 | This articlerelies largely or entirely on asingle source. Relevant discussion may be found on thetalk page. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing citations to additional sources. Find sources: "Saint Denis Street" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(January 2012) |
_2005-09-02.JPG) Saint Denis Street in theQuartier Latin | |
| Native name | Rue Saint Denis (French) |
|---|---|
| Former name(s) | Rue Albert, rue Fénélon, rue Berri |
| Part of |  R-335 |
| Length | 11 km (6.8 mi) |
| Location | Montreal |
| South end | Saint-Antoine Street,Old Montreal |
| Major junctions |   A-40 (TCH) R-138 |
| North end | Rue Sommerville,Ahuntsic |
| Construction | |
| Inauguration | 1818 |
Saint Denis Street (officially inFrench:Rue Saint-Denis) is a major north–south thoroughfare inMontreal, Quebec.
It extends from theNotre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel onSaint Paul Street inOld Montreal to the bank of theRivière des Prairies at the north end of the island. It is designatedRoute 335 fromSherbrooke Street to theMetropolitan Expressway, and is known as Bonsecours Street south ofSaint Antoine Street. Along its length, it passes through theboroughs ofVille-Marie,Le Plateau-Mont-Royal,Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie,Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, andAhuntsic-Cartierville.
Saint-Denis serves as one of the primary thoroughfares of both theLatin Quarter, where it plays host to a number of bars and restaurants, to thePlateau Mont-Royal, where it is known as one of the best places to view Montreal's distinct style of architecture. It becomes primarily a residential street north of the Metropolitan Expressway.Sauvé train station is located on the street but not the metro station itself. The eastern portion of theMontreal Metro'sOrange Line runs parallel to the street, two blocks to the east except forBerri–UQAM station which has an entrance on the street.Rosemont station is located on Saint Denis street but doesn’t have an entrance to the street.
It is named forSaint Denis of Paris.
South of theVille-Marie Expressway, the street crossesOld Montreal and is named rue Bonsecours. North of the Ville-Marie Expressway, it becomes Saint Denis Street and crosses theQuartier Latin. In the Quartier Latin, its vocation is primarily touristic and leisure-related, with restaurants and theatres located along this stretch. NearSaint Catherine Street, it crosses the downtownUniversité du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) campus while a little further north, it borders theCégep du Vieux Montréal.
North of Sherbrooke Street, Saint Denis Street enters the borough ofLe Plateau Mont-Royal. In the Plateau-Mont-Royal andRosemont-La Petite-Patrie to the north, it is a commercial street lined with small stores. Parallel streets are mostly residential. To the west,Saint Laurent Boulevard also serves a commercial purpose.
In the boroughs ofVilleray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension andAhuntsic-Cartierville, Saint Denis Street is mainly residential. However, several businesses including green grocers and Vietnamese restaurants are located on the street. It is also one of the gateways to theMetropolitan Expressway. North ofCrémazie Boulevard, it is a one-way northbound street with little traffic since the northbound Highway 335 continues along the Lajeunesse Street andBerri Street.
Saint Denis Street opened in the early nineteenth century on land acquired byLouis-Joseph Papineau (1786−1871) and his aunt Perine Charles Cherrier, widow ofDenis Viger (1741−1805).
Extended several times, Saint Denis Street developed gradually after the construction ofSaint Jacques Cathedral in 1836, facing Place Pasteur. Subsequently, it reachedSherbrooke Street near the end of the 19th century. During the mid-nineteenth century, this tree-lined residential street was inhabited by several representatives of theFrench Canadian elite. Before the end of the century, it began to transform into a commercial street, ascending slowly northward.
In the early 20th century, the section of the Saint Denis Street between Dorchester Street (nowRené Lévesque Boulevard) and Sherbrooke Street became the centre of a francophone intellectual elite. Located in the area were theUniversité Laval à Montréal (current site of Le pavillon Hubert-Aquin de l’UQÀM), theÉcole Polytechnique de Montréal, theSaint-Sulpice Library and many bookstores. It was deserted by academics following the relocation of Université of Montreal and École Polytechnique on the northern slope ofMount Royal. From the late 1970s, the academic character of the neighbourhood returned with the construction of pavilions for theUniversité du Québec à Montréal, around the steeple of the old Saint Jacques Cathedral.
 | This article includes alist of references,related reading, orexternal links,but its sources remain unclear because it lacksinline citations. Please helpimprove this article byintroducing more precise citations.(June 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
45°30′51″N73°33′40″W / 45.514059°N 73.56109°W /45.514059; -73.56109
