In Montréal, which has neither the sunny feel of a beach town nor the nautical pedigree of a maritime community, it’s easy to forget you’re on an island. Your gaze is drawn inward to Mount Royal, the mountain at the heart of the city, rather than out to the water. 

At Mount Royal’s eastern foot, where the buildings look like they’re congregating to pay homage to the crucifix that tops the summit, is the neighborhood of Mile End. Despite what this implies, Mile End is not at the edge, or end, of anything. For that, you’d need to travel nearly 3 miles (5 km) east to the Old Port, where the cobblestone streets that define Montréal’s Vieux France identity meet the Saint Lawrence River. 

Mile End tells a different story. Italian, Portuguese and Greek migration surges in the m...