Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

Here is a perfect advert for my avitar slogan!

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

thanks you all, I think we got the message....

Jon & Martina

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

Millstone I'd like to hear your opinion of Hamilton, people like me reading these threads are looking for constructive information on the subject of the thread. Everybody is looking for something different, someone's opinion may not be that of others.
I'd like to know more about Hamilton, I have heard a lot of good things about the city - it has a lot of old, charming houses and that is what I like. It is a big city but not too big.

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

Hamilton is not a bad city at all. I've lived in Hamilton since the summer of 2002. There are parts that are gritty, but is that not true of any industrial city? Hamilton has a bad reputation, but many people don't realize that it is also one of the more beautiful and interesting cities in Ontario. Hamilton is located on one of the Great Lakes (Lake Ontario) and has a very nice harbour. The Niagara Escarpment runs through the entire city. The escarpment is known as "the mountain" and there are around 80 waterfalls throughout the city. The escarpment is also a World Biosphere reserve and there are several large conservation areas in the city as well as the Royal Botanical Gardens. Hamilton's geography provides many great settings for some of the best residential architecture in Canada. So you could look at the steel mills and Barton St. or you could look at neighbourhoods like this one: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=118098
Glass half empty vs. glass half full.

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

You gotta be F'in jokin' - right? The "putrid slag's minge" of Ontario? Check out this link for a stink and a laff:
http://www.hamiltonkiosk.ca/

PS: Under "sights" they should add (1) a pile of cold sick (2) runny tarts (3) a road full of dead squirrels.

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

Wow.

I can't believe the amount of bad feeling some people have about a place which will happen to be my home in two months' time. But I've heard it before, having lived in Salford, south Manchester and Brixton - all of which have attracted similar derision from people who chose to sneer instead of question why I'd want to... when answering the latter, some folk began to rethink their stereotypes.

Things I'm looking forward to about my new home (from what I've already experienced from visits with family):

- Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG)
- 15-20 minutes' drive from vineyards (I love seeing my friends' faces when I tell them this - plus turning them on to ice wine!)
- an incredible Art Gallery (and burgeoning arts scene)
- a farmer's market that is easily on a par with Borough Market in London, England
- taking my little girl for walks along the Waterfront

Plus enjoying a few local haunts that in-laws and friends have already let me in on already ;) (and discovering more!)

Parts of the downtown certainly can do with regeneration - but, for me, I think that's when it's most exciting. I've had some great times in Hoxton/Shoreditch, Berlin, Barcelona and Manchester way before any of them became fashionable - and suspect that Hamilton, in its own way, is on the cusp of reinventing itself like these places have.

Am I exaggerating? Sort of, but over the 5 years or so I've visited, I can see a similar pattern emerging that I saw in the above places in years past.

IMHO... the Sheffield-Hamilton analogies aren't far off the mark in some respects, but I think Sheffield's had the infrastructure investment that Hamilton looks like it will just start to get. To me, it seems that Hamilton 2008 is analagous to Sheffield 15 years ago or so.

I'm not saying that Hamilton's a shining utopia of a metropolis - far from it! But compared to say, Mississauga, I'd much rather be somewhere that has a sense of history, character and potential to grow into something in the next decade or so, instead of a mass of sprawling surveys (I lived long enough in Milton Keynes to know what that can be like!)

To me, flar nailed it - do you want to look at something half empty, or half full? When you emigrate, it's got to be option 2.

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

Hi Silverkat,

There are indeed some old (by north American standards), charming houses - my wife was lucky enough to grow up in some of these, and has shown them to me on previous visits.

I agree with you about the city's size, too - and (for what it's worth) that it has an identity of its own. I think you can tell from other comments on this thread that others may not have such a great opinion of the city, but some of the Hamiltonians that I've got to know to date have pride in the history and character of the place.

Another useful thing to keep in mind - it's possible to get a good-sized old, charming house for a very good price. Particularly if you're interested in looking at some kind of renovation project. A relation of mine did just this, picked up an incredible property in a downtown neighbourhood that is definitely 'on the up', and will do very well when he looks to sell up and move on :thumbsup:

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

THANKS ! that is really what I'm looking for ! I totally agree with you FLAR and BGPZ.
I have done my research on where I want to settle, it is dissapointing to see that people who are looking for some info about a town get so much negativeness and bad language.

Flar - I've already seen many of your photos about Hamilton on Skyscraperpage, I love this kind of architecture, you don't see these types of houses everywhere.
Very much appreciated. I know that there are gritty areas, but is that not the case for every big city on the planet ?
Like I said, we are all looking for something different.. Hamilton has what we are looking for.

I also share your point of view BGPZ about what the city has to offer, (I hope to follow in your footsteps soon !). As are a number of people.
I wish you good luck ! Keep me posted - I'd really like to hear from you !

Thanks to you both for your positive input.
:thumbsup:

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

folks, I iniated the question "whats Hamilton like....." thus far I've seen many varied opinions and from my homework I equally could see comparisons to certain parts of UK, either way I'm sure we will explore when we arrive at some stage...

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

Your right Hamilton does have nice spots, Hess Village is a great place to eat and party in the summer, Barangas at the beach again the same right on the lake, Confed park is nice to go chill aswell with a decentish waterpark and your right it has a good arts scene and defo way cheaper real estate than Burl to TO, although the botanical gardens are actually classed as being in Burlington as they just over the border.

Again its horses for courses, fits for some not for others, personally you get all the above and less of the downrun areas and way way better waterfront in the likes of Burl, Oak, Port Credit and yes SC and Winona which are burbs of the hammer and still with some history (Its Canada you will never get much history unless you want Native) . The hammer really needs to clean up most of its waterfront for starters right from Burl to almost Van Wagners beach road is just mostly buildings that should be condemmed or DoFasco taking up half the area. Its not until you get past that then carry ontowards SC that the waterfront is nice. Maybe your right its on the cusp of a wave of re-generation but for the right here and now it is what it is whether thats your thing or not.

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

Perhaps now you see Hamilton in a different light than your last post, you seemed to have closed the book a bit early. ;)

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

have been to hamilton several times.....it is grey...its people look grey....its air is grey..........very little to pull you there when you have the whole of canada to choose from......the area around aberdeen and escarpment is nice...but little else.......

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

I would like to add something. Everyone has an opinion of the "perfect" place. Until you have visited an area - take NO_ONE'S advice. Do what's best for you.

We live in Brantford, have been here for almost a year. It has a really ugly downtown & if you drove through it you would probably leave as quickly as you arrived. However, we have found a super spot, we have unlimited wildlife (deer, beaver, frogs, badgers, birds etc), right in our back garden. The people are so friendly & our house is wonderful. We have been welcomed & accepted and are loving it!!!

Some people can be very short sighted. Hamilton has some wonderful areas as well as some dives, just like any city where a half million people live.

Stoney Creek is nice & Ancaster is lovely also. There is also a hundered small communities dotted around the Hamilton area all within easy access.

Do what's best for you - if we had listened to other people, we would have missed out on the best opportunity of our lives!!

Good Luck

PS We are around 20 mins from Hamilton, if you need anything, please let me know.

:thumbup::thumbup:

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

Sorry to be a spoilsport - but the North American badger is only found West of Manitoba. Perhaps you mean groundhogs, or, "Hamilton Beaver"?

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.ed...dea_taxus.html

Re: whats Hamilton like, please
 

I think you'll find you're wrong in that department & that although rare, they are on the rise in Norfolk & Brant County!