[arathbon]

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.

I swear that wasn't there before Sorry about that...

I still don't think that describing it that way is out of line. It may be small and sketchy but i've never seen an urban square that wasn't.

[arathbon]

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.

I'm not actually sure why you say that. The only thing downtown that is only open "once in a while" is the farmers market. The hours tend to be more of a daytime thing (maybe that's what you're referring to?) as the shops rely on the people working downtown (a fundamental problem is not enough people live downtown).

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

IMO as a lifelong Hamiltonian, I believe the downward spiral stopped a few years ago and things have been getting a bit better. But i'm biased so take it with a grain of salt.

[dsahota]

Originally Posted by arathbon

IMO as a lifelong Hamiltonian, I believe the downward spiral stopped a few years ago and things have been getting a bit better. But i'm biased so take it with a grain of salt.

I agree with this assessment, as well. I first visited in 2007, but since then I've seen a significant albeit gradual improvement, especially around areas like James St N and Locke St S. I live in the general vicinity of Locke St S and property values have increased 20-30% over the last 3 years despite the whole recession thing. Most homes that go up for sale sell in 2-3 months without price reductions, which is a sign that the area is desirable.

There are new condo conversions of old buildings happening and investment money is really starting to flow into some pockets of Hamilton. For example the Herkimer at Bay condo development recently sold out: http://www.herkimeratbay.com /flash.html. There's still a ton of the city that needs more investment and jobs, but the seeds of urban renewal are sprouting.

Raise the hammer is a great local site that is frequented by people interested in the future of Hamilton. Here's one persons report of new things happening in downtown as of last May:
http://www.raisethehammer.or g/arti...owntown_update

[jo87]

Originally Posted by adrian

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.

The Barton bus is the only thing that connects the downtown to the East side of Barton St. This is one of the poorest parts of the city, majority of people don't have cars, thats probably why it goes so often. Basically it starts in the downtown core and goes past the East side "projects".

[Willmountain]

I have grown to like Hamilton personally, and I think that the worst is over for this place. It's a beautiful city in the right spots, and compared to the surrounding cities and areas, for the price, you can't go wrong.

Is business necessarily booming? Absolutely not... But the article is correct in saying that things are changing and the identity is changing. It may be looking like I may score a job in Hamilton once I graduate, and to me, that's better news than scoring a job in a place like Burlington, Mississauga, or god forbid, Brampton.

People just need to realize that there is potential for this place to thrive, especially for young people, and that the whole steeltown mentality is slowly dying out. I don't think Hamilton is a steeltown anymore, but all my friends elsewhere seem to think so, until they come here.

Point is. Hamilton is more awesome than many people make it out to be, and it's great that they're getting some good press in Toronto.