Hamilton Central

Hamilton Central
Victoria Street and Garden Place, Hamilton Central.
Basic information
Local authority	Hamilton, New Zealand
Electoral ward	Hamilton West
Date established	1877
Population	2697 (2006 Census)
Surrounds
North	Hamilton North
Northeast	Fairfield
East	Claudelands
Southeast	Hamilton East
South	Hamilton West
West	Frankton

Hamilton Central is the central business district of Hamilton, New Zealand. It is located on the western banks of the Waikato River.

Victoria Street, named after Queen Victoria, is the main street of Hamilton running adjacent to the Waikato River. It stretches from Victoria Bridge to beyond the Fairfield Bridge, but the commercial section ends before Whitiora Bridge. 33 of the city's 105 heritage sites are located on the street.Lonely Planet guide states that Hamilton's "main street has sprouted a sophisticated and vibrant stretch of bars and eateries that on the weekend at least leave Auckland's Viaduct Harbour for dead in the boozy fun stakes."

Further along Victoria Street is the pedestrian mall Garden Place. It was carved, after much debate, out of a hill in the late 1930s. The cutting was made through the ridge to allow the formation of Angelsea Street. Later the ridge on the river side of Angelsea Street was bulldozed away, thereby flattening the area for the development of Garden Place and the central CBD around the Hamilton City Council buildings.

The area was initially used as a car park, which was very popular with retailers and shoppers. In 1967, the car park was closed and Garden Place was laid out with grass and trees. A ring road encircled the beautified area, but it was removed in August 1974. The name Garden Place actually refers to the former road, not the grass park area.

Has a shared drive through, created in 2012, as part of a redesign of the Place.

Hood Street is the main centre of Hamilton's hospitality area, as well as south Victoria Street and Alexandra Street. Many of the city's restaurants and bars are located in the Hood Street vicinity. The street is named after English humourist Thomas Hood.

Located between Barton St and Angelsea St, Casabella Lane is a Spanish themed lane with 21 boutique shops and 9 apartments, built about 2000.

The Waikato Institute of Technology, marketed as Wintec, is one of New Zealand's largest Institutes of Technology/Polytechnics. Its City Centre campus is located between Anglesea Street and Tristram Street near Civic Square and the Hamilton City Council municipal building.