Montreal: About Strip Clubs

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Montreal is arguably the premier locale in the Western Hemisphere for patrons of strip clubs. As of this writing (May 2003) it currently has 5 strip clubs, all of which are open every day, most for 11-12 hours. There is an ample and ever-changing selection of hot dancers/strippers of all body types and descriptions, and there is someone to suit just about any taste. This posting contains general remarks about the strip club scene and information applicable to all of them for those unfamiliar with Montreal who may want an overall orientation. Specific information about each club can be found in the individual postings on those clubs.

 

Four of the five clubs -- Campus, Le Stock, L'Adonis and Taboo -- are in the Village, the gay area centered around about 12 blocks of Ste-Catherine Street East, from Amherst to Dorion. The area is served by 2 Metro stations, Beaudry and Papineau. There was a fifth club in the Village, Nirvana, which was open for only less than a year, and which has been closed now for several months; the word at the related bar in the same complex is that it is unlikely to reopen any time soon, if at all. Also, at this writing there is a pending court case whose outcome may affect the strip club picture in the Village.

 

The fifth functioning club, West Side Bar, is in the Downtown financial/business area (Victoria Square Metro station), a fair distance away from the Village.

 

Don't worry about "the language problem." Most of the dancers speak at least some English, although for a few it is quite limited. Many speak English quite well, however, and some speak English natively (Anglophone Montrealers or dancers from other provinces). Some of the dancers are from countries other than Canada or the US, primarily Latin America, and those almost always speak English well enough to converse. All the waiters that I have encountered in all the clubs speak English. While you can simply start a conversation in English, it is more polite to ask first if your conversation partner speaks English (which you can ask in English), rather than just assuming that he does. You will seldom get a "no."

 

Total nudity is allowed in Montreal, even where alcohol is served (unlike most locales in the US, where the two usually cannot co-occur), and the guys go all the way in all of the clubs. All of the clubs have backroom areas for "private dances", but the conditions vary considerably (see the individual club entries for details). These are "private dances" or "lap dances" which take place in the club and are paid by the song, as opposed to the "privates" or "private shows" which club patrons sometimes arrange with some dancers for after hours in another location. Some dancers can be hired for private shows and some not. If you are interested, ask. There is nothing wrong with asking, but he may say "no." Taking him to the back room for a private dance provides a good opportunity to ask afterwards. Remember, though, that their job title is "dancer," not "escort." Some may be willing to provide full escort services, but most are not.

 

Apparently there are two types of lap dances sactioned by the city authorrities, there is a difference in the club's license and in the price of the dances, and the prices of the dances are set by law or regulation. There are "non-contact" dances which allow little or no touching of the dancer (the exact definition of what is allowed is not entirely clear and a few different interpretations have been given in various threads here). The price for "non-contact" dances is set at CAD$6. There are also "contact" dances. "Contact" officially means that you can touch the dancers anywhere except in the genital area or the butt. The price for "contact" dances is set at CAD$10.

 

None of the clubs has a cover or admission charge, except that L'Adonis has a cover charge of CAD$3 on Ladies' nights (M-Th) after 9PM. There is also no minimum in any of the clubs, but you are expected to buy at least one drink. You can nurse it as long as you like, and nobody will bother you about it.

 

Most of the clubs have designated certain nights (1 to 4) as Ladies' nights. At this writing Campus has 1 (Su), Stock has 1 (W), West Side has 2 (F, Sa), and Adonis has 4 (M-Th); Taboo has no Ladies' nights.

 

All of the clubs have full bar service, computer game machines/video poker and ATMs on premises, and three of them also have pool tables. None of them serves food. The on-premises ATMs are privately owned (they are not bank ATMs), and, like the equivalent in the US or elsewhere, are likely to impose significant transaction fees; in addition, if converting currency, they may not offer the best rates. It's a good idea to come with as much money as you think you'll need or intend to spend, but the ATMs are there to back you up if you need to get a little more for those extra few private dances with one of your favorites or to go to the back room with the hottie that just appeared unexpectedly after you have shot your wad on others.

 

In all of the clubs a dancer's "set" consists of two dances/songs. The first is a "fast" or "rhythmic" dance to upbeat music. The dancer starts fully clothed and will remove some articles, including his shirt, and may offer a tease of a little more, but does not get fully nude or show everything. The second is a "slow" or "sensual" dance to appropriate music. The dancer starts with little clothing or sometimes fully nude, and during the dance reveals all. Sometimes he will remove everything completely, but sometimes the clothing remains around his thighs or ankles. There is generally a separation between his two dances, that is, he does not go directly from his first into his second dance (as, for example, at Remington's in Toronto). Usually there will be a sequence of more than one dancer doing his "fast" dance and then they will each come back for their "slow" dance. At Stock they tend to dance in a sequence of 2; at Taboo usually in groups of 3, sometimes 4. At Campus and Adonis it is not as predictable (or maybe I just haven't figured out the sequence). At slow times when there are few patrons and not as many dancers there may be dancerless songs interspersed with the dance numbers.

 

To a large extent certain clubs are associated with certain types of dancers. There are exceptions, of course, but the following "profiles" generally hold true. Campus and Stock tend to have mostly beefier types - including muscle studs - in the evening, and to have somewhat lighter "mid-size" types with swimmer's builds in the afternoon. Both afternoon and evening dancers appear to be early to mid-20s and up. Taboo is known for twinks, from slight and petit to medium and swimmer's build. The typical age is lower, from 18 to mid-20s. Adonis tends to have a broader mix of both Campus/Stock and Taboo types. West Side dancers generally fit the Campus/Stock mold. Some of this may be in the process of changing at this writing because of some recent events.

 

While there are exceptions in both directions, the dancers at Taboo, generally speaking, give the most artistic performances, often using costumes and creating choreography that goes with the music and giving an actual dance performance. That is much less likely to be observed at the other clubs, where the dancers tend mostly just to parade around the stage displaying their attributes.

 

On-stage tipping is usually not done in Montreal. The dancers will not refuse it, but it might be more appropriate to express your appreciation after they have come off stage and are working the room, or when paying for your private dances in the backroom. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."

 

The clubs usually have a designated day for new dancers to try out. This is known as "auditions." At Taboo it is on Sunday; at West Side it is on Thursday. "Auditions" does not mean that you will be confronted entirely or primarily by inexperienced dancers. Usually most of the dancers are regular dancers at the club, with a few first-timers thrown in. And it can be very exciting to be one of the first to discover or experience a hot new guy.

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Strip Club Promenade in the Village

 

There are currently 4 strip clubs in the Village. Two of them are at the west end and two at the east end. The Village is compact enough that a circuit of all of them can be conveniently made, and it is a very pleasant promenade. It is also a good way to get a first-hand idea of what each of the clubs is like and what types might be dancing there, so that you know where you would like to go back to the next time. Three of them, Campus Stock and Adonis, open at 3PM; the fourth, Taboo, opens at 7PM.

 

Starting at the west end, the first is Campus, at 1111 Ste-Catherine E, between Amherst and Wolfe. Campus is on the second floor, and tends to have "medium" dancers with swimmer's builds in the afternoon, and somewhat bigger, beefier guys in the evening. The age range is mostly mid-20s and up.

 

A block down Ste-Catherine Street is Stock, at 1171 Ste-Catherine E, between Wolfe and Montcalm. Stock is on the ground floor, but like Campus tends to have "medium" dancers with swimmer's builds in the afternoon, and somewhat bigger, beefier guys in the evening. The age range is mostly mid-20s and up. Stock is the largest of the clubs and has the newest, recently remodeled facilities.

 

Continuing down Ste-Catherine Street you will pass numerous interesting restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, saunas, entertainment complexes, etc. The now-closed Nirvana was across the street in the Sky Complex, at 1474 Ste-Catherine E, between Plessis and Alexandre-de-Sève. The current word is that it is not expected to reopen any time soon, if at all, but if it does it is right along the route.

 

Two blocks past the Sky Complex/Nirvana, back on the same side of the street as Campus and Stock, is Adonis, at 1681 Ste-Catherine E, between Champlain and Papineau. The total distance from Stock to Adonis is 6 1/2 blocks, and the blocks along Ste-Catherine are short. Adonis has the greatest variety of dancers, from young twinks to beefy types and everything in between. Ages, also, run the gamut from 18 on up.

 

Continuing east on Ste-Catherine Street, one real block (short) and one mini-block (veryshort, housing only the entrance to the Papineau Metro station) past Adonis and one block to the left (north, on rue Dorion) is Taboo, at 1950 boul. de Maisonneuve E, on the corner of Dorion and Maisonneuve. Taboo is known for twinks and younger dancers. They typically range from small and slight to "medium" and swimmer's builds, with ages from 18 to about 24 or 25.

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Driving and Parking

 

Tips on Driving:

 

If you are driving to or in Montreal there are some things you should be aware of. Traffic laws vary a lot everywhere and this cannot be a complete guide. Drivers should familiarize themselves with the local laws wherever they go. But here are a few things in Montreal and Quebec that will probably be unfamiliar to most US drivers and to many others as well.

 

1. WARNING: Right turn on red is NOT permitted anywherein the Province of Quebec, including in Montreal.

 

2. On many streets, especially main streets, when the light initially turns green it will be an "up-arrow" for going straight ahead only. This is to give pedestrians a chance to cross, and turns are not permitted during that time. After a bit it will change to full green and then you may make a turn. Be patient and wait for the full green if you are turning.

 

3. There are no signs with "No left turn"/"No right turn"/"Do not enter"/etc. in words, and there are no signs with arrows encircled and crossed out in red or otherwise expressing movements of traffic that are prohibited. Instead there are signs which have a green circle with black arrows inside them showing the movements of traffic that are permittedat that intersection. If you come across one of those signs at an intersection, you may do what is shown by an arrow, but notsomething that is not shown. This method works just as well as the other one, but it takes some getting used to. Sometimes the signs will also have a range of times at the bottom, which means that outside those times you may ignore the sign and make turns or other movements not included in the sign.

 

4. Don't forget that speed limits are posted in kilometersper hour, not miles.

 

 

Parking:

 

WARNING: Parking regulations are vigorously enforced, especially in the Village area, and violations are usually ticketed very quickly.

 

There are a few paid parking lots in the Village area, mostly on de Maisonneuve, if you don't want to park on the street.

 

Main streets in the Village generally have parking meters (Ste-Catherine, de Maisonneuve, Amherst, Papineau, etc.); most side streets (most of the streets which cross Ste-Catherine) do not.

CAUTION: Parking meters in Montreal are enforced on Saturdays as well as weekdays, and they are enforced until 6PMon some days and until 9PM on other days. Look at the label on the meter.

CAUTION: On some streets where parking is metered the meters are notalong the curb near the cars; they are several yards away, up against the buildings, and are easy not to notice. Look around carefully to see if you are in a metered space.

 

Most of the streets which cross Ste-Catherine do not have parking meters and are available for extended parking, except as noted below. Overnight parking is permitted, assuming that other regulations are observed.

A few blocks or parts of blocks have special daytime restrictions like No Parking, Delivery Zone, and 60 Minute Limit. All of that is marked with signs, and the signs include the days (usually M-F ["LUNDI au VENDREDI," or "LUN au VEN"]) and the hours when the restriction is in effect.

Other than those areas, there is alternate side of the street parking similar to New York. For one hour a day two days a week (M, TH [LUNDI et JEUDI]) there is no parking on one side of the street, and for one hour a day two days a week (TU, F [MARDI et VENDREDI]) there is no parking on the other side; on Wed., Sat. and Sun. both sides are OK. Outside the specified one hour parking is allowed.

BUT: CAUTION: About half of each block is reserved for permit holders during certain hours. The reserved stretch is clearly marked with signs at both ends which have arrows showing the direction of the reserved area starting from the sign (or if there is a sign only at one end the reserved area goes to the corner). The signs state the time period when a permit is required.