Originally Posted by MediaGuy

I would do month-long road trips to the states back when I was a roving writer/journalist and drummed up some checklists about the differences between the two places.

One big difference was when I crossed the bridge back to Canada in Detroit the night the Pistons won their championship, and the city was pretty much in chaos, you could hear gunshots, and some maniac ploughed his car into a crowd, and I saw this sign, with a handgun in a circle and a bar through it - and there was this weird moment of relief... because since we'd been down there, it seemed everyone had guns. I saw guns behind convenience store counters, a frustrated cab driver whip out a pistol cause he was pissed at another driver, even met hippies who carried... and this level of tension had developed without even knowing...

Also, when we hit Montreal again, and stopped at the first light, there was this chick who crossed in front of the car. And I realized I hadn't seen anyone like her in weeks. Montreal women may or may not be more beautiful than other cities (I personally think so), but they definitely are the most stylish, independant, individualistic and self-expressive that I've encountered in my travels.

Seems like from Toronto to San Diego to Clearwater, most women, if they were fashionistic at all, were dressed like the covers of fashion magazines, there was a "style" they adopted or followed - and different areas had different trends. But Montreal women are foxes, and dress as they see fit, in combinations and creations that are mostly their own - no two alike, hardly any templates... it was another moment of... relief.

Americans though are super friendly and helpful and completely out to get you to like them which is great. Canadians can be more reserved and less gregarious, but they are damned polite - more so west of the province of Quebec.

Stupidly, some Montreal and Quebec city service industry people are pig-headedly unilingual and won't serve you in English - which is dumb because they're in tourist hubs and it's in their interest to offer good service. Still, they're more the exception than the rule.

The food and bar scene in Montreal though rocks - anything and everything you want, usually any time you want. We have our own Smoked Meat, Pizza and Bagel styles, Poutine and hot dogs, a thriving micro-brewery scene - and that's not including the international stuff, from Ethiopian to Lebanese to authentic Sushi... it doesn't stop. I think Montreal has more restaurants per capita than any other place on earth.

Although everywhere the cookie-cutter stamp of chains and franchises is sorta sucking out the character superficially, overall Montreal just feels different - from the food to the sex to the more or less absolute liberal and accepting attitude.

i've heard the same about the west Coast - Banff in particular, and also it seems Vancouver generally sounds a lot like San Francisco.

The maritimes is all small town, even the biggest cities - and you have to like cold water beaches. The coastal towns are beautiful and raw, though, and would appeal to anyone who comes from some of the bleaker new England rock coasts. The food is amazing, the English unique but you have to be careful about the towns or tours you take - some are heavily industrial, completely not directed at visitors. I remember one coal-mining town that was literally covered in grey soot almost everywhere... but I honestly haven't been there long enough to be a good judge...

Man what a rant.. and i haven't even talked about Ottawa or Toronto... maybe if you're curious enough :P

:D