Balconville: photos and story
The Globe & Mail has a little photo and story feature on Montreal’s balconies.
If anything, I’ve noticed how porches and balconies are hardly used around here. Back balconies get some use, often for barbecues, but you can walk blocks of Villeray’s streets on a fine day and nobody’s sitting outside on their front balcony.
DeWolf 11:23 on 2022-08-20 Permalink
I’m surprised to hear that. On my block of St-Vallier, there’s usually a bunch of people sitting on their front balconies at various points in the day. My upstairs neighbours in particular pretty much live on their balconies during the warm months.
When I was in Mile End, many of the back balconies on my block had been replaced by large terraces (or galleries as they’re sometimes called) and they were very heavily used. On some evenings the sound of several dinner parties and gatherings happening at once could be pretty intense. It was like being in some weirdly bourgeois version of Balconville.
That said, with air conditioning becoming more and more common, I find people tend to hide out indoors at times they would have been getting some fresh air on the balcony. Air conditioning is pernicious – not only do the units create a lot of pollution (heat exhaust and noise), they’re addictive, and I hear people running them even when it’s it’s a cool, breezy night.
Kate 12:26 on 2022-08-20 Permalink
No kidding, DeWolf. I noticed it last year while doing census work, and last summer was generally hotter. I have one elderly neighbour who often sits on her front porch, but she’s the only one on my block. There’s a lot more action on the back porches around here. It’s quite cosy of a summer evening with people outside reading and eating and their kids playing in the alley till dark.
MarcG 14:04 on 2022-08-20 Permalink
I’m guilty of running the air conditioner at night even if it cools off because if I open the window I’ll be woken up repeatedly during the night by motorcycles and then at 7am on the dot by someone chainsawing.
Meezly 10:22 on 2022-08-21 Permalink
The fan mode in ACs can be used to circulate outside air inside without having to use the more resource-heavy cooling mechanism.
CE 22:07 on 2022-08-21 Permalink
The dehumidifier mode can make a big difference on humid days too.