Hamilton Stroll: Take a walk along James Street North

A friend of mine (francophone) recently sold his Toronto condo to buy an apartment building (including many tenants and three shops), and he was left with money to renovate! He knows of many people who have moved to Hamilton as well. 

There's definitely a buzz about Hamilton, and when visiting the neighbourhood around James Street North, I understood why!

I first heard about James Street through promotions for James Street Supercrawl, Hamilton’s annual celebration of music, art, fashion and culture. (The last one took place on September 11-13, 2015.) The rest of the year, the James North Community organizes Art Crawls on the 2nd Friday night of every month.

I was seduced by James Street North! Cool shops, great cafés, lovely architecture and up-and-coming vibe abound between King William and Barton Streets.

    

  

  

All the signs of Portuguese presence took me by surprise, adding character to the street: Ventura's Signature Restaurant (178 James St. N.) featuring Fado nights and a cool model boat as a sign, the mural by another Portuguese restaurant the Wild Orchid (286 James St. N.), the Portuguese custard pies in unassuming Ola Bakery (230 James St. N.)...

  

   

I had a bite at Mulberry Coffeehouse (193 James St. N. at Mulberry) and noticed some art on the sidewalk by Victor Fraser, who often grace Toronto's streets with his artwork (see my post on his Alphabet Walk along Danforth in Toronto).

The café is huge, with eclectic decor, nooks and a long outdoor patio. They serve a good spread of home-baked goods and vegetarian light meals, as well as serious coffee, and they're licensed!

 

 

  

Among my favourite finds on the street: the beautiful clothes at Blackbird Studios (161 James N.)...

  

... and the thorough selection of Hamilton-related items at The Hamilton Store at 165 James N. (including walking guides) with a backyard featuring artwork, weather permitting.

 

More photos taken on James Street North and around.

  

   

 

  

And this shot taken at 75 Cannon Street East, set in the 50s!