[DC83]

Loews / Capital aka Buttinksi's

It was a trashy bar called Buttinski's for YEARS!
Although this establishment was one of the first Downtown Patios, it was often seen as one you'd bypass rather than eat at.

THEN:

NOW:

It's too bad you can't see the sign, as it had a woman with large boobs holding large pints. Also, if you look closely enough, you could see her nipples popping out. Classsss-y!

Needless to say, it's now closed (City Hall pretty much forced it and the Strip Club next door to shut down).

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

^^Thanks!

I have a more recent photo that shows some of the details remain:

I think the grungy roadhouse "Joe Buttinsky's" and its nasty patio is now closed.

My memory of it (in the late 80's when downtown Hamilton was still somewhat vibrant and fun) was as a trashy roadhouse place with cheap food & cheap beer but I wasn't 100% so I didn't mention it.

 

[DC83]

My memory of it (in the late 80's when downtown Hamilton was still somewhat vibrant and fun) was as a trashy roadhouse place with cheap food & cheap beer but I wasn't 100% so I didn't mention it.

Buttinsky's was cheap, but don't think it had any food in recent years (unless you're referring to crack, then maybe).

Downtown Hamilton is infact still very Vibrant, and still pretty fun (depending on your idea of fun).
It has more people than any American Downtown I've been to (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Detroit), and actually has Streetlife AFTER 5pm which is rare in the U.S.

Compared to Toronto, there's obviously less streetlife and less to do (Toronto is over 5x the size of Hamilton, afterall).

What Downtown Hamilton needs in-lieu of all these Single-Screen Theatres being shut is a New, Modern Multi-Plex a-la Scotiabank Theatre and *wishes real hard* a Dave & Busters.

Hamilton City Council & the Downtown Renewal/EcDev Depts, however, are too concerned with chasing down Public Monies for Affordable Housing funding than chasing down Companies/Attractions to bring more people besides the Working Poor down here.

Last time I heard of Downtown Renewal/EcDev (Economic Development Dept) courting a major chain, it was MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op) which ended up near Downtown Burlignton.
MEC cited Downtown Hamilton Residents' lack of Income as one major reason for choosing Downtown Burlington over Downtown Hamilton.
Don't Worry, MEC (and other prospective Chains), there will be 200+ more people Downtown once the Royal Connaught is turned into Aff... Affordable Housing... Ohhh... right... *sad face*

 

[DC83]

re: Old Factories

Toronto was 4 times the size of Hamilton at the turn of the 20th century. Hamilton was dominated by industry from the start, but was also the last Canadian city other than Montreal or Toronto to be home to the headquarters of a national bank, The Bank of Hamilton. Neighbourhoods like Durand are testament to a once wealthy and prosperous city. Hamilton has really been in decline for many decades. Toronto, as the major centre of government, finance and education for English Canada was already choking off Hamilton back then. That economic diversity has kept Toronto prosperous in the post industrial world, while Hamilton was always doomed to failure.

Population of Canadian cities (1901)

1. Montreal.......267 730
2. Toronto.......208 040
3. Quebec..........68 840
4. Hamilton........52 634
5. Winnipeg.......42 340

Also, I should mention that a lot of these factories are/were around the Keith Neighbourhood, which unless I'm mistaken, was a hood designed to house Factory Workers?
Here's a link to Flar's phototour of the Keith Hood:
http://urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?t=8718

I've recently moved closer to this neighbourhood, and have started exploring it. All I can say is DAMNNNN What Potential!
GoogleMap Link to the area
I've highlighted the old Otis Elevator/Studebaker Factory as it is crying our for Loft Conversion, as are 75% of old factories in this already-residential hood!

I can see a Liberty Village-esq type of development here, connected to the North End (Hamilton's Best Kept Secret).

 

[flar]

^^Pretty much all the neighbourhoods in the north and east ends, the ones with the rows of identical houses, were built for workers. But they weren't company housing or anything, I believe it was the work of early developers. Really old school suburbia.



The old train station at James and Hunter

The track was raised and the station was replaced with the the TH&B station, now GO Centre, just a bit east.

 

[DC83]

Dec 01 2009

This is downtown still, in a small strecth of King St East called 'International Village'.
Not 100% sure why the name, but there are a couple different shops of differing ethnic origins (Denningers, a Specialty German Food Shop, is the main 'Ethnic' Anchor Shop here).


King St East, looking East towards Wellington St
THEN:

Note: Same train tracks as the Train Crash photo from earlier in this set.


NOW:

Also, the TiCats Head Office has recently moved here:
Jarvis Square
Poor Jarvis Square. It's called a 'Square', but is quite clearly a Surface Parking Lot (in true Hamilton fashion).
I look forward to the day where Jarvis Square is turned into TiCat Square, with cars removed and urban square elements included!

 

[ShonTron]

I love this thread!

The rail-fan trolley bus pages have some good pictures of the downtown:

From Tom's Trolley Bus PIX:

Now: Tke Kresge store is now a bingo hall, and the Right House closed, but the building nicely renovated.

 

[ganjavih]

Wow. The Hammer really got hammered during the enlightened modernist urban renewal era. Every new photo on every new thread I see that shows the destruction of urbanity that occurred in the era makes me despise it even more.

 

[DC83]

The rail-fan trolley bus pages have some good pictures of the downtown:

From Tom's Trolley Bus PIX:

Awesome!!! I've been looking for this page!! Thank You SO much!

 

[DC83]

Found It!

Found It

^^ You guys are right, but I'm still pretty certain that it was replaced with a Parking Garage for Eatons.

Flar, that old YMCA reminds me of the Ghostbusters' Head Office (Old Fire Hall) and the Piggot Bldg reminds me of the Bldg at the end of Ghostbusters movie. Ha!

SOurce

That white, deco'ish structure (new Eatons entrance/Parking Garage) is what replaced our Old City Hall
With the old Eaton's attached. The 'modern' Bldg in the shot was the Bank of Montréal 'Pavilion' until it moved to Bay & Main

 

[ShonTron]

^ Here's the pic source:

http://www.trolleybuses.net/ham/htm/can_h_ham_flyer_769_jamesking_19730701_sz.htm

I don't think the moderne structure would have replaced the City Hall - I thought that was a 1930s/1940s addition to Eaton's. City Hall was on the corner of James and York, and York almost met King William, and wasn't demolished until 1960. Jackson Square would have been built right on top of where York Street came right downtown.

 

[flar]

Waldorf Hotel on King St.

Now:
The empty Royal Connaught Hotel. To be turned into Affordable Housing! Just what downtown Hamilton needs more of...

 

[Conrad Black]

I had no idea they were turning it into affordable housing. I stayed there a few times way back.

 

[flar]

Ottawa and Campbell today:

Ottawa St. is actually a decent street these days, this is just an empty corner.

 

[DC83]

Ottawa St

Hilarious! I actually have a Now & Then set up for that shot, too!
That house where Euro Textures is now used to be an awesome cake bakery. Best cakes in Hamilton (forget the name though).
Burned down probably about 8-9 years ago?

The Royal Connaught is still waiting on the Ontario Ministry of Housing to approve funding for Affordable Housing units.
Downtown Hamilton itself has 25% of Hamilton's affordable units, not to mention the hoods surrounding Downtown (Lansdale, Beasly, Strathcona which are all littered with halfway houses & shelters).

This City is so polarized it's pathetic! And City Council keeps putting off resolving this problem. Infact, they were going to address a huge issue in Hamilton called "Area Rating" in regards to taxes, but this horrible Council we have right now have voted to delay the decision until after next year's election.
This proves Hamilton's slogan is "Hamilton: Can't Someone ELSE Do It!?"