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The 10 greatest after dark views in Hamilton

Melissa McQueen
28 Mar 2016

Any city has a completely different feel during different times of the day and while I am partial to early mornings, there is a bit of magic after dark. There are spots that glow and are highlighted at night that you might pass right by during the day. In a completely non-creepy way, my favourite time to walk my dog is early evening when I can see my neighbours’ living rooms light up and get a sneak peek into their décor and paint colour choices. This point in the year, as winter slowly fades away and takes with it our early sunsets, is the best time to catch the gems after dark.

Click on the first picture to begin!

CANNON COFFEE STEAM – I’ve asked the owners why their baking and cooking steams up the windows SO much and it’s still a mystery. Especially on a freezing evening, to pass by Cannon Coffee and see the sauna-style front window, always makes me wish I were inside enjoying their waffle sandwiches and amazing scones.

DOWN FROM HEAVEN – One of my favourite things about driving into Hamilton via the Princess Point/403 access is the tower beacon of Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King beckoning like a lighthouse. The top of the tower always glow this amber colour and makes me feel home. Plus, it makes me think of the interior which is breathtaking.

GORE PARK LIGHTS – With the new Gore Park makeover, it’s slowly becoming more and more a place to be. The light up memorial panels, paired with the twinkle lights and fountain accents lights, makes the park shine. I really love how the twinkle lights seem to be a year-round thing, not just for the holidays….or maybe they haven’t gotten around to taking them down yet. Either way, enjoy.

KITCHEN COLLECTIVE – The thought of people working late into the evening to prepare Donut Monster and other goodies for the city always makes me happy. To drive by the Kitchen Collective and see people cooking and creating almost makes my mouth water. It’s a great thing to have in my neighbourhood.

LUMINOUS NEIGHBOURS – Every neighbourhood has examples of beauty that homeowners display and a favourite in my mind is this exquisite paper lantern hanging in the front window. It always stops me in my tracks to admire it. I love when people take curb appeal seriously. Homes with professionally placed uplight accents also show people are proud of and want to show off their home.

MOHAWK LIBRARY RAINBOW GLOW – I have featured this rainbow before and it’s still one of my favourite little lovely things, especially at night when the whole street glows colourfully. I’m not sure how it would be to study behind these bright panels, but maybe you choose your seat based on your mood — rose-coloured optimism about finals or red hot rage about communal showers.

PIPELINE LANTERNS – Unfortunately, the community created De-Light Festival (an annual week-long outdoor display of LEDs created as a participatory art event) is now over, but be sure to make it to Crown Point next year. The Chinese lantern gable walkway was truly magical and lit up the Pipeline Trail in a way I’ve never seen. Love to look for the small bits of magic in Hamilton.

TIM HORTONS FAIL-D – This is less of a “great thing” and more of a confusing waste of energy. The lights at and around Tim Hortons field are blazing all day and night and it confounds me. Is it a security issue? Is it that they want to have a presence in the off-season? Either way, it seems this could be remedied. Plus the lights are so bright, they light up my porch, several streets away.

WENTWORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GLOW – The building at Wentworth and King has been vacant for quite some time. I’ve always thought it’s a great corner but perhaps the neighbourhood around it hasn’t built up enough yet. Either way, the realtors always have the lights illuminating the entire open space and while it always brings my attention to it, it always makes me (falsely) excited that someone has bought it and is inside renovating.

MELISSA MCQUEEN Born and raised in Hamilton, Melissa loves the view of Hamilton from the top of the Highway 6 hill, eating Chambord-topped ice cream, dodgeball and getting magazines from the library. She’s given up on Serial Season 2 due because it’s terribly boring, is excited for the seasonal Dairy Queens to open this month and wishes she could keep houseplants alive.

WATERFALL PHOTO COURTESY OF CITY OF WATERFALLS; ALL OTHER PHOTOS BY MELISSA MCQUEEN

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The 10 greatest after dark views in Hamilton

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