I have never lived there, but I have been there. It is a modern city, clean, good food, easy to walk around and plenty of public transportation. Cold climate in the winter, but there are underground walkways and shopping that connect into the subway system so you can avoid the harsh weather. The city is fully bilingual, English is used as easily as French. In addition it is very diverse, feels rather international. Within a few hours you can be in Quebec City, which is lovely with a very European feel, the Laurentian Mountains, or in America in the mountains of Vermont of New York.