[flar]

This is an in-depth tour of Hamilton's Barton St. The pictures are in order, starting around Bay St. and going almost to Parkdale Ave (nearly 7km). This is one long, gritty stretch of road, so this is one long, gritty tour. It starts slowly but there are a few interesting sights along the way.

Look familiar? Intersection with James St.

This is a prison

really, it is

I'm not exactly sure what this woman was doing, but she had no pants...

Currently there is some major construction going on here. Ferguson St is getting an overpass over the rail corridor, the old stone building in the picture above is being converted to a long term stay facility for hospital patients, Hamilton General hospital is building a very nice research centre (rendering above), and the vacant land pictured below is getting some sort of commercial development.

Hamilton General Hospital

Entering Barton Village

A practitioner of the oldest profession...

Intersection of Wentworth Street

An old mob hangout

The old Westinghouse Headquarters can be seen in the background

The cops were chasing someone down the alley

A quick look down a sidestreet

Intersection with Sherman Ave. Now we're entering a Polish area

Not much of a tower

Still going...

We finally reach Ottawa Street

The Centre Mall occupies the north side of the street, I didn't take many pictures of this, I trust you've all seen a mall before. BTW, this mall is supposed to be replaced with a new combined residential/big box format development but I haven't heard anything about it lately.

Intersection with Kenilworth Ave. (For some reason I didn't take a picture of East Hamilton Radio)

Barton keeps going, but I'm really tired of walking now so I'll end it...thanks if you've made it this far.

 

[smuncky]

that is one dreary street.

 

[Skeezix]

Speaking of dreary...

Factory/warehouse behind, surface parking lot in front.

 

[Urban Shocker]

I love such landscapes. They remind me of the east end of Toronto when I lived at Pape and Danforth in the mid-1970's and would go for long walks at night around such declining industrial areas at Carlaw and Queen etc. Beautifully wierd factories lit up at night, with steam and smoke rising off them. There was a soap factory on Carlaw, I believe - someone recently told me that he grew up near there and whenever there was a heavy rain soap bubbles would appear from the drains.

 

[Jayomatic]

wow. My poor home town has really taken quite the nosedive. I don't remember barton street looking that rough. I remember spending my childhood playing around in the fountains at centre mall. Going to the movies at the fancy new ciniplex odeon theatre there. Walking up to Ivor Wynn Stadium for a ticats game.

The best chicken wing place i've ever been to is on Barton Street just west of Parkdale. Its called Chaps. Its a big wooden roadhouse looking place beside the coke bottling plant.

 

[brettrobinson]

Yikes!!!

 

[Hydrogen]

That's officially gritty.

 

[ganjavih]

Yeah, I like grit, but that's a bit too much. Cool tour though...

 

[adma]

"Bunny Ruggz Pizza". "Crowbar Restaurant". "Welcome to the home of the original HEFTY HOAGIE". "Pleasures Gentelmen's Club". "MacFrugal's Cash Depot Giant Value Center" etc etc. (Though the most ghostly, poetic thing there is the neon clef'n'notes.)

Somehow, I'm expecting to run into some Leo Gorcey or Huntz Hall types here...

 

[flar]

Barton is gritty as hell, but remarkable for its shear length of mostly intact streetwall. If this part of Hamilton ever rebounds there's a lot of potential here.

 

[Edward Skira]

I've always thought Hamilton could be to Toronto what Williamsburg is to Manhattan. Barton Street could easily become an extension of Queen West West as artists look to move to cheaper locations. If I had money I'd be buying in this area.

 

[Observer Walt]

Yep, lots of grit, and lots of potential.

James Street North has very much become Hamilton's version of West Queen West, seemingly with more galleries by the month. Maybe some of it could spill around the corner onto Barton, although I think rents on James are still within range for artistic types.

But there's certainly room for small entrepreneurs on Barton, and many are present here. I'll have to try the Hefty Hoagie, I'll bet it's good.

Flar, as a little sidelight I've often wondered how many churches are located along Barton. It seems you're never more than a stone's throw away from one. Even in Montreal I don't think there is such a concentration of churches.

 

[flar]

James N. is definitely Hamilton's Queen West, I think there were even some newspaper articles about some defections of Toronto artists. I've seen two small galleries on Barton, but I've heard that property taxes skyrocket if you improve the buildings too much. I think the area around the hospital (Barton Village) is most likely to improve, especially with several hundred new affluent workers coming to the area in the next few years and the continuing improvements to the nearby Bayfront. The "new" Ferguson St. goes through this area and is meant to be a gateway to the Bayfront.

I haven't tried the hefty hoagie at Duarte's, but I do go there once in a while because you can get a good sandwich for an even two bucks.

Observer Walt, I find there are a lot of churches everywhere in Hamilton. I've thought about going around and photographing them all but it's such a daunting task I don't know if I'll ever get around to it.

 

[unimaginative2]

I've always thought Hamilton could be to Toronto what Williamsburg is to Manhattan. Barton Street could easily become an extension of Queen West West as artists look to move to cheaper locations. If I had money I'd be buying in this area.

I completely agree! I know a little bit is starting to happen on James, but it could really explode. All-day GO Train service would definitely help tie the two cities closer. Williamsburg wouldn't have happened without the L-train.

 

[SP!RE]

Awesome thread! Thanks for showing us this