can we join your social club because we are social?

I’ve grown up in Hamilton most of my life and due to my numbered days in the city that will always be in my heart, I decided to take on a mini project with non other than Iggy. I’ve wanted to do this for a long while but time and situation where never on my side…until now. Each week we will be exploring a new area of Hamilton. My goal is to emphasize just how intricate and amazing this hidden gem, sandwiched between the major Toronto and Niagara, really is. Hamilton’s qualities range from hopeless and sad to very beautiful, vibrant, and above all mesmerizing. I hope this will be a helpful guide to new visitors and put a stop to Hammer haters. We don’t fuck around in Hamilton. I’m going into all of this with naive eyes so if there is anything that I get really excited about that has been around forever…well…I’m not sorry and good for you for beating me to it.

King St. to Jackson Square

The only shitty thing about King St. on Sunday is most of the cool, abnormal stores are closed. But we did manage to find a couple interesting things along the way.

Wellington and Cannon - a typical house in this neighborhood.

A dead pigeon in an abandoned storefront window. Last time I walked by in the summer there was like five dead pigeons. Maybe this former vacuum store is the place where pigeons go to die?????

Amazing German restaurant. I have posted about this already so just check it out if you haven’t already.

One of the better vintage stores in Hamilton. There is always a great selection of hats, 80’s dresses and separates, and a decent amount of unique jewelry.

OUT OF THE PAST

185 King St. E

(905) 308-8282

mmmm….pink gay cowboys. This shirt had my name written all over it (and Sid Vicious) so I bought it.

And the winner is…..

The really nice but vacant section of Jackson Square. I can’t believe this mall used to house Mexx and Harry Rosen back in the day. What a difference. Jackson Square is most definitely worth checking out for it’s independent cultural boutiques like Red and to people watch (especially when checks are out and everyone is king for the day). There are never any shortages of police arrests, profanity echoing through the halls, or garish outfits.

This is real and open for business. It is located on the corner of James and York Blvd and if you are brave enough to get anything done please let me know how it goes.

I have been to this boutique a couple of times and I think it’s great for unique accessories and gifts. The problem is location and hours. I have tried to go back numerous times and it’s never open or consistent. The White Elephant is located on James St. between Cannon and York and is crammed between two large boarded up buildings making it difficult to pick out. For what ever reasons these problems exist (I’m sure they have their reasons) it really is too bad because the place is adorable, and the girls that work there are adorable and you should really go there if you’re into key finds. Just look for the small periwinkle blue brick with the white elephant sign, duh!

Another great restaurant.

Ventura’s

178 James St. North

http://www.venturasignature.com

Portuguese cuisine at it’s finest. You will find a lot of great Portuguese restaurants on James like Acclamation and Wild Orchid to name a few but Ventura’s remains my favourite because it feels like you’re on a ship and the food is really fuckin good. 

Price range: not cheap, but worth it.

Mulberry St. Coffee House - a refreshing addition to James St.

I have been eyeballing this coffee shop for a while so we decided to check it out to end off a long day. I don’t exactly know how long it has been there (not very long I assume) but the atmosphere is pretty awesome along with the freshly baked gluten free deserts and organic fair trade beverages.

When you first walk in it looks like a place off of College St. in Toronto. You expect it to be crawling with James St. art hipster’s but I was surprised to find a decent amount of young, normal adults ending off their Sunday in a peaceful manner. The staff is friendly and the interior has a rustic urban vibe with hints of Victorian decor making everything look really pretty under soft lights. The space is a good size, high ceilings, brick walls, couches, and an over-all warm inviting feeling.

There is plenty of space to do work (free WiFi and enough power outlets) and a separate room that doubles as a gallery just to hang out with friends or sit by the bar and look through the large windows out onto James St. if you’re flying solo.

In the words of Tomi Swick

I have been hearing a lot about Tomi Swick lately, and I would be lying if I said I knew who he was or listened to his music. While I was sitting down, finishing off the delicious Hello Dolly, I see this paper with his name all over it so I decide to find out what this guy is all about. After reading his opinions on hipsters and Hamilton I thought to myself “I like it” so I went home and checked out his music and was pleasantly surprised. I was even more surprised to find out that he had been around for quite a while and all of the things he had accomplished at such a young age during his musical career. Go Hamilton talent!

http://www.myspace.com/tomiswick

Gingerbread city

Cannon and Ferguson on the way back. Don’t walk alone at night.

The ultimate cougar outfit. Yes…the tights are leopard to.

$2 mask from a wicked costume store on Ottawa and Cannon that no longer exists. I picked this up as a back up in case my make-up didn’t work out for Halloween. For some reason all of my friends find it amusing but it is pretty creepy for what it’s worth.