Just Sayin

He’s coming back to Los Angeles mid November for a few days 

When I was growing up, Eaton’s and Morgan’s were the two department stores where one shopped for just about anything. Ogilvie’s and Simpson’s were more specialized but still had nice stuff. You went to Birk’s to get silver, crystal and dinnerware, and of course jewellery.
All of this was within three or four blocks on Ste Catherine Street. No other city in North America had such fine shopping in such a concentrated area. 
Morgan’s sold out to the Hudson Bay in the 1960’s and Birk’s went bankrupt in the early 1980’s. Eaton’s also went bankrupt. All were family firms based in Montreal except for the Eaton’s who were from Toronto. Not sure about Simpsons. 

At the turn of the 20th century Montreal was one of the most elegant cities in North America. It was the centre of finance and industry headquarters and had a strong cultural life.
If you notice the architecture in this picture, nothing was ignored. Only the finest materials and little details like stone walls and wrought iron fencing around the church to separate it from its commercial neighbours. 
And lovely elm trees which once adorned the city. 
I was fortunate enough to grow up seeing the last of this urban cityscape before a lot of it disappeared in the 60s and 70s. Fortunately some charm remains in pockets here and there.

At Union Avenue. Henry Birks & Sons Building (1894) and Christ Church Cathedral (1859)

Rue Sainte-Catherine Montréal 1916

 

If you look at it using Google street view from around the corner, you can see the May 2025 construction picture, so it is a new hotel.  But Google street view at that address is from 2022, so shows the old building.  
Let us know how it is.  
With a Hilton joining the Hyatt Place and the Fairfield Inn, the area at the intersection of the Village and UQAM will have decent hotel options.