Raise the Hammer

An event that is held mid-week during business hours is inevitably going to reach a limited audience. Namely the people with full-time jobs who don't work in downtown Hamilton and are therefore less likely to be aware of the core's amenities. (Some might argue that the Promenade is more a novel lunch/coffee break option for downtown workers than it is a draw for those outside the zone.)

Whaty sort of impression does it leave on out-of-towners? Here's one review of last year's iteration:

"The Gore Park Promenade, (not to be confused with Gage Park on Main Street E.) smack-dab in the middle of downtown is taking on new life. This is a downtown in transition.

When I visited on a sunny Friday afternoon it was alive with activity. An eclectic group of artists, artisans and entrepreneurs, had set up tents under lovely mature trees. They were selling every thing from jewelry to cupcakes. There was even live music.

The first thing you'll notice in the park is the magnificent Gore Park Fountain. It was built in the late 19th century and refurbished about a dozen years ago. Mike Andrushko, a veteran tarot card reader, and one of the vendors, had set up near the fountain.

'It's an attempt to bring more people to the downtown area of the city because for many years the park has been used by transients,' he said.

It seemed at least on a Friday afternoon to be working. There were lots of office workers and visitors enjoying the green space of the park. However, on the nearby sidewalks there was the usual crowd hanging out. Some were waiting to go into Tim Hortons (it's the only Tim Hortons that I've seen with a security guard outside), others were trying to sell you something and some were trying to save your soul.

Now, let's get back to the Gore Park Promenade. One of the summer students working on the re-vitalization of the park explained, 'The city has recently taken the buses out of this area and we simply wanted to take advantage of space that is available to us and bring more business to downtown.'

....A word of caution: parking is very limited."

http://m.torontosun.com/2011/08/08/hamiltons-downtown-in-transition