Montreal in May--the good, the bad, and the ugly

[imrthr]

 

Hey Luv2Play

 

Try reading the posts.. Sure the collapse of the US dollar has a lot to do with it and of course that is not Montreal's fault.

 

But because of that and other reasons the Village as a Strip Club, Cute Boy destination is a shell of its former self.

 

Plenty of posters on here agree and I won't repeat the things I and others have said.

 

The Village in 2006 and 2010 are not even close to the same place and not for the better.

 

In fact name me one thing that is better in Montreal as to Strip Clubs or available Cute Boys .

 

 

If you are honest there is nothing!!!! Thats the facts Baby whether you like them or not and since well over 1/2 of the posters here agree and the other 1/3 just think that Montreal is still worth a visit, I rest my case.

 

 

DanseurMTL just started a new thread that he called "Montreal Boys" -

 

In the thread are many photos of dancers and escorts, past and present.

 

A good portion, but not all, of the pictures of the "boys" of Montreal look more like girls, feminine guys or adolescent children rather than masculine guys that formerly were found in the village.

 

The "boys" in the photos are not the caliber of looks we formerly found in the village during the "Golden Age" of several years ago.

 

I have spent a lot of time in Montreal over the years. If I had never previously been to Montreal and someone showed those pictures to me as a sample of what to expect in Montreal's village, I would never have made my first trip except to sight see in the city away from the village.

 

Check out the photos in the other thread.

 

Those pictures are further confirmation that the village has gone to the dogs or worse.

 

-

[Guest Budalley]

I'm with Lurker. For me, Montreal still holds the same charm as it did 10+ years ago. I'm heading back with a few friends Memorial day weekend..can't wait!!

[DanseurMTL]

The girls and their eyebrow plucking.

 

DanseurMTL just started a new thread that he called "Montreal Boys" -

 

In the thread are many photos of dancers and escorts, past and present.

 

A good portion, but not all, of the pictures of the "boys" of Montreal look more like girls, feminine guys or adolescent children rather than masculine guys that formerly were found in the village.

 

The "boys" in the photos are not the caliber of looks we formerly found in the village during the "Golden Age" of several years ago.

 

I have spent a lot of time in Montreal over the years. If I had never previously been to Montreal and someone showed those pictures to me as a sample of what to expect in Montreal's village, I would never have made my first trip except to sight see in the city away from the village.

 

Check out the photos in the other thread.

 

Those pictures are further confirmation that the village has gone to the dogs or worse.

 

-

 

Maybe THAT'S the root of the problem... The guys in ALL the strip clubs now a days look gay, even the biggest buffed-up guys at the Campus and Stock pluck their eyebrows and get snazzy hairstyles.

 

Here is an actual Campus dancer with a Campus waiter:

Alexy Tyler with Erik Savage

 

And the same waiter (Sammy), with Tristan

Alexy Tyler with Tristan Bull

 

Tristan just started plucking his eyebrows 3 weeks ago!

 

The newest Priape Catalog shows 2 Campus dancers Jayson and Jordan

Jayson (on the left) has done some serious plucking, while Jordan looks more natural. Most of the guys at the clubs look like Jayson in this aspect.

 

Photos pulled from Stock's website:

 

http://www.stockbar.ca/stock/html/photos/images/nudemaledancers.tv013.jpg

 

http://www.stockbar.ca/stock/html/photos/images/nudemaledancers.tv023.jpg

 

http://www.stockbar.ca/stock/html/photos/images/nudemaledancers.tv025.jpg

 

http://www.stockbar.ca/stock/html/photos/images/nudemaledancers.tv036.jpg

 

I can't post more than 4 pictures, and pulling photos from Campus' website is harder because of their use of flash.

Check out their directory of dancers

And one of the most flagrant examples: Carlos

[Luv2play]

I definitely agree Montreal isn't what it used to be it just doesn't have the same magic compared to its heyday. Why that is I think was already said pretty well above, plus personally I've just gotten older and I guess I can't party like I used to LOL With that said, I still think its a great place to visit, I just don't go as often. Actually I was there last this past Thanksgiving and I had a great time, met a couple of HOT boys and had a lot of fun. As someone said you get out of it what you put into it. Actually I'm going up next weekend and I can't wait

 

I think this is the best comment I have seen on this subject. We are all getting older and we look back on thrilling experiences with a certain nostalgia and convince ourselves the same opportunities just don't exist. This is a phenomenom that extrends across the gay community and for various reasons.

 

I personally consider that New York has gone way down since the heyday of the '70s and '80s. AIDs was a major factor. The "clean up New York" campaign by mayor Gulliani another. And then all the raunchy places closed down, and even the merely titilllating like Gaiety. A young gay man today will not have the same experiences of the outlandish places that our generation did. The same can be said of San Francisco, South Beach, Key West and other gay destinations.

 

Also as we get older, we are sometimes less inclined to push the envelope and take pleasure in the more routine little experiences that are less demanding but still fun. We also have to be more concerned with our health if we want to enjoy life. Personally I have scaled back in hiring for these various reasons and am less inclined to meet new guys except occassionally. I still get a kick out of going to the clubs but a lot of the friends I used to see there are gone from the scene, again for various reasons but also because they are simply dead! C'est la vie".

[corndog]

The Good Ol' Days

 

So, I've been lurking here for years, but this post has finally motivated me to jump into the fire, perhaps at my own peril.

 

I totally understand the point of view of the few prolific posters who miss the Montreal that once was. I first visited in about 2001, and between my own innocence at the time, the excellent exchange rates, and the then-current $10 dances, it was a time that I'll never forget, but I'll regrettably never be able to repeat.

 

HOWEVER, unless you can propose some plan of action that will improve today's Montreal experience, I think that dwelling on what once was is shortchanging the possibilities for what it is and what it can be.

 

After a few visits around 2001, I didn't make it back to Montreal until last year, and I've been again since then. I found plenty to like about Montreal 2010! I plan to go two more times in the next year.

 

One of my visits was in the chill of winter. I never saw more than about 20 dancers at Campus, and they nearly always outnumbered the patrons. Terrible, you say? Well, the dancers were fawning all over me from the moment I walked in, and I felt like the Belle of the Ball. If Montreal has become a lemon, I had some damn fine lemonade!

 

I think that one of the greatest dangers of living a lifetime of amazing experiences is the natural tendency to try and repeat them. To quote one of my favorite broadway musicals, Ragtime, "You can never go back to before." Whether you're reminiscing about the great times at the Gaiety Theater in New York, Numbers in LA, or the wild $10 dances in Montreal, those particular experiences will never be repeated. Appreciate how lucky you were to have those experiences, and stay alert for today's moments that will someday become the "Good Ol' Days."

 

If I had read this post before planning last year's return to Montreal, I might have had second thoughts. To those who read this post and are considering a visit to Montreal, my advise is: go. It might not be as economical as it once was, or as fun as some here remember it, but when you go there is one thing that will make it better: you'll be there. Find your fun.

 

And, to those who have posted lamenting the loss of what they once had in Montreal, and then repeatedly posted defending their laments, I ask rhetorically (hoping that you won't answer) "what purpose do these posts serve?" I don't think it is so bad that you genuinely want to warn people away from visiting, but I'm afraid that readers finding this post in the archives might come to exactly that conclusion. And, the more people who are discouraged from visiting Montreal, the worse the situation may become.

[jerryskater]

Good on you

 

Bravo Corndog!!!!

[eeyore]

I had a good time with Lurker, Cooper and the others in Montreal this past weekend. My energy level restricted my activities but I did spend some quality time at the Campus during the afternoon/early evenings. Lurker always managed to catch me red handed sitting with a boy on my arm, whereupon he would promptly join and assist me in holding court.

 

I had a very pleasant time with four dancers: Adrian, Alonzo, Alexie, and Diego. I have Lurker to thank for introducing me to Adrian and Alonzo. Adrian is a delightful twinkish boy with beautiful smooth tan skin and erotic straight long black hair (I asked him if it was high maintenance and he said he spends about 40 minutes each day prepping it). He is a wonderful ethnic blend: some Asian (I asked) and I think some Latino. He is very bright and a great conversationalist. We both had iPhones and he showed me how to connect mine to the wifi hotspot at Mados bar next door (side note, I found that fiddling with my iPhone is a great way to connect with boys…lol). Many of you may remember Alonzo from a few years ago. I guess he dropped off the Campus scene for awhile but he is back. He is from Peru. He has a nice smooth defined body and is taller than Adrian. He also is wearing his hair much shorter than I remember (I liked it when it was longer…pout).

 

Adrian initially sat with Lurker, and I with Alonzo (well…actually Alonzo was between us so Lurker really had one on each arm –some people have all the luck). After holding court for awhile we decided to swap, so Adrian switched positions with Alonzo, enabling me to spend some time with Adrian. I know, it’s complicated..

 

Diego is a wonderful Latino from Rio, Brazil. He is a Taboo and Stock alumnus. He was dancing at Stock last summer but will be at Campus this season. He also dances at the Boardwalk in FLL during the winters. He said he will be at Campus this season until January, when he will migrate down to FLL for the winter. He is no longer sporting his baseball cap and is soliciting opinions about that. I’m still trying to decide whether I prefer him sans cap or not. Decisions…decisions.

 

Alexie is a cute Russian boy who I met last summer and wrote about in a previous Montreal post (see archives: eeyore’s Ste-Catherine Street diaries). I didn’t recognize him at first since he was wearing his hair differently. It gets confusing when these cute boys keep changing hairstyles on me… He’s very affectionate and fun to spend conversation time with. I showed him how to use the Shazam music app on my iPhone when we both enjoyed the same song that was playing but didn’t know the title or artist (Shazam is an iPhone app that listens to a song and then looks up the title and artist). I told you the iPhone is a great gadget for getting close to a cute boy…silly me.

 

All four boys were wonderful bar hosts. By that I mean they were willing to sit and spend quality time with you at the table, engage in real conversation and create the boy friend experience without being pushy about going in the back. The soft sell worked for me since I ended up taking all of them in the back at some point (at my suggestion).

 

There were several other boys who I thought were quite adorable but, well, an old grey donkey can only do so much. There was a nice cross section of boys, from muscle to twink, to satisfy any taste.

 

I briefly popped into Taboo one night but my experience was identical to Lurker’s: just a few boys, few customers, no energy in the place…sad.

 

I have nothing to report about JPs. I enjoyed my time there last summer but I didn’t stop in this trip. As Lurker reported, I guess they will be trying to replicate the Campus afternoon experience this season. We’ll have to see how that goes…

 

On another note, I did make a side trip to the Botanical Garden. I was about a week late for the tulips and too early for anything else so I took a nice nap in the arboretum. I also went looking for Marc Anthony’s favorite coat check boy at the casino but no luck there, so I played poker instead. I sat next to a nice Asian boy and learned how to count in French.

[Guest princeleo]

Corndog, You expressed exactly what I was thinking, only doing it in a much more eloquent way than I ever could. Thank you.

[Diverdan]

Attitude is Everything

 

The "good old days" were never quite as good as we remember and never will be, primarily due to AIDS and other STDs. I find that I can have a great time no matter where I go in the USA or anywhere else in the world. Part of the fun/thrill/experience is to go with the flow and enjoy what each place has to offer. I have been in NYC, SF, LA, Chicago, FTL, MIA, PSP and a lot of other places that were fun, exhausting, and filled with memorable moments. Even at my age and I am in the "middle", I find that no matter where I go, I can have great fun as long as I am willing to be open and try to see things through the eyes of guys who live there. I am sure we could have as many postings about Toronto, Vancouver, New York and 50 other cities around the world that "are not what they once were or as we remember them". Sorry for the sermon, guys, but loosen up and smell the roses. Life is to short to focus on memories that have been distorted over time...

[Samai139]

Danseur--

Thanks for the scholarly explanation of what has happened in Montreal in the last 10-15 years. My first visit was back in 1995 and I used to go five, six times each year. I haven't been in over a year, and doubt if I will go this summer/fall. Your posting encapsulated the reasons why I no longer find the strip bars as exciting as they used to be. I still remember one of my first visits to L'Adonis---waiting in a packed room to get a chance to take a beautiful dancer from Paris into the back room. It was WORTH the wait, even though his skin was oily from sweat and he must have been exhausted by the time I got to him.

Campus in the afternoon, and the evenings, was equally busy and the quality of the dancers outstanding---from a blond adonis named Eric, to a studly stallion named Rico to a gorgeous brunette named Dan to a lithe Daniel and a super-hung Rick.

Stock,at the old location was amazing--up the creaky stairs, treacherous in the winter, and packed with patrons and dancers. The back room area was so flimsy that if you got too excited the walls actually swayed back and forth!! And yes all three bars were thick with cigarette smoke, but I didn 't mind-- watching two or three dancers all perform at the same time took away any irritation from the smoke.

There was a grittiness about the Old Stock that appealed to me, and when they moved, the facilities were wonderfully clean and modern, but lacking a comfort level that the old -place on St. Andre had. After the fire, and the new decor, it became even more ----well almost sterile.

Campus, to me, was the most welcoming and home-like---waiters, bartenders and dancers knew and remembered my name, and in some cases even what I liked to drink---writing about all that makes me want to go back, and I probably shall, but I also suspect I'll come home, poorer and a little disappointed.

But thanks to all for this thread and the opportunity to mentally reminisce.

[Cooper]

Spring in Montreal

 

Lurker, I enjoyed reading your daily reports on Montreal. Thanks for taking the time to keep us posted on your activities.

 

It was good seeing you, TxAlphadog, LustinGuy, Hoover, eeyore, likembig, Taz, etc. Meeting up with other men from Hooville and sharing experiences is always special.

 

Like you, I enjoyed attending the Cirque Du Soleil show "Totem". It was very creative and full of high energy/excitement. Our seats were great. For more info go to: http://www.cirquedusoleil.com

 

We all seem to enjoy having a healthy breakfast at Cora's. It was also nice meeting the very handsome waiter Steven. Hopefully, he'll take Taz up on his offer to dance.

 

I had a delicious dinner at Gibby's in Old Montreal. Historic atmosphere in this old French stable with waitresses dress in colonial costumes. Excellent steak dinner. http://www.gibbys.com

 

Also ate at "Saloon", http://www.lesaloon.ca and the "O Steakhouse", fortunately, before the flood closed it down. Both are located on Ste. Catherine's

 

Went to another fine restaurant near the Cathedrale Marie-Reine-Du-Monde, called "The Keg" Steakhouse and Bar. Ate outside in their patio area. Good food and atmosphere... http://www.kegsteakhouse.com

 

I stayed at the Gouverneur Hotel Place Dupuis. Very convenient to the Village. Moderately priced with special weekend offers. http://www.gouverneur.com

 

Enjoyed my afternoons meeting the Campus dancers and my nights at Stock Bar. The "Heroes" party at Stock was definitely a highlight. Walking in was like entering Gotham City. The club was professionally decorated and the dancers were all in costume. The owners and dancers of Stock took good care of the men from Hooville.

 

Wish I could recall all the names of the home made ice cream shops I went too... Shopping in Old Montreal was fun and eating lunch in an outdoor cafe was so relaxing.

 

The time went by quickly and I had a very enjoyable time. I look forward to my next visit.

 

Coop

[Cooper]

The good, bad, and the ugly...

 

The title of this thread is "Montreal in May--the good, the bad, and the ugly"... My previous reply talks only about the "good" times I had in Montreal, however, there was one piece of "bad" news I forgot to share.

 

Every time I arrive in Montreal my 1st lunch has been at "Nickels", a restaurant chain owned by Celine Dion. Located next door to the Gouverneur Hotel on Ste Hubert's it served up one of the best smoked meat sandwiches found in the Village. I've had many "happy meals" there... Sadly, when I arrived this time, I discovered that Nickels had closed and the location was empty. Trying to satisfy my taste for a mouth watering smoked meat sandwich in the Village wasn't easy. Hopefully, someone knows of a place near the Gouverneur Hotel that can match that smoked meat sandwich served up by Nickels... The Schwartz Deli is a hike but probably the best.

 

As for the "ugly"... sadly, seeing many homeless people walking aimlessly in the streets begging for money or sleeping at door steps with their dogs has been and always will be disturbing to me. The silver lining here was witnessing meals being served to them in the park across the street from the Gouverneur. Good to see some charitable organization taking the lead in helping out.

 

Coop

 

Coop

[+ BOZO T CLOWN]

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of the Montreal's demise are greatly exaggerated. Bozo is up here for the long holiday weekend, and la belle ville seems as vibrant as ever. Rue Ste. Catherine is now closed off to vehicular traffic, and it will remain that way thru mid September. The warm, sultry weather Montreal is having was just the excuse that so many of the local boys were waiting for to take off their shirts, proudly displaying the results of the long hours they spent in the gym during the cold winter months. Most of these hunks were clearly enjoying the admiring glances they received from gawkers and other onlookers.

 

There are many new and hot looking boys at Campus and Stock Bar since Bozo's last sojourn up North. This weekend, Bozo is eagerly anticipating the two-day Mr. Porn Canada contest that Stock Bar is hosting. Should be quite entertaining.

 

Summertime in Montreal is one big festival after another, including two Gay Pride events, the renowned Montreal Jazz Festival, and Bozo's favorite, the Just For Laughs Festival http://montreal.hahaha.com/en. For those of you who are in shape, or want to get in shape, Bozo recommends walking up to the top of Mount Royale. The hike can be a bit challenging, but spectacular views await you at the top of the summit.

 

 

BEST THING TO HAPPEN IN MONTREAL IN THE LAST TEN YEARS: Indoor smoking ban. Nothing else is even a close second. Monday will be the third anniversary of the law.

 

WORST THING TO HAPPEN IN MONTREAL IN THE LAST TEN YEARS: Tie. Devaluation of the dollar from over $1.50 to about parity, and the Montreal Expos leaving town

 

 

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2727149304_1a04e656ab.jpg

[twinkboylover28]

Summertime in Montreal is one big festival after another, including two Gay Pride events, the renowned Montreal Jazz Festival, and Bozo's favorite, the Just For Laughs Festival http://montreal.hahaha.com/en. For those of you who are in shape, or want to get in shape, Bozo recommends walking up to the top of Mount Royale. The hike can be a bit challenging, but spectacular views await you at the top of the summit.

 

 

BEST THING TO HAPPEN IN MONTREAL IN THE LAST TEN YEARS: Indoor smoking ban. Nothing else is even a close second. Monday will be the third anniversary of the law.

 

WORST THING TO HAPPEN IN MONTREAL IN THE LAST TEN YEARS: Tie. Devaluation of the dollar from over $1.50 to about parity, and the Montreal Expos leaving town

 

 

 

 

I agree 110% with the smoking ban. It's the BEST thing that could have ever happened. Detroit finally caught on, and went smoke-free in May, and the difference is amazing.

 

Mont Royal is also beautiful. I always ask the taxi driver to take me to the "chalet" on top of mont royal. It's about a $15 ride each way by taxi, but the view is simply amazing from the observation deck (especially at sunset).

 

I wish I was there in Montreal ! Maybe if the US stock market ever recovers.

 

I have all my stock in Sirius Satellite radio (SIRI).

[+ Hoover42]

Bozo! Glad to hear you're having a wonderful time in Montreal. Too bad you couldn't come up for the annual Stockbar party. It would have been nice to see you again