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General
Saint-Henri was ranked among the world’s coolest neighbourhoods but locals have some thoughts
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/the-mysterious-pink-house-in-montreal-s-saint-henri-right-a-sign-for-cordova-coffee-cocktails-on-a-saint-henri-street.png?id=53819812&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=96%2C0%2C96%2C0"/><br/><br/><p> Montreal's Saint-Henri was recently named <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-neighbourhood-ranked-coolest-in-the-world-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world</a>, claiming the title of #1 coolest in Canada. But despite the fanfare, some locals disagree.<br/> </p><p> <a href="https://www.timeout.com/travel/coolest-neighbourhoods-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time Out's annual ranking</a>, released last month, was created collaboratively by a global team of writers and editors who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour. </p><p> This year, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/st-henri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saint-Henri</a> came in 13th overall, beating iconic international tourist destinations like Flatbush (New York City), East Hollywood (Los Angeles) and Mount Pleasant (Washington DC). </p><p> Curious to see what our readers thought about Saint-Henri being dubbed Canada's hippest district, we took to Facebook to see the reaction — and people had some opinions. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="20061b249da91384d8e7974f61499e5b"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MTLBlog/posts/pfbid02Pr3oitDtAu7Sb3EHPEu9jwPTxgPDjQ4L8wfFmk3YPXsS9nfPZEjh7XHCxpwd1hdxl"></div></div><p> "Montreal's St-Henri has been ranked as one of the coolest places to live in the world, do you think this is true?" we asked our online community.<br/> </p><p> "Approved by the Dubois family," the top response says. This tongue-in-cheek comment garnered some laughs, as it references a French-Canadian gang of mobster brothers with roots in Saint-Henri. </p><p> While no one else raised suspicions of criminal interference, some commenters did wonder if the results of this ranking were truly accurate.</p><p> "In the world? By whom? Anyone who has gone as far as Mount Royal in their life?" one commenter wrote. </p><p> <span></span>"[They're] confusing cool and trendy," wrote another. </p><p> Some commenters brought up the fact that they feel unsafe in the Saint-Henri area; however, one person pointed out how things have changed in recent years. Others praised the area's poutine and smoked meat, but that's not necessarily specific to Saint-Henri. </p><p> Meanwhile, some Saint-Henri residents defended their neighbourhood with pride, though they weren’t ready to completely set aside their concerns. </p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b6fbebf8828956ed95505c7b7a142453"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/NarcityQuebec/posts/pfbid08RWYe465KvxQiVxvzTtddyDuMYTUvrTmbKwn57iAqK7rsttEQpCvRHtbHEzbf6Q5l"></div></div><p> "I live in St-Henri/Old Port and it’s nice, but I wouldn’t call it 'cool,'" one person wrote. </p><p> "Don't say it too loud, rents will go up," wrote another. </p><p> At the same time, few alternative choices were proposed to take Saint-Henri's spot — at least not in any meaningful way. </p><p> "Ville-Marie is much better, everyone talks to each other, okay, they talk to themselves, but oh well..." someone wrote. </p><p> So, what do you think? Is Saint-Henri the coolest neighbourhood in the country — or even the city? Head to our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MTLBlog/posts/pfbid02Pr3oitDtAu7Sb3EHPEu9jwPTxgPDjQ4L8wfFmk3YPXsS9nfPZEjh7XHCxpwd1hdxl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook post</a> to chime in. </p><p> <em>This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.</em> </p><p> <em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em> </p>