Tourists to Montreal are always so disappointed when their questions about Montreal's "famous" Underground City are met with a roll of the eyes. "They make it sound so amazing in the tourist books," I always say. "It's nothing more than some glorified underground malls that connect some metro stations and office buildings downtown."But the secret is, I DO actually think the underground city's cool. But in the winter, when any tourist in their right mind is far, far away from Montreal's icy streets. Then it becomes out little secret-the way for us Montrealers to get around downtown without setting foot outdoors.
I love the challenge of trying to maneouvre the often badly marked series of tunnels trying to get to get across downtown to Point B. "This is where I am, this is where I need to go...I wonder if I can get there without going outside..." You really have to know where you're going in this maze of tunnels; and every time I reach my destination, I feel like I've joined the ranks of "those in the know." It may take longer than just walking outdoors, but I didn't even have to to put my mittens on. And nether did the streams of everyday people that you find in the "city".
The "city" is bottom floors of office buildings, underground malls, long, scary corridors, metro stations; there's modern architecture as you connect with the flashy Palais de Congres, and a refurbished heritage building complete with stone fountain and facade as you go through the edge of Old Montreal. You can pretend you're a traveller as you pass through the train station, or an office peon as you go through the food court of the Bell building, a suburban retail queen as you cross the Eaton Centre or a homeless guy begging for change or napping in the corner at Metro Bonaventure.
Exploring the everyday lives of everyday Montrealers with one thing in common: staying out of the cold.
