[Stylo]

I've been working in New Haven, and during the day it's very busy on the streets throughout downtown and up Whitney by the courthouse and Audubon Street. Food trucks all over, plenty of foot traffic.

At night in the summer, the scene is mixed. Definitely not as much foot traffic as during the school year, and the club thugs seem to be out more en masse. A few bars I've gone to recently have been pretty sparsely attended compared to the school year. I've been out a few times in the last months. Ordinary, Cask Republic, Firehouse 12, 116 Crown, Rudy's, all less than half what they were in April. Even the bartenders acknowledged the big shift. Pretty dead in comparison. Maybe I am just frequenting more college/Yale-ish bars.

The few bars that seem to be packed no matter what are places like BAR and Geronimo. The latter probably because of the patio in the warm months.

I do think that you'll see more and more year-round residents coming to NH though, as it becomes increasingly livable.

[TobinJ]

I think Hartford's issue is that people are living further from the city and they come across West Hartford or Farmington or Manchester or Middletown et al before they get to Hartford. For Hartford to be popular they have to have something better than those towns. Hartford simply can't compete for a casual Friday walk down Main Street with dinner or light/window shopping. It would take a huge effort on the part of building owners and the city to encourage businesses to set shop there...last I looked in the HBJ real estate was still absurd compared to the surrounding towns. West Hartford excluded since its popularity is secured.

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I should add that a couple of years ago I was part of a major national convention that held in Hartford. I was able to talk to several of the attendees from out of state and was pleased to hear how much they loved Hartford. I told them to be honest and not to say nice things just because I was from the area, but they swore they were being honest. They said they loved the charm of the city and how walkable it was. They loved the attractions like the Mark Twain House and the Wadsworth. They thought that Hartford Stage and Theaterworks were great and loved the restaurants. They said it felt like it was a big city without the hassles which is what I like about it as well. It may not be as big as New York or Boston but honestly who wants the hassles of large cities like that everyday. Not me. Jay

It's nice that visitors liked Hartford, but its another thing to live there. Corrupt local government, high taxes, terrible schools, high crime etc. don't make it a terribly attractive place to live. The West End is really the only decent neighborhood in the city and if you can afford it, you can probably afford parts of West Hartford, so why bother?

[pete63]

This is very simple. There is just no good reason to go downtown regularly if you live out in the burbs as do most of us with 2 nickles to rub together.

I grew up in Hartford, in lovely Charter Oak Terrace. Well, maybe it wasn't so lovely by the 70s. Fortunately, we escaped in 81 as Hartford really went into the crapper as everyone fled to the suburbs.

So, why did they?

You can argue all day long as to why. The question that needs asking is why should they come back?

The school are terrible. It is crime ridden. Taxes are high, although they are high everywhere in the state.

The only way to get people back is to give them a reason. Give them real school choices and by that I mean more than a few so called magnets which are still run by the public education system. Give them safe areas and give them one hell of a financial incentive through taxes/subsidized mortgages. Unfortunately, the place is so far gone, these drastic measures are the only possible cure. Building more Taj Mahals and ridiculous busways only raise taxes further, chasing away more jobs.

Hartford, along with many other cities throughout the country was booming in the 50s because it was safe and there were good jobs. It wasn't because of fancy convention centers.

[Aquaboy]

We had the same conversation in 1977. The Convention Center and the Hartford Whalers were going to make downtown glorious. They didnt. Some things never change...

[Mr_250]

I love Hartford, would I live in Hartford...NO. I go to the bars in the downtown area (around the civic center) and to tell you the truth they are all pretty much dead. People go to Manchester, Farmington and W. Hartford for night life. If you have any money and could afford it, you will go to one of these locations. Hartford is dead, just wait until the effect of Obama-care start hitting. What is the one fact that every economist says...Don't put all your eggs in one basket..that's what Hartford has done with the insurance industry. The money that is being pumped into Hartford will not get returned for a long period of time.

[Vineyard]

Be careful in the Pratt Street neighborhood. My husband and I went to dinner on Pratt Street and was harassed by aggressive panhandler asking for bus money. Apparently he has been doing this for a while. Made us nervous and we will think twice before going again. Not good for Hartford restaurants/theaters in that area.

[mels]

Originally Posted by Vineyard

Be careful in the Pratt Street neighborhood. My husband and I went to dinner on Pratt Street and was harassed by aggressive panhandler asking for bus money. Apparently he has been doing this for a while. Made us nervous and we will think twice before going again. Not good for Hartford restaurants/theaters in that area.

Encountering an aggressive panhandler every so often in an urban environment isn't exactly rare for any city. How do you know he has been doing this for a while?

[wma152]

Some of these panhandler will first ask for money, if you refuse, it will turn into a robbery with a weapon. Happened to my co-worker during the day in one of the side streets in downtown.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by mels

Encountering an aggressive panhandler every so often in an urban environment isn't exactly rare for any city. How do you know he has been doing this for a while?

Would hate for them to walk around San Francisco.