Montreal is an indulgent city, teeming with an insatiable desire for life, sex, and art. Emotion pervades the metropolis, and the constant fluidity from French and English creates a delightful dance between two cultures.

The city sits on an island in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River. It is roughly divided into two regions, with francophones generally living east of St. Laurent and anglos living to the west; the giant Parc Mont Royal sits between the two. Charming Old Montreal, with its antiquated buildings, numerous art galleries, winding streets, and fancy restaurants, runs along the southern side of the city.

I spent the last two years living in a neighborhood on the east side of Montreal, near Parc Lafontaine, a lovely and relatively large park consistently filled with people eating, drinking, making music, playing tennis, doing yoga, napping, ice skating, watching theater, among many other niceties. Living next to this park was a serendipitous introduction to Montreal in that it exudes a constant quest for pleasure. Regular meanders through this area helped me transitionfrom my achievement-filled Midwestern lifestyle to one saturated with enjoyment.

And to start with enjoyment, let’s talk about beer. Montreal is teeming with glorious brew pubs in almost every neighborhood. Some of my favorites are L’amère à Boire and Le Cheval Blanc, both in the bohemian Quarter Latin, and Dieu du Ciel, located on the border of the Plateau and another enchanting neighborhood, Mile End.

It’s best to start the evening over a beer, then head out for dinner to one of the endless dining choices. Afterwards, take some time to explore Montreal’s music scene. Updated music listings and all sorts of other fun local stuff can befound in the free Montreal Mirror, located in the entrance of most cafes. Sala Rossa, a concert venue located atop the Spanish restaurant, and Casa de Popolo, with a casual bar music scene, are consistently safe bets.

After you have had your night on the town, it's essential that you make a stop at La Banquise on your way home. It’s open 24/7 so you have no excuse to skip out, and you wouldn’t want to once you taste the greasy glory of poutine, Montreal’s iconic dish that consists of French fries, cheese curds (that go squeak squeak) and gravy -- a number of veggie and meat ingredients can be added to your liking. And, the gravy is vegetarian for the interested herbivores. It is imperative to throw away all concerns about fat, calories and body image and submerge yourself in this dish. It has the possibilities to heighten one’s sense of being to celestial levels, or at the very least, make your mouth and tummy really happy.

If it’s Sunday morning and it’s sometime between May and September, make a trip to see the tam-tams, an event revolving primarily around large drum circles that are open to everyone. But don’t worry, there’s no need to commit yourself to being a hippie, you can join in on all sorts of activities such as watching the epic battles between LARPers (fantasy role players) as they club each other with plastic clubs and duct tape swords while protecting themselves with materials ranging from cardboard to chainmail. Or you can just bring a blanket, sit back, and enjoy a day of people watching. I should mention that this activity is one of the best to do in all of Montreal. Anywhere you go, at any time, get a seat along the sidewalk and watch the grandmas, transvestites, biker gangs, moms, kids, and hipsters go by.

Since you are right at Mont Royal, it’s a good time to take a hike up the mountain and experience some solitude in the city. The hill is forested with trails throughout and contains Beaver Lake (also used as an ice-skating rink in the winter) and two interesting cemeteries at its top, one of which includes a large and intriguing mausoleum. The park is a quick way to get away throughout the year, offering opportunities to both hike during warmer months and cross-country ski in the winter. Make sure to stop at the chalet forgreat views of the city.

Summer Sundays also offer another authenticMontreal event at Piknic Électronik in Park Jean Drapeau, a small island dedicated to leisureactivities. DJs spin from 2pm until 9:30pm. Feel free to bring a bottle of wine or the drink of your choice as all parks in Montreal are open to alcohol as long as you don’t act like an idiot. This event is a great way to get a feel for the openness of Montreal as people of all ages and backgrounds meet to relax and feel the pulse of pounding bass late into the night.

If you’ve got an itch to go shopping, check out St. Catherine Street in downtown Montreal, the central shopping district.

They have loads of typical stores like any mall, but many of them have a bit more flare and style. Montrealers love their fashion; it’s not uncommon to see women in stilettos and short skirts in the dead of winter. The most fun for the money is the popular Simons.Think H&M Quebec style. They have a large selection of cheap and stylish stuff, in addition to some more expensive and higher quality options on their second floor. While you are downtown, make sure to explore the underground city, a network of stores and passages that help the locals to survive the grueling winters. Lots of fun local boutiques are found in the Plateau onboth St. Laurent and St. Denis. Preloved is a cool place where you can find creative redesigns ofvintage clothing.

Any day of the week, take a trip to one of Montreal’s many open-airmarkets, or “marchés”. Marché Atwater is the most popular for tourists, but Marché Jean-Talon offers a much more authentic experience. Rows and rows of colorful fruit and vegetables, smelly cheeses, googly-eyed fish, and fresh bread will get your senses going while giving you a great taste of the neighborhood and people of Montreal. Many of the booths offer tasty local food; look for the word biologique if you want to go organic. Stop by Lemarché dessaveurs du Québec for local Quebequoisproducts, including ice wines, maple syrup, and cheese. And don’t leave without dropping into Première Moisson to at least take a peek at their indulgent pastries; the croissant aux amandes et chocolat is my personal favorite. Several of these bakeries can be found throughout the city if you don’t have time to make it to the market.

At this point I should mention that all of these places are easily accessible without a car.You can hop into one of the plentiful cabs throughout the city, or take their efficient public transportation system. Look for a blue sign with a downward-facing arrow for a metro station. Tickets arepurchased in the station. A single ride is CA $2.75, or you can buy 6 trips for CA $12.00. They alsooffer a tourist card with unlimited rides for one day (CA $9.00) or three days (CA $17.00).

If you have some time to spend in the Montreal area, take an overnight trip to the romantic Quebec City, which is currently celebrating its 400th birthday. The narrow winding streets make you feel more like you are roaming though a European city than one in North America, and the old part of town is still surrounded by its original fort walls. A trip during the winter is magical, it feels as though you are walking through one of those figurine Christmas villages with cobblestone houses and snow up to your waist. It takes about two-and-a-half hours to get there by car, or you can hop on a comfortable bus from Montreal’s main bus station or a train from the downtown central station. I find that Quebec City is best spent wandering and eating, but there is plenty of rich historical architecture to keep you busy for days.

My favorite place to stay is Hotel Champlain, conveniently located in old upper Quebec for a modest price. Le Cochon Dingue offers a wonderful meal, as does Restaurant Le Pain Béni. And Aux Anciens Canadiens is great for lunch. It’s touristy, but offers a tasty and affordable complete lunch for CA $16.95 and an opportunity to try tourtière, a traditional wild meat pie. Spend some time at the Galerie Art Inuit Brousseau et Brousseau admiring beautiful Inuit carvings from soapstone, ivory, bone, and serpentine.

Montreal is a fun, lively, and vibrant city that has plenty to offer for either a weekend getaway or a longer stay. And, if you’re already in North America, it affords the opportunity to taste a bit of exotic culture without paying for an expensive transoceanic flight. Now is a great time to experience the city with its stunning fall colors, so hop in the car or book a flight and come on up. ■

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Jackie Grom has been wandering the globe since the age of 19 after her first all-girls road trip across the United States. Since that time, she has lived in Spain, Australia, and Canada with bits of travel sprinkled throughout. She now finds herself residing in Chicago, IL and is enjoying the attributes of a more stationary life in her garden and kitchen, but can’t seem to help herself from cooking up more ways to get back on the road.

When not playing, Jackie researches polar regions and looks for new opportunities to experience the marvels of the environment.