Ghostown Sundays in Hamilton

[markbarbera]

This past weekend, I had some friends come in to visit on Sunday afternoon. I thought, what a perfect chance to show off some of the improvements to the International Village with all the new restaurants and shops. I thought we could start off with a bite to eat and a cocktail at Three16, do some window shopping down King, then finish off with a movie at Jackson Square. We thought of Three16 because for me, it is the kind of spot I knew my friends would enjoy, and would prove a point that interesting bar/bistros can be found within the new downtown area.

What a huge disappointment.

Everything in IV is closed on a Sunday. Arrived at Three16 and it was dark. The owner must have been doing paperwork inside and he did come out and say sorry, closed today. He couldn't suggest anywhere close by that would be open. We walked along King and practically everything in IV was closed. The four of us ran into another group peering wistfully into the window of Brownie's, which apparantly only does a Sunday morning brunch then darkens for the rest of the day.

If anyone with a business downtown is reading this, please note that business opportunities do exist on a Sunday. I know it is much quieter on a Sunday, and you may think it is not worth opening, but consider this. People keep away from IV on a Sunday because IV is unwelcome on a Sunday. The more places open on a Sunday, the more reasons for people to come out on a Sunday. Sure, it may be slow the first few months, but building clientele takes time. Word of mouth trickles down, then business will pick up, so long as you are offering a product that will attract people back for more.

We learned the hard way yesterday that there is no traffic in IV on Sundays because there is nothing open to generate traffic. But how many more people like us wander the streets looking for somewhere to drop our cash? I hate having to get west of Hess before finding a restaurant with a decent cocktail bar open on Sundays.

My friends went back home to Toronto with their preconceptions of a dull, unhip, unhappening Hamilton downtown reinforced firmly in their minds. I went home frustrated because that is the one impression I was hoping to correct. Boy was I wrong.

[raisethehammer]

yup, Sundays SUCK downtown. Part of the issue is probably due to the fact that most of IV is shops that are family owned.
They don't have huge, quick turnover like the chains which hire tons of young people dirt cheap to slap down plates on your table.
Folks usually take the day off on Sunday.
I think once more people live downtown...and people like you send them emails and show up like that when their closed, they'll start to think of hiring a new person or two for Sundays.
James North is good on a Sunday for the most part....Acclamation, the other bars, Caldense, Fishers, Micks, the Chinese places etc....are open on Sundays and always seem to be busy.

[the dude]

too bad. everything was open on locke this past sunday. i was surprised.

[ihateittoo]

Sunday is also known as the day the panhandlers take over downtown. I am sure there are a plethora of reasons for it but every sunday while i walk around downtown I encounter 5 times as many panhandlers and a lot of them are new faces from the regulars I see through the week.

I am just glad that the harbour diner is open sunday.

[flar]

It is really dead on Sundays. It's weird because there are plenty of people around even on weeknights. Saturday is usually bustling. But Sunday is dead. I remember a New Year's day phototour of Hamilton by brett-electrician on here a while back that showed a very very dead Hamilton.

[BCTed]

Pretty well all downtowns are relatively dead on Sundays.

[DC83]

Pretty well all downtowns are relatively dead on Sundays.

This is very true!

Even Toronto! The only really busy area on Sundays is Yonge/Dundas... but when is it ever dead?

Even, or I should say especially in Montréal. The city is still very religious, and no one really did anything on Sunday but stay home and relax. I rarely went downtown (altho it was 15 mins away by metro) on Sundays. I would explore the rest of the city.

Even living downtown Hamilton, I don't venture out anywhere really on Sundays. I think it's just force-of-habbit!? Or maybe it's the hangovers...haha

[markbarbera]

I completely disagree with the statement that all downtowns are quiet on a Sunday. I lived in downtown Toronto for a decade, and the restaurants and bars were always alive with activity. I certainly never had problem finding a place to grab a bite and have a few cocktails, much unlike my experience this past Sunday in Hamilton. The Shopping along Yonge Street in always was (and is) bustling on a Sunday. The only quiet spot in downtown Toronto on a Sunday is the business district. I noticed the same thing when I lived in Ottawa, where the downtown Rideau Street area was alway bustling on a Sunday.

[DC83]

^^ not completelt dead (as Hamilton), but definately not as bustling as a weekday.
Agreed about Yonge St... but that's Yonge. But keep in mind that TO (city proper) has 3.5 times more people than the entire Greater Hamilton Area (that's almost 5 times more people than people in the City of Hamilton incl amalgamated cities).
Most eateries along Yonge (between Front & Bloor) are chain restos, and don't usually close on Sunday.
In IV's case, there are no chains (with the exception of maybe Denningers). So they can't quite afford to stay open to minimal business unlike, say, Swiss Chalet or Spring Rolls.

Sadly, you would have most likely had better luck along King West area (Swiss Chalet, McDonalds, Quiznos, Hess Village, Honest Lawyer, Toby's, etc).

[markbarbera]

:previous: There are tons of lounge restaurants on Yonge between Bloor and Yonge which are not chains. And not just on Yonge, also on Bloor, College, Dundas. And they do a great business on a Sunday. I know because I usually meet up with my friends in Toronto on a Sunday.

We went to Honest Lawyer. It was closed. Besides, we were looking for a nice sit down place for cocktails and food that isn't coming out of heat-and-serve frozen portions, somewhere with a bit of 'wow' factor so to reinforce how Hamilton is becoming more sophisticated. Which is why I avoided the nasty chains on King West and the Hess Village meat market in the first place.

I think you're bang on with the religious influence keeping people at home. The Sunday day-of-rest-dinner-at-home-with-the-family mentality is still stong in Hamilton, although nowadays its probably more a force of habit than religious observance. Unless you want to go shopping at Lime Ridge, which apparantly is okay to do on the Lord's day.

[DC83]

^^ Wow!! I can't believe the Honest Lawyer was closed!! That's rediculous.
And I guess one could completely forget JamesNorth as a Sunday Brunch destination due to the religious factor.

I guess I wasn't kewl enough to hang out on Bloor when I was in TO. hahaha I pretty much stuck around Cabbagetown/The Village/Downtown Yonge area.

I think we should find some great places downtown that ARE open on Sundays and post them in this forum/thread!! That way we'll all know where to take our guests for Sunday brunch!

EDIT: http://www.hamiltoninternationalvillage.ca/searchResults.asp for hours of eateries in the International Village.

[raisethehammer]

weird...I've been to the Honest Lawyer on Sundays so I don't get that.
Acclamation Bar and Grill on James North is open everyday....the back area is cooler than the front.
Corktown, Slainte and the James South/Augusta pubs - One Duke etc....are all open on Sundays (at least they were the last time I went).
LaLuna on King West is too.

[fastcarsfreedom]

I think the original intent of the thread was logical--IV was dead on Sunday. Lots of people weighed in with other options such as James, Hess, Locke, etc. What irks me consistently here is when we fall back into this pattern of asking why Downtown Toronto is busier on a Sunday than downtown Hamilton...is this even a serious discussion? I mean, compared to Downtown Wallaceburg downtown Hamilton is downright thriving on a Sunday...what a completely pointless discussion.