Saturday Photo: Small Front Yards III, Or Pleasure in Front of a Triplex

One of the basic types of housing in the center of Montreal is what's called a triplex here: buildings three stories tall with a flat on each floor. They're big apartments with six to eight rooms. When they were built in the early part of the 20th century their original residents were the families of factory workers, clerks, and small merchants. Many fell into disrepair when the great exodus to the suburbs began, but over the last 15 years they've been discovered by more middle-class young people looking for solidly built housing offering the convenience and pleasures of the city.

Both of these front gardens are on Waverly Street in the Mile End district. The one on the left shows how much fun for little kids you can pack into a 25 by 10 foot space in front of your house, while the one on the right gives a taste of the tranquility than can be created in the same amount of front garden.

And, by the way, this morning when I passed the Garderie Querbes, whose garden I wrote about a week ago, I noticed that it now has a green expanse of lawn where the controversial aménagement paysager had been.