History
The street which opened around 1860, was originally in the form of a crescent, and was located just north of Dorchester Boulevard.
The first bar on Crescent Street opened in 1967. Prior to that year, the street was home mainly to professional offices. The first bar was the Sir Winston Churchill Pub, a discotheque owned by Johnny Vago a Hungarian immigrant who once participated in the Cuban Revolution. Vago's discotheque, originally known as the Don Juan, was first located on nearby Stanley Street. It relocated to Crescent after his property was expropriated to build the Montreal Metro. Vago eventually ended up owning many bars on the block, although has since sold his businesses.
Given the success of the first establishment, other restaurants and bars would settle in the mid-1970s.
Crescent Street merchants formed the Crescent Street Merchants Association in 1998 to promote the street's businesses.
Beginning in the early 2000s, the Crescent Street Merchants Association have organized activities related to the city's sports and entertainment events. The most popular event is the Grand Prix Festival, which takes place each year at the time of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in June.
Read more about this topic: Crescent Street
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