Downtown Update

[woreg75]

Licks' maybe?

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by CaptainKirk

Chuck's Burger Bar is rumoured to be opening a King William location, no?

Amazing! Chuck's Burger Bar expanding into Downtown

unless they’ve changed plans this was out a few months ago- King William St.

https://twitter.com/hamiltonecdev/status/314349392981270528

Content removed

[flar]

Thanks for the updates

[mattgrande]

I don't think this qualifies as downtown, but there's no East End Update thread.

Hamilton takes over City Hotel on Thursday

The city of Hamilton will officially take possession of the City Motor Hotel on Thursday, and one councillor wants to demolish the building as quickly as possible.

Coun. Sam Merulla says he'll introduce a motion at a council meeting Wednesday to get a demolition permit for the hotel, a 5,241-metre property he calls a den of drugs, prostitution and 🞵🞵🞵 activity.

“The building has to come down very quickly from a liability perspective, and to prevent squatters,” he said.

“Nothing has changed until the building is demolished and there's a clean canvass.”

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/06/11/hamilton-city-hotel.html?cmp=rss

[Pearlstreet]

I strolled through Jackson Square yesterday... I am downright amazed at the Nations supermarket! The boards are off and you can now see inside. I felt like I was in Yorkville! Someone pinch me.

[oldcoote]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Any guesses? I've got my fingers crossed that when he says popular he isn't referring to Tim Horton's or Swiss Chalet. A steak house perhaps? The Keg or Milestones? Maybe that's asking too much.

Earth to Table

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^That would be great. I'm not sure why but I assumed the article was referring to a larger chain restaurant. Coolness.

Somebody mentioned the Keg having been in the back of the Right House; perhaps somebody a little older than me can confirm that because I don't remember that being the case. I do recall a Kelsey's, I believe, probably 20+ years ago.

I am pretty sure, however, that a Keg was located at 77 King William, perhaps right after the Old Spaghetti Factory closed. Or was the Keg located at Slainte on Bowen? My memory's going...

[matt602]

The Keg was indeed on Bowen. I have an old hotel tourism guide that I salvaged from the Royal Connaught which dates back to at least the 1980's and the Keg is in there with a Bowen street address.

I had no idea there was an Old Spaghetti Factory in Hamilton though. I thought that was a Toronto-only thing.

[movingtohamilton]

Great to see such an uptick for restaurants and the new supermarket in the core. Thriving commerce, and life on the streets in the evenings. Now if only there was a move eastward into my area (Wentworth/Sherman/Main/Cumberland); such a wasteland. No coffee shops, decent restaurants, green grocers, etc.

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by matt602

The Keg was indeed on Bowen. I have an old hotel tourism guide that I salvaged from the Royal Connaught which dates back to at least the 1980's and the Keg is in there with a Bowen street address.

I had no idea there was an Old Spaghetti Factory in Hamilton though. I thought that was a Toronto-only thing.

The Old Spaghetti Factory was there for about 10 years and there was a bar/nightclub on the West side of the building called Brandy's with the same owners. These were the same people who owned the Toronto Spaghetti Factory.

The Kelseys that was in the Right House building was originally located in the plaza at Young and John.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

Good. Yeah, I was afraid I was losing it a bit. And whatever went into that spot in the plaza after Kelsey's had a decent run. I can't remember the name but I went frequently.

@Matt: That tourism guide from the 80s would be very interesting to see. You should scan a couple pages and post them here somewhere. It would bring back some nice memories.

As I've said a few times before, while the downtown is currently on a nice little uptick, it wasn't long ago that major chains - food and retail - called it home. I don't particularly care for the Kegs and Kelseys of this world but when they set up shop dt again we'll know it's finally turned the corner.

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

Great to see such an uptick for restaurants and the new supermarket in the core. Thriving commerce, and life on the streets in the evenings. Now if only there was a move eastward into my area (Wentworth/Sherman/Main/Cumberland); such a wasteland. No coffee shops, decent restaurants, green grocers, etc.

Giuseppe's on King St, across from Newman's is a terrific restaurant!

http://www.giuseppesitaliancuisine.com/en/

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/242/1602426/restaurant/Ontario/Giuseppes-Italian-Cuisine-Pizza-Hamilton

[movingtohamilton]

Thanks CaptainKirk. We've been past Giuseppe's a few times and wondered about it. The resto should post their menu, within a modern www site

[CaptainKirk]

Originally Posted by movingtohamilton

Thanks CaptainKirk. We've been past Giuseppe's a few times and wondered about it. The resto should post their menu, within a modern www site

IIRC, they also moved to Hamilton. From Mississauga, they were looking for another location, not necessarily in Hamilton, and I think they have regular customers that have followed them out here. Keep meaning to go, but never have...yet.

[Frankenrogers]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Good. Yeah, I was afraid I was losing it a bit. And whatever went into that spot in the plaza after Kelsey's had a decent run. I can't remember the name but I went frequently.

@Matt: That tourism guide from the 80s would be very interesting to see. You should scan a couple pages and post them here somewhere. It would bring back some nice memories.

As I've said a few times before, while the downtown is currently on a nice little uptick, it wasn't long ago that major chains - food and retail - called it home. I don't particularly care for the Kegs and Kelseys of this world but when they set up shop dt again we'll know it's finally turned the corner.

There was a place called Beni's in that plaza about 1990. It had a lion statue in the window and a huge breakfast buffet on Sundays with a jazz trio. I didn't live too far from there when I was 15-16 and my older brother who worked would take me and pay just so he didn't have to eat alone. Those were awesome days.

[bigguy1231]

Originally Posted by pEte fiSt iN Ur fAce

Good. Yeah, I was afraid I was losing it a bit. And whatever went into that spot in the plaza after Kelsey's had a decent run. I can't remember the name but I went frequently.

@Matt: That tourism guide from the 80s would be very interesting to see. You should scan a couple pages and post them here somewhere. It would bring back some nice memories.

As I've said a few times before, while the downtown is currently on a nice little uptick, it wasn't long ago that major chains - food and retail - called it home. I don't particularly care for the Kegs and Kelseys of this world but when they set up shop dt again we'll know it's finally turned the corner.

The place that replaced Kelsey's on John was Beni's, they also had a location on Upper James where Hooter's is now located.

[Dr Awesomesauce]

^Yep, that's the one. I remember that jazz trio as well. Terrible spot really. Almost completely invisible from the street but it must have persisted for the better part of a decade.

[HillStreetBlues]

Well, a few months back I was pretty happy to see the Taco Bell at Dundurn and Main shuttered. I don't have anything against fast food, but it's not personally usually my cup of tea, and I thought that someone should be able to find a better use for a retail spot at such a prominent intersection. So I was even happier to see that work had started fairly quickly on some new shop inside.

Last night, they finally put an 'Opening Soon' sign outside and, sure enough, it's a payday loan place.

I live very close to this intersection, and this isn't what I think about this neighbourhood. There is a wide scope of different people in the neighbourhood, so perhaps I'm wrong and this place will find sufficient volume of people of whom to take advantage.

It's very disappointing to me, and a real step backward for an intersection that serves as the face of our City for a lot of people entering it from the Main Street exit.

[movingtohamilton]

Originally Posted by HillStreetBlues

...Last night, they finally put an 'Opening Soon' sign outside and, sure enough, it's a payday loan place...

Hamilton likely takes the crown as Canada's number 1 city for payday loan outlets. Doesn't the head of their association live here? Forgot his name.

If FirstOntario Credit Union had some innovative smarts, they would start offering services to people who typically use payday loan companies.