Montreal: A Cultural Paradise

Montreal is a very cool city; we visited for a few days in the fall of 2014. It’s located in the only truly French-speaking province of Canada, Quebec, a legacy left behind from the days of European colonization. That’s what initially drew me to the city; its blend of French and English language, of European and North American culture. And from the moment I stepped out of the airport, I was captivated by this complex and lively city. I loved its rich history, its stunning architecture, its contrast of nature and city life, its delicious food, and most of all, its incredibly unique culture.

Greenwich Village, Soho, and Chinatown

For our second full day in New York, we had scheduled a visit to NYU. NYU’s buildings don’t form much of a campus. Basically, they’re all clustered around Washington Square Park. However, Waverly Place runs parallel to Washington Square Park, just on the other side of some of NYU’s buildings. Growing up, I was a Wizards of Waverly Place addict (for those of you who don’t know, it’s only the best Disney Channel TV show ever), and so of course I had to stop and take a few snapshots of the street sign. Washington Square Park was a beautiful park, adorned with trees and walkways and a central square with an arch through which you can see the Empire State Building. Under the arch was a shrine to the Paris attack that had happened two weeks prior. Since the rest of the campus was so scattered and urban, I loved that it all centered around a unified and nature-filled park.