[Srib]

It is a close walk, but certainly not as close as the towers, its essentially down the street about 3 blocks further out from the towers - its about 4/5 blocks to the travelers. The towers are pretty much diagonal to the travelers across main street. Its all certainly walkable though. Not sure about proximity to health clubs though.

[ctman1987]

Downtown Hartford is a great place to live. Despite the negative conotations about Hartford the city's downtown is pretty safe and is definitly on the upswing thanks to help from the state and private developers.

First of all on the condo note, Bushnell Towers is a great complex. It is also located next to Bushnell on the Park which is that that half circle building which guararntees even more people actually living and not just working near you. Across from the Bushnell is the Wadsworth Atheneum and next door to that is the Travelers Tower. From your condo hear you are in very easy walking distance to Bushnell Park, Hartford Civic Center, Hartford Stage, TheaterWorks, Bushnell Center for Performing Arts, Old State House, Capital Community College and dozens of downtown restaurants, bars, cofee shops and clubs.

Over on Pearl Street are the Metropolitan Condos which recently opned thanks to College Street LLC and are housed in the former Hartford Telephone Company Building. There are about 50 condos located in this 5 story building (I think its 5). They are very nice condos and located right across the street from Theaterworks and near the park and the civic center however I am not sure if there are 3 bedroom units - but if there are check out the Metropolitan

The brownstones over in what some are calling SoDo (South Downtown) are amazing as well. The ones are Capital Ave are very nice, right near Main Street. They are a little bit farther from the "heart of downtown" then the Bushnell or the Metropolitan but brownstone living is also much differant then living in a high rise. Living in a brownstone you will still have restaurants to walk to and the main branch of the Hartford Public Library is around the corner.

Finally downtown is on the upswing as numerous posters have mentioned. In the last 8 years the Connecticut Convention Center, Marriott Hartford Hotel Downtown, Residence Inn by Marriott Hartford Downtown, Capital Community College, the Metropolitan Condos, Hartford 21 and the Holiday Inn Express Hartford Downtown have all opened up downtown. In addition the former Sage Allen building is being converted into townhouses, the former Korvettes Department store on Main Street is being made into condos and the CT Science Center will be opening in 2008. This is all not mentioning the dozens of new restaurants that have opened or are under construction downtown.

[Srib]

I would generally agree with the above post, but lets not paint an overly optimistic picture here. Downtown is on the upswing, but there is still a lot to be done to make the city "the place to be". There is essentially no shopping downtown which presents a challenge and crimes rates are still high for a city of Hartfords size. While most of it is nuisance crime it is still crime. To answer the OP's question about capital ave area. I truly think you will be fine living there or I wouldn't tell you that. However, the extra security at Bushnell towers is something to consider. Capital Ave is just a few blocks over from Park Street which is certainly much nicer now, but has been known for its crime in very recent years. Also, there is a methadone clinic at the corner af main and buckingham which is just one block over from Capital Ave. While I'm sure the clinic is there for a good purpose, it draws its own type of element. I'm not sure of availability, but perhaps a call to city hall and they might be able to give you some actual numbers/statistics for the area if you are concerned? Just a thought. Thanks

[JViello]

Srib, just to be fair those "crime stats" are usually isolated to certain neighborhoods and not reflective of the city core. Other than that, I do agree that Hartford is on the rise, but still has some room for improvement.

[Srib]

Thats what I meant by crime stats for the "area", meaning Main/Capital area - not the area as in downtown or the city as a whole. Not sure if the city would provide them for a specific neighborhood. Thanks for clarifying.

[mj55]

Thanks for the your help. What is the big concrete plaza used for in front of the Bushnell Tower? It seems kind of desolate and barren in pictures, but I assume they must do small concerts or outdoor dining there and the pictures I have are from an off day.

Is the methadone clinic dangerous? The real estate agent says there are some influential city types who live on Capitol Avenue so it tends to be safe. He also recommended the Linden, but there are no three bedrooms available.

We are coming to Hartford this weekend to look around.

[Srib]

I beleive that the top of the concrete plaza you reference is actually part of the underground parking, but I could be wrong. I don't think it is used for anything, here is more info....

Nothing Happening Here - HartfordInfo.org

Bushnell Plaza's Problems Will Take Big Money To Fix - HartfordInfo.org

I wouldn't think its dangerous since most people going there are seeking assistance of some type for their problems, but think you should be aware of what would be in your immediate area. Also, not sure about who lives on that stretch of capital, but given the price points for the brownstones I would think it would be some higher up city workers or perhaps some higher ups in some of the insurance, financial businesses within the city. The linden is also a nice building with security, historical with your typical exposed brick walls and high windows/high ceilings. I've only ever been into a 1 bedroom there and it was quite roomy with a large living room, bedroom and an elevated dining room, 1.5 baths, fireplace. Kitchen was a small gallery type, but I've heard all the units in the Linden are unique with different footprints. Are you looking anywhere else other than downtown?

[misueno]

You may want to consider the possibility of renting downtown for a few months while you get to know the area. The Hartford21 offers a nine month lease and The Lofts at Main and Temple offer even shorter. I do not believe they have three bedroom apartments, but it is an option to consider.

I am in the process of doing just that. I did, however, look at some condos in the Linden and on Capital last time I was in town. My husband and I walked to them, met some lovely people (the Capital Street area strives for a nice neighborhood feel and people seemed to know each other), and felt the area was every bit walkable to downtown restaurants. One rumor we were told (and somewhat substantiated by a realtor) was that due to recent external improvements at the Linden, residents are facing a subtantial increase in assessments.

Good luck.

[mj55]

We are looking at downtown because we were told there are only two places in the area with a walkable downtown, and that is West Hartford and Hartford. We were told West Hartford has more shopping, but Hartford has the culture, museums, theater, concerts. Our agent said taxes in West Hartford are extremely high. She said Glastonbery is nice, but you really have to drive everywhere and other towns like Rocky Hill are cheaper, but all strip malls.

[Srib]

Okay - that makes sense. Fyi though that taxes in hartford are actually pretty high too, you'll also pay more for car insurance if you plan to have one. You will have more options for culture living in hartford though so that fits your need. Glastonbury is nice, but not much different than any other upscale suburb a realtor can recommend and you would do more driving than if you lived in Hartford. Good luck!