Just another rust belt neighbourhood

[dugdogmaster]

Rockin

[flar]

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Another great thread. This is the most blue-collar neighborhood in Hamilton, in my opinion (judging from your pictures).

There are a few others completely within the industrial areas too.

Originally Posted by Hammer Native

That little enclave south of Mars Avenue/west of Wentworth Street probably still has potential, in fact there was a townhouse complex proposed on an empty lot on one of those streets I don't know what became of it however. What that area certainly lacks is amenities, hard to believe for an inner city neighbourhood. But I guess that's what happened in a lot of American city neighbourhoods, eventually not much left in them. I believe the HSR just started a route into that area, didn't they, or plans to. And the people fought to keep former Robert Land School as a community centre. So I guess there is some community spirit there and I guess it's a start for low income people to get into home ownership. The area north of the second set of tracks closer to Burlington Street is another story, I'm sure we can tell just by looking at it. Probably all of those houses should have been expropriated years ago when heavy industry went in. It seemed like it was done in a haphazard manner, some houses were and the rest were left. With heavy industry across the street and transport trucks barreling past it can't be a very fit place to live and ever will be. They probably should have zoned that for lighter industry to create a bit of a buffer to the neighbourhoods south, and the derelict houses would have been gone.

The old industrial buildings are magnificent forms of architecture. The Studebaker plant was Otis elevator after that, then I'm pretty sure Allan Candy used that building for a while too. Allan Candy was another Hamilton success story if I'm right. Pretty much all the Easter chocolate in the stores seemed to be made by them. Cadbury's of U.K. bought them out. I guess a lot of production is at the modern plant in Stoney Creek now. Then lastly, there was the failed movie studio proposal for the Studebaker plant.

Hopefully those buildings can be re-invented. Just look at the distillery district in Toronto, artists, cafes, shopping, etc. We're seeing that start to take root here in other places, like The Imperial Cotton Centre on Sherman North and other former industrial buildings. If something like that were proposed hopefully the city doesn't entangle it in red tape like The Pearl Factory and the former Westinghouse building.

A bus route was recently introduced into this generally neglected area. The school is closed, kids are bused elsewhere. Many of the industrial buildings are still used for industrial purposes, I don't think this is the best area to live if you want to enjoy optimal health. I think it will be a long time, if ever, that this area becomes desirable.

Originally Posted by emge

This is probably a silly question, but when exactly and why would most of these have been built? I've seen them in other neighbourhoods like Landsdale as well and over by the north Bayfront area like you noted - I'm sure there's many more.

Was it just enough people wanting to move downtown or near the factories at the time that they were built? Was it infill it that sense or was it infill that was planned to help the neighbourhood by building these homes with any plan in place?

I'm guessing those houses were built in the early 70s or so. Probably all by the same company, since they're all similar in design. There are even some on Barton St. I'm guessing they are spec houses, there is a long tradition (at least since the 1890s) of building 3 or more identical houses side by side in the lower city wherever empty lots are found.

Originally Posted by kcexpress69

Great tour. Your threads have certainly given Hamilton a lot of spotlight. About a year ago, I always viewed Hamilton as an old gritty city, but your threads have changed my opinion of it for the better!!

It is old and gritty for sure. There are plenty of nice parts too. Canadian cities generally don't have that much residential abandonment or decay.

[Urban Zombie]

This is rock 'n roll in a bottle. Sweet stuff!

[rousseau]

In the summer of 1986 I worked here, in the green building. Amcan Castings. It shut down a year or so ago. It was my "gap summer" between high school and university. I did all of the jobs at the end of the conveyor belt, in particular shaving the filings off of aluminum transmission cases with files and punching various other engine parts out of their sets of 3 or 6 with large presses.

I made a good hourly wage, I think it was about $8.50, and paid for my first year of tertiary education with it. I'll never forget the smell of freshly cast aluminum, the heat of it in your gloved hands, and the vaguely mildewy odour of industrial water, which was sprayed everywhere. I recall a young guy in his early twenties working there full-time with whom I and the other university types doing summer stints at the plant used to joke around a lot. He'd gotten the job through his dad. He had this wistful look on his face at the end of August when we all went out for beers after our last shift. We were going off to school, and he wouldn't be going anywhere. He said they didn't heat the plant in the winter, so you had to dress for it. That was one of my first somewhat "Dickensian" moments of realization about the shittiness of life. He'd be in his forties by now, and I imagine he must have participated in the sit-in at the plant a few years ago to protest its imminent closure.

[dktshb]

Great thread! It seems that no matter what style of home all the houses in that town are of equal distance apart and that's pretty cool.

[olga]

Wow, i found this extremely fascinating. So many nice houses, and a few ugly ones aswell. It was really interesting to see the industries. Makes you understand what's been going on here. I mean - the origin of all this.

The small grey house in thic pic is possibly the sadest house I've ever seen.

[flar]

Originally Posted by rousseau

In the summer of 1986 I worked here, in the green building. Amcan Castings. It shut down a year or so ago. It was my "gap summer" between high school and university. I did all of the jobs at the end of the conveyor belt, in particular shaving the filings off of aluminum transmission cases with files and punching various other engine parts out of their sets of 3 or 6 with large presses.

I made a good hourly wage, I think it was about $8.50, and paid for my first year of tertiary education with it. I'll never forget the smell of freshly cast aluminum, the heat of it in your gloved hands, and the vaguely mildewy odour of industrial water, which was sprayed everywhere. I recall a young guy in his early twenties working there full-time with whom I and the other university types doing summer stints at the plant used to joke around a lot. He'd gotten the job through his dad. He had this wistful look on his face at the end of August when we all went out for beers after our last shift. We were going off to school, and he wouldn't be going anywhere. He said they didn't heat the plant in the winter, so you had to dress for it. That was one of my first somewhat "Dickensian" moments of realization about the shittiness of life. He'd be in his forties by now, and I imagine he must have participated in the sit-in at the plant a few years ago to protest its imminent closure.

A familiar story in cities like Hamilton, thanks for the sharing.

[emge]

Originally Posted by matt602

Weirdly enough, the area doesn't seem so bad when you're there in person. Certainly looks depressing in photo though. I've played around in the area around the Studebaker plant a lot, it's actually a nice (and busy) area.

Great photos.

funny, I was thinking some of the shots make the area look a lot better than it is. I suppose it all depends on perspective, the particular part of the neighbourhood, the lighting that day, and how hard the neighbours partied that weekend

[flar]

Originally Posted by emge

funny, I was thinking some of the shots make the area look a lot better than it is. I suppose it all depends on perspective, the particular part of the neighbourhood, the lighting that day, and how hard the neighbours partied that weekend

Overall it's definitely a rough neighbourhood and I could have made it look worse. It is strange though, one house might be a drug dealer or a bunch of alcoholics with junk laying around the yard and the next might belong to a little old lady with a nice flower garden and white picket fence.

[denveraztec]

Another fantastic job displaying a Hamilton neighborhood! Great to see a variance with the others.

[Evergrey]

one of your more badass tours... I love seeing neighborhoods like this...

the house on the right is like the official house of the Rust Belt

[ue]

Looks Rusty but well kept.

[Wheelingman04]

I have not toured that city since 2001. I would have gone up there Nov. 9th but my passport will not get to me in time. The Buffalo trip for the concert was on short notice. Now I am going to visit Rochester city for the first time and do an extensive tour of Buffalo for the first time.

[LSyd]

great tour, again.

-

[Thundertubs]

I missed this one somehow: another great tour!

Originally Posted by Evergrey

one of your more badass tours... I love seeing neighborhoods like this...

the house on the right is like the official house of the Rust Belt

It really does cover all the bases, except for a football team banner.

[SuburbanNation]

nice tour!


http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k2...eith/00148.jpg

we have infill houses almost identical to these in my neighborhood. i'm guessing they don't have alleys, hence the front access garages built into the basements like the ones here. they were built over infilled clay and "dog hole" coal mines in st. louis case in the late 1950s.

[bulliver]

Great work. I counted more geese than people in those shots, clearly not a popular place for strolling

[boden]

Rust belt rules!

[HamiltonGirl]

I'm being 'that person' again and digging up an old thread. Thanks again for posting these pictures,quite the trip down memory lane. I lived in this area as a teenager,just off Wentworth Street North. I don't quite recall it being as run down as it is now,though that every time I'm down there,more and more is gone or just boarded up. A real shame,I knew alot of good people around there back then and it's sad to see it like that now. My parent's old house is still around,though it too looks pretty bad today. A rough end of town for sure,but I had many good times there.

[ChiTownCity]

^Thanks for bumping it

The Rust belt rocks!! (For some reason everytime I see areas like this I always imagine them being very lively with lots of people even though that usually not the case for most of these places..... must be an Englewood type of thing...)