Casa Tierra: Minimalist Garden Apartment in Mile-Ex

Minimal and spacious apartment with garden access in the heart of the charming Mile Ex neighbourhood, Tierra is a beautiful and calm apartment located just a 5-10 minute walk to the heart of the hustle and bustle of Little Italy, Jean Talon Market, and Jarry Park.

With garden access, this place has a vibrant yet peaceful vibe that is ideal for single travellers and couples. Your apartment is located in “the most interesting area in town” according to Vogue Magazine, across from the iconic Dépanneur Le Pick Up, where locals and tourists alike travel to for its tasty bites, laid back atmosphere and eclectic social scene.

LIVING ROOM: Access the apartment directly from the quiet street where you will enter a spacious living room. The room is equipped with a brand new 4-person velvet couch, rattan cushion, dimmable light sources, a handmade natural-dyed Mexican carpet, and a library of curated literature. There is also a desk space with 2 chairs. Other amenities include high-speed internet.

KITCHEN: The kitchen overlooks the garden and is well-equipped with fridge, stove, manual coffee makers (pour over), and an electric kettle. Complimentary tea and locally roasted coffee are provided. You’ll also find everything you need to cook most meals on the stove or in the oven, including pots and pans, dishes, cutlery, oils, vinegar and spices.

BATHROOM: Cosy and clean bathroom. Equipped with a combined bath and shower with local and organic complimentary shampoo, conditioner and body soap. There is closed and open storage for your toiletries, etc. Bathroom linens (face, hand and bath towels) and toilet paper are provided.

LAUNDRY CLOSET: Guests have access to the laundry closet which includes a washing machine and drying rack, complimentary detergent, broom, mop, and cleaning supplies provided.

BEDROOM: The bright and calm industrial zen bedroom has a door that opens to the backyard, allowing you to wake up to the sound of chirping birds and peaceful murmurs of the post-industrial nature-infused Mile Ex life. This room has a dimmable light source, 2 windows that open for fresh air, an open closet with hangers and shelves, and a small shelf. There is a super comfortable ENDY queen mattress (the #1 mattress recommended by the Canadian Chiropractic Association) with fresh cotton linens, and 2 ENDY feather pillows.

BACKYARD: Private patio equipped with 2 chairs and a table in a peaceful garden. There are dimmable string lights for the evening. Please note that the other half of the yard, beyond the installed bamboo divider, belongs to the adjacent neighbor.
*Spring/Summer 2025 - There is a construction project happening behind the unit, which may cause some sound disturbance on some mornings + afternoons during the week.

AIR CONDITIONING: The apartment remains very cool in temperature as it’s on the main floor right off the garden. We have fans installed in each main room and these seem to be sufficient for most summer days and evenings and most of our guests have found that air conditioning is not needed.

TRANSPORT: The apartment is located within walking distance to many transportation options. There are also several Bixi rental stands nearby where you can rent a bike, as well as many bike lanes and paths.
Metro: 8 minute walk to the blue metro line (Castelnau and Parc Stations), 14 min walk to the orange metro line (Jean Talon Station)
Bus: Short walks to the 55 St Laurent (4 minutes) and 80 Parc (8 minutes).

THE AREA: From Vogue Magazine:
“It’s just a stone’s throw from the vibrant, colorful Jean-Talon Market, in Montreal’s Little Italy, and an equally short hop from the boho-verging-on-bourgeois Mile End neighborhood, but Montreal’s Mile-Ex feels like a lost enclave, a bubble unto itself… Today, the Mile-Ex is now the most interesting area in town, with cafés, restaurants, art-filled factories, and all the things that nurture and cultivate a creative crowd… Long a largely industrial area, for years the neighborhood didn’t even really have a name. It has been called Marconi-Alexandra. Some tried WeLIta (West of Little Italy), but that didn’t stick. But it was a restaurant that opened in 2012 with the name Mile-Ex that ultimately stuck. Because many of the homes here were slated for demolition, it also became a beacon for experimental contemporary architecture and has been called the ‘quartier des architectes’… It’s a neighborhood as nonlinear in spirit as it is geographically, with streets of weirdly designed fits, starts, and dead ends. On a short stretch, you may see a single scruffy home and an old brick warehouse sharing a backyard. Businesses that are marked use blink-and-you’ll-miss them signs. You could walk by a garage and never know that behind it is Montreal’s grooviest bar. It’s a place that asks you to do a little hunting and foraging for its treasures.”

From Time Out Magazine: “A brawny, former-industrial chunk of western Little Italy, this area has coalesced into a hip incubator for new businesses in the last few years. With the influx of a new generation of young professionals that have moved into the district’s historic lofts and warehouses, a wave of new development has been ushered in. Canadian terroir restaurant Manitoba, Southern BBQ joint Dinette Triple Crown, chic bar/brewery Haricanna, and restaurant Mile-Ex—a trendsetting eatery where the neighbourhood got its name—are all great examples of what makes this neighbourhood pop.”

Mile Ex is also an AI, technology, and design hub, with Microsoft and other AI companies having their offices in the area.

Our favorite things about the neighborhood, depending on the season:
*Go for a relaxing walk and explore the iconic “ruelle vertes” (green back alleys) of Mile Ex, see what’s growing, and run into some interesting architecture (Mile-Ex is known as ‘quartier des architectes’).
*Grab some of the best brunch sandwiches in the city at Depanneur Le Pickup.
*Grab a delicious coffee at the super cute dog-friendly cafe around the corner, Noble Cafe.
*Go for a snack stroll in the amazing Jean-Talon Market, where chefs get fresh and local ingredients from.
*Sit under willow trees by the pond at Jarry Parc, our neighborhood green oasis, where you can also find a free outdoor public pool and various sporting facilities and fields.
*Go for a walk through Little Italy’s unpredictable and fun streets, traditional Italian cafes, boutiques, bakeries, specialty grocery stores and many restaurants.
*Visit Mile-Ex art galleries like: Age of Union’s Earth Centre (ecology+technology curated theme exhibitions), and Produit Rien (small multidisciplinary gallery exhibiting solo exhibitions and events by local artists).i