Bounded by the Old Port, Saint-Jacques, Rue Berri and Rue McGill, Montreal's historic core was originally enclosed within imposing stone walls erected in the early 1700s. During the 19C the settlement expanded and Montrealers moved outside the fortifications. Warehouses and commercial buildings gradually replaced stone dwellings and gardens, and the area fell into decline. Interest in Old Montreal was revived in the 1960s: the surviving 18C homes were renovated, warehouses were transformed into apartment buildings, and restaurants and shops opened. Today Old Montreal is a pleasant area that caters mainly to tourists.