[lorend]

Via the National Post:

Any Torontonian who has explored Hamilton is faced with a challenge — how to communicate the beauty and interest of that city in a way that will be convincing to friends back in Toronto, whose only experience of Hamilton has been gazing down on Stelco on their way from their glass penthouse to a wine tasting on the Bench. That single view from the Skyway Bridge conjures up visions of hell and has closed many minds.

Should drivers have borne left and remained on Highway 403 for two further interchanges, York Boulevard would have led them by Dundurn Castle, among the most magnificent regency estates in the country. Around Aberdeen Avenue, the Durand district is Ontario’s answer to Montreal’s Westmount, a neighbourhood of stone villas and Georgian rows climbing the slope of the mountain. And if you peered beyond the Stelco smokestacks from your perch upon the bridge, you would find the 270 Sherman Creative Industries Complex, a conversion of the beautiful brick Imperial Cotton Factory into artist and creative industries studios (think Distillery District). East of the downtown core, Gage Park’s towering copper beeches and sunken gardens by Dunington-Grubb are a landscape unmatched within urban Toronto.

This is the challenge and the opportunity of Hamilton — the city is one of sharp contrasts with a legacy of beautiful neighbourhoods, refined architecture, spectacular settings and grounded friendly people, combined with brownfields, the misguided demolition of architectural wonders and urban decay. The great thing is the city is undergoing a rebirth.

The challenges are obvious. While Hamilton’s core is one of beautiful neighbourhoods, refined architecture and grand civic monuments, the late 20th century saw the city centre slump into decay. But it is obvious that Hamilton once was a town with great civic pride. The First Nations name for Hamilton was Macassa Bay, meaning beautiful water, and the earliest version of the current city was a lakeside masterpiece of planning and monuments. Though neglected, Gore Park is among Canada’s great urban squares, with its towering cast iron fountain, elegant buildings and human scale. The under-appreciated City Hall is a masterpiece, one of the most beautifully executed modernist buildings in the country. But Hamilton’s architectural refinement remains for the most part remarkably unknown outside of movie industry locations managers, a phenomenal resource untapped by the city’s branding machine and often at risk of demolition.

In challenging times for real estate, the big great hope for successful investing involves finding forces that will affect the future desirability of a neighbourhood. Hamilton’s secret right now is the recently unveiled $50-billion Metrolinx light rail transit plan proposed to criss-cross the GTA including Hamilton. If constructed, Hamilton would become a more comfortable commute from downtown Toronto, and itself easy to traverse by high-speed public transit. Financial incentives such as funding for business improvement areas, heritage and residential grant and interest-free loan programs, and tax incentives geared toward individual homeowners and developers investing in the core are also having an impact on downtown’s recovery.

And the prices are cheap. Like any house on the perimeter of the GTA, the values are lower than in our central city. But Hamilton is different from all of the Markhams and Mississaugas: Hamilton’s historic urbanity is appealing to those who would not consider living anywhere but downtown. There is a burgeoning urban culture with a vibrant arts scene, good restaurants and walkable neighbourhoods. Unlike Richmond Hill, Hamilton is beginning to house the cool kids starting out who are finding themselves shifting out of the Toronto urban market. As our city converts more of its core into 500-square-foot condos, housing singles and childless couples who will never be able to throw a dinner party at home, Hamilton has become a viable option for artists, families and urban renovators wanting to sink their teeth into some affordable architectural grandeur.

A scan of the listings reveals a spread of interesting spaces in both up-and-coming and established neighbourhoods, priced well below the Toronto market. Restored large detached Victorians in the beautiful Durand district near the GO station and Locke Street’s restaurant strip can be had for $350,000. Some unique gems have no equals anywhere; a 3,200-sq.-ft. unit of Inglewood, the moody neo-Gothic 1850 stone pile designed by William Thomas (architect of St. Lawrence Hall in Toronto) with elaborate plasterwork, carved woodwork, marble fireplaces and leafy views is currently listed at $479,000. Neighbouring stone palaces can reach $1.7-million.

North of the city centre toward the waterfront marinas are the relatively undiscovered Georgian rows that for the most part are ready for an overhaul. Here, beautiful large brick detached houses of Cabbagetown scale are listed at around $150,000, while others are under $100,000. Around Gage Park are solid Edwardians that benefit from a lush tree canopy, quiet boulevards and close proximity to astounding parks. The large houses here list around $350,000 but the majority can be had for $200,000.

Whether we realize it or not, Hamilton has new relevance for us in Toronto. Here, we have largely abandoned the ability to house and foster artists and musicians. The cheap warehouse spaces required to generate the creative process are now condo lofts, and the costs associated with living within the urban core are unreachable by those who have not yet made it. Artists are discovering that post-industrial Hamilton is an affordable toolbox of functional warehouse spaces and storefronts, as Toronto’s downtown fills with bankers and lawyers.

Ultimately the question arises: Will your little Chadwick have the daylights beaten out of him in Steeltown because of his ground-breaking Yorkville haircut? Perhaps, but more likely you will find yourself enveloped in an Upper Canadian graciousness and hospitality that is very evident in the city. In addition, you might discover how splendid life can be when a mere single income is required to pay the mortgage.

For a reading of the city’s tone, visit raisethehammer.org.

Thoughts?

Markham, mississauga, richmondhill etc will always be wastelands and totally lame, but if someone converts all Hamilton's abandoned buildings into hypercheap places to live it could be Canada's Berlin.

Whats wrong with Mississauga?

Yea, Gage Park. Fun and beautiful if you like being raped.

This article is right and wrong. It is true that Hamilton has some very nice places to see if you do some exploring, especially the nature hotspots such as Cootes, Princess Point, and Dundas Valley. However, the article did exaggerate quite a few parts. Especially Gore Park.....that place is tiny and sketchy. Pretty much the downtown area needs to be cleaned up and revamped if anything amazing is to become of Hamilton.

Originally Posted by xxsumz

Whats wrong with Mississauga?

EVERYTHING

I don't know, I find Mississauga, like most of the 905, quite bland.

Originally Posted by Buszaj

This article is right and wrong. It is true that Hamilton has some very nice places to see if you do some exploring, especially the nature hotspots such as Cootes, Princess Point, and Dundas Valley. However, the article did exaggerate quite a few parts. Especially Gore Park.....that place is tiny and sketchy. Pretty much the downtown area needs to be cleaned up and revamped if anything amazing is to become of Hamilton.

GAGE park. Kinda like Hamilton's version of Central Park but nowhere near as awesome. Still pretty cool though. Grew up in that area.

Originally Posted by arathbon

GAGE park. Kinda like Hamilton's version of Central Park but nowhere near as awesome. Still pretty cool though. Grew up in that area.

There's a Gore Park too you know... And tiny and sketchy describes Gore Park way better than Gage Park (not that Gage Park isn't sketchy).

I'll give you a hint: It's called King and James.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

There's a Gore Park too you know... And tiny and sketchy describes Gore Park way better than Gage Park (not that Gage Park isn't sketchy).

I'll give you a hint: It's called King and James.

Yeah I know, but it was obvious from his comment that he confused Gage Park, with Gore Park (not even mentioned in the article), and was totally confused by why they weren't calling it tiny and sketchy. (Although I agree Gage Park isn't the greatest place after dark).

Originally Posted by arathbon

Yeah I know, but it was obvious from his comment that he confused Gage Park, with Gore Park (not even mentioned in the article), and was totally confused by why they weren't calling it tiny and sketchy. (Although I agree Gage Park isn't the greatest place after dark).

o_o
Read better plz. ;D

Though neglected, Gore Park is among Canada’s great urban squares, with its towering cast iron fountain, elegant buildings and human scale. The under-appreciated City Hall is a masterpiece, one of the most beautifully executed modernist buildings in the country. But Hamilton’s architectural refinement remains for the most part remarkably unknown outside of movie industry locations managers, a phenomenal resource untapped by the city’s branding machine and often at risk of demolition.

So are we like Williamsburg now?

Sorry to break this to all the Hamilton enthusiasts: Hamilton is actually dying, not striving. Ever notice the DOWNTOWN MALL is open only once in a while? Same with 90% of downtown shops. This is because there is not enough business to conduct here.

If you've ever lived here during the summer, you would know. Where I live on Whitney, the buses come every half hour during the summer. It's like this university alone is powering the city, but that's barely enough.

Not that I don't appreciate what's already here, landmarks such as Dundurn, and green areas such as the Gardens, but in terms of people, Hamilton is def. in a downwards spiral.

^^this is all my opinion, I'm no expert, so take it with a grain

Originally Posted by lawleypop

o_o
Read better plz. ;D

Though neglected, Gore Park is among Canada’s great urban squares, with its towering cast iron fountain, elegant buildings and human scale. The under-appreciated City Hall is a masterpiece, one of the most beautifully executed modernist buildings in the country. But Hamilton’s architectural refinement remains for the most part remarkably unknown outside of movie industry locations managers, a phenomenal resource untapped by the city’s branding machine and often at risk of demolition.

Thank You

Originally Posted by adrian

Sorry to break this to all the Hamilton enthusiasts: Hamilton is actually dying, not striving. Ever notice the DOWNTOWN MALL is open only once in a while? Same with 90% of downtown shops. This is because there is not enough business to conduct here.

If you've ever lived here during the summer, you would know. Where I live on Whitney, the buses come every half hour during the summer. It's like this university alone is powering the city, but that's barely enough.

Not that I don't appreciate what's already here, landmarks such as Dundurn, and green areas such as the Gardens, but in terms of people, Hamilton is def. in a downwards spiral.

^^this is all my opinion, I'm no expert, so take it with a grain

I'll disagree.

The university part of town dies during the summer, absolutely.
If buses on this side of town coming every 30 minutes proves the city is dying, then I guess the Barton bus coming every 7 minutes proves the city is still booming (this is in the summer)

The university is approx 2% of the entire Hamilton population, and that's being generous (assumed everyone lived in Hamilton and no one commuted)

I think the city does just fine without us, because as proven by MULTIPLE threads over the years on MI.... How many people actually venture outside the west end? Everyone's too scared.

the barton buss only comes that often because it's the only cheap(and quick) way to connect to the GO (at the Fool and Flagon) and travel towards Niagara Falls. The alternatives are:
- take the GO bus instead of the barton bus, which just takes longer - I've done this
- take the Coach bus which costs an arm and a leg - I've done this too

Plus, the barton bus is a normal bus(non-caterpillar), and it goes by the General. I'm assuming the HSR people wanted to be able to have convenient busses for these two important city locations.