catch a flight, or the students from Quebec s Hotel School eating their poutine or some fine pastries or the delightful but toxic Montreal's famous Smoked Meat nearby....., or young people going to bars on St Laurent all spiffed up in their best attire , or some rauthor walking his schnoodle, or major foundation work on one of the Victorian beauties that sit on clay on top of cedar beams.
The Scottish have built this well, the 1880s Quebec bourgeoisie that lived here were mixes of French or English Canadian, indian and Scottish like Emile Nelligan , Quebec's premier poet..
There lived here Michel Tremblay, author of Les Belles Soeurs, or Gerald Godin, immigrant friendly PQ Minister and local MP and Pauline Julien Quebec's premier Artist, outspoken, feminist, well educated, or cineast Gilles Carle , whose spirits still floats in the air in this square.
Only 130 years old, these buildings have been occupied by hippies in the 1960's, then were renovated by the yuppies in 1980,s, , then made into B&B or rented to especially McGill Students and some tourists that over-run this place like the squirrels that .dominate this park.
It's also the symbol of Quebec's emancipation and revolution tranquille in the 1960's Beatnick era, The shorter Facebook version of this critique is below.
Aside from the artists- souls that inhabitate the area, the sometime rowdy St Laurent , next to Square St Louis, especially during the World Cup or the Hockey Playoffs, or Molson Stadium Football fans also adds to this particular psychic energy that fills this park. Too many chemicals in the fountain though, possibly to chase the unknown unknown spirits,warned the police cadets on bikes and they discourage dogs and people from skinny dipping..
Lafontaine Park nearby is better for this but the benches are great for romantic picnics or yoga lessons . With the Bixi bikes, born here, you can pedal to Duluth street up Laval or run to see the fireworks, twice a week in summer a short distance away. It is where the action is,... from tokers and their pushers, to Artists Galore, Punk musiciansm, lone guitarist singing opera. It s the Bohemia factor...the diisident part of the elite or wannabee elites of tomorrow. It's Jack Kerouac mindset. and the center of the intellectual and artistic might of Montreal, it is here .My mom used to complain in the early 1980 s that she was regularly stopped by men , expecting hooker service but that lately nobody had asked her. I told her that she probably charges too much...lol.
My fellow neighbors on the Square are retired american or UQAM professors, many Frenchmen in their 20s and 30s , that run fine restaurants and bars around or renovate somewhere near. This Plateau District, has been made home by the Youths from France that see Quebec as their new hope, their new Eldorado.
The dynamic in the place is interesting and business is done on the Cafe-terrasses or Internet Croissant Cafe places like Madame Clafoutis nearby, which acts like the food and lobby lounge for the neighbouring BnBs. It's all very human, very organic. The harsh winter weather kills it outside for 7 months out of 12. So this is heaven on Earth 5 months per year. Prince Arthur nearby is a shambles because of 4 closed restaurants since the 2008 slowdown, the harsh winter, high taxes and a clampdown by Revenu Quebec on some of the restaurateurs that ran a mostly cash business.
Aside from the Victorian Greystone Limestone Facades and their ornate mansard roofs, even the city sewers and water pipes, here are still vintage, which makes you imagine that you're in Istanbul when you shower.
There is a patrol car circling the block every 5 minutes to give parking tickets. The rapacity of the city and high taxation (around 20,000$ in taxes for a Greystone) and Revenu Quebecs clamp down on Bnb may spoil all this magic..
The place isin a time warp ,a time travel,,,lol, a mindset that is from another era..but ., renovated to accomodate Wifi and our busy lifestyles. Most greystones have gone condo and were upgraded. . Only the parking here is made difficult and discouraged . It's mostly pedestrian and a bike mentality, hostility to cars is common. Car sharing , like Communauto or electric cars is encouraged. Laval Avenue runs north to to the grand Rachel street, , premier bike path in Montreal heading to Lafontaine east or to the west, Park Avenue s Esplanade and Fletcher Park 's Monument, nicknamed the ''pharmacy'' and Molson Stadium where the Redmen play by the side of this pretty mountain forest that is Mont Royal. I know, this isn't a review. It's a book. My apologies.
Written 26 July 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Canadian Mum
Calgary, Canada1,975 contributions
Jul 2014 • Friends
On one of my morning sojourns I happened upon this quaint little park. It's defined but unrefined all at the same time. Breathtaking yet just a little bit rugged around the edges. What I loved was the little cafe, leK, or the Kiosk. There is a small menu which has a few hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and gelato. Certainly enough variety to choose a snack, sit, enjoy the scenery and relax. The gentleman who served us was so warm and caring. His espresso was strong and steaming and insanely tasty! As we were lingering over the final drops on the outdoor patio, he brought our group samples of their freshly squeezed apple juice. Amazing! Right there in the middle of the hustle and bustle of life was a retreat just waiting to be enjoyed.
Written 4 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark A
Erie, PA269 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
I have been here several times. One winter visit the snow was very high and huge plow trucks were necessary to clear the paths..which I found neat (since I was visiting and didn't live here). The area is surrounded by French architecture spiral staircases and mansard roofs .. vintage row homes. Plus it is surrounded by Rue St Denis and a few blocks from rue St Laurent.
Written 5 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
442joseph
Chiang Mai Province, Thailand501 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
If you are looking for shade on a very hot day, this park has it. Close to Metro Mont-Royal it is nice park to take your animal and or to go for a nice walk and read a book
Written 23 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
saltimbanquina
Montreal, Canada97 contributions
Jul 2010
St. Louis square is one of my favourite places in Montreal. The beautiful homes surrounding the square (most famously the red, blue and purple Victorian townhouses) are definitely worth adding the square to your route. Located on the corner of St-Denis and rue de Rigaud, it is right next to Sherbrooke metro and if walk north toward Mount-Royal, you can take in a wide variety of shops. Or, you can cut through the park, stroll along Prince Arthur E. to blvd. St-Laurent, head north and then hit up Schwartz' for some smoked meat. And if you're really not afraid of walking, you can just as easily head south along St-Denis and eventually you will find yourself at the Old Port. But don't worry, there are many bars, cafes and shops along the way if you need a break.
Written 21 April 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lara M
Galway, Ireland32 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
Lovely square with stunning homes! Well worth a visit to see the charming houses and wander the neighbourhood
Written 9 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
elaine a
Montreal, Canada81 contributions
Jun 2017
Visit day or night. The gorgeous cast iron fountain sits on top of the former water reservoir for the city. The park is surrounded by lovely stone houses and some of the trees are over 100 years old. It's a very romantic place. Stroll down Laval street which has wonderful date back the mid 1800.. I like to go to cafe Cherrier which is close by for a drink or a light meal or to Mamie Clafoutiefor one of their amazing pastries and breads.
Written 14 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Professional-Pilgrim
Quebec, Canada1,345 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
Grand old Victorian houses surround the square. Squirrels pester you for handouts. Maybe the best time to go is on a summer or fall evening, when some of the buskers are playing music. Once, a South American group was playing its heart out: magical!
Written 1 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RoniNess
Beirut, Lebanon159 contributions
Oct 2016
Trees, leaves, autumn colours, friendly squirrels... I love walking through this square almost every day and especially in autumn when leaves crunch under your feet, and the sun comes through the trees.
Written 17 November 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I saw a dog sign in the park. I was wondering if we could jog inside the park?
Written 24 February 2021
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