Downtown in Canada's worst major city

[Greco Roman]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

After the title and the "shunned by the NHL comment," I expected this to be about Winnipeg.

I was pleasantly surprised, nonetheless.

[flar]

Originally Posted by Greco Roman

Honestly, nice pics, but your attitude sucks. Minus the attitude, you did a good job representing Hamilton, which looks like a very nice city to visit.

The title and intro are meant to be ironic, everyone makes fun of Hamilton and Winnipeg, but they are two of my favourite Canadian cities, and both are actually nice despite their reputations.

[fern]

Looks pretty good to me

[eMKay]

Nice pics, I like hamilton, I have friends there so I visit often, but We have only gone downtown a few times. They live up by McMaster. Now there is a building worthy of pictures!

[Sacs]

Hi Guys, been browsing this forum for quite some time without an account and finally made one.

On the Hamilton topic.

This is without a doubt one of the worst cities in Ontario and maybe all of Canada to live in. Ive been here for 18 years and am packing my bags.

This city has had EXTREMELY high potential because of its geographical location(close to USA and along the way to Toronto/Montreal/Ottawa). It also has great physical capital(seaport, airport, QEW access). Also 2-3 really good educational facilities. But it is no where near its potential NOR is anything being done to achieve it.

Do not be fooled by a few pictures, this city is a utter sewer. The west end and downtown are complete dumps. There is closed down and boarded up buildings EVERYWHERE. The downtown shops are of extremely poor quality and geared toward the poverty class shopper. There is scrap yards within the downtown core. The roads of this city are perhaps some of the worst you will ever experience in North America. There isnt a stretch of more then 1 meter( 1 yard), that does not include potholes and massive cracks/uneven. The roads eat cars. I cannot stress enough how bad the road infrastructure is.

Hess Village. This is essentially a bunch of old and extremely poor quality homes that have been turned into Night Clubs. Fights and police presence is very common here.

Barton street is a popular hangout for the cities scum, this includes prostitutes and drug dealers. Most homes are either growing marijuana or active drug dens on this street. Canadian media does an excellent job of covering up anything in Canada that would resemble American ghettos.

Middle Class suburbs are taxed to death because of this city. Propery taxes range from 3000-5000 a year for homes valued around 300k. Yes thats right.

The infrastructure of the downtown core has been on a downward descent with barely any signs of repair. This city is also home to 3-4 of Canada's TOP polluters interms of corporations. Avoid this city for anything! I have visited many declining US cities, they are 10-20x nicer even though they may not have as many people walking around.

[boden]

Originally Posted by Sacs

Hi Guys, been browsing this forum for quite some time without an account and finally made one.

On the Hamilton topic.

This is without a doubt one of the worst cities in Ontario and maybe all of Canada to live in. Ive been here for 18 years and am packing my bags.

This city has had EXTREMELY high potential because of its geographical location(close to USA and along the way to Toronto/Montreal/Ottawa). It also has great physical capital(seaport, airport, QEW access). Also 2-3 really good educational facilities. But it is no where near its potential NOR is anything being done to achieve it.

Do not be fooled by a few pictures, this city is a utter sewer. The west end and downtown are complete dumps. There is closed down and boarded up buildings EVERYWHERE. The downtown shops are of extremely poor quality and geared toward the poverty class shopper. There is scrap yards within the downtown core. The roads of this city are perhaps some of the worst you will ever experience in North America. There isnt a stretch of more then 1 meter( 1 yard), that does not include potholes and massive cracks/uneven. The roads eat cars. I cannot stress enough how bad the road infrastructure is.

Hess Village. This is essentially a bunch of old and extremely poor quality homes that have been turned into Night Clubs. Fights and police presence is very common here.

Barton street is a popular hangout for the cities scum, this includes prostitutes and drug dealers. Most homes are either growing marijuana or active drug dens on this street. Canadian media does an excellent job of covering up anything in Canada that would resemble American ghettos.

Middle Class suburbs are taxed to death because of this city. Propery taxes range from 3000-5000 a year for homes valued around 300k. Yes thats right.

The infrastructure of the downtown core has been on a downward descent with barely any signs of repair. This city is also home to 3-4 of Canada's TOP polluters interms of corporations. Avoid this city for anything! I have visited many declining US cities, they are 10-20x nicer even though they may not have as many people walking around.

Have you thought about working for Chamber of Commerce in Hamilton?

Property taxes are a problem everywhere...not just Hamilton. Here in Belleville I pay $3,000 per year for a house probably not worth $200,000. Go down to NY State in any city and it is worse tax wise.
For what it's worth I found Hamilton to be very charming when I visited last summer...but then again I like rust-belt cities.....and of course it is different when you live there.

[flar]

To each his own Sacs. I moved to Hamilton five years ago and I love it. Good luck finding a city you're happy with.

Maybe you haven't spent enough time living outside of Hamilton (and perhaps not enough time exploring in Hamilton). There are potholes everywhere in Ontario due to freeze/thaw cycles during the winter. Property taxes in central Hamilton are substantially higher as a percentage of property values than they are in the suburbs. Hamilton suffered through a declining tax base due to the loss of industry and has a lot of infrastructure to maintain because of the area's geography. The westend is not a dump, with Cootes Paradise, the Niagara Escarpment, the Royal Botanical Gardens and several conservation areas, it's among the most beautiful places in Ontario, you're thinking of the east end near the heavy industry. There are no scrapyards anywhere near the downtown core. Hess Village is not my cup of tea, but it would be an asset in any city. The majority of local shopping districts (eg: Westdale, Locke South, Concession, Ottawa, Dundas) are thriving and have few or no boarded up buildings. Downtown isn't that great, as I've shown in this thread. Barton Street has prostitutes and drugs but can't hold a candle to declining US cities in terms of grittiness and crime. Hamilton's crime rate is average for Ontario. I'm not aware of any cities of this size without prostitutes or drugs.

My photo threads don't lie, they show both the good and the bad. The good areas are really good and the bad areas are really bad. It's a city of contrasts and contradictions and a lot of history, which is what makes it interesting and gives it character.

[boden]

Very well stated flar.

[xzmattzx]

Another thread that I missed the first time around. I'm glad I got to see it this time.

If/when I see Hamilton for the first time, Downtown will be where I start exploring, just like you said.

[flar]

There have been a lot of Hamilton threads on here by me and others...

by flar:

"The largest fabric and textile district in Canada"
Corktown: an urban neighbourhood in Hamilton
-One Hundred Pictures of HAMILTON-
Another incredible Hamilton neighbourhood: Kirkendall
< H E A V Y <> I N D U S T R Y >
<<-nite-life->>
Old school suburbia: A profile of one of Canada's first and finest suburbs
Inner City Beauty: A fine urban neighbourhood
◄A Crazy Melange of Imagery from Hamilton►
Everywhere, Ontario
Old Man Winter vs. Hamilton
A late 1920's streetcar suburb
"possibly the largest concentration of early 20C mansions in Canada"
« I N N E R C I T Y ● H A M I L T O N » || Gritty Vernacular Housing Spectacular
Hamilton Mountain: Concession Street
A small taste of Europe in Hamilton
Spring in the Valley: Dundas
Five Miles of Grit: A long walk down Barton St. in Hamilton
MILLION DOLLAR VIEW: Hamilton Mountain Brow + GTA Mega-Panos
Twilight of the Industrial Age
Conquer and rule or serve and lose, suffer or triumph, be the anvil or THE HAMMER
An 1865-95 Neighbourhood
The Lost Stone Town of Hamilton
◄Hamilton 2007 Year in Review►
S U B U R B I A !
Ancaster: Hamilton's wealthiest suburb
A leisurely stroll through the inner city (urbanity+grit)
Twilight of the Industrial Age II
The Hammer Lives!


By boden

Hamilton, Ontario....taken a few weeks ago.


By DC83

Locke Street (Hamilton) -- The next Gay Village??


By miketoronto

From industrial ruin to nature wonderland. Hamilton Harbour and Cootes Paradise!
Steeltown proves there is life downtown after 5PM. James North Art Crawl.
Lister Block. This is what happens when you abandon downtown for the malls.


By matt602
The Hammer (again)


By WZ1
Hamilton HDR
Hamilton from Above - Arial views of Hamilton - Contruction Updates
Views of Hamilton views - rooftop of abandoned Howard Johston
Goodnight Hamilton - My last High Def look of the steel city


edit: a few more good ones in the Hamilton section

by coalminecanary
Misty Mountain Mini Tour
My first photo tour


by the dude

From Strathcona to Kirkendall in Search of Coffee
Lloyd D. Jackson Square - Up on the Rooftop


by matt602

Abandoned Hamilton
Christmas in the Core
Locke Street (Spring 2008 edition)


by bluedressgirl

Ambitious Little City


by Hammer Town

Hamilton Waterfall Photos

[Jaborandi]

There isn't a city in Canada that would not love to have Westdale as a part of its urban fabric - thou speaketh through thine bumhole.

[mSeattle]

That's all you can do in the "worst" category? Hold on, let us Americans show you how to do it!

No, seriously folks. This "worst" Canadian city looks fairly nice to me!

[Waterlooson]

Judging by the title, I thought the thread was about Winnipeg.

[Waterlooson]

Originally Posted by Sacs

Do not be fooled by a few pictures, this city is a utter sewer. The west end and downtown are complete dumps.

This is hilarious.... you live in Hamilton, yet you don't know what you are talking about.... the west end of Hamilton (Dundas, Ancaster) is one of North America's more attractive residential areas.... you must have meant the east end?

[jodelli]

Originally Posted by Sacs

There is closed down and boarded up buildings EVERYWHERE. The downtown shops are of extremely poor quality and geared toward the poverty class shopper. There is scrap yards within the downtown core.

Gee Sacs, don't feel as though you have to be reticent about the subject. Tell us how you is really feeling.

I have visited many declining US cities, they are 10-20x nicer even though they may not have as many people walking around.

I've been to Hamilton many times, and I know Detroit. Believe me, Hamilton is no Jack Kenn... er Detroit.
Really now, 10 to 20X nicer?
Well, maybe Pittsburgh.

[flar]

Originally Posted by flar

Shunned by the NHL, spurned by top retailers, scorned by its own citizens, scoffed at by everyone else...

One of Hamilton's biggest problems is that attitudes like Sacs' are quite common. I'm always surprised at the ignorance of some long-time residents. There are, of course, lots of lifelong Hamiltonians that love the city and know it inside out.

[DC83]

Originally Posted by flar

One of Hamilton's biggest problems is that attitudes like Sacs' are quite common. I'm always surprised at the ignorance of some long-time residents. There are, of course, lots of lifelong Hamiltonians that love the city and know it inside out.

Sadly, Flar, I don't think Sacs is actually a Hamilton resident at all. Had he been, he would not have made such an erroneous acusation re: The West End (or Westdale as most HAMILTONIANS would call it).

The only thing he got right was that the city isn't working (hard enough) to take advantage of our potential.

He spent 18 years here and hated it? So why leave now?
-LRT is going to cross the city from McMaster in the "dumpy" West End (which we all know is actually a gorgeous, urband delight with some of the highest property values in the city) to the East End / Stoney Creek, a place where old people like to retire.
-Not to mention some sort of RT (most likely another LRT line) connecting our Waterfront (as well as GO Transit, the Downtown Core) to Hamilton International Airport who's parent company was just bought by Citi Bank who are planning an overhaul on most North American airports incl. Hamilton International.

Most people who spend their whole lives in this city can't truly appreciate it. As someone who has lived in several Canadian cities (incl TO & Mtl), and visited several dozen more Cdn & US cities, I and everyone I know are truly happy to live in a caring, friendly, SAFE city like Hamilton... no matter how much we complain

Dude... you're gonna find hookers & crack everywhere, in every city (YES, even rural cities). They're just not so obvious like the ones on Barton Street.

Truth Is: This Sacs character obviously joined this forum for no other reason than to post that hate-filled message. But everyone who has seen Flar's (and others') photothreads know that Hamilton is what we capture in our lenses.