[JViello]

Originally Posted by mj55

I never said it was a "crap hole." In fact I said Glastonbury and West Hartford were nice, but the whole area seems to be missing a place that is "city like." I merely said we were disappointed there isn't more going on.

Look, I'm not trying to be difficult. Really. I freely admit our shortcomings here. You didn't use the words "crap hole" BUT IMO did so with other words. I missed where you said the burbs were nice.

This is what you said

The real estate agent took us to a few suburbs, and again we weren't impressed. Glastonbury had some nice homes, but it is not very walkable and the town seemed desolate. West Hartford was somewhat nice, but it was basically shops and restaurants and far from downtown....We expected more. The whole place seems poorly managed....Hartford has so much potential, but has very little.

In the end, I think my husband and I will probably rent and hope our stay in Connecticut isn't very long. Connecticut is not what we thought it was.

That's pretty harsh and not reflective of this area as a whole. Again, I hope you move here and take the time to become part of the landscape as it will open your eyes a bit more.

Where are you from anyway? I assumed NYC, but perhaps I'm wrong.

[skytrekker]

JV

I have been to Providence much over the years- not to be dismissive of the OP- but their expectations may have been predicated on concepts that do not exist in Connecticut due to the small size of the state, the towns and their rather 'our empire' mentality, lack of regional cohesiveness, and such closeness to mega cities like NY and Boston.

Providence is currently a more attractive city for 'urban Pioneers'- I know a couple from the San Francisco bay area who are moving to the east side. I have gone to the city of Providence for years for socializing and fun. It has more to offer- Hartford tends to be more 'conservative', while Providence has a history being rebellious from its founding by Roger Williams in 1635. Providence can be 'wild' in more ways then one.

Hartford however has more in the way of cultural venues- and lacks Providence's wacky bar scene and celebrated gay life (which is the best in New England). I feel Hartford has to loose a bit of its stuffiness, and puritan upbringing (Like Boston's) and walk on the wild side.

Hartford in 10 years will be wonderful- but it will never approach the zany sins of Providence.

[glxyman21]

Originally Posted by JViello

Correct, you were in the one area of PVD that was refurbished and that development is a mall so of course they had stores open.

Once front street (Part of the Adriaen's Landing project) is finished in Hartford (You did see the science center, new convention center and all the torn up roads around it right?) you will have the same or more.

Same for the retail sector of Hartford 21 which is to have a supermarket and other shops.

We don't have gondola rides, but we do have river cruises. Did you walk over to the new Riverfront plaza with the bandshell and riverwalk etc

I do agree that many things need to be open longer in Hartford. The feel of the city is totally different during the work day. That will come as the people come and the projects currently under development are finished...some already are but many are not.

BUT to be fair as an example, Charlotte NC is far worse. It's ghost town after 5pm and there is no history, decent non chain restaurants, theater companies, movie theaters, neighborhoods etc

Same for JAX, Orlando, Richmond etc and many other cities their size.

Saying Glastonbury and West Hartford were "so so" "desolate" and that you "wern't impressed" like it's some substandard place to live is just absurd. I don't think PVD has a burb like W Hartford really. What East Providence? Pawtucket? Cranston? North Providence? Not even close.

I'm not saying Hartford Metro doesn't have issues, but so do other areas and it's not a crap hole like your making it out to be.

Sorry, but I'm not going to take that kind of label because it's not true. I hope once you live here, you find out the reality of this area.

The poster never stated "crap hole" or "so so desolate" in the post. Glastonbury is only a suburb which requires a car to get to places. The poster is looking for a vibrant community, and anyone would be hard pressed to describe Glastonbury as "vibrant" as it is pretty quiet. Not many people walk the downtown and it lacks a true town center. Most of these suburbs are quiet after the week day rush hour and Saturday shopping, most people go home. The further you go away from the shopping areas the more quiet it gets. And this is was the poster saw.

Hartford does have some issues to sort out, mainly their perception and crime rate. It is true that currently there is no shopping in Hartford and store fronts are empty. Hartford sees a mass fleeing of people during the week at 5pm to the suburbs.The mall in Providence has sparked more shopping in other store fronts, but I would still prefer New Haven to it. The front street project has been having issues getting done with the contractors and funding, etc. The fact that Hartford bags parking meters during the weekend so people can't park is another problem (but I assume this was part of Mayor Perez giving control of pay parkinglots to friends, as I never remembered this happening years ago). There were times where I just wanted something quick to eat and didn't want to pay $8 to park in the lot because I couldnt park on the street since the meters were not to be used.

Since you say that "you're" not going to be "labeled" shows how personal you take things. The poster isn't labeling anyone, and I believe an outsider is going to be less biased than anyone. Their post didn't seem biased at all, but only an observation of what they saw. Hartford, Hartford County, and Connecticut are not a utopia. It is unfair to attack posters who made an observation which you disagree with.

Sorry MJ

[skytrekker]

glxyman

If we are biased- then why did the OP NOT compare Hartford's suburbs with Providence's? I never saw a comparison, right?
I enjoy downtown Providence much more then Hartford- but beyond the downtown, greater Hartford is far more prosperous and has some very attractive places to live.

I feel if we want to be objective lets also compare both the cities downtowns and their suburbs- the OP had a very negative impression of Hartford's upscale suburbs, but strangely never mentions those around Providence-lets be fair. The OP is biased, without presenting a total critique of both metro areas- they failed to do this.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by glxyman21

Since you say that "you're" not going to be "labeled" shows how personal you take things. The poster isn't labeling anyone, and I believe an outsider is going to be less biased than anyone. Their post didn't seem biased at all, but only an observation of what they saw. Hartford, Hartford County, and Connecticut are not a utopia. It is unfair to attack posters who made an observation which you disagree with.

Sorry MJ

I think you need to read what I wrote and not skim over things and then reply before you come at me swinging.

I never said "I'm not going to be labled." Really, I didn't. Reread what I said. I said I'm not going to accept that kind of labeling. Big difference.

I've also freely admitted we have our issues. Why don't you slow down, re-read my posts and the original post and then reply again. I'm being nothing but sincere and unbiased here. Seriously.

P.S. There is no attacking going on, just presentation of the facts so stop trying to label ME please.

[glxyman21]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

glxyman

If we are biased- then why did the OP NOT compare Hartford's suburbs with Providence's?
I feel if we want to be objective lets also compare both the cities downtowns and their suburbs- the OP had a very negative impression of Hartford's upscale suburbs, but strangely never mentions those around Providence-lets be fair. That is biased.

Because the OP wasn't shopping for housing in the suburbs of Providence and never looked. They never said CT suburbs weren't nice, but that they didn't have a vibrant atmostphere. Glastonbury, Avon, Farmington are very spread out and only consist of housing and a car to get you where you want to go. Many people flock to these suburbs for the schools which means they have families and kids, so they spend time raising the family.

[misueno]

Dear Mj55,
I join the ranks of those who are sorry to hear that you did not see in Hartford what others seem to see, but I come at it from a very different perspective so I'm going to add my two cents worth (possibly worth even less).

I'm heading to Hartford (in fact I arrive Wednesday) to rent for several months while I make sure I've made the right decision and determine which of the many lovely areas the greater Hartford community suits us best.

My work has allowed me to spend time in virtually every major city in the US, most of the smaller cities, and countless large towns. I see what is working and what isn't as struggling cities try to improve. I will venture to say that even 5 years ago Providence was not the delightful downtown it is now (and if you drive around a bit you will find those areas that have not been touched by new development). I was last in Hartford two years ago before this forum raised my curiosity enough to check it out again. To me the difference even in that short time span is palpable. There is an enormous amount of development happening downtown and a general enthusiasm to go along with it. More housing is available downtown, new restaurants followed, and shopping will be next. That's the way it happens everywhere (even or especially New York). Developers don't spend that kind of money without a strong belief in potential.

That being said, I think we all agree that downtown Hartford has not yet reached its potential. It won't be this year, probably won't be next. More likely several. But the whole of Hartford is greater than the sum of its parts. You can be at Whole Foods in West Hartford in 5 mins. (right now I can't even drive out of my giant southern gated community in 5 mins). You can get to Stew Leonard's (a real experience if you haven't been there) in 15 (it takes me 15 minutes to get to the grocery store now). Neighboring towns are all so close and accessible that it is hard to say that Hartford is missing anything if you consider the greater region part of your town.

Add to that the easy driving distance to my two favorite major cities, to the mountains, to the water... Availabilty of arts downtown, blah, blah, it's all been said in the previous posts, but it strikes me that this is one of the last truly affordable areas with this much to offer and I sense the same kind of opportunity that the developers are seeing.

And I know that if we were all loooking for the same thing it would be a pretty crowded place we all live in. I for one am thrilled to currently be leaving an area most people think is perfect. I think renting is probably your best course (speaking as someone who always rents in an area before commiting to ownership), but as long as you are stuck with Hartford, give it a real chance.... you might just see what I see.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by glxyman21

Because the OP wasn't shopping for housing in the suburbs of Providence and never looked. They never said CT suburbs weren't nice, but that they didn't have a vibrant atmostphere. Glastonbury, Avon, Farmington are very spread out and only consist of housing and a car to get you where you want to go. Many people flock to these suburbs for the schools which means they have families and kids, so they spend time raising the family.

"The real estate agent took us to a few suburbs, and again we weren't impressed. We expected more....The whole place seems poorly managed....Hartford has so much potential, but has very little.

...[we] hope our stay in Connecticut isn't very long. Connecticut is not what we thought it was. "

How is that to be taken then?

[mj55]

I'm sorry if I offended anyone. West Hartford and Glastonbury are perfectly nice towns, but we are looking to live in the city. The real estate agent took us there on the premise they might appeal to us. We currently live in Evanston, IL a suburb of Chicago. We compared Hartford to Providence because except for Boston, that is our only NE city experience. It just seems the Hartford experience is based on driving 10 minutes here for this 10 minutes for that, and this town has that but that town has this. We are looking for a place to live that is walkable and has it all. Providence seems to do that. Chicago does that. I should never have brought up those suburbs, and I apologize for offending anyone. Let's talk about Hartford. Frankly, I'm a little surprised people on this board don't expect more from their core city. This is a capital with beautiful architecture and tremendous potential.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by mj55

I'm sorry if I offended anyone. West Hartford and Glastonbury are perfectly nice towns, but we are looking to live in the city. The real estate agent took us there on the premise they might appeal to us. We currently live in Evanston, IL a suburb of Chicago. We compared Hartford to Providence because except for Boston, that is our only NE city experience. It just seems the Hartford experience is based on driving 10 minutes here for this 10 minutes for that, and this town has that but that town has this. We are looking for a place to live that is walkable and has it all. Providence seems to do that. Chicago does that. I should never have brought up those suburbs, and I apologize for offending anyone. Let's talk about Hartford. Frankly, I'm a little surprised people on this board don't expect more from their core city. This is a capital with beautiful architecture and tremendous potential.

MJ, thank you for clarifying.

Believe you me, we in the Hartford Metro are expecting much from this city. I've been here for almost 10 years now in anticipation of what the city has/had planned and the rebirth. It's come a long way, with a lot further to go.

One of our problems here in New England, is that we are very provincial in mindset and government. Which means, those of us who do not live inside of the very small city borders have absolutely no say in local politics in that city. I'm a big fan of regionalization of the Hartford area in many regards.

The city government in Hartford is a wreck. Plain and simple, and we in the burbs can't do a thing about it really.

As for PVD, a lot of what got that city where it is today was from a (Now convicted) mob connected mayor who had the "pull" to get it done and also it's proximity to Boston (which is a double edged sword) which attracted a lot of Bostonians who wanted to "simplify" from the madness of that metro. It wasn't clean money that got it done over there, but it still got it done.

Once you get here, I think you will find things that will hold you for the rest of your life. There are some aspects of life in the Hartford Metro that you simply can not find elsewhere. As others have said, if we can help in any way just ask.

glxyman21: I hope that you don't think that this too is an attack.