Best of MTL 2014: Goods & Services

Voters demonstrated their deep loyalty to their hairdressers, tattoo artists, yoga instructors and masseurs, as seemingly every Montrealer employed in those fields appeared in our results. Only the select few you see here got enough votes to make the cut, so these magicians in hair, ink, asanas and deep-tissue must really know their shit. There was a lot more consensus in Bookstores, Electronics Stores, Gyms, Cinemas and Musical Instrument Stores — the old standbys are there for a reason. But how’s this for an upset? Vidéotron topped Best ISP, and didn’t even make the Top 5 last year. And this after a call for a boycott of the Quebecor-owned entity? Is this contrarian or what? (But even we, axed Quebecor employees, will forgive you for not voting Bell. They really chap our ass.)

Best Clothing Store (New)
1 Simons
(977 Ste-Catherine W.)
2 Unicorn
(5135 St-Laurent)
3 Urban Outfitters
(various locations)
4 Jeans Jeans Jeans
(5575 Casgrain)
5 Off the Hook
(1021 Ste-Catherine W.)
6 Zara
(various locations)
7 Ibiki
(4357 St-Laurent)
8 H&M
(various locations)
9 General 54
(54 St-Viateur W.)
10 Forever 21
(1255 Ste-Catherine W.)

Best Vintage Clothing Store
1 Citizen Vintage
(5330 St-Laurent)
2 Eva B
(2015 St-Laurent)
3 Annex Vintage
(56 St-Viateur W.)
4 Village des Valeurs
(various locations)
5 Friperie Renaissance
(various locations)
6 Local 23
(23 Bernard W.)
7 Salvation Army
(various locations)
8 Empire Auctions
(5500 Paré)
9 Founderie
(6595 St-Laurent)
10 Lost & Found Shop
(5319 Parc)

Best Hair Salon
1 Helmet
(163 Mont-Royal E.)
2 Queen of the World
(6908 St-Laurent)
3 Identité
(165 des Pins E.)
4 Sweet William
(5337 St-Laurent)
5 MonoKrome
(78 Rachel E.)
6 Two Horses
(170 Jean-Talon W., #306)
7 Coifferie Paradiso
(5283 Parc)
8 Aveda
(3613 St-Laurent)
9 Coupe Bizzarre
(3770 St-Laurent)
10 Funky Toque
(3688 St-Laurent)

Best Hair Stylist
1 David Devico
(Queen of the World)
2 Louise Olsen
(Salon M2)
3 Julie Matson
(Identité)
4 Vanessa Bonato
(Queen of the World)
5 Terry Scissorhands
(Helmet)
6 JJ Levine
(Lesbian Haircuts for Anyone)
7 Izzy Mulder
(Two Horses)
8 Marek Whitechurch
(MonoKrome)
9 Sheldon Gerbrandt
(Helmet)
10 Evelyn Wnek
(Helmet)

Best Barber
1 JJ Levine
(Lesbian Haircuts for Anyone)
2 David Devico
(Queen of the World)
3 Guillaume Cheny
(Helmet)
4 Rob Squire
(Squire Barbering)
5 Marco Di Blasio
(Coifferie Paradiso)

Best Tattoo Parlour
1 Bodkin
(55 Bernard W.)
2 Two Horses
(170 Jean-Talon W., #306)
3 Adrenaline
(1541 Sherbrooke W.)
4 Tattoo Royal
(4424 St-Denis)
5 MTL Tattoo
(4525 St-Denis)
6 Expressions
(492 St-Charles, Vaudreuil)
7 Imago
(4059 St-Laurent)
8 Tattoo Lounge
(3672 St-Laurent)
9 Slick Styled Steel
(1841 Ste-Catherine W.)
10 Saving Grace
(5629 Sherbrooke W.)

Best Tattoo Artist
1 Sylvie Le Sylvie
(Tatouage Royal)
2 Jessi Preston
(Two Horses)
3 Tanya Stasilowicz
(independent)
4 Jeff Wiet
(Expressions)
5 Nick Oaks
(MTL Tattoo)
6 Vincent Brun
(Bodkin)
7 Janice Beattie
(Tattoo Box)
8 Melissa Valiquette
(SinCity MTL)
9 Christian Lanouette
(Tattoo Royal)

Best Record Store (New)
1 Phonopolis
(207 Bernard W.)
2 Aux 33 Tours
(1373 Mont-Royal E.)
3 HMV
(various locations)
4 Cheap Thrills
(2044 Metcalfe)
5 Atom Heart
(364-B Sherbrooke E.)
6 L’Oblique
(4333 Rivard)
7 Archambault
(various locations)
8 Sound Central
(4486 Coloniale)
9 Beatnick
(3770 St-Denis)
10 Sonorama
(260 Bernard W.)

Best Record Store (Used)
1 Cheap Thrills
(2044 Metcalfe)
2 Phonopolis
(207 Bernard W.)
3 Aux 33 Tours
(1373 Mont-Royal E.)
4 Death of Vinyl
(6307 St-Laurent)
5 Beatnick
(3770 St-Denis)
6 Sound Central
(4486 Coloniale)
7 Sonorama
(260 Bernard W.)
8 BBAM! Gallery
(3255 St-Jacques)
9 Paul’s Boutique
(112 Mont-Royal E.)
10 Encore
(5670 Sherbrooke W.)

Best Stereo Store
1 Moog Audio
(3828 St-Laurent)
2 Coup de foudre
(various locations)
3 Layton Audio
(1170 Ste-Catherine W.)
4 Death of Vinyl
(6307 St-Laurent)
5 Audio d’Occasion
(1325 Ontario E.)

Best Musical Instrument Store
1 Moog Audio
(3828 St-Laurent)
2 Italmelodie
(250 Jean-Talon E.)
3 Steve’s Music Store
(51 St-Antoine W.)
4 Archambault
(various locations)
5 Kitts Musique
(5350 Jean-Talon E.)

Best Computer Store
1 Apple
(various locations)
2 Best Buy
(various locations)
3 Microbytes
(various locations)
4 Future Shop
(various locations)
5 Mac Urbain
(5428 St-Laurent)

Best Internet Service Provider
1 Vidéotron
2 Bell
3 Teksavvy
4 Electronic Box
5 Colbanet
6 Cooptel
7 Acanac
8 Distributel
9 Primus
10 Radioactif

Best Video Game Store
1 EB Games
(various locations)
2 Game Buzz
(various locations)
3 Game Zone
(various locations)
4 Future Shop
(various locations)
5 Best Buy
(various locations)

Best Electronics Store
1 Future Shop
(various locations)
2 Best Buy
(various locations)
3 Moog Audio
(3828 St-Laurent)
4 Apple
(various locations)
5 La Source
(various locations)

Best Cinema (1st Run)
1 Cinéma Cineplex Odeon Forum
(2313 Ste-Catherine)
2 Cinéma du Parc
(3575 Parc)
3 Cinéma Beaubien
(2396 Beauvien)
4 Cinéma Excentris
(3536 St-Laurent)
5 Scotiabank Theatre
(977 Ste-Catherine W.)
6 Mega-plex Sphèretech 14
(3500 Côte Vertu)
7 Ciné-Starz Côte-des-Neiges
(6700 Côte-des-Neiges)
8 Quartier Latin
(350 Émery)
9 Marché Central Cinéma Guzzo
(901 Cremazie)
10 Cinéma l’Amour
(4015 St-Laurent)

Best Rep/Art House Cinema
1 Cinéma du Parc
(3575 Parc)
2 Cinéma Excentris
(3536 St-Laurent)
3 Cinéma Beaubien
(2396 Beaubien)
4 Dollar Cinema
(6900 Décarie)
5 Phi Centre
(407 St-Pierre)
6 Cinemathèque québécoise
(335 de Maisonneuve E.)

Best Bookstore (New)
1 Drawn & Quarterly
(211 Bernard W.)
2 Chapters
(various locations)
3 Indigo
(various locations)
4 Argo Books
(1915 Ste-Catherine W.)
5 Concordia Community Solidarity Co-op Bookstore
(2150 Bishop)
6 Paragraphe
(2220 McGill College)
7 Renaud-Bray
(various locations)
8 Librairie Olivieri
(5219 Côte-des-Neiges)
9 Le Port de Tête
(262 Mont-Royal E.)
10 Gallimard
(3700 St-Laurent)

Best Bookstore (Used)
1 S.W. Welch
(225 St-Viateur W.)
2 Concordia Community Solidarity Co-op Bookstore
(2150 Bishop)
3 Cheap Thrills
(2044 Metcalfe)
4 L’Échange
(713 Mont-Royal E.)
5 Argo
(1915 Ste-Catherine W.)
6 Encore
(5670 Sherbrooke W.)
7 Odyssey Books
(1439 Stanley)
8 Westcott
(RIP)
9 Salvation Army
(various locations)
10 Bonheur d’occasion
(1317 Mont-Royal E.)

Best Comics Store
1 Drawn & Quarterly
(211 Bernard W.)
2 One Million Comix
(3868 Jean-Talon E.)
3 Millenium
(451 Marie-Anne E.)
4 Crossover Comics
(3568 Notre-Dame W.)
5 Capitaine Quebec
(1837 Ste-Catherine W.)
6 Astro
(1844 Ste-Catherine W.)
7 4th Wall
(8364 Labarre)

Best Bicycle Shop
1 Bikurious Montreal
(1757 Amherst)
2 ABC Cycles
(5586 Parc)
3 La Bicycletterie JR
(201 Rachel E.)
4 Fitz & Follwell
(115 Mont-Royal W.)
5 iBike
(2127 Rachel E.)
6 C&L Cycles
(75 Villeneuve W.)
7 Velomakak
(215 Murray)
8 Cycle Technique
(788 Atwater)
9 Dumoulin Bicyclettes
(173 Jean-Talon E.)
10 Grand Cycle
(901 Cherrier E.)

Best Fitness Club/Gym
1 YMCA
(various locations)
2 Nautilus
(various locations)
3 Energie Cardio
(various locations)
4 Mansfield Club Athlétique
(1230 Mansfield)
5 Club Sportif MAA
(2070 Peel)
6 Fit for Life
(7503 St-Laurent)
7 Concordia Gym
(various locations)
8 Crossfit Montreal
(4850 St-Ambroise)
9 Moksha
(various locations)
10 Studio Breathe
(2617 Notre-Dame W.)

Best Skate/Snowboard Shop
1 Empire
(1111 St-Antoine W.)
2 Underworld
(RIP)
3 Neon Skates
(77 Bernard W.)
4 Poubelle du Ski
(8278 St-Laurent)
5 Rollin
(2500 Moreau)

Best Sports Store
1 Sports Experts
(various locations)
2 Mountain Equipment Coop
(various locations)
3 Play It Again Sports
(various locations)
4 D’un sport à l’autre
(171 Bernard W.)
5 Sports Gilbert Rousseau
(5916 Papineau)
6 Empire
(1111 St-Antoine W.)
7 Evangelista Sports
(6821 St-Laurent)
8 Yeti Boutique Plein Air
(5190 St-Laurent)
9 Ekkip Boutique Sport
(1153 Mont-Royal)
10 Studio Bliss Boutique
(3841 St-Laurent)

Best Spa
1 Bota Bota
(358 de la Commune W.)
2 Scandinave Les Bains Vieux-Montréal
(71 de la Commune W.)
3 Strom Spa Nordique
(1001 Forêt)
4 Spa Diva
(1455 Peel)
5 Espace Nomad
(4650 St-Laurent)
6 Ovarium
(400 Beaubien E.)
7 Studio Bliss
(3841 St-Laurent)
8 Finlandais
(125 Labelle)
9 Spa Escale Santé
(4050 Molson Suite, #100)
10 Balnea
(319 du lac Gale)

Best Beauty Salon
1 Aveda
(3613 St-Laurent)
2 Au Premier
(5487 Monkland)
3 Queen of the World
(6908 St-Laurent)
4 Helmet
(163 Mont-Royal E.)
5 Two Horses
(170 Jean-Talon W., #306)
6 Coifferie Paradiso
(5283 Parc)
7 Rouge Nail Bar
(2070B Crescent)
8 Sweet William
(5337 St-Laurent, #210)
9 Spa Diva
(1455 Peel)
10 Candy Nail Bar
(6218 St-Hubert)

Best Massage Therapist
1 Amber Huntley
(amberhuntley.blogspot.ca)
2 Allison Ryan
(massagetherapyinmontreal.com)
3 Stacy Ricker at Clinique Santé du Quartier
(1133 St-Joseph E.)
4 Julia Barilà at Studio Bliss
(3841 St-Laurent)
5 Eric Digras at Mile End Massage
(facebook.com/pages/Mile-End-Massage/254759064685604)
6 Dawn Chalmers at Studio Bliss
(3841 St-Laurent)

Best Yoga Studio
1 Moksha
(various locations)
2 Naada Yoga
(5540 Casgrain)
3 Studio Bliss
(3841 St-Laurent)
4 Enso
(1470 Peel)
5 Bikram Yoga
(various locations)
6 Yoga Happy Tree
(4010 Ste-Catherine W.)
7 Studio Breathe
(2617 Notre-Dame W.)
8 Luna Yoga
(231 St-Paul W., #200)
9 Wanderlust Yoga
(7 Laurier E.)
10 Yoga Bhavana
(304 Faillon E.)

Best Yoga Instructor
1 Elizabeth Emberly
(Naada Yoga)
2 Jo Willers
(Moksha Yoga Montreal)
3 James Dylan
(various locations)
4 Xavier Therrien
(Naada Yoga)
5 Mara Chercover
(4848 St-Laurent)
6 Dawn Mauricio
(Naada Yoga)
7 Thea Metcalfe
(Moksha Yoga NDG, Moksha Yoga Montreal, Naada Yoga)
8 Bram Levinson
(Luna Yoga, Mansfield Club Montreal, Happy Tree Yoga)
9 Jennifer Kruidbos
(various locations)
10 Jill Campbell
(Acro Yoga)

Best Health Food Store
1 Marché Tau
(7373 Langelier)
2 Bio Terre
(201 St-Viateur W.)
3 Rachelle Béry
(various locations)
4 Frigo Vert
(2130 Mackay)
5 Frenco
(3985 St-Laurent)
6 Branche d’Olivier
(various locations)
7 C’est la vie
(1584 Laurier E.)
8 Marché Bleuet
(2733 Notre-Dame W.)
9 Aliments Merci
(7010 Henri-Julien)
10 Avril Supermarché Santé
(various locations)

Best Kitsch/Antique Store
1 Kitsch ‘n’ Swell
(3968 St-Laurent)
2 Monastiraki
(5478 St-Laurent)
3 Marché aux Puces St-Michel
(3250 Crémazie E.)
4 Style Labo
(5765 St-Laurent)
5 Salvation Army
(various locations)
6 Kavanagh
(5922 Sherbrooke W.)
7 Le Coffre aux Trésors du Chaînon
(4375 St-Laurent)
8 Lost & Found Shop
(5319 Parc)
9 Kitsch à l’os
(3439 Hochelaga)
10 Mixx Authentik
(4005 Notre-Dame W.)

Best Home Decor Store
1 Zone
(various locations)
2 V de V
(5042 St-Laurent)
3 Ikea
(9191 Cavendish)
4 Home Sense
(various locations)
5 West Elm
(995 Wellington, #100)
6 Style Labo
(5765 St-Laurent)
7 Beige
(2475 Notre-Dame W.)
8 Buk & Nola
(1593 Laurier E.)
9 Anthropologie
(2130 de la Montagne)
10 Value Village
(various locations)

Best Sex Shop
1 Boutique Erotique Romance
(6325 St-Hubert)
2 Boutique Sexe Cité
(6325 St-Hubert)
3 Boutique Séduction
(5220 Métropolitain E.)
4 Priape
(various locations)
5 La Capoterie
(2061 St-Denis)
6 Il Bolero
(6846 St-Hubert)
7 Shag Shop
(3511 Peel)
8 Fetiche Armada
(1201 Ste-Catherine E.)

Best Drug Paraphernalia Store
1 High Times
(various locations)
2 Greenlight Gallery
(3878 St-Laurent)
3 Utopia 16
(59 Duluth E.)
4 Boutique Rock
(5522 Sherbrooke W.)
5 Psychonaut
(154 Prince Arthur E.)

 

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