Living in the McGill Ghetto

What and where it is

Milton-Parc is the small grid of Victorian-era streets between McGill University, Avenue du Parc, Rue Sherbrooke and the slopes of Mount Royal. Students call it the McGill Ghetto because so many of them live there; the official name is Milton-Parc.

In the 1970s, residents fought a developer's project that would have replaced much of the area with towers. The developer gave up, and part of the neighbourhood became what the Ville de Montréal describes as the largest group of housing co-operatives in Canada. Our Milton-Parc neighbourhood guide tells that story in more detail.

Streets to know

• Rue Milton and Rue Prince-Arthur: cafés, groceries and inexpensive restaurants
• Rue Aylmer, Avenue Lorne and Rue Sainte-Famille: quiet residential streets of greystone and brick buildings
• Avenue des Pins: the northern edge, toward Mount Royal
• Avenue du Parc: the main commercial street, with bus routes

Walking to campus

Most streets are five to fifteen minutes on foot from the Roddick Gates, McGill's main entrance on Sherbrooke. McGill and Place-des-Arts metro stations, both on the green line, are within walking distance, and buses run along Avenue du Parc. Most students walk to class.

Mount Royal at the door

Avenue du Parc and Parc Jeanne-Mance mark the foot of Mount Royal, about a twelve-minute walk from the neighbourhood. The Ville de Montréal lists trails, Beaver Lake and bike paths for the warm months, and in winter a sledding hill, tubing slopes, a refrigerated skating rink, and snowshoe and cross-country ski trails.

Noise and neighbours

The neighbourhood mixes students with long-time residents, many of them in housing co-operatives, so being a considerate neighbour matters.

Québec law asks every tenant to behave so as not to disturb the normal enjoyment of the other tenants. If a neighbour keeps disturbing you, tell your landlord: a tenant disturbed by another tenant of the same landlord can seek a rent reduction or even the end of the lease if the problem continues. McGill also publishes a Good Neighbour Guide for students living off campus.

Winter

Winters are long and cold, and short walks matter. Ask how the apartment is heated and whether heating is included, and report any heating problem right away. Good boots and a warm coat make the daily walk to campus easy.

Our apartments in the McGill Ghetto

Our five buildings are on Rue Sainte-Famille, Rue Aylmer and Avenue Lorne, in the heart of Milton-Parc. Helisis has owned and managed buildings here since 2014. The apartments are fully furnished with utilities included, from studios to six bedrooms, with leases starting May 1, July 1 or September 1. Most available apartments have a 3D tour on our McGill page.