Hat City Kitchen

Hat City Kitchen takes its name from this area's illustrious past when it was considered the hat making capital of the world.

One hundred years ago, the Valley was home to 34 hat making firms, employing thousands of hatters, producing millions of hats. By the 1920s only five companies were left in the Valley as the others departed to the growing hating centers of Danbury, Connecticut and Philadelphia.

The most popular hats made in the Valley were called No-Name hats, manufactured by the two Stetson brothers. Later, one brother moved to Philadelphia and began making hats under the now famous family name.

The immediate past was not so kind to the Valley neighborhood, as industries departed and left behind decaying old factory buildings.

HANDS Inc .a local nonprofit, has led the planning and revitalization work in the Valley. Once a Vision was established to create an Arts District, HANDS set out to redevelop enough real estate to create 100 Arts Spaces -studios, live/work lofts, galleries, performance spaces, design workshops and program spaces- that will remain affordable for the long term, protecting the arts tenants against economic displacement as property values rise.

The building that houses Hat City Kitchen is owned by HANDS and is one of those 100 Arts Spaces. Hat City Kitchen hopes to be a model for what all of the Valley Arts District can be -a place where people from all different backgrounds can meet, eat, drink, celebrate, discuss, create, make and listen to music.

All profits from Hat City Kitchen go back into the community to further realize the Valley Arts District vision that has been 20 years in the making. Thank you for being a part of it!

For more about the Valley Arts District go to www.valleyartsdistrict.org