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Hartford proper is easily the worst overall city of the four. While it may look impressive driving through it with several large corporate towers in its downtown, nearly all the workers in them depart the city at 5pm for their homes in the suburbs. The city is on the verge of bankruptcy and is predominately inhabited by lower income people. Most of the residents in its wealthy suburbs limit their non work treks to the city. Most rather prefer the downtown of suburban West Hartford than Hartford.
Hartford and Providence really have little interaction with another despite the relatively short distance between them. There is no direct highway linking them and they pretty much operate in different orbits. I suspect the links between Rochester and Buffalo are much stronger. Providence has far more associations with Boston and Worcester than Hartford. Hartford is much more linked with Springfield and other CT cities such as New Haven.
I always guessed Hartford and Providence weren't connected much to each other, since the I-84 project that was cancelled and never totally built(thanks FreewayJim for the history lesson on that btw, when I watched his video on Youtube of traveling on I-384) to its intended entire length. And of course are much further away, than Hartford and Springfield, MA are to each other. Makes sense too on the latter, since Bradley Airport is exactly inbetween both cities. I was REALLY surprised to learn West Hartford is a more happening downtown vs. Hartford, since Hartford's downtown looked nice from driving through it on I-91 traveling from Bradley Airport to see a friend in New Haven. That's too bad Hartford hasn't been able to revive their downtown, better.
And I could totally see how the Rochester and Buffalo metro areas have a link to each other, since both areas seem like an easy driving distance to each other on a map. And of course, also are a short train trip away from each other on Amtrak. And since I don't have a dog in this fight or any sort of knowledge about how these 2 combined areas compare to each other, I chose not to vote. Weird the OP linked Hartford and Providence together, since both areas seem separate from each other by a little bit of distance! It would've been more appropriate, to link Hartford and Springfield together for that poll.
The reason I didn't do Hartford/Springfield is because Springfield is much smaller than Rochester, and Springfield's Relationship with Hartford is more like Niagara Falls, ON/Buffalo.
Springfield has a bigger population than Hartford so the buffalo-niagara falls comparison isn't quite right (but wouldn't it be Niagara Falls NY and not Ont?) But Hartford has a bigger metro than Springfield and much more employment downtown. Hartford and Springfield are both Connecticut river cities. Both have a dense downtown along the river with a highway between city and river. Neither one has an elegant old-money neighborhood right next to the downtown the way Providence has, although in Springfield you can see the remnants of what was an elegant neighborhood going up the hill on Maple St. Both cities were big on armaments-- Hartford is famous for the Colt Armory and the blue onion dome is still there next to I-91 south of downtown. Springfield had the federal Armory and gun manufacturers. Springfield was briefly part of the Connecticut Colony before joining up with Massachusetts Bay. Of course, Prov and Htfd are state capitals so that's a point of comparison -- Hartford's capitol is a Victorian gothic gem while Providence's is grand but in the end similar to so many other state houses.
None of these towns have any monuments to the industrial past on the scale of the Buffalo Central Terminal or have lost as much economic power as Buffalo since 1940-50.
Springfield has a bigger population than Hartford so the buffalo-niagara falls comparison isn't quite right (but wouldn't it be Niagara Falls NY and not Ont?) But Hartford has a bigger metro than Springfield and much more employment downtown. Hartford and Springfield are both Connecticut river cities. Both have a dense downtown along the river with a highway between city and river. Neither one has an elegant old-money neighborhood right next to the downtown the way Providence has, although in Springfield you can see the remnants of what was an elegant neighborhood going up the hill on Maple St. Both cities were big on armaments-- Hartford is famous for the Colt Armory and the blue onion dome is still there next to I-91 south of downtown. Springfield had the federal Armory and gun manufacturers. Springfield was briefly part of the Connecticut Colony before joining up with Massachusetts Bay. Of course, Prov and Htfd are state capitals so that's a point of comparison -- Hartford's capitol is a Victorian gothic gem while Providence's is grand but in the end similar to so many other state houses.
None of these towns have any monuments to the industrial past on the scale of the Buffalo Central Terminal or have lost as much economic power as Buffalo since 1940-50.
Springfield also has Smith & Wesson as far as guns go.
I was REALLY surprised to learn West Hartford is a more happening downtown vs. Hartford, since Hartford's downtown looked nice from driving through it on I-91 traveling from Bradley Airport to see a friend in New Haven. That's too bad Hartford hasn't been able to revive their downtown, better.
It does look nice with some big buildings and a good skyline. Hartford has plenty of office buildings and corporate tenants but it has lost all its destination shopping so there's no place downtown where people go to enjoy the scene and window-shop. It also has way too many parking lots, which deaden the atmosphere. There are some restaurants but the atmosphere is pretty quiet at night and the beggars will annoy anyone out and about on the sidewalk. West Hartford center has the shops and the restaurants but it's an upscale, whitebread suburban scene, not representative of the cultural diversity in the Hartford area.
I think Buffalo is more of a small major city, and the others are large mid-sized cities.
Buffalo has the layout of a grand city, with City hall being a grandiose monument, a legit theatre district, metro-rail, and pro-sports.
However, Providence is probably the most "fun" of the cities. Hartford, the blandest.
That is probably for a few reasons. Buffalo ONCE was a major city long ago. That is likley why it feels "grander" than its current stature would seem to merit. The city also likely draws more people in from further distances than most cities (especially Hartford and Providence) given it is more remote. Providence for example is at most 50 miles from the heart of the 10th largest msa (Boston) in the US.
That is probably for a few reasons. Buffalo ONCE was a major city long ago. That is likley why it feels "grander" than its current stature would seem to merit. The city also likely draws more people in from further distances than most cities (especially Hartford and Providence) given it is more remote. Providence for example is at most 50 miles from the heart of the 10th largest msa (Boston) in the US.
I don’t know that it is more remote due to its proximity to Canada’s highest population concentration(the Golden Horseshoe has about 7-9 million people). It also has a Canadian area of about 500,000 people right across the Niagara River in terms of the Niagara Region portion of the previously mentioned larger area. So, it has an “influence” over more people than its metro population.
Rochester is only an hour or so away and Syracuse is a little over 2 hours away.
That is probably for a few reasons. Buffalo ONCE was a major city long ago. That is likley why it feels "grander" than its current stature would seem to merit. The city also likely draws more people in from further distances than most cities (especially Hartford and Providence) given it is more remote. Providence for example is at most 50 miles from the heart of the 10th largest msa (Boston) in the US.
Living in Rochester, its odd the Rochester/Buffalo dynamic is almost closer to Prov/Boston than Hartford/Providence.
Between big acts going to the Key Bank Center vs Blue Cross and Pro-sports Rochesterians go to Buffalo more than vice-versa. Also culturally Rochester gets influenced by Buffalo, Wings and Beef on Weck are popular in Rochester, while Garbage Plates are not popular in Buffalo. Rochester tends to fall on the West side of the Pop/Soda line, like Buffalo. Also to Rochesterains they are part of WNY while Buffalonians consider WNY Batavia west to PA.
Pretty interesting for cities that reached economic parity about a generation ago.
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