Y U Love Montreal

My summer vacation is over, but it's still summer and it still feels like vacation. I still feel like I am on holiday, with a desire to explore and discover something unique and new. Which got me to thinking about my hometown as a tourist destination.

Montreal is a popular and perhaps even exotic location where travelers from across the globe come to explore. If you're like me however, you don't really think of your own city in the same way as you might Paris, New York or Hong Kong. Which is odd, because Montreal easily stacks up against many great cities in the world with it's history, fine cuisine, architectural marvels and of course its rich and diverse culture. I must confess that on more than one occasion I learned something I didn't know about Montreal through conversations with someone visiting the city.

With that in mind, I am embarking on a little journey of discovery called Y U Love Montreal (for those of you keeping score at home, YUL is the destination code for Trudeau airport, give yourselves 20 bonus points if you already knew that). The goal is to explore some of the places in my hometown that I have yet to visit or experience.

For example, in a city known for it's eclectic and oft artery-hardening restaurant fare I have never had breakfast at Cosmo's, lunch at Momesso's or dinner at Chalet BBQ. I have yet to see the skyline from Club 737 or stand inside the geodesic dome we now know as the Bioshpere. For shame.

 There's no real reason, or perhaps excuse, for never having ventured into these places other than one part apathy and one part laziness.

So I am donning my cheesiest tourist t-shirt, with notepad in hand, and setting off on a journey of discovery a mere bus and metro ride away.
 
In order to make this a truly interesting experience I am asking for your recommendations. Is there a unique place, activity or restaurant on your list of Montreal's must sees, must dos, or must experience? Keep in mind that virtually all of my 45 years on the planet have been spent as a resident of the GVMA (Greater Ville Marie Area). Which means I have done a lot of the obvious things: The Big Owe Tower, Mount Royal, St. Joseph's Oratory etc.

To simplify things a bit, I am limiting my exploration to the physical island of Montreal, but if you come up with something truly irresistible, I could be coaxed off-shore.

Let the journey begin.

I hope my passport is up to date.