Like two halves of a vibrant dichotomy, opposites attract in Hamilton.

Towering, green trees mingle with office towers while sixth-generation Canadians share a coffee and some laughs with newly arrived residents from far-off lands. The new gives nod to the old as art-deco buildings stand watch while GPS-guided busses stop just outside their doors. Tranquil, hillside retreats look down on a bustling city in transformation that continually seems to challenge the status quo. Defying expectations is what Hamilton does best.

Affectionately referred to as “The Hammer” by its residents and nicknamed “Steeltown” by outsiders for its legacy of steel and manufacturing industries, the city of Hamilton is a micro-metropolis offering the fixings of a bigger city with the setting and laid-back attitude befitting a more peaceful refuge.

Split right through its middle by the majestic Niagara Escarpment, the city benefits from two completely different personalities melded together — one, a relaxing community of hillside mansions and cosy houses far more comfortable and charming than one should be able to afford for the money; the other, a fast-paced metropolitan core comprising Canada’s ninth-largest city.

“We really have a unique geography with the escarpment that divides the city. Some days in winter it snows at the top of the escarpment while it rains down below,” said Neil Everson, Hamilton’s director of economic development and real estate.

In day-to-day matters, Hamilton is like a microcosm of much larger, louder cities.

“A lot of people refer to us as a ‘big, small city’,” Everson said.

A plentiful variety of restaurants offering world, exotic fare provides the same gastronomic opportunities as gourmand-friendly metropolises like Toronto and Montreal. The hopping bars and nightclubs of Hess Village heat up Lower Hamilton with plenty of possibilities for good-natured mayhem. The hockey-loving city may soon even get its own NHL franchise if legal wrangles get resolved to transplant the ailing Phoenix Coyotes team to the city.

According to Everson, two-thirds of new homes sold in Hamilton are being snatched up by Torontonians looking for more comfort and quiet than they could afford for the same price in Toronto. Offering ...[next page]