COMMUNITY PROFILE
Mile End: home to famed bagel bakeries
Tucked in the borough of Le Plateau-mont-royal, the unique neighbourhood known as Mile End holds many of Montreal’s treasures. It’s an artsy place with a rich history and a distinct vibe that seems to transcend time.
It’s home to residents from all backgrounds and walks of life, and many small businesses including restaurants and cafés, vintage book and clothing stores, and a variety of entertainment venues and local vendors. Its main commercial arteries include Parc Avenue, St-urbain Street, and St-joseph Boulevard East.
The borough has made an effort to protect and preserve many of the locally-owned businesses in recent years to try and prevent the community from becoming overrun by gentrification and big business.
A number of protective measures, including limiting building size for new businesses, were implemented by the city with the intention of preventing smaller, locally-owned establishments from being railroaded.
This is especially important in Mile End, as many of its businesses are flagship Montreal locations such as St-viateur Bagel and Fairmount Bagel, Beauty’s, the Rialto Theatre, and many other household names.
“My wife, Luisa Sassano, and I have been privileged to be owners of the Rialto Theatre since March 2010,” said Ezio Carosielli, president, Rialto Theatre. “We fully realize that our theatre is an iconic building nestled in a unique neighbourhood. While the neighbourhood has its challenges, we remain committed to the longterm success of the theatre and its neighbourhood.”
The community is bordered by Hutchison Street, Christophe Colomb Avenue, Mont-royal Avenue, and the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks. It’s home to roughly 32,000 residents and, as has always been the case in Mile End, its demographic is incredibly diverse. The neighbourhood has received waves of immigrants over the years; today large Greek, Portugese, and Hasidic communities are among the many groups that call Mile End home.
“The community is great, there’s been big changes, we have tons of newcomers from all walks of life,” said Elana Sckolnick, granddaughter of Hymie Sckolnick, who founded Beauty’s restaurant in 1942.
“What makes Mile End so special is what makes all of Montreal so special: the diversity.”
The strong artistic roots of the community are another point of pride. Mile End continues to provide the inspiration to foster creativity across a range of artistic genres — from writers and painters to sculptors, musicians, metalworkers, restoration specialists, and more.
In terms of real estate, Mile End is largely dominated by rental properties, but a handful of new condo developments are in the works.
For example: the Queen Alix development, which is currently under construction, will feature units from 408 to 2,168 square feet, with prices starting at $630,571. A one-bedroom condo on Jeannemance Street is going for $525,000. And a classic Mile End house on Hotel-de-ville Avenue is asking $899,900.
“Mile End is an area in the Plateau that’s getting a lot of attention from locals, but also many foreigners are interested in calling it home as well,” said Saguy Elbaz, real estate broker with Sotheby’s International Realty Québec. “I get a lot of calls from European clients who are interested in buying in this neighbourhood.”
Based on Centris statistics, more than 40 properties sold for over $1 million in 2019, a figure that surprised many real estate experts. During the same year, nearly 60 properties in the area sold for over $800,000.
“Many developers are buying up land and older buildings, and the condo market is so hot even small buildings are selling out before the buildings are erected,” Elbaz said. “I foresee that Mile End and the Plateau in general will continue to blossom — and if inventory remains low, prices will continue to rise.”