Villeray Real Estate Opportunities

Geography 

Villeray is a district of the City of Montreal that is part of the Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension borough. It is located in the central northern region of the Island of Montreal.

History

Villeray was originally a farming village founded in the mid-1600s and named for Louis Rouer de Villeray, an esteemed member of the French Military. It was officially recognized as a town by the Quebec government in 1896 and was annexed by Montreal proper in 1905. In addition to its abundant farmland, Villeray made a name for itself on the Island through the stone quarries found in its borders. Those quarries were harvested to provide many of the construction materials for the City of Montreal at the turn of the century and helped create a town economy based in stone masons and quarry workers.

In addition to the quarry and farmland, Villeray is abundant in water sources, making it an ideal location. The largest farm in the village, owned by the Jarry family, was divided at the beginning of the 1900s into 680 home lots and construction on single family homes boomed, though after World War II these homes mostly were transformed into duplex and triplex apartments to handle the population influx.

Villeray has a rich history andis host to popular sporting and cultural events. The original home of the Montreal Expos and the stadium were the US Tennis open was hosted here in 2006. Besides featuring a large urban parc, Villeray has numerous restaurants, cafés and shopping.  

Demographics

Today, Villeray is one of the most ethnically diverse regions of Montreal, with over 60% of the population coming from one or more of the 75 cultural communities that call the neighborhood home. It continues the tradition of being a predominantly working class area as it was at the turn of the century and is regarded as the oldest district in the borough it shares with Saint-Michel and Parc Extension.

Key Features 

Many historic buildings still stand and are in use in the neighborhood, especially along St. Denis Street. The Jean-Talon market is renowned throughout Montreal as the best produce, spice, and delicacy market.

The Villeray neighborhood is also famous throughout the world as the Circus neighborhood; here, the internationally acclaimed Cirque de Soleil has its headquarters, and many famous circus schools are also located in the district.