The Sports Station – Most booze for your buck

This post was written by Jordan V.

Going out to drink and get absurdly drunk is a regular activity for many of us (…right?). Well there is one bar that I am pretty sure is among the most efficient places for that, rivaling even campus bars. The place is called La Station Des Sports or as many of call it: “Sports Station” and it totally fits the bill if your goal is to:

• Not get dressed up
• Eat a decent meal
• Booze up
• Enjoy the company of your friends.
• Catch the game
• Spend under 25$

Located right in front of Lasalle College on St-Catherine (corner of Fort and St-Cat), this place can accommodate a nice crowd. While it is a sports bar, you will quickly forget that because pretty much anyone from the area stops by for a beer or their awesome fish and chips. This is one of the few places I know where you can get a good meal and pretty drunk by dropping only 20$ and probably getting change back. The menu is pretty vast and the kitchen closes late and they also have a standard variety of beers to choose from. They even have a breakfast menu and the waitresses are pretty hot.

Ok, so the highlight of this place? You can buy a 4L pitcher of beer for $17,50, its practically a bucket of beer in your face and they clean the taps often enough so it doesn’t taste like rust. No it’s not a Happy Hour Special, or a seasonal promotion, it’s the universal law here; even during the recession. Another cool feature is that some tables have a beer tap built into it, I don’t remember what the deal with that is, whether you pay a flat rate or something but hell it’s a beer tap at your disposal!

The atmosphere is nice, hard wood décor, solid tables and chairs and big flat screens all around showing you whatever sports are happening at that very moment. In the summer there is a make-shift terrace that puts you in everyone’s way but you are protected by a rope-line; it’s actually not that great. But if you want to catch a game you should do it here; hockey games attract a nice enthusiastic crowd. For a casual beer with friends an off night can be just as fun because they don’t blast the music in your ears so you can carry a good conversation. As for logistics; it is located between Atwater and Guy Metro, a short walk from either.

BIXI: The First Public Bike System in Canada

Don’t be surprised if you see the mayor riding a bike around the city, wearing his suit and dorky helmet. If you do see him, give him a wave as he is probably on another one of his crusades promoting BIXI; the new public bike system in the city accessible at all times to anybody with a credit card. You have probably seen them lined up on street corners on the BIXI bike racks; a scene we only thought we’d see in Europe. We must admit that this along with the closing of Saint-Paul Street for pedestrians is a great initiative by the city of Montreal, which is discretely phasing out cars from the downtown Montreal core. While this might frustrate many, it is probably the most innovative approach from a city in all of Canada, which are typically behind a decade in these types of innovations from European cities. Montreal is the North American gateway to European trends, just as Miami is for South American ones. The city’s European flair is the right fit for this type of venture and our sincere wish is that this project evolves every year. The truth is that right now, BIXI is more of a trend, and an expensive one. Taking the metro would probably be faster and cheaper, but riding a BIXI sure is something different that’s also good for your health.

The bikes cost the city about two thousand dollars and are claimed to be theft proof due to innovative technology. Get this: the bikes are tracked through GPS and if you don’t return it on time, they will slow down on there own. So if you spot a guy looking like he is climbing a mountain with his BIXI even on flat pavement, chances are he is trying to steal it, or his credit card maxed out. There are 3000 BIXI bikes with 300 different stations. The annual membership fee to have access to the bikes is 78$ which is good for 365 days between the month of May through November. There are also monthly memberships for 28$ and a 24hr access for 5$. Usage is free under 30 minutes and exponentially rise for every 30 minutes used. This pretty much means that people are encouraged to use the bike for short runs. To give you an idea, if you’re thinking of doing the Tour de l’Ile de Montreal with a BIXI, it will cost you around 40$, in other words, go buy a used bike from a garage sale.

Upstairs – It’s Jazztastic!

Just a few steps below the street level on Mackay, you will find a quaint little hidden gem called Upstairs Jazz Bar and Grill. This place caught my eyes from the moment I glimpsed in through the window and saw an upright bass musician jamming away. As an avid jazz fan, I squealed like a little girl and excitedly walked in.

The place: dimly lit room. Very jazz-y and intimate. The Chicago 1950’s feel, complete with brick walls covered with an array of frames, takes you away from the downtown Montreal feel the moment you walk in. All that’s missing is the cloud of smoke hanging in the room (damn this ban!). The food is simple yet tasty and the staff is remarkably friendly. The ditsy, large breasted blonde bimbos you’d find as a nightclub bartender working for tips would not fit in to this classy, old-fashioned joint. Surprisingly, the prices are extremely fair. This place has a vibe I haven’t seen in a long time in Montreal, which is always a bonus since it seems that so many places follow the same template nowadays. A generally older crowd (30+) can appreciate this cozy, laid-back feel where people can share their passion for music.

Several times a week, you will find live performances by jazz artists. For that alone, it’s worth to check out Upstairs. Don’t get me wrong; you don’t have to adore jazz to go. When the performances are done for the night (roughly by midnight), the crowd gets back to it’s lively pace.

I fell in love with this place the moment I walked in. There’s a certain warmth in the personal interactions you can never find in a nightclub.

Their wine list isn’t too extensive, so I’d stick with the drinks. If you’re in the mood for a quick bite, get the Antipasti for 2, you can’t go wrong with calamari, smoked salmon, grilled chicken and a few other ingredients to pleasure your taste buds.

Bonus: Check out their website for scheduled performances as well as special recipes with step-by-step instructions.
www.upstairsjazz.com