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Summary

There's A Sandy Beach In The Middle Of Downtown Montreal & You Can Even Bring Cocktails

Is this Saint James United Church or am I on holiday?
There's A Sandy Beach In The Middle Of Downtown Montreal & You Can Even Bring Cocktails
Senior Writer

If you've been walking along Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest lately, you likely noticed that the area in front of Saint James United Church got a major makeover. It's now a sandy beach — yes, a beach — smack dab in the middle of downtown Montreal. 

Plage Saint-James, as it's being called, is one of 11 oasis intallations created by the Quartier des spectacles, Montréal centre-ville and Tourisme Montréal. 

Editor's Choice: Montreal's Ave. du Mont-Royal Is Getting Huge Enchanting Gardens For The Summer (PHOTOS)

This particular oasis is described as a "vacation in the sun, right in the downtown core" with "comfortable furniture, shade, a seaside soundscape, and that one-of-a-kind feeling of hot sand underfoot."  

Alcohol is allowed, as long as you consume it with food so you can BYOB if you really want to set the mood of being on holiday.

Sitting on a lounge chair with your toes in the sand as you sip on a cocktail under the sun, it's hard to believe this is really Sainte-Catherine.

At the very least, it's the perfect place to relax after a long day of shopping.

A Beach In The Middle Of Downtown MTL

Price: Free

When: June 4 to September 26, 2021

Address: Saint James United Church — 463, rue Sainte-Catherine O., Montreal, QC

Why You Need To Go: Instantly escape the hustle-and-bustle of downtown, swapping it for beach holiday feels. 

Website

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    • Ilana Belfer

      Editor

      Ilana Belfer (she/her) was an editor for MTL Blog. She's obsessed with great storytelling in all its forms having worked in print, radio, television, theatre, and digital media over the past decade. A graduate of Carleton University’s journalism program, her words have appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, The Kit, VICE, Salon, Foodism TO & more — covering everything from cam girls to COVID-19. Ilana can usually be found with her dog André, tracking down Montreal’s prettiest ruelles vertes and tastiest treats.

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