Ever since the borough of Verdun got named one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world yesterday, there's been a steady amount of readers and commentators in social circles having sometimes heated, sometimes happy back-and-forths over the choice.
We get it: Trying to assess anything as the 'coolest' is a controversial thing. While many Montrealers didn't chime in on who they thought should've made the cut, many more brought a full gamut of opinions that ranged for concerns over gentrification in the area and the affordability of Montreal as a whole to outward displays of love for the borough if they called it home.
That said, your truly has chimed in as to why Verdun was deserving of its rank increase by a full 11 spots in 2020's annual Time Out Index survey (up from #22 in 2019 if you haven't done the math), but don't take my word for it: The survey is the result of as many as 38,000 respondents from across the globe, and the results that are simply backed up by Time Out's editors and contributors.
As an editor, I spent time watching "Verdun’s continued rallying cry of local flavours, sights and sounds in the face of uncertainty", and that Verdun was a city-within-a-city that—over the months following the city's first lockdown—demonstrated a lot of strength in supporting its independent businesses, that it gave a lot of space to local culture, and the borough has since really banded together to keep itself afloat.
Some locals agreed with that, while others didn't exactly feel that way.
Here are some of our favourite reactions from Twitter over the last 24 hours:
Ils sont jamais aller à Verdun c’est pas possible
— Xavier (@Fallout_Xav) October 6, 2020
Whoever picked Verdun never went to Verdun.
— Charles Enault (@CharlesEnault) October 8, 2020
Can’t wait to have hordes of tourists asking how to get to Verdun. LOL.
— Red Zone Chaotic Manic Pixie Punk Girl ✨✌🏼🖤 (@yaraelsoueidi) October 7, 2020
As a Verdun native, cool. But as a Montrealer, I must say that #VerdunLuv as the Montreal choice could be, well, debatable. Thanks for Sharing!!
— ProposMontreal-Martin Bérubé (@ProposMontreal) October 7, 2020
Verdun vient tout juste d'être désigné 11e quartier le plus cool au monde par @timeout ! 🎉 Le succès de la pietonnisation de la @promwellington cet été n’est pas passé inaperçu, tout comme l’esprit créatif et festif des Verdunois•es. Bravo! https://t.co/d8SO0hFmuK #polmtl pic.twitter.com/EGqySC2a3e
— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) October 6, 2020
Bien heureux du classement. Par contre j'aime Verdun pour son métissage socio-économique et je crains que ce type d'attention attire une classe économique qui va évincer un groupe plus vulnérable et homogénéiser le quartier.
— Martin Brunet (@Martin_Brunet) October 7, 2020
Verdun fait parti des 40 quartiers les plus cool au monde, wtf? C'est le même Verdun que moi je connais la? #Montreal the city is changing
— Meloomat (@Sirfresh_alot) October 6, 2020
People who showed up in MTL in 90-early 2000’s know the real Verdun lol
— laeticiak (@thefashionistak) October 6, 2020
People who showed up in MTL in 90-early 2000’s know the real Verdun lol
— laeticiak (@thefashionistak) October 6, 2020
People who showed up in MTL in 90-early 2000’s know the real Verdun lol
— laeticiak (@thefashionistak) October 6, 2020
The only thing I miss about Verdun is buildings were always burning down so there was often a cozy smoky smell in the air
— Jacobo Nácar (@jacobs_attic) October 7, 2020
Ils sont jamais aller à Verdun c’est pas possible
— Xavier (@Fallout_Xav) October 6, 2020
I live in Verdun and I approve this message.
— Alcool à Fiction (@alcoolafiction) October 7, 2020
Also: I can't move because I'll end up paying 75% more for rent.
I love my neighborhood. I would love to make it my permanent home.
But buying: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
can we just call it like it is and swap “coolest” for “most likely to have an Aesop store within six months”
— Diana Hubbell (@DianaHubbell) October 7, 2020
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