From square footage to greenery and schools, there are plenty of factors worth considering when choosing where to home your growing family. Here’s a list of our favourites Montreal neighbourhoods for homeowners with young children:
Best budget-friendly option: Rosemont
On the East-end of the Greater Montreal Area, between Little Italy and the Olympic stadium, is a neighbourhood that has gained much popularity in recent years. Rosemont is an affordable residential borough with large green spaces, community-minded residents, and a choice of new and old homes in a variety of architectural styles. Strolling through this neighbourhood, you can expect to find several parks, outdoor swimming pools, libraries, community gardens and public spaces. While Rosemont are a primarily residential area, it also offers commercial arteries such as St Hubert Plaza and Promenade Masson.
Family activities in Rosemont:
- Spending a day at the Montreal Biodome and Botanical Gardens
- Purchasing local produce at the Jean Talon Market
- Iceskating at Maisonneuve Park in the winter
- Outdoors farmers markets in the summer
Accessibility and Surroundings
Some parts of Rosemont are accessible by metro and most areas are accessible by bus.
- Municipality: VilleMarie
- Neighbouring: Villeray, Hochelaga, St Leonard and Anjou.
- Closest metro stop: Rosemont, Pie X, Jean Talon, Joliette
- Fitness centres: Outdoor sports in the parks, Energie Cardio, Locomotion Studio
- Schools: Rosemont High School, Nesbitt Elementary, Vincent Massey Collegiate
Local Demographics
Rosemont is populated by long term residents as well as couples, and families with young children.
- Population: 134,000
- Median age: 38.1
- Spoken language: 53% bilingual, 42.7% French only, 1.9% English only
Housing Statistics
Rosemont offers small buildings, detached homes, bungalows, duplexes, and modern condo units.
- Median condo price: $290,000
- Owner occupied: 24.5%
- Tenant occupied: 75.5%
- Small buildings: 19.1%
- Large buildings (incl. condos): 75%
- Duplexes: 4%
- Townhouses: 3.1%
- Single Family Homes: 1.6%
Recommended Residential Streets
- Rue Saint Zotique, Rue Jean Talon
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Best for Health and Outdoors: St Henri
St Henri is a dynamic yet family-friendly neighbourhood which has been revitalized in recent years with a variety of new establishments in the recreational and cultural sectors. The relatively affordable homes and the cultural richness of this area make it popular choice among young families, artists, musicians, and both local and international students.
Family activities in St Henri
Here are some local landmarks and activities enjoyed by young families in St Henri:
- Browsing the Atwater Market for fresh produce, plants and artisanal food products.
- Boating, biking and picnicking along the Lachine Canal
- Swimming classes at the Little Burgundy Sports center
Accessibility and Surroundings
St Henri is a highly accessible area with both the orange and green metro line intersecting at Lionel Groulx metro station, many bus lines, public bicycle (Bixi) stands, and relatively convenient street parking.
- Municipality: South West
- Driving time to Downtown: 5-10 minutes
- Neighbouring: Griffintown, Pointe St Charles, Ville Émard
- Closest metro stop: Lionel Groulx and Charlevoix metro, orange and green line
- Bus lines: various
- Supermarkets: Super C, P & A, Adonis, IGA and more
- Fitness centres: Hard Knox (MMA, Boxing), Centre Sportif de la Petite Bourgogne, public outdoor pools, Studio Breathe yoga, and more
- Schools: École St Henri
Local Demographics
St Henri is populated by a widely diverse demographic, from families to young couples, students and professionals.
- Population: 15,810
- Largest age bracket: 35-64 (37%)
- Spoken language: 62.3% bilingual, 27.2% French only, 9.3% English only
Housing Statistics
St Henri offers a variety of different building styles, from industrial warehouses converted into lofts, to duplexes, townhouses, condos and even a few detached homes.
- Median condo price: $310,000
- Owner occupied: 26.3%
- Tenant occupied: 73.8%
- Small buildings: 81.8%
- Large buildings (incl. condos): 8.9%
- Townhouses: 4.6%
- Single Family Homes: 0.4%
Recommended Residential Streets
- St Ambroise Street, Notre Dame Street
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Best for schools and square footage: West Island
West Island is the collective name given to the cities, towns and boroughs at the Western end of the Island of Montreal. It consists of Dorval, Pointe-Claire, DDO, Beaconsfield, Baie-D’Urfé, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville, Pierrefonds-Roxboro, and Ile Bizard. Being a suburban area, West Island offers larger homes with bigger back yards, a wide selection of parks with sport complexes, and a safe, family oriented atmosphere.
Family activities inWest Island:
- Visit the Zoo Eco-Museum
- Take a stroll through the Morgan Arboretum
- Spend the day at the Cap Saint-Jacques Nature Park
- Visit the deer reserve at Marguerite Youville
Accessibility and surroundings:
West Island is a largely car-dependent neighbourhood.
- Busses numbered with 3 digits beginning with 2 run from Montreal to most parts of the West Island.
- The AMT train operates two commuter train lines from Montreal to the West Island.
- Driving time to Downtown: 20 minutes
- Fitness centres: Fitness City, Klub 20
- Schools: St Paul’s Elementary, Windemere
Local Demographics:
- Population: 15,899
- Average age: 45.22
Housing Statistics
In this neighbourhood, you can expect to find detached family homes, bungalows, town houses, and condos.
Recommended Residential Area:
Pointe-Claire, Baie d’Urfé.
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Best for proximity to Downtown: Plateau – Mile End
The Plateau offers beautiful homes in the classic Montreal style- with sweeping staircases, coloured windows and tree lined streets. Its charming architecture and vast selection of recreational options make it a popular neighbourhood amongst students, families and professionals alike. The Plateau Mont-Royale neighbourhood includes the lower Plateau on the South end, and Mile End on the North end.
Family activities in the Plateau
- Picnics or frisbee at Parc Mont Royale
- Cultural street festivities in the summer
- Swimming at the many public pools in Plateau parks
Accessibility and Surroundings
Plateau Mont-Royal is easily accessible from Downtown Montreal by bus or metro.
- Municipality: Plateau Montreal
- Driving time to Downtown: 5-10 minutes
- Neighbouring: Mile End, Downtown Rosemont
- Closest metro stop: Mont-Royale, Sherbrooke, Laurier
- Bus lines: various
- Supermarkets: various
- Fitness centres: Anytime Fitness, L’Écurie, Centre Kinesphère
- Schools: École Le Plateau, FACE, Bancroft Elementary
Local Demographics
Plateau Montreal is populated by a bilingual community, featuring a mix of students, young professionals, and families.
- Population: 312,397
- Average age: 34
- Spoken language: 69.1% bilingual, 19.7% French only, 9.8% English only
Housing Statistics
In the Plateau, you can expect to find walk-up duplexes and townhouses with old-style stone masonry, as well as apartment buildings.
- Median condo price: $327,000
- Owner occupied: 30.4%
- Tenant occupied: 69.6%
- Small buildings: 74.2%
- Large buildings (incl. condos): 15.1%
- Duplexes: 8.2%
- Townhouses: 2.1%
- Single Family Homes: 0.1%
Recommended Residential Streets
- Laurier, Marie-Anne
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Other neighbourhoods worth a mention:
- Ville Mount Royal: Well-reputed schools and after-school programs, family centered community.
- NDG: A great option for Anglophone families.
- Ville Saint-Laurent: A quiet, clean and safe district not far from Downtown (a 15 minute drive with no traffic).
- Westmount: An upscale area with beautiful architecture and some of Montreal’s best public amenities (libraries, parks, etc).
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