Today, we’re going to zoom in on the Parc-Extension neighborhood, or Parc-Ex for those who know it well. It’s a Montreal neighborhood enclosed between the railroad and Outremont to the south (Beaumont Avenue), Villeray and Mile-Ex to the east, Ville-Mont-Royal and Acadia Boulevard to the west; it stops at Crémazie Boulevard and Highway 40 to the north. Its name is derived from the fact that it literally represents the extension of Parc Avenue to the north.
Carlito Dalceggio’s mural, “Provoke Peace”, in Howard Park
The origins of Parc-Ex
Did you know that about 40 different languages are spoken in Parc-Extension?
The neighbourhood has been a favourite stopping point for newcomers to Canada since the 1940s. It has been impregnated with the cultures that have passed through it over the years, from the Greeks and Italians until the 1980s, to the French, English and Irish, to the South Asian diasporas (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) since the end of the 1990s, and more recently to the Haitian, African and South American communities. It is without a doubt one of the most multicultural neighborhoods in the city.
One building you can’t miss in Parc-Ex is the old train station, which is very imposing when you come from the south on Parc Avenue. It was in operation until 1984 and was bought by Loblaws grocery stores: a Joe Fresh store is now established in what was then the main hall.
The neighborhood is also very well served by two metro stations, Parc and Acadie, as well as a train line that goes to St-Jérôme.
Railway in Villeray
Parc-Ex: dynamic and attractive
Parc-Ex is currently a residential and family neighborhood where the atmosphere in the main streets is particularly lively and warm: on Jarry, Jean-Talon and Liege, you will find a multitude of stores, businesses and restaurants where the residents of the neighborhood like to meet. The neighborhood also has many schools and churches, and the greenery is very present: indeed, the streets are almost all lined with large trees.
As for the food in Parc-Ex, it reflects the cultures that are present. You will be spoilt for choice: Indian (Bombay Mahal to name but one, but there are about 30 options within reach of your fork), Greek (Panama or Marven’s, as well as the Afroditi pastry shop), Pakistani, Asian (especially Vietnamese), African and notably Ghanaian, and many others.
One of the attractions of the Parc-Ex neighborhood is that it is very well located and close to all amenities: between Jarry Park, one of the largest in Montreal with its stadium where the Rogers Cup is held every year (for tennis fans), the highway and the proximity of major shopping centers such as Rockland, Marché Central and Jean-Talon Market, as well as the new campus of the University of Montreal (which is located at the old Outremont railroad yard).
Recently, and thanks to the new campus, the neighborhood is also attracting the younger generation who are looking for cheaper housing than its Mile-End neighbor. Many artists are moving in and, as a result, the atmosphere is becoming even more dynamic and creative. Did you know that the members of the bands Arcade Fire and Stars used to live there?
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- Athena Park
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- Barclay school
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- ”The Blue Promenade”, a bridge between the neighborhoods of Parc-Extension and Outremont.
Real estate
Parc-Extension is one of the central neighbourhoods of Montreal with the most income properties available for sale. In fact, out of the fifty or so properties currently available, there are 32 multiplexes, which represents almost 70% of the pool.
We also note that their prices are still very affordable compared to other sectors of the central Island: you should expect to pay between $650,000 and $950,000 for a duplex/triplex, and between $850,000 and $1.850 million for a quadruplex/quintuplex. Several 6-7-8 plexes are also on the market at prices between $1.4M and $1.8M. As the area is in high demand for rental properties, this type of property is very popular with investors.
For the rest of the Parc-Ex real estate pool, there are about 25% of condos priced between $240,000 and $450,000, also very affordable compared to other areas. Single-family homes, on the other hand, are only a handful, priced between $600,000 and $680,000.
The properties in the neighborhood were mostly built in the 1950s-70s, but many renovation projects are taking place, and commercial buildings, such as old factories, are being revitalized.
Parc-Extension is increasingly coveted by young Montrealers, thanks to its attractiveness and dynamism, as well as its central location which offers many possibilities in terms of real estate.
For more information on the area, consult this interactive map of the Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension borough.
You want to live there? Contact our real estate brokers now to start your buying project!
Sources :
https://www.cbc.ca/cbcdocspov/episodes/return-to-park-ex
https://imtl.org/quartier/Parc-Extension.php
https://talentmontreal.com/fr/carte/villeray-saint-michel-parc-extension
https://montreal.ca/apropos/villeray-saint-michel-parc-extension
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