Among the most unique architectural characteristics of Montréal are the ubiquitous stairways leading to the upper floors of apartment buildings. You see this feature all over town - but especially on the Plateau Mont Royal, the French-speaking heart of the city and hub to everything that makes Montréal the special place that it is.

Virtually everyone who lives on the Plateau lives in an apartment building. It's a compact area where - if you don't know your neighbors - you definitely hear them. Very few buildings are more than three-stories here, and none (that I've seen) have elevators. Nor do they have internal stairwells.

Rather - access to the upper floors is gained via staircases in-front and behind the building - thus maximizing the available living space within. And a lot of thought has gone into the design of these staircases. 

They often sport elaborate railings, creative paint-jobs, and quite often urban landscaping. The over-all affect is quite aesthetically appealing and gives the city a very unique character.

Most of these external staircases also have small balconies or terraces at each upper level. For many residents of the city this provides their only outdoor space. It is quite common - in the summer - to see people sitting outside on their staircase balconies enjoying the warm weather and sharing late afternoon apéritifs with friends and family.

However, when winter arrives these same staircases are covered in ice and snow. And while still charming and pleasing to the eye - they definitely become a challenge to navigate. I'll show you those when the time comes - but for now, let's enjoy summer; while it lasts.

Without doubt the most widely recognized piece of architecture in Montréal is the Olympic Stadium. It's a stunning site and can be seen from almost any part of the city. Yet it stands today as one of the most expensive useless buildings on Earth.

Designed by the French architect Roger Talillibert for the 1976 Olympic Summer Games, the stadium was plagued by design problems and labor disputes and was only partially completed when the games began.

Originally it was to have a retractable roof. This was not completed until 1987 - and never worked properly. Since then it has been replaced several times with roofs of various materials, and to this day safety issues remain.

The 45-degree slanting stadium tower is the tallest inclined structure in the world and a spectacular sight. It too remained unfinished for the Olympic games and was finally completed in 1987 as well. It now houses  a funicular which hauls tourists to the observation platform at its summit. And the Olympic swimming facility sits directly under the tower.

Over the years the stadium has been home to the Montreal Expos baseball team, the Alouettes football team, and various other events, conventions and concerts. In 1977 it saw its largest crowd when 78,322 people jammed themselves inside for a Pink Floyd concert.

Originally projected to cost $134 million dollars - the final cost of the stadium was $1.47 Billion (with a B). Keep that in-mind the next time you're contemplating adding an extra room to your house. The cost over-runs became so notorious that the stadium has earned the dubious nickname of "The Big Owe".

Yet, in-spite of all this, it's hard to imagine Montréal without the stadium. Today it sits empty. No sports teams play there any longer and once regular events like the Montréal Auto Show have long since departed due to safety concerns after several beam and roof failures. But in May of this year the Province of Québec formed a committee to study ideas for its future use.
We can only wish them luck.

One of the first things you notice about Montréal in the summer is the bikes. They're everywhere. For a populace trapped inside a good part of the year by icy winter weather, summer is a time to soak-in every ounce of outdoor time you can - and bikes are a major part of that.

This is a city where velo-culture is taken quite seriously. Biking tours, contests, shops, repairs, and equipment are part of daily life here all year long - but especially in the summer.

The Plateau Mont-Royal is the center of French-speaking Montréal, and an area criss-crossed with bike lanes. Walking on the Plateau requires attention not just to cars - but care in crossing the ubiquitous velo highways too. The sound of bike chimes alerting non-attentive pedestrians are heard more often than car horns here.
http://www.caroulemontreal.com/pdf/verso28.pdfweeblylink_new_window

And for the truly adventurous there are bike touring events of every type and description organized under the umbrella of Vélo Québec. From the Tour de la Nuit to the Tour de l'île de Montréal to the Montréal bike fest - this place has got it all. The range of events and excursions is mind-boggling and sure to provide something of interest to any biking appetite.
http://www.velo.qc.ca/en/feria/The-Montreal-Bike-Festweeblylink_new_window

And one need not even own a bike in Montréal to become part of the peddling culture. BIXI Montréal is a public bike sharing program (just like the one in Paris) which positions bikes around the city for open access public use. You need only register and pay a nominal fee in-order to use a bike anytime you need one, without the obligations and headaches of ownership.
http://montreal.bixi.com/weeblylink_new_window

Locking stations are conveniently located all-around Montréal so you are always able to secure your bike when out and about. And new bike paths are being added constantly. The cumulative impact of these initiatives has made Montréal one of the most bike-friendly cities on the planet.

So if you enjoy biking and lament the lack of accommodation where you live, perhaps a peddling vacation in Québec is just what the doctor ordered. You will definitely be among a like-minded population. And the streets of Montréal will offer you the ease of navigation only dreamt of in most American cities.