1. H&M (various locations)
2. Simons (977 Ste-Catherine W., (514) 282-1840)
3. Urban Outfitters (various locations)
4. Forever XXI (677 Ste-Catherine W.,
(514) 849-6363)
5. Winners (various locations)

American fast-fashion chain Forever XXI edges Off the Hook out of the top five with its first appearance on the list. The chain finally hit Montreal last year, having brought shortshorts and slinky tank tops to such far-reaching countries as Bahrain, Thailand and Indonesia.

1. Village des Valeurs (various locations)
2. Eva B (2013 St-Laurent, (514) 849-8246)
3. Salvation Army (various locations)
4. Local 23 (23 Bernard W., (514) 270-9333)
5. Friperie St. Laurent (3976 St-Laurent,
(514) 842-3893)

Best Hair Salon

1. Coupe Bizzarre (3770 St-Laurent,
(514) 843-3433)
2. Queen of the World (6908 St-Laurent,
(514) 277-0177)
3. Helmet (163 Mont-Royal E., (514) 842-2105)
4. Bikurious Montreal (formerly Révolution
Montréal) (1757 Amherst, (514) 313-7521)
5. Funky Toque (3688 St-Laurent,
(514) 985-2999)

1. JJ Levine, Bikurious Montreal (formerly
Révolution Montréal) (1757 Amherst, (514) 313-7521)
2. David Devico, Queen of the World
(6908 St-Laurent, (514) 277-0177)
3. Evelyn Wnek, Queen of the World
(6908 St-Laurent, (514) 277-0177)
4. Dave Landry, Helmet (163 Mont-Royal E., (514) 842-2105)
5. Sheldon, Belle Époque (4433 St-Laurent, (514) 544-2211)

JJ Levine has successfully captured the category for the second year running with her righteous, gender-bending haircuts. Former Funky Tuque stylist Dave Landry makes it on the list with his new salon Helmet, while Sheldon from Belle Époque is new to the list.

1. Adrenaline (1541 Sherbrooke W.,
(514) 938-8884)
2. Slick Styled Steel (1841D Ste-Catherine W., (514) 842-8999)
3. Saving Grace Tattoo (5629 Sherbrooke W., (514) 487-6666)
4. Tatouage Artistique (823 Ontario E.,
(514) 529-8288)
5. Tattoo Mania (1615 de Maisonneuve E.,
(514) 525-2025)

1. Rob Labreche, Adrenaline
(1541 Sherbrooke W., (514) 938-8884)
2. Sylvie, Tatouage Royal (1387 Mont-Royal E., (514) 509-2905)
3. Jeff Wiet, Expressions (492 St-Charles,
Vaudreuil, (450) 424-6969)
4. Nick Oakes, Slick Styled Steel
(1841D Ste-Catherine W., (514) 842-8999)
5. Yann Black, Glamort (4411 Notre-Dame W., (514) 656-0699)

Best Record Store (New)

1. H M V (various locations)
2. Archambault (various locations)
3. Phonopolis (5403A Parc, (514) 270-4442)
4. Cheap Thrills (2044 Metcalfe, (514) 844-8988)
5. Aux 33 Tours (1379 Mont-Royal E.,
(514) 524-7397)

Smaller, indie stores are hanging in strong with the big wigs here with Aux 33 Tours making it’s first appearance and Phonopolis making a strong showing for the second year running in both used and new categories.

Best Record Store (Used)

1. Cheap Thrills (2044 Metcalfe, (514) 844-8988)
2. Beatnik (3770 St-Denis, (514) 842-0664)
3. L’Echange (713 Mont-Royal E., (514) 523-6389)
4. Sound Central (4486 Coloniale,
(514) 393-4495)
5. Phonopolis (5403A Parc, (514) 270-4442)

Best Stereo Store

1. Moog Audio (3828 St-Laurent,
(514) 284-7434)
2. Future Shop (various locations)
3. Best Buy (various locations)
4. Coup de Foudre (1110 Bleury, (514) 788-5066)
5. Dumoulin (various locations)

1. Steve’s (51 St-Antoine W., (514) 878-2216)
2. Italmelodie (274 Jean Talon E.,
(514) 273-3224)
3. Moog Audio (3828 St-Laurent, (514) 284-7434)
4. Archambault (various locations)
5. Jimi’s Music Store (5776 Sherbrooke W.,
(514) 488-4207)

1. Apple (various locations)
2. Microbytes (various locations)
3. Best Buy (various locations)
4. Future Shop (various locations)
5. Bureau en gros (various locations)

Best Internet Service Provider

1. Vidéotron (videotron.ca)
2. Bell (bell.ca)
3. Tek Savvy (teksavvy.com)
4. Acanac (acanac.ca)
5. Roger’s (rogers.com)

In what is likely our most annoying category to fill out, Bell manages to hold second place despite many votes for “not Bell.” And with the government supposedly about to start cracking down on downloading, could this be the last year “my neighbour” gets an honourable mention?

1. Future Shop (various locations)
2. Best Buy (various locations)
3. Moog Audio (3828 St-Laurent, (514) 284-7434)
4. Dumoulin (various locations)
5. Addison Electronics (8018 20E, (514) 376-1740)

1. L.L. Lozeau (6229 St-Hubert, (514) 274-6577)
2. Future Shop (various locations)
3. Simon’s Cameras (various locations)
4. Photo Service (222 Notre-Dame W.,
(514) 849-2291)
5. Best Buy (various locations)

Best Cinema (1st Run)

1. Cinema Banque Scotia Montréal
(977 Ste-Catherine W., (514) 866-0111)
2. AMC (2313 Ste-Catherine W., (514) 904-1250)
3. Cinémas Guzzo (various locations)
4. Cinema du Parc (3575 Parc, (514) 281-1900)
5. Cinema Beaubien (2396 Beaubien E.,
(514) 721-6060)

Best Rep/Art House Cinema

1. Cinema du Parc (3575 Parc, (514) 281-1900)
2. Dollar Cinema (6900 Decarie, (514) 739-0536)
3. Ex-Centris/Cinema Parallèle (3556 St-Laurent, (514) 847-2206)
4. Cinema Beaubien (2396 Beaubien E.,
(514) 721-6060)
5. Cinema L’Amour (4015 St-Laurent,
(514) 849-6227)

After closing down last year, Ex-Centris still managed to hang on to the coveted third spot thanks to the occasional screenings (though it’s now officially called just Cinema Parallèle).

Best Video Store

1. Boite Noire (various locations)
2. Blockbuster (various locations)
3. SuperClub Videotron (various locations)
4. Movieland (4154A Ste-Catherine W.,
(514) 933-2384)
5. Metro Video (various locations)

Best Bookstore (New)

1. Chapters (various locations)
2. Indigo (various locations)
3. Renaud-Bray (various locations)
4. Drawn & Quarterly (211 Bernard W., (514) 279-2224)
5. Paragraphe (2220 McGill College, (514) 845-5811)

Best Bookstore (Used)

1. The Word (469 Milton, (514) 845-5640)
2. S.W. Welch (225 St-Viateur W.,
(514) 848-9358)
3. Cheap Thrills (2044 Metcalfe, (514) 844-8988)
4. L’Echange (713 Mont-Royal E., (514) 523-6389)
5. Encore (5670 Sherbrooke W., (514) 482-5100)

Best Magazine Store

1. Multimags (various locations)
2. Maison de la Presse (various locations)
3. Chapters (various locations)
4. Point Vert (various locations)
5. Archambault (various locations)

Best Comics Store

1. Drawn & Quarterly (211 Bernard W.,
(514) 279-2224)
2. Capitaine Québec (1837 Ste-Catherine W., (514) 939-9970)
3. 1,000,000 Comix (various locations)
4. Librairie Millénium (451 Marie-Anne E.,
(514) 284-0358)
5. Astro Books (1844 Ste-Catherine W.,
(514) 932-1139)

Best Bicycle Store

1. ABC Cycles & Sports (5584 Parc, (514) 276-1305)
2. Bikurious Montreal (formerly Révolution
Montréal) (1757 Amherst, (514) 313-7521)
3. Le Yeti Boutique Plein Air (5190 St-Laurent, (514) 271-0773)
4. McWhinnies (6010 Sherbrooke W.,
(514) 481-3113)
5. La Bicyletterie JR (201 Rachel E.,
(514) 843-6989)

Best Fitness Club/Gym

1. Empire (365 St-Antoine E., (514) 390-1212)
2. Underworld (251 Ste-Catherine E.,
(514) 284-6473)
3. Obsession (4084 St-Laurent, (514) 282-6353)
4. SURF 66 (2600 Daniel Johnson,
(450) 973-2066)
5. No Damn Good (2105 Old Orchard,
(514) 687-0095)

Sadly, Obsession closed earlier this year. Let us bow our heads for a second of silence for the ollie’s and pop-shove-its that will be missed.

1. Sport Experts (various locations)
2. Mountain Equipment Co-op
(8989 Acadie, (514) 788-5878)
3. Evangelista Sports (6821 St-Laurent, (514) 277-5951)
4. Play It Again Sports (various locations)
5. Sports Rousseau (5916 Papineau,
(514) 274-4429)

1. Spa Diva (1455 Peel, (514) 958-9859)
2. Studio Bliss (3841 St-Laurent, (514) 286-0007)
3. Scandinave les Bains (71 De la Commune W., (514) 288-2009)
4. Espace Nomad (4650 St-Laurent,
(514) 842-7279)
5. Ovarium (400 Beaubien E., (514) 271-7515)

Best Masseur/Masseuse

1. Matthew Mackay, Studio Bliss
(3841 St-Laurent, (514) 286-0007)
2. Amber Huntley
3. Christine, Ovarium (400 Beaubien E.,
(514) 271-7515)
4. Sophie Terrapon (514-271-9515)
5. Simon, Espace Nomad (4650 St-Laurent,
(514) 842-7279)

Best Yoga Studio

1. Moksha Yoga (various locations)
2. Bliss Yoga (3841 St-Laurent, (514) 286-0007)
3. Bikram Yoga (various locations)
4. Happy Tree (4010 Ste-Catherine W. #200, (514) 846-9642)
5. Naada (5540 Casgrain, (514) 510-3274)

1. Westmount Florist (360 Victoria,
(514) 488-9121)
2. Fleuriste Pourquoi Pas (3629 St-Laurent,
(514) 844-3233)
3. Zen (1039 Mont-Royal E., (514) 529-5365)
4. Florateria (90 des Pins W., (514) 288-4548)
5. Camille Florist Boutique (14375 Pierrefonds, Pierrefonds, QC. (514) 626-5413)

1. Rachelle-Béry (various locations)
2. Tau (4238 St-Denis, (514) 843-4420)
3. Bio Terre (201 St-Viateur W., (514) 278-3377)
4. Le Frigo Vert (2130 McKay, (514) 848-7586)
5. Health Tree (3827 St-Jean, (514) 624-2896)

Best Kitsch/Antique Store

1. Kitsch ‘n Swell (3968 St-Laurent,
(514) 845-6789)
2. Monastiraki (5478 St-Laurent, (514) 278-4879)
3. Village des Valeurs (various locations)
4. Salvation Army (various locations)
5. Marché aux Puces St-Michel
(3250 Crémazie, (514) 721-7701)

Best Home Décor

1. Zone (various locations)
2. IKEA (various locations)
3. HomeSense (various locations)
4. Déco-Découverte (various locations)
5. Pier 1 (various locations)

Upset in the home décor aisle! Zone, the relatively small Quebec-based business, bumps the Swedes out of the top spot. Downtown locations and the chance you might escape without $200 worth of straws and candles in tow might just have pushed Zone to the top this time.

1. Animal Health Clinic (5601 Sherbrooke W., (514) 369-9119)
2. Dr. Judith Weissman, Clinique vétérinaire
Plateau-Mont-Royal (127 Mont-Royal W.,
(514) 842-5490)
3. Cats Montreal (1830 Sherbrooke W.,
(514) 939-2287)
4. Pillet Animal Hospital (910 Ogilvy,
(514) 273-4921)
5. Baker Animal Hospital (8310 Mayrand,
(514) 739-1935)

Restaurant Aux Vivres placed surprisingly high in this category, leading us to believe many of our readers are unclear on the difference between vegetarians, people who don’t eat meat, and veterinarians, people who are doctors for animals.

Best Sex Shop

1. Boutique Sexe Cit é (1821 Ste-Catherine W., (514) 937-3678)
2. Seduction (5220 Metropolitain E.,
(514) 593-1169)
3. Priape (1311 Ste-Catherine E., (514) 521-8451)
4. Joy Toyz (4200 St-Laurent #415,
(514) 845-8697)
5. Romance (various locations)

Best Head Shop
1. High Times (various locations)
2. Boutique Rock (5522 Sherbrooke W.,
(514) 481-6227)
3. Psychonaut (154 Prince-Arthur E.,
(514) 844-8998)
4. Utopia (formerly Je L’ai) (159 Duluth E.,
(514) 284-5393)
5. Labyrinthe Boutique
(486 Ste-Catherine W., (514) 861-3697)

Shout out to the respondent who answered, “Hookers! I would guess.”