Hochelaga Map & Guide

When I first moved to Montréal, I found it a little hard to find much information (in English) on the area we were living in. So I did what I’ve always done.. I went out for walks & explored.

As a British ‘anglo’ here I’ve met numerous people who were surprised we’d moved to Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, most expecting us to have chosen to base ourselves in the west of the island or on the plateau. We happily chose “HoMa” as the rent prices meant we got more space for our money, Félix’s brother & friends of ours live nearby, it’s quick to cycle downtown or go on the green line metro, we can easily jump on a bus to the plateau, plus importantly.. it would help me with my everyday french! At times, we thought it may have been easier for me to meet friends if we’d initially moved into a more anglo area, but looking back it was probably one of the best choices we made. From day 1, I forced myself to speak French with shopkeepers & locals and although I probably made no sense to them at the beginning, they’ve always been super friendly, patient & welcoming to this always error-making Brit. If we lived somewhere else, I’m not sure how quickly my french would have progressed, but either way it still meant I had to make an effort to find out what was happening in my neighbourhood..

So what is ‘happening’ in Hochelaga?
In the last year I’ve seen several great places crop up alongside some brilliant local (& long-standing) businesses. There have also been some local initiatives & area boosting public events, plus projects to support the community & raise awareness on what the locals want from their public resources. There are also a few handy websites & facebook pages that help promote what’s happening like Quartier Hochelaga & Promenades Hochelaga. Overall, the sense of a community here really interests me and the increase in good quality local businesses is exciting.. which I guess leads me to this post!

As always, Google does a pretty good job at finding places in two seconds, but I have created this
P’tite Cuisine’s “Carte d’Hochelaga!”map
There are some nice gems in the area & for those of you moving here, that feel like trying out a new place or are simply after a change from the usual plateau or mile end hangouts, this map should help. Almost all the key places are on there, including a couple of suggested guides between Métro Préfontaine to the Olympic Stadium or Marché Maisonneuve.

• Should you be a #Mtlcafecrawl-er or after a study spot, then the Hochelaga Cafe Crawl will be your preferred guide.
• If you want to stock up on tasty treats from Hochelaga’s sweet shops, bakeries, butchers and such, then the Hochelaga Food Crawl is for you.
• If you just want to explore & see a few creative or historical bits near the main Rue Ontario strip, click on the Discover Hochelaga box.
• Otherwise choose your own route, using this map of (almost) everything to help you find a bargain second-hand item, get some brunch or listen to live music.
  

  La Grange du Boulanger

If there is anything else you want to know (or think is missing) about Hochelaga, please do drop me a note & I’ll do my best to try & find out! Otherwise, if you don’t want to go it alone, are new in the area or whatever, get in touch.. we can get a coffee or of course come join us at our GoHoMa meetups!