Ever since it earned its nickname of 'Sin City' during the Prohibition era, Montreal's nightlife has been famous for the last century and even today the city is arguably home to the hottest nightlife in Canada.One of the best areas for a night out is Saint-Laurent, with trendy, fashionable clubs, and bars that are constantly being reinvented. Crescent is a popular area with those wanting a chilled evening and is hence a good choice for couples and diners.The Latin Quarter lives up to its name with a lively party scene, attracting students and tourists in substantial numbers during the summer months when the good times spill into the streets. The Gay Village is a very lively cocktail of charming cafés and pumping nightclubs joints, enjoying a reputation as having the most raucous nightlife among both gay and straight crowds.Bars in Montreal close around 3am. Clubs tend to open late and close around dawn. Entrance fees are usually charged but these can be avoided by calling ahead and talking your way onto the guest lists, not nearly as hard as it sounds.Be aware that Montreal has some fairly advanced public health regulations that mean smoking cigarettes in bars or even near them is strictly forbidden. Do so at the risk of a fine. A drawcard for visiting young Americans is the legal drinking age of 18, as opposed to 21 across the border.Montreal is also a paradise of culture, the city enjoying its own symphony orchestra, dozens of theatres, and countless venues for live music concerts, ranging from intimate clubs to international arena tours.
