>>3736262>square condosThat's part of what makes the city interesting- it used to be a renter's city. Most of these are tenement and apartment blocks, many of which were previously cheap enough for someone to pay less than a mortgage worth's to live in their entire adult lives. We still have rent control and a lot of old people who live in the city. It's nice. The way in which Montreal is urban (consistent, medium density) is unlike anywhere I've been in North America. Developers and property owners are trying to change that, because it's not as profitable as shitty, sleek, tacky modern condos. There's a whole game to exploiting renovation exemptions for rent control and evictions. I don't think the city I've grown to love will be here in another ten-to-twenty years. It is one of the only places in NA I've ever been where it is nice to walk the streets and alleys, without having anything to do. So cozy and human, the geography.
