Both New York and Montreal are artsy, fashionable and brimming with beautiful people – which explains all the traveling we do between the two – but can we really compare the American metropolis with Canada’s European beacon? We can try…

1. Chinatown / “Chinatown” The former is a patchwork of colorful characters, cheap accessories and authentic cuisine. The latter is sometimes referred to as “Chinastreet and “Chinahalfablock.” Adorable effort, Montreal!

NYC Chinatown

2. Central Park / Mount Royal One’s huge and hosts theater, concerts and a zoo… and is riddled with the corpses of murdered joggers, if Law & Order is to be believed. The other’s a weekly drum-fueled free love hoedown. It’s a tie.

Weekend on Mount Royal

3. LES / SLAM The trendy stretch of St. Laurent Above Mount Royal (I just made that up) has only gotten better thanks to galleries like Push, shops like Unicorn, and galleries/shops like Les Commissaires. You’re likely to spot all 42 members of Arcade Fire in both ‘hoods, but SLAM’s still got a ways to go in terms of grittiness.

LES

4. Coney Island / La Ronde Le freak, c’est chic. Until La Ronde replaces the Monster with actual monsters in the form of Fiji Mermaids and bearded ladies, Coney Island wins, baby, hands down.

Le Monstre

5. Williamsburg / Mile End When Hassidic Jews and hipsters collide, Montrealers like to keep things civil. Cheap rent, a peaceful coexistence and better bagels (yeah, I said it) put Mile End on top. Finally!

Montreal Bagels

Words by Eve Thomas