The price of 'cool:' Wellington St. real estate is heating up fast

Montreal’s Wellington St. has seen a serious spike in popularity in recent years. Long-time vendors and renters say the real estate market is heating up, and for some, that’s bad news for the spirit of the street. “This is nothing new. I saw this in the 1990’s on Saint-Laurent Blvd.,” said Sterling Downey, Verdun’s city councillor.

Montreal’s Wellington St. has seen a serious spike in popularity in recent years. Long-time vendors and renters say the real estate market is heating up, and some say that’s bad news for the spirit of the street.

“This is nothing new. I saw this in the 1990’s on Saint-Laurent Blvd.,” said Sterling Downey, Verdun’s city councillor.

And just like in the 90’s, it’s possible the smaller businesses will need to move to find more affordable digs elsewhere, he says.

“The big players can pay for the real estate, but it's the small entrepreneurs that have built the character and the back-bone of this community and this street. … They're the ones who have to go somewhere else and find another place to run their business.”

Last year, Wellington St. was voted “coolest street in the world” by 20,000 Time Out readers. That August, the outlet praised the street for its “slew of bars, cult coffee shops and family-friendly spots.”

“Throw in a tuk-tuk service and a sandy beach smack in the middle, and you’ve arrived on Rue Wellington in Montreal,” read the article, published on Aug. 25, 2022.

But what is the price of “cool?” Restaurant Well, a narrow brunch spot steps from the Metro, was one of the casualties.