Now that we've been here for more than a year and are immersed in Hamilton on a daily basis , I sometimes forget that initial feeling of shock and surprise that some people (from Toronto, mainly) have when they come to the Hammer (usually for the first time) and discover how nice some of the neighbourhoods are.
Seeing that moment where people file away their preconceived notions of what they thought Hamilton was all about and replace them with visions of how nice the houses are and how great some of the amenities we have here are is pretty gratifying for those of us who chose to move here, enjoy the city and work hard to show people how nice it really is.
Since Christmas, we have had a steady stream of visitors from various parts of Canada, including the Big Smoke, stop by to see our new place, and we always take the opportunity to show off our new city. And we try to show it all - everything from a walk down Locke Street to a drive to the waterfront, up James Street and across Barton Street.
The overwhelming consensus is that no one knew that places like Locke Street and James Street North existed here (in fact, one recent visitor who grew up in Brantford said that he wasn't aware that Hamilton had neighbourhoods like Durand and Kirkendall).
I've discussed, at length, our great Hamilton discoveries over the last few months, but in no particular order, the things that seem to most often seem to turn other people's opinions/prejudices of Hamilton on their heads are:
- how historic the homes are (and how reasonably priced), the gorgeous architecture and the community feel in many of the city's neighbourhoods.
- the calibre of Hamilton's food scene always floors people. We always make a point of taking visitors out to one of the city's unique restaurants (think Bread Bar or Wass or even Rolly Rockets), with one visitor saying she had the best sandwich she had ever had IN HER LIFE at one of these establishments. We know that they are up there with the best that other large cities have to offer.
- Hamilton's cultural scene. Yes, we have an Art Gallery and there are loads of festivals and cultural events in the Hammer all year long. You don't need to drive into Toronto to experience art, concerts, culture and festivals.
More friends from far-off places are sure to be stopping by this summer and I'm sure we will hear many more positive 'first impressions' of our city (and, of course, I'm sure we will continue to find new Hamilton gems and favourite spots ourselves!)
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Showing posts with label house. Show all posts
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Friday, July 8, 2011
Hamilton's history and my old house
For someone who grew up in the suburbs where most buildings dated from the 1970s or later, my recent move into a 100-year old Hamilton house has proved to be both exciting and daunting.
On the one hand, the house needs work, as most 100-year old houses do (and I’m sure this will never end!).
But my fascination for history and interesting stories has had me champing at the bit, since before we moved in, to find out more about this place – who built it? Who has lived here over the past century and what did they do for a living?
Essentially, I’m excited to discover more about Hamilton’s own history through my old house.
While we do have plans to research the house’s past properly through the city’s records, a quick walk around the place provides some evidence of the house’s (and Hamilton’s) evolution – a bricked-up old door to where we think the "service entrance" to the kitchen used to be, a conversion into apartments at some point, various additions and removals and now, big plans to eventually convert it back to its former glory.
Over the years, I’ve heard stories of people unearthing treasures and random artefacts from days gone by when fixing up houses like this. I was excited to start our exploration and see what we could find.
Fortunately, we didn’t have to renovate anything to get the first clues into the history of our house. This started on the day we moved in. Tucked up between some pipes in the basement, my husband found a little book on the history of the British Royal family, ending at King George VI and praising the power of radio communication for its impact and ability to broadcast the King’s Coronation ceremony around the globe. The book’s publication date was 1937 and it was perfectly preserved.
One day later, he was putting more things away in the basement and came across something even older – the top of a wooden crate, with someone’s army rank, name and our address stencilled on it. I knew it was ancient – the postal code was a different format than we’re used to.
As any amateur history buff might do, I instantly Googled the man’s name. It turns out he served in World War I – likely the first owner of this house, or their son. I find it absolutely fascinating that, through a century’s worth of owners, renters and renovations, these pieces of history have survived intact in our house.
I’m hoping these are just the first of many clues into our property’s past, and that we get a few more glimpses into early 20th century Hamiltonian life.
Have you found any interesting relics from the past in your old Hamilton house or apartment?
This post was originally published on OpenFile Hamilton's website.
On the one hand, the house needs work, as most 100-year old houses do (and I’m sure this will never end!).
But my fascination for history and interesting stories has had me champing at the bit, since before we moved in, to find out more about this place – who built it? Who has lived here over the past century and what did they do for a living?
Essentially, I’m excited to discover more about Hamilton’s own history through my old house.
While we do have plans to research the house’s past properly through the city’s records, a quick walk around the place provides some evidence of the house’s (and Hamilton’s) evolution – a bricked-up old door to where we think the "service entrance" to the kitchen used to be, a conversion into apartments at some point, various additions and removals and now, big plans to eventually convert it back to its former glory.
Over the years, I’ve heard stories of people unearthing treasures and random artefacts from days gone by when fixing up houses like this. I was excited to start our exploration and see what we could find.
Fortunately, we didn’t have to renovate anything to get the first clues into the history of our house. This started on the day we moved in. Tucked up between some pipes in the basement, my husband found a little book on the history of the British Royal family, ending at King George VI and praising the power of radio communication for its impact and ability to broadcast the King’s Coronation ceremony around the globe. The book’s publication date was 1937 and it was perfectly preserved.
One day later, he was putting more things away in the basement and came across something even older – the top of a wooden crate, with someone’s army rank, name and our address stencilled on it. I knew it was ancient – the postal code was a different format than we’re used to.
As any amateur history buff might do, I instantly Googled the man’s name. It turns out he served in World War I – likely the first owner of this house, or their son. I find it absolutely fascinating that, through a century’s worth of owners, renters and renovations, these pieces of history have survived intact in our house.
I’m hoping these are just the first of many clues into our property’s past, and that we get a few more glimpses into early 20th century Hamiltonian life.
Have you found any interesting relics from the past in your old Hamilton house or apartment?
This post was originally published on OpenFile Hamilton's website.
Monday, March 28, 2011
House hunting in The Hammer
Sorry for the delay in posting but we've been busy. Why, you ask? Well, the Hamilton House Hunt has officially begun. Yes, that's right - we're scouring The Hammer for our "perfect house" (if such a concept actually exists).
Because of our still fairly limited knowledge of Hamilton, we're keeping an open mind with respect to area, but I imagine our fave/preferred Hamilton neighbourhoods will come as no surprise to any of you, as they seem to be the same hoods that everyone else likes (I'm not going to get too specific - this is the internet after all!) :)
On the surface, as newbies to the city, this early house search (we've only been here two months) presents a challenge. Which neighbourhoods do we look at? Do we pay a bit more and be close to amenities, or save some money and drive everywhere? Where are the good schools for our future children to go to? What about dog parks? (and of course, coffee shops). Lots to consider.
That said, the endeavour is so far proving to be easier than our (failed) T-dot house/condo search of last year. For one, I was told not to expect a huge bidding war in The Hammer - welcome news to us, as this is what we now consider normal, thanks to Toronto.
Also, given Hamilton's size, we can look/keep our eye on a smaller area day to day, rather than having to keep tabs on MLS listings in a city the size of Toronto.
Needless to say, the house-buying dollars also go further in Hamilton.
Will keep you posted on my thoughts/musings as the Great Hamilton House Hunt continues...would also be interested to hear tips/thoughts from anybody who has gone through a Hamilton House Hunt of their own.
Because of our still fairly limited knowledge of Hamilton, we're keeping an open mind with respect to area, but I imagine our fave/preferred Hamilton neighbourhoods will come as no surprise to any of you, as they seem to be the same hoods that everyone else likes (I'm not going to get too specific - this is the internet after all!) :)
On the surface, as newbies to the city, this early house search (we've only been here two months) presents a challenge. Which neighbourhoods do we look at? Do we pay a bit more and be close to amenities, or save some money and drive everywhere? Where are the good schools for our future children to go to? What about dog parks? (and of course, coffee shops). Lots to consider.
That said, the endeavour is so far proving to be easier than our (failed) T-dot house/condo search of last year. For one, I was told not to expect a huge bidding war in The Hammer - welcome news to us, as this is what we now consider normal, thanks to Toronto.
Also, given Hamilton's size, we can look/keep our eye on a smaller area day to day, rather than having to keep tabs on MLS listings in a city the size of Toronto.
Needless to say, the house-buying dollars also go further in Hamilton.
Will keep you posted on my thoughts/musings as the Great Hamilton House Hunt continues...would also be interested to hear tips/thoughts from anybody who has gone through a Hamilton House Hunt of their own.
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