Thinking of Hockney

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:My living room

Talking about Houston

Spoke with Arlene Bynon on AM640 today about my trip to Houston, working on a piece for the Toronto Star Travel section. The rodeo and livestock show is coming up in March there-would love to go back for that.

At the Port of Montreal. It would be great to see something like this in Hamilton.

Needed: Watchdog for West Harbour

Boarded up and left behind. Houses in the Barton-Tiffany neighbourhood in Hamilton were bought by the city to make way for the Pan Am stadium in the West Harbour. Now with the stadium located at a rebuilt Ivor Wynne, what's to become of the neighbourhood that was? I'm blogging about in on Open File Hamilton tomorrow.

Working on North End Hamilton stories. Storm clouds ahead?

What is going to happen in the Barton Tiffany neighborhood where the city expropriated people, boarded up houses and now like a fickle lover is turning attention to new passion-Ivor Wynne. Those left behind in the West Harbour neighborhood now look out to a bitter view. Excellent piece at Open File Hamilton, I will be blogging about it tomorrow.

Hot on Houston

I am working on a story for the Toronto Star on Houston. I was there for three days and some some splendid art, gardens, some weird food an offbeat museums.

Letter from London: Being Boring

Letter from London: Being Boring

This is interesting piece about the state of sculpture in England. I take from it:go for it!

On the road

Trying out brushes on iPad





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Hamilton Ontario

A market in Oaxaca Mexico.

Fabric, food, books, shoes, hats in a wonderful, colourful jumble. Exploring markets in Mexico snaps the senses alive.

LRT in Houston-taking a chance with design.

A section of the light rail system in downtown Houston. A reflecting pond, places to sit, flowers. Would we do this in Hamilton?

Sorry folks I think the new Hamilton Farmers Market is underwhelming.

Hamilton Farmers' Market

Hamilton Farmers' Market

Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia

 

The first two photos are of the new Hamilton Farmers' Market, the third photo is of the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. To me the so called new Hamilton Farmers' Market with brighter (and uninteresting lighting) looks a lot like the OLD market. No colour, no warmth, generic signage, a terrible view from the top floor looking down, and no escalators. Where are all the cool places to eat? Why are all the flower vendors split up so that now they have no impact? It has all the charm of the Customs and Immigration arrival at an airport. Look at the Philly market, note the stalls that have an individual stamp, neon lights, and a variety of lighting rather than just banks of prison issue fluorescent lights as we get in Hamilton. I was really looking forward to the new market, but after all the delays is this as good as it gets? Is this a hint of what we have to look forward to in the rebuilding of Ivor Wynne? Let's hope the Market gets gussied up as the vendors settle in, and dare to individualize their spaces.

 

 

 

Light rail in Houston Texas. It looks good but has not worked miracles.

I was in Houston on the weekend and took a spin on the light rail system. People on board thought it was good but too limited. There is only one link, running from a museum district to the downtown. There have been plans for years to add more routes, but it has never happened. The train was modern and clean, and the stops designed well,  and free of litter and graffiti. This shot was taken on a Saturday and as you can see the downtown was sparsely populated. Monday to Friday the scene would be different. Several people I talked to were riding the light rail for the first time, though they had lived in the city for years. They were only riding it because the Houston Marathon was making it difficult to drive in the downtown core. And driving is where it's at in Houston, which is a sprawling city where the car is king. As glam as LRT might be, the people I talked to thought a comprehensive bus system would serve the city better.

How do you live in a city that drives you nuts?

Is Hamilton any worse than any other annoying mid-size city? Probably not. I think what grinds away at us is that it has such potential. There is the physical beauty, the proximity to fine places-Toronto-Niagara-Buffalo, the affordability, and the character of the place. It's irritating and frustrating, but Hamilton is not bland. A positive trend is the blossoming of new media coverage. Raise the Hammer, and CATCH have been slogging through the muck in the city, now OpenFile Hamilton adds additional coverage of the good and the bad in the Hammer. Online content will have to fill the gap as the Hamilton Spectator continues to slim down. I went to a buy-out party for the latest group to leave. To say goodbye to Paul Wilson, Barb Brown, Gary McKay and John Kernaghan makes for a very sad Saturday night. But as my late neighbor Gil Simmons would say, press on. Hamilton it's nutty and nice but not to be ignored.