Start with the neighbourhood
References to Waverly place it in Montréal’s Mile End. The useful starting point is the relationship between a venue and its surroundings: streets, nearby businesses, the people who gather there and the way a room becomes part of a local routine. A name on an old directory is a piece of that story, rather than proof of how the venue operates today.
Read an address as historical evidence
When comparing a travel feature with a local article, keep the publication date beside the address. A venue can keep its name while its management, menu or opening arrangements change. For a visit, use a current first-party announcement and check that it refers to the same location.
Make a small neighbourhood notebook
Choose three details to record: the street corner, a description of the room and the date of the account. Separating those observations makes it easier to recognise what stayed familiar and what changed. It also keeps an attractive old photograph from becoming an accidental recommendation for an unverified current service.
