HomeDiagramsDatabaseMapsForum About
     

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Ontario > Hamilton > Urban, Urban Design & Heritage Issues


Reply

 
Thread Tools Display Modes
     
     
  #1  
Old Posted Feb 9, 2008, 9:27 PM
raisethehammer raisethehammer is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,054
Gore Park

I figured that the park at the very heart of our city deserves its own discussion.
Much has been said and written about Gore Park over the years, but as a 30-year old I can safely say that it is now enjoying it's most beautiful, leafy, green period in my lifetime (I was 3 when it was massacred the first time).
Some have recently suggested we remove the grass and benches in an effort to get rid of the people.
Those who care about this fabulous centre of our city need to make our ideas and voices heard before city hall allows the mistakes of the early 80's to be repeated again.
Gore Park is my favourite part of Hamilton in all seasons.
Share your photos, ideas, likes and dislikes of this iconic park. It truly is the heart of Hamilton.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #2  
Old Posted Feb 9, 2008, 9:40 PM
matt602's Avatar
matt602 matt602 is offline
Hammer'd
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hamilton, ON
Posts: 4,751
Our wonderful park, beautiful and full of people even during the winter after a dumping of snow. (I was actually holding up pedestrian traffic while taking this)

__________________
"Above all, Hamilton must learn to think like a city, not a suburban hybrid where residents drive everywhere. What makes Hamilton interesting is the fact it's a city. The sprawl that surrounds it, which can be found all over North America, is running out of time."
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #3  
Old Posted Feb 9, 2008, 9:46 PM
raisethehammer raisethehammer is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,054
great pic. Actually, that's not a lot of people compared to how it is most days.
Today it was way busier than that.
Makes me kind of want spring, but not really since I'm a snow lover!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #4  
Old Posted Feb 9, 2008, 9:56 PM
matt602's Avatar
matt602 matt602 is offline
Hammer'd
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hamilton, ON
Posts: 4,751
Yep that's true, it's usually much more busy. As flar as documented, it is PACKED in the summer time. There's usually people sitting all around the edges of the fountain, all the benches are in use and theres just people standing around enjoying the spray from the fountain (so awesome on those hot, muggy summers in the Hammer).

I wish they didn't get rid of those checker/chess boards they had there though. I'm not sure if it was seasonal or what, but they were nice. Sadly they never got used for their actual purpose, instead it seemed drug dealers were using them to do whatever they do and teens using them to eat on.
__________________
"Above all, Hamilton must learn to think like a city, not a suburban hybrid where residents drive everywhere. What makes Hamilton interesting is the fact it's a city. The sprawl that surrounds it, which can be found all over North America, is running out of time."
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #5  
Old Posted Feb 9, 2008, 10:04 PM
raisethehammer raisethehammer is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,054
those tables are in the forecourt at the McMaster downtown location on Main St now.
Nice of the BIA to give the chess/checker tables a whole 4 months before removing them.
that space in front of the Mac centre is actually quite nice too, even for Main St.
Imagine LRT rolling by out front? If you sit on one of the benches closer to the building it's pretty nice. Lots of huge trees.
Hamilton could use more actual garden areas with little fountains and stuff in our downtown area. at City hall and the Mac Centre, Bayfront Park, Victoria Park etc....
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #6  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 12:36 PM
DC83 DC83 is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,430
Quote:
Originally Posted by raisethehammer View Post
great pic. Actually, that's not a lot of people compared to how it is most days.
Today it was way busier than that.
Makes me kind of want spring, but not really since I'm a snow lover!
You want Spring, rth?? Then these pics will make you drool:









I believe I took these late-spring '06...'ish?
EDIT: Actually, looking at the growth of the plants, it must have been mid-late summer?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #7  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 1:58 PM
raisethehammer raisethehammer is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,054
awesome!! It's such a beautiful spot. Why anyone would want to mess with the nature there is beyond me. Enhancements at this point should focus on programming, music, arts, markets, patio space, festivals etc.... we need the guys on James North to bring some of their creativity down to the Gore. Maybe the Skydragon Centre could do their Sat morning farmers market in the Gore in the nice weather.
Great pics. I can't wait to snag a coffee in the spring and sit there and watch the world go by.
I hope I don't get arrested. haha
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #8  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 3:39 PM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is online now
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Once the south end of King closes down for buses, which will likely happen. What should they do with King St? Remove the cobblestone and add grass? Leave the cobblestone and have it all patio space? Or half and half?
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #9  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 4:20 PM
DC83 DC83 is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,430
^^ Leave the cobblestone and add big, healthy planters full of plants that grow tall and overflow with beauty... maybe more Potatoe Vine? That's what they put in the little Blvd at the Delta Block and when it overflows onto Main/King Sts it looks GREAT!

Add historic-looking vendor booths, encourage buskers to perform. Then come up with a summertime full of GREAT festivals!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #10  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 5:17 PM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is online now
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Here's the old Gore Park, before the tree massacre

Reply With Quote
     
     
  #11  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 5:25 PM
DC83 DC83 is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,430
Steeltown, you're my hero!!
I've been searching ENDLESSLY for pics of downtown from the 70's-80's w/ no luck! Thank you SO much!!

I think I almost like it better NOW than then!
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #12  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 5:30 PM
SteelTown's Avatar
SteelTown SteelTown is online now
It's Hammer Time
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 19,872
Go here

http://www.trolleybuses.net/ham/ham.htm

You'll find pictures of Jackson Square, Stelco tower and Standard Life building under construction.

Yea I kinda like Gore Park now than in the late 70's. Seems like now Gore Park has more shades or trees than in the 70's.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #13  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 5:42 PM
DC83 DC83 is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,430
^^ Awesome!!! Thanksa TON, Steeltown! I think I've seen this page b4, but can't remember lots of these pics.

I like the size of the trees back then, but prefer the amount of trees we have now. Just imagine what the park till look like in 30 years (aslong as they keep the trees & grass)! haha
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #14  
Old Posted Feb 10, 2008, 6:35 PM
raisethehammer raisethehammer is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,054
yup, I think it's looking it's best now than in the past few decades. That's why I wrote that in the intro to this thread. It's beautiful right now. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the physical appearance or design of this space.
Just add in programming and a pedestrian south leg and it would be amazing.
I LOVE the old trolley buses...man, I hope we get them back. So much more efficient and quieter than new buses.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #15  
Old Posted Feb 11, 2008, 9:28 PM
chris k's Avatar
chris k chris k is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hamilton-Westmount
Posts: 172
I beleive we should use the bus lane for sctrictly patio space as this would make it more of a destination spot and give it a nice different feel from other local cities. I could see myself sitting out there sipping an espresso, not sitting on the grass doing nothing.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #16  
Old Posted Feb 12, 2008, 1:35 AM
raisethehammer raisethehammer is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,054
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris k View Post
I beleive we should use the bus lane for sctrictly patio space as this would make it more of a destination spot and give it a nice different feel from other local cities. I could see myself sitting out there sipping an espresso, not sitting on the grass doing nothing.

gee, what a great idea. why don't you send that in to the Downtown BIA.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #17  
Old Posted Feb 12, 2008, 2:09 AM
chris k's Avatar
chris k chris k is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Hamilton-Westmount
Posts: 172
Quote:
Originally Posted by raisethehammer View Post
gee, what a great idea. why don't you send that in to the Downtown BIA.
They wouldnt let me sit on the grass, they would make me sit in my car on the newly paved Gore parking lot
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #18  
Old Posted Feb 13, 2008, 4:30 AM
fastcarsfreedom's Avatar
fastcarsfreedom fastcarsfreedom is offline
On Guard For Thee
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Essex County
Posts: 1,007
Awesome 70s photo!...I love it! Back when I was really young my dad and I would stand up on the Plaza Level of JS and watch the traffic and bustle go by while my mom shopped. Note in that picture you can see the partially obstructed Holiday Inn sign and the corner of the pink marble facing on the Bank of Hamilton (CIBC) building at King/James. Note this was during the era of the "saucer" fountain.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #19  
Old Posted Feb 13, 2008, 3:18 PM
raisethehammer raisethehammer is offline
Closed account
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 6,054
yea, that fountain was pretty lame. The park looks amazing right now.
Reply With Quote
     
     
  #20  
Old Posted Feb 13, 2008, 3:41 PM
go_leafs_go02 go_leafs_go02 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: London, ON
Posts: 2,406
Looking at all those pictures, and not noticing the buses, but looking at the situations around. But Hamilton seemed alot nicer back in the 1970s than it did now, although not much seems to have changed, it just all looked fresh and new back then.

I love blast to past pictures. I'm only 20, so my memory of life and what placed looked like started probably in the mid 1990s.

thanks for that neat picture. gore park looked really really nice!
Reply With Quote
     
     
This discussion thread continues

Use the page links to the lower-right to go to the next page for additional posts
 
 
Reply

Go Back   SkyscraperPage Forum > Regional Sections > Canada > Ontario > Hamilton > Urban, Urban Design & Heritage Issues
Forum Jump


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 8:47 PM.

     
SkyscraperPage.com - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.