Rue Saint-Urbain
Montreal, CANADÀ 2024.
Rue Saint-Urbain (Saint Urbain Street) is a long, historic street running south-to-north through Montreal, known for its rich immigration history and its prominent place in literature.
Origin of the Name: The street is named after Urbain Tessier, a farmer and carpenter who settled in the area and built the original southernmost stretch in the 17th century. The name also references Saint Urbain. The street was officially designated before 1817.
Cultural and Demographic Significance: Saint Urbain is particularly famous for being a hub and the heart of Montreal's Historic Jewish Quarter in the early 20th century. Although much of the community moved to Outremont by the 1970s, the history and legacy remain central. Later, the street also became home to Greek, Portuguese, and Caribbean immigrants.
Popular Culture: The street was famously immortalized by Montreal author Mordecai Richler, who grew up in the area and used Rue Saint-Urbain as both a title and a central setting in many of his novels, chronicling the life of the neighbourhood's Jewish community.
Recent Urban Development: Montreal has recently implemented projects to transform a section of Rue Saint-Urbain (between Avenue Bernard and Rue Milton) into a sustainable mobility corridor, adding a protected bike path and a reserved bus lane during peak hours to improve active and public transportation connectivity between the Plateau and Downtown.
Rue Saint-Urbain
Montreal, CANADÀ 2024.
Rue Saint-Urbain (Saint Urbain Street) is a long, historic street running south-to-north through Montreal, known for its rich immigration history and its prominent place in literature.
Origin of the Name: The street is named after Urbain Tessier, a farmer and carpenter who settled in the area and built the original southernmost stretch in the 17th century. The name also references Saint Urbain. The street was officially designated before 1817.
Cultural and Demographic Significance: Saint Urbain is particularly famous for being a hub and the heart of Montreal's Historic Jewish Quarter in the early 20th century. Although much of the community moved to Outremont by the 1970s, the history and legacy remain central. Later, the street also became home to Greek, Portuguese, and Caribbean immigrants.
Popular Culture: The street was famously immortalized by Montreal author Mordecai Richler, who grew up in the area and used Rue Saint-Urbain as both a title and a central setting in many of his novels, chronicling the life of the neighbourhood's Jewish community.
Recent Urban Development: Montreal has recently implemented projects to transform a section of Rue Saint-Urbain (between Avenue Bernard and Rue Milton) into a sustainable mobility corridor, adding a protected bike path and a reserved bus lane during peak hours to improve active and public transportation connectivity between the Plateau and Downtown.