The Global Life: A New Panache

Montreal, Europe's pied-a-terre in North America, went through a grim economic patch in the '80s and early '90s, when it had clearly lost its panache. The threat of Quebec separatism and a prolonged Canadian recession sapped its economic life. So many shops were shut that the city began to look more like struggling Buffalo, N.Y., than Paris. Today, though, this charming city is experiencing the kind of renaissance that old cities like Dublin and Prague have seen in recent decades. Chic new businesses, such as fashionista Fidel or juice purveyor Moozoo, are popping up seemingly everywhere. The economy is solid; and,...