A Star Attraction
There’s a highly anticipated shining star coming to Montréal’s Quartier des spectacles this fall, but it isn’t high in the sky or on the silver screen. The notorious corner of Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Laurent is home to an abundance of spectacles and thrills in the entertainment district of Montréal. And sure enough, Le 2-22 is there on that corner, acting as the portal into the bustling hub of Montréal’s recreation and culture.
The gateway into Montréal’s epicentre of fast-paced fun, located at 2.22 Sainte-Catherine Street East, is anticipated to be open November 2011. Modern and eco-friendly, Le 2-22 will offer an array of entertainment possibilities, including a bookstore, a cafe, live concerts, and a swanky bar-terrace. In addition, many organizations are calling Le 2-22 home, including Montréal’s famous box office La Vitrine, the contemporary art gallery Galerie Vox, Imago Tattoo studio, Centre d’information Artexte, and CIBL radio. What’s more, this conglomerate of congenial venues will be encased in a glass facade, one that parallels the exciting street life and mirrors it indoors. The glass walls will also allow this beaming star of entertainment facilities to shine all throughout the district, becoming a beacon for all those who seek lighthearted leisure.
The grandiose gateway to the Quartier des spectacles was designed to house the future entertainment culture of Montréal, but it also bestows a salute to its past. The corner of Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Laurent was once lined with factories and businesses, but manifested itself into a Red Light district during the middle of the 20th century, ushering in theaters, nightclub, cinemas and cabarets. Since then, the district has become a vital component of the city’s urban revitalization plan. Le 2-22 is the city’s hope to evoke its former bohemian spirit while simultaneously improving downtown Montréal.
But enough of the past, let’s look to the future. Like a moth to a flame, the illuminating lights of the Le 2-22 will attract visitors, celebrities, and tourists. It will be a refuge for those who want to salvage a dull evening, a home for art and literature and culture, Montréal’s bright star of an astronomical amount of amusement. Le 2-22 will depict a literal heaven on Earth, with etherial lights and everything, for all who seek a dazzling night on the town.