Barton Street

flar · #1 Posted **Nov 25, 2007, 3:05 PM**

The original thread with comments: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=119700

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

the dude · #2 Posted **Nov 25, 2007, 4:39 PM**

every time i cruise down barton i always marvel at the potential. but then i could be delusional. hard to tell. it's certainly a great subject for a photo thread, though.

Berklon · #3 Posted **Nov 25, 2007, 5:41 PM**

A few nice buildings, but Barton Street is such a long stretch of scum and grit it's probably easier to just blow it all up.

flar · #4 Posted **Nov 25, 2007, 6:38 PM**

A lot of people would like to blow it up, but those buildings could easily be cleaned and renovated. Barton has some of Hamilton's best remaining intact streetwalls. It almost feels like you're indoors from Wellington to Wentworth and the area around Sherman. Locke St was once a biker hangout. James North was crappy just a few years ago. Who knows what the future holds for Barton?

HackD · #5 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 12:31 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by flar

I spent a good portion of this morning reading through many of your photo threads flar, then went out in the afternoon for a good long lower Hamilton motorcycle ride - I found a LOT of the locations of your your various images while i was out - including the subject of this photo at a 'nearby corner' to this location.

- She certainly hasn't got any easier on the eyes in 10 months.. she was even wearing the same boots.

omro · #6 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 1:28 AM**

I was wandering down Barton today, near William Street. I found an occult emporium, how cool!

I also got asked if I wanted to buy something, by some chap on a street corner. I didn't quite hear what he was asking me to buy, but that was a first for me and I live in London (the original one).

That event aside, I really enjoyed my wander. The road has great bones for improvement and some lovely little side streets off it.

MsMe · #7 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 1:42 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HackD

She certainly hasn't got any easier on the eyes in 10 months.. she was even wearing the same boots.

I wonder if her prices have increased due to the inflation.

A funny story I have to share. My nephews were 8 and 12 at the time. It was halloween time and the boys were deciding what costume they wanted to wear for halloween. The younger boy told me his brother wanted to dress up as a lady. I told him I would love to dress him up as a hooker. I then asked if he knew what a hooker was. He sat and thought for a couple of minutes then replied "isn't that when a lady dances around and takes her clothes off" His mother said no, that's a stripper. He replied and said "oh yea right" He then replied "I know, that's when a lady has sex for money". I was shocked when he said this, knowing things like this at only 8 years old, geez. Anyhow the 12 year old chickened out and didn't dress as a lady. But the younger one said "I want to be the lady then". Well he was getting ready for school and putting his costume on then out comes this statement, "you know I bet I'm going to be the best looking babe at school today....I hope no one hits on me". What a kid. I was almost on the floor laughing by then.

crhayes · #8 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 4:35 AM**

Looking at those photos brings a tear to the eye: Barton is just so ugly. They thought they could improve it by adding some nice flags and light posts... tsk tsk.

It does have potential though. I also hate Kennilworth, its nasty too. Half the buildings are boarded up.

omro · #9 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 12:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by crhayes

They thought they could improve it by adding some nice flags and light posts... tsk tsk..

From this angle, if you ignore the people (

) it doesn't look that bad.

The stretch that I walked around yesterday, from Victoria to Wentworth didn't seem that bad to me, some lovely little residential side streets.

SteelTown · #10 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 12:54 PM**

Think the island median used to be for streetcars along Barton.

Than during the early 90's Bob Rae government funded the Barton streetscape project.

raisethehammer · #11 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 1:17 PM**

yes, the residential side streets are wonderful. It's the main drag that needs more investment.
Keep in mind the city has virtually ignored this area for many years and the largest portion of the street runs through Bernie Morelli's ward 3. Enough said.

ryan_mcgreal · #12 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 2:56 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Berklon

A few nice buildings, but Barton Street is such a long stretch of scum and grit it's probably easier to just blow it all up.

We already have Jackson Square/Hamilton City Centre thanks to a generation of renewalists who decided that downtown was a long stretch of scum and it was probably easier just to blow it all up.

rousseau · #13 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 3:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryan_mcgreal

We already have Jackson Square/Hamilton City Centre thanks to a generation of renewalists who decided that downtown was a long stretch of scum and it was probably easier just to blow it all up.

Don't forget York Street, sorry, "Boulevard." The devastation there should be considered a crime against humanity. I weep when I look at old pictures of York. What the frack were they thinking?

ryan_mcgreal · #14 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 4:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rousseau

I weep when I look at old pictures of York. What the frack were they thinking?

Hear, hear. To this tale of devastation we can add clearcutting Gore Park in the 1980s; demolishing the old City Hall to replace it with a modernist structure (an architectural crime many wish to see repeated with today's City Hall, which through the passage of time has transformed into an architecturally significant heritage building); converting all downtown streets into one-way, multi-lane thoroughfares; decimating the HSR budget and retiring the electric trolleybuses in the 1990s (and devastating ridership in the process); demolishing the Birks Building (which Oscar Wilde called "the most beautiful building in all of North America") in 1973 to make room for a bland law office; emptying out the Lister Block and allowing the building to fall into ruination; and so on ad nauseam.

Live and don't learn, that's us.

omro · #15 Posted **Oct 20, 2008, 5:49 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Think the island median used to be for streetcars along Barton.

Than during the early 90's Bob Rae government funded the Barton streetscape project.

were they two or one way? As wide as buses or narrow?

omro · #16 Posted **Oct 26, 2008, 3:44 PM**

Is this building used anymore?

SteelTown · #17 Posted **Oct 26, 2008, 4:03 PM**

I believe that's the Wentworth House, Mohawk College.

omro · #18 Posted **Oct 26, 2008, 4:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelTown

I believe that's the Wentworth House, Mohawk College.

Really? It looks run down, shame

highwater · #19 Posted **Oct 26, 2008, 4:26 PM**

I thought it was no longer in use. I recall an article in the Spec a while back about what to do with the murals now that the building was no longer occupied. I could be wrong.

flar · #20 Posted **Oct 26, 2008, 6:18 PM**

That's West Avenue School and I'm not sure if anyone is currently using it. But I think it has a heritage designation.