Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m an artist that dabbles in many areas but my focus mainly is in tattoos. At the moment I operate a queer/femme focused shop located on Ottawa Street North.

Why did you move to Hamilton?

I’d been moving around looking for my forever city, searching for the right mix of art and queer communities. I’d been in Toronto for quite some time, moved to Montreal, but never really quite found what I was looking for. In 2015/2016 I’d heard about Hamilton, about it’s affordability, the natural beauty in the area, Art Crawl and the food scene amongst so many others. So I started making day trips here and it wasn’t long before I fell in love with the city. When I was finally set up with a tattoo position here, I made the move to Hamilton in 2017. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

What neighbourhood are you living in and why did you choose it?

My home is located in Crown Point West, just a 10 minute walk from my business. I chose it due to the proximately to my shop (I prefer not to use my car) and the quietness of the street I’m on.

What surprised you most about the city?

What surprised me most about Hamilton is how much natural green space there is in the area. Most people have an impression of the city when driving over the Skyway Bridge, but there’s so much more to Hamilton if you look just a little deeper. The waterfalls, the escarpment, the conservation areas, the rail paths, there’s so many trails. It feels like per capita, Hamilton has much more green space than the other cities I had lived in.

Any advice for people considering making the move?

Look into the mega projects that are in development all over the city and you’ll soon realize that moving here is a sure investment in your professional and personal future.

If  someone was visiting Hamilton for the first time, what would be the top three places you would recommend them checking out?

The things I would recommend to a new visiter to Hamilton would be: 1. The Royal Botanic Gardens, especially in the winter if you’re able to skate on Cootes Paradise 2. Ottawa St. North if you’re very into antique shopping 3. Super Crawl or any festivals for that matter 4. Bonus – Tews Falls at any time, but especially in the Autumn