Saint-Paul Street

You’re now walking along Saint-Paul Street—the oldest and historically richest in Montréal. In 1645, just after the foundation of Ville-Marie, this street was already drawn for urban planning. If you look at a map of the city, you’ll notice that the streets of Old Montréal are the only ones that don’t follow a grid layout. The street is named after Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, one of the city’s founders with Jeanne Mance. For a long time, Saint-Paul was the most important commercial street in town. In the 19th century, Old Montréal became the cradle of the city’s press, where dozens of political and literary newspapers were printed out—both in French and English. At the time, the street was bustling day and night, being the first in the city to be equipped with oil street lamps. Today, it’s lined with beautiful 18th and 19th-century buildings housing art galleries, local designer boutiques, artist studios, restaurants, buzzing jazz clubs, and trendy lounges. The perfect place for a summer evening stroll… and maybe something more..