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Typical residential street in the Plateau, June 2005

The Plateau or Plateau Mont-Royal is a part of the city of Montreal, just north of downtown and east of Mount Royal. Part of the borough of Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, the Plateau is one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Canada, with nearly 100,000 people living in a 7.75 square kilometre area.

The Plateau was formerly a working-class neighbourhood, with the Eastern part being largely French-Canadian, and the Western part largely Jewish. The neighbourhood was the childhood home of Quebec writers Michel Tremblay and Mordecai Richler and both have set many stories in the Plateau of the 1950s and 60s.

The Plateau is characterized by brightly-coloured houses, cafés, book shops, and a laissez-faire attitude. The combination of different immigrant societies--notably many Portuguese and Spanish-speakers--adds to the feeling of tolerance and creates a unique atmosphere.

In the 1980s, the area's bohemian aura and proximity to McGill University attracted gentrification. Rents increased, and many of its traditional residents were dispersed to other parts of the city. It now is home to many upscale restaurants and nightclubs. In 1997, Utne Reader judged it one of the 15 "hippest" neighbourhoods in North America.

It is also the location of some famous attractions on Saint Lawrence Boulevard, including Schwartz's Deli (famous for its smoked meat sandwiches), and a weekend street fair during the summer that sees extremely crowded streets.

The neighbourhood is in the midst of gentrification. A historic local grocer, Warshaw, has recently been replaced by a Pharmaprix, and any number of trendy clothing stores have their place along this strip of St-Laurent and St-Denis.

• Restaurants in Le Plateau Montreal