Daytime, nighttime, anytime, Montréal’s downtown is alive and kicking.
    
     It’s not called centre-ville for nothing: our downtown core is the very heart of the city that pulsates with the vibrant energy of its diverse inhabitants.
    
     Safely nestled between the river and the mountain, it’s our meeting place, our boardroom, our sanctuary, our playground; where students, professionals, artists, fashionistas, tourists—you name it—all converge for the daily 9 to 5, life’s amazing moments, special occasions; for shopping, going out, sight-seeing; for clubbing, dancing, culture.
    
     Soaring skyscrapers and heritage buildings intermingle with quaint boutiques in our compact and accessible downtown, making for a setting that is nothing less than spectacular.
    
     Above ground, Sainte-Catherine Street buzzes with shoppers, hip and trendy Crescent Street is the place to see and be seen while upscale and sophisticated Sherbrooke Street boasts high-end boutiques and world-class cultural institutions such as the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts and the McCord Museum, while not far away is the Musée d’art contemporain.
    
     An urban space designed with pedestrian quality of life in mind, the newly-developed Quartier international is located just beside Chinatown and is home to the kaleidoscopic Palais des congrès and Place Jean-Paul Riopelle, which features the sculpture/fountain, La Joute, from the artist. A magnificent work that makes all who pass by stop and take a second look, its kinetic water sequence and dramatic ring of fire make for a fascinating public place.
    
     Directly below the city, the Underground Pedestrian Network links boutiques, major hotels, restaurants, universities, office buildings and city attractions with 33 kilometres of passageways used by over 500,000 people daily.