McGill University

[caseym519]

Hi All-

I figured I would start one of these forums for McGill.

Anyone else making the move to Montreal this fall?

I will be relocating from Atlanta, GA.

If there are others interested in sharing information about McGill and Montreal, please respond to this thread.

Best,

Casey

[Tooma]

Hey Casey,

That's a good idea. I'm tending to accept ECE McGill's offer too. I will be relocating form Cairo, Egypt.

[Gaurav Harmalkar]

Hi

I have got admit from McGill ECE Department for Fall 2011 . I will be relocating from India.

I was in Montreal last summer for an internship in McGill ECE Department. If I can be of any help please let me know.

Have a nice day.

Regards,

Gaurav

[ruslik]

I'm tending to accept ECE McGill's offer

The same for me

Does anyone know if there is a family housing option for graduate students (with a child)? I looked on thier site and they said there is no such option, but probably I missed something...

Do they have something like children care center? Any other usefull information for married+ graduate student?

[kywai]

Hey guys! I just accepted an offer from McGill for Linguistics for next Fall While I don't know a whole lot about how McGill works, I am from Montreal so if you have any questions about the city itself I'm happy to answer.

[Lymrance]

Hey guys! I just accepted an offer from McGill for Linguistics for next Fall While I don't know a whole lot about how McGill works, I am from Montreal so if you have any questions about the city itself I'm happy to answer.

Ruslik -- I checked the accommodations website and believe it specifically said they do not have any family housing (e.g. for couples or students with children). I am finding rather incredible that they don't, considering it's such a large school!

Does anyone have any additional information on the possibility of family housing...? I'll be moving with my partner.

Also, since you mention it Kywai, do you have any rough idea on the cost of apartments in the McGill vicinity? Ideally, I want something extremely close by -- e.g. 5-10 minute walk (or subway ride). I'd check Kijiji, but I don't read French... yet.

[itaal]

Ruslik -- I checked the accommodations website and believe it specifically said they do not have any family housing (e.g. for couples or students with children). I am finding rather incredible that they don't, considering it's such a large school!

Does anyone have any additional information on the possibility of family housing...? I'll be moving with my partner.

Also, since you mention it Kywai, do you have any rough idea on the cost of apartments in the McGill vicinity? Ideally, I want something extremely close by -- e.g. 5-10 minute walk (or subway ride). I'd check Kijiji, but I don't read French... yet.

I did my undergraduate degree at McGill (with a major in Linguistics). McGill does not offer many on-campus housing options because it's located right in the downtown area with Mount Royal as its backyard. There isn't that much space left. However, housing in Montreal is very affordable, compared to many North American cities. I used to pay $600 (all utilities included) for a quite spacious studio only 10 min walk away from the campus. It's not hard to find a studio (or 1 1/2 in the local terms) like this around McGill. You can save more if you share a 2-3 bedroom with other people. McGill does have some graduate housing around the campus, but I don't recommend it at all. A friend of mine stayed at one of these places. It looked shabby and the rent was $700. Totally not worth it.

As for the neighbourhoods, within 5-10 min walk from the campus, there's what students call "McGill ghetto" to the east, where a lot of undergraduates stay at. To the west, there's more of a mix of McGill and Concordia students. Many students choose to live a bit further away, e.g. the Plateau or Mile End. You get more of the local atmosphere in these areas. My friends who lived in 2-3 bedroom apartments in these places paid around $300-500 per month. Buses run on Ave. Parc regularly and frequently, so it's easy to commute between the campus and Plateau/ Mile End. Many of my friends who are from Montreal live in NDG or Westmount, both are anglophone areas (the latter is a wealthy residential area).

Besides Kijiji, Craiglist Montreal and the McGill classified ads are good sources for apartment hunting, too. And one peculiar thing about Montreal is that most leases start on July 1st. It's the city's moving day (coincidentally also the Canada Day). McGill ghetto is an exception to this, but most places do follow this rule, so it's more expensive to rent a U-Haul van or something like that during that time.

[kywai]

Well itaal has pretty much covered the close-by areas, since McGill is right in the downtown there's not much in the way of housing within a 5-minute walk. If you're willing to metro in, you can look for places on the Green line of the metro. A really useful tool for visualizing distances from campus is padmapper: http://www.padmapper.com/

And McGill's off-campus housing website has some useful resources, e.g. brief descriptions of each neighbourhood: http://www.mcgill.ca/offcampus/start/location/

Depending on what your priorities are (e.g. apartment size, safety of neighbourhood, ease of commute, price), I can give you a better idea of what neighbourhoods you might want to be looking in. The area around Lionel-Groulx metro (St-Henri) has some quite big places for good prices if you don't mind about a 10-minute metro commute (3-4 metro stops).

[jnoel12]

McGill does have some graduate housing around the campus, but I don't recommend it at all. A friend of mine stayed at one of these places. It looked shabby and the rent was $700. Totally not worth it.

Wow, thanks for the heads up! I was going to try to get into graduate housing. Was your friend in one of the 'apartment-style residences' or the 'shared-facilities' houses?

http://www.mcgill.ca/students/housing/downtown-graduate/

[itaal]

Wow, thanks for the heads up! I was going to try to get into graduate housing. Was your friend in one of the 'apartment-style residences' or the 'shared-facilities' houses?

http://www.mcgill.ca...ntown-graduate/

She's in 3464 Hutchison. It's a tiny furnished studio. There was a hole in her desk and she said there was some problem with the windows in the beginning. It's in the McGill ghetto and is about 5-7 min walk from the campus, but there's a lot of studios in this area. You can easily get one at $600-700 (utilities included) that is much better than this one. I don't know about other graduate housing options, but it's more common for McGill students, undergrads included (except for freshmen) to live off-campus because of the very affordable rent and the good public transportation.

[KathrynMorrison]

Hi everyone!

I'm also starting a program at McGill this September. I am coming to Montreal in mid-June for a conference, so I may relocate then. I'm coming from Victoria, British Columbia so the winters are going to be a huge adjustment for me! Any more advice from locals on where to look for housing would be awesome. If anyone is interested in meeting potential roommates on here, that'd be great!

Kathryn

[kywai]

Hi everyone!

I'm also starting a program at McGill this September. I am coming to Montreal in mid-June for a conference, so I may relocate then. I'm coming from Victoria, British Columbia so the winters are going to be a huge adjustment for me! Any more advice from locals on where to look for housing would be awesome. If anyone is interested in meeting potential roommates on here, that'd be great!

Kathryn

Welcome to Montreal! I definitely recommend you come spend as much as possible of the summer here, my friend moved here from Victoria last April and he said the only thing that got him through the winter was the memory of how amazing summer is in Montreal. Protip: there is no room for vanity in a montreal winter, just get a big stupid coat and big stupid boots and you'll be toasty

[catwoman_80]

I too am starting at McGill in the fall. Although I am from Montreal and did my first undergrad there a few years back. A word of advice to apartment-seekers: The "Ghetto" is overpriced and noisy. I don't recommend it for a grad student who is actually looking to get work done in his/her home. Landlords of nice places in the ghetto know that they can charge an arm and a leg, as the majority of undergrads (or their parents) will pay it, and even the more expensive places are cheap compared to other cities. The less nice and more affordable housing in the ghetto (500-700) range is just a rip off. Head east a couple of blocks (past Parc Ave. or even closer to St. Laurent or St. Denis) and you will find nicer places, at the same or lower prices, with no one smashing beer bottles outside your window at 2 am. Trust me, this happens regularly. And the authorities don't do anything about it, as it is a student area.

Montreal also has an excellent (and cheap compared to other cities) public transit system. There is a metro stop practically across the road (maybe a block away) from the main gates to McGill and the no. 24 bus, which runs along Sherbrooke and drops you off at the door. NDG, to the west of downtown, is on the 24 line, about a 10-minute ride with no traffic or maybe 20 during rush hour. Lots of apartments, parks and all of your required amenities. If you take the 24 the other way, toward the Plateau - more bohemian and trendy - the distance is probably even less, and again, a great area. You can also go north into the "Plateau," which lies on the other side of Mount Royal. Less direct by public transit (although still not far) and excellent for cyclists or walkers. Montreal has the Bixie bike rental system, so you don't even need to own a bicylce or worry about having to store it in your apt. Of couse, that doesn't work in the winter.

Good luck to you all! Please don't hesitate if you have questions re. Montreal housing or anything else about the city. I probably can't answer too many questions about the school, as I believe undergrad and grad studies are two very different worlds.

[PhDMan]

Hi everyone,

can someone please tell me how Lorne ave (mcgill ghetto) is?

noise, drunkiness, vandalism, sewage/drainage

I found a basement studio and still not sure if I should sign the lease. I am not in Montreal and cannot go and see it for myself, although I've seen pictures and street view on google map.

thanks for help

appreciate it

[catwoman_80]

Noisy, overpriced. Then again, the whole ghetto is. You could likely find not a basement for the same amount a couple blocks east, still in walking distance.

Hi everyone,

can someone please tell me how Lorne ave (mcgill ghetto) is?

noise, drunkiness, vandalism, sewage/drainage

I found a basement studio and still not sure if I should sign the lease. I am not in Montreal and cannot go and see it for myself, although I've seen pictures and street view on google map.

thanks for help

appreciate it

Edited June 29, 2011 by catwoman_80

[PhDMan]

thanks catwoman

really appreciate your advice.

how about st famille. i found a 1 1/2 on top floor for about same price ($550).

as for the one on lorne ave. the location is attractive because it is just behind the ECE building. and i dont care about daytime noise. i usually sleep around 10 and wake up around 4:30.

another related question. do grad students (particularly ECE) get 24hr access to offices in the ECE building? this is why i like the basement because i can spend the nights in my office space studying - if i dont feel like sleeping.

Noisy, overpriced. Then again, the whole ghetto is. You could likely find not a basement for the same amount a couple blocks east, still in walking distance.

Edited June 29, 2011 by PhDMan

[catwoman_80]

Ste. Famille is MUCH better. In my opinion, anyway. The ghetto is not just filled with daytime noise. It's constant, even during exams. And probably less noisy during the day than at midnight to 2 am, believe it or not. I lived on Aylmer for several years and the only time it was quiet was July and August. Ste. Famille is a little more mature than the ghetto. Less undergrads, more professionals, actually closer to groceries and nightlife. Nicer looking too, although I'll admit I haven't spent too much time on Lorne.

As for the building, I don't even know what ECE stands for.

thanks catwoman

really appreciate your advice.

how about st famille. i found a 1 1/2 on top floor for about same price ($550).

as for the one on lorne ave. the location is attractive because it is just behind the ECE building. and i dont care about daytime noise. i usually sleep around 10 and wake up around 4:30.

another related question. do grad students (particularly ECE) get 24hr access to offices in the ECE building? this is why i like the basement because i can spend the nights in my office space studying - if i dont feel like sleeping.

[PhDMan]

thanks catwoman

i had a feeling that I would be better off on st famille. ECE is "electrical and computer engineering." In general, do you know anything about 24hr access to office spaces for grad students?

Ste. Famille is MUCH better. In my opinion, anyway. The ghetto is not just filled with daytime noise. It's constant, even during exams. And probably less noisy during the day than at midnight to 2 am, believe it or not. I lived on Aylmer for several years and the only time it was quiet was July and August. Ste. Famille is a little more mature than the ghetto. Less undergrads, more professionals, actually closer to groceries and nightlife. Nicer looking too, although I'll admit I haven't spent too much time on Lorne.

As for the building, I don't even know what ECE stands for.

[catwoman_80]

Nope. I'm in law and I can reserve myself a space at the library as a grad student. That's all I know in terms of grad student privileges. I know that the main library (Redpath-McLellan), which is used by everyone, is open 24 hours during exam periods. Likely the kind of information hiding online somewhere.

Good luck!

thanks catwoman

i had a feeling that I would be better off on st famille. ECE is "electrical and computer engineering." In general, do you know anything about 24hr access to office spaces for grad students?

[PhDMan]

usually engineering students get office spaces/cubicles assigned to them. i did my MSc at UofA and this what we had. I could come anytime day or night and access the building and my office space.

on the other hand, having a nice quiet apartment is also suitable for night sutudy.

Nope. I'm in law and I can reserve myself a space at the library as a grad student. That's all I know in terms of grad student privileges. I know that the main library (Redpath-McLellan), which is used by everyone, is open 24 hours during exam periods. Likely the kind of information hiding online somewhere.

Good luck!

Edited June 29, 2011 by PhDMan

[catwoman_80]

Ah. Well I'm sure your faculty can let you know about that. I'm at masters level now, so no office space for me yet. But a reserved spot in the new law library is welcome.

usually engineering students get office spaces/cubicles assigned to them. i did my MSc at UofA and this what we had. I could come anytime day or night and access the building and my office space.

on the other hand, having a nice quiet apartment is also suitable for night sutudy.

[PhDMan]

catwoman ... our Montreal guide

how does the monthly bus pass work? Do I get to use train/metro/buses unlimited?

I am considering living 30-40 min. away via metro from McGill

Ah. Well I'm sure your faculty can let you know about that. I'm at masters level now, so no office space for me yet. But a reserved spot in the new law library is welcome.

[catwoman_80]

Transit in Montreal is much cheaper than most Canadian cities and yes, unlimited metro and bus. But not train; different system and more expensive. Where you thinking now? The metro is pretty reliable - I would really live anywhere that does not involve a bus, but it's of course crowded in the morning and can get quite hot in the summer - not air conditioned. But definitely convenient.

You mentioned something yesterday about waiting until Mid-August? I don't see the post here now, which is strange. I think that's cutting it close but doable. There's plenty out there, but your options will be way more limited and you may have to settle for something you wouldn't otherwise take.

catwoman ... our Montreal guide

how does the monthly bus pass work? Do I get to use train/metro/buses unlimited?

I am considering living 30-40 min. away via metro from McGill

[PhDMan]

great. Montreal is a great city. i already love it.

i dont have a specific location. but the rent and size become very attractive when you move farther from downtown. of course, I would want to stay very close to a metro station or a single bus line to McGill like du parc.

by the way, how did you cope with the noise in the ghetto? just curious about how bad it was/is.

i think i should get done with apt hunting ASAP. it is distracting me from preparing for PhD.

Transit in Montreal is much cheaper than most Canadian cities and yes, unlimited metro and bus. But not train; different system and more expensive. Where you thinking now? The metro is pretty reliable - I would really live anywhere that does not involve a bus, but it's of course crowded in the morning and can get quite hot in the summer - not air conditioned. But definitely convenient.

You mentioned something yesterday about waiting until Mid-August? I don't see the post here now, which is strange. I think that's cutting it close but doable. There's plenty out there, but your options will be way more limited and you may have to settle for something you wouldn't otherwise take.

Edited June 30, 2011 by PhDMan

[catwoman_80]

Parc is great, but a bit of a walk from the bus to campus, without switching buses or taking a metro. Not so fun in the winter. Metro is better (in my humble and lazy opinion).

But yes, northeast of campus is likely where you want to be in order to enjoy the city at its best. Also due east off Sherbrooke is pretty great for a couple of km anyway, at least until de Lorimier. More French there, but I suppose that's what adds to the charm.

A great city indeed. I don't actually live there anymore, but am looking forward to being back for the year. And one of the best things about where I do live is proximity to Montreal. It's one of the few world-class cosmopolitan cities where normal people can still afford to live and just about everything anyone could want is available somewhere.

great. Montreal is a great city. i already love it.

i dont have a specific location. but the rent and size become very attractive when you move farther from downtown. of course, I would want to stay very close to a metro station or a single bus line to McGill like du parc.