[goldenband]

Which part of the North End do you live in? Some folks have said that there are pockets of the North End that are fairly safe and well-maintained, especially west of the park.

I've often wondered whether a "gentrification" of the North End might start with UHa students looking for cheap rent close to campus, especially now that they've reopened the semi-secret entrance off Mark Twain Drive. Maybe someday, when things get a little better, they could open a connection to Tower as well.

BTW I've lived most of my life technically below the poverty line as well, but fortunately have been lucky enough to find viable digs in relatively safe areas. It can be rough making ends meet; I hope you find your way to better times, at least economically speaking (I won't claim to know about your happiness level otherwise).

[JViello]

Originally Posted by hartford_renter

Just curious why do you choose to live in the North End? I would think if there were any other options with similar price I would go there. The north end is still pretty sketchy even if you have never had any problems.

Based on your posts, I have this sneaky little suspicion that you don't actually live in Hartford, and if you do, don't venture out much AT ALL.

If you go just a spot North of downtown on Main Street you'll find this:

North End Gateway Apartments by DeLuxe Building Systems (TM)



You'll also find several other new construction projects going on - and, AND if you go further up Main Street around the Kensington Street intersection you'll find new street scapes and it's actually looking pretty nice!

There are lots of things actually happening in the North End such as the HUGE new Y being built there etc.

Then you have the Blue Hills area that really does still have some nice homes and whatnot. Homes like this:





Yes that is the North End of Hartford. You might be surprised if you stray from RT44.

Personally, I would not live there but that doesn't mean I'm blind to what reality is either.

[goldenband]

When I've toured the Blue Hills area, I've been favorably impressed with what I've seen. I don't know the area on a block-to-block basis well enough to speak knowledgeably, but it definitely wasn't the grim, decaying specter that so many people conjure. It's not unlike some of the working-class, majority-black areas in cities like Richmond and Philadelphia.

Last I checked, it was the area SE of Keney Park that seemed the hotspot for violence and crime.

[hartford_renter]

Originally Posted by JViello

Based on your posts, I have this sneaky little suspicion that you don't actually live in Hartford, and if you do, don't venture out much AT ALL.

If you go just a spot North of downtown on Main Street you'll find this:

North End Gateway Apartments by DeLuxe Building Systems (TM)



You'll also find several other new construction projects going on - and, AND if you go further up Main Street around the Kensington Street intersection you'll find new street scapes and it's actually looking pretty nice!

There are lots of things actually happening in the North End such as the HUGE new Y being built there etc.

Then you have the Blue Hills area that really does still have some nice homes and whatnot. Homes like this:





Yes that is the North End of Hartford. You might be surprised if you stray from RT44.

Personally, I would not live there but that doesn't mean I'm blind to what reality is either.

No I have lived in hartford for 3 years (I live in the south end).

But really what are you saying? I guess there are nice places but the point is if you have 2 options and I am just making up hypotheticals here.

1. Live in the north end for cheap rent/or any unsafe but cheap area (maybe 650 per month) or ...
2. Live in a safer area and pay a little more, maybe 750 per month

To me the risk of safety is not worth the savings of 100$. If you are living below the poverty line then that is one explanation. I also dont disagree that there are nice places in the North End I havent been in that area much, I worked construction on a house once but that was it. The area with the picture is really close to downtown kind of close to the meadows.

You have to consider trade offs and to me safety is a big issue.

I was also talking to someone who bought a house in Hartford, close to Park Street (for about 200K) and he has to put up with drug addicts shooting up on his front steps, there was a abandoned house that was burned down next door buy homeless people... To me the risk would not make it worth buying a house there and I wondered what made this guy live there. Because he has options of buying a house for 200K or just renting in a safe area. Also if you have kids (which he did it makes even less sense).

I also dont want to sound too negative about hartford, I really like living here because it is close to everything and has the amenities of a city. So really I am a fan of hartford and would encourage people to live here but... the choices some people make do not make LOGICAL sense.

To me you have to be realistic and make smart decisions, my neighbor for example always liked to go walk around in the morning through pope park and then to breakfast someplace. I remember asking him if he felt safe because there are A LOT of drug users/dealers in the area, since it is close to Park Street. He said he just tried to look inconspicuous I thought it was a bad idea because, you are taking a huge risk why not take a walk in Elizabeth park or someplace safer. Later... he was robbed, hit on the head with a pipe, and had to have major surgery.

Is paying 100$ more in rent or avoiding walking around in an unsafe area worth the risk of getting mugged/almost killed? So I guess what I am saying is that not all of hartford is bad but beware of the dangerous areas. The tradeoff does not seem worth it.

[Leilani Vasquez]

Apartments like the northend gateway are great ways to try to revitalize the city. They're being referred to as "mixed use" housing with a combination of affordable and market rate apartments. There's a similar project that went up in the southend, and other housing developments have gone underway in the past several years that have replaced the low-income housing projects.

Did the northend gateway apartments replace the old SANS (sp) projects?

Areas of Blue Hills Avenue have some beautiful homes. There are still people that take a lot of pride in their property.

[ctownplayer]

Originally Posted by goldenband

Which part of the North End do you live in? Some folks have said that there are pockets of the North End that are fairly safe and well-maintained, especially west of the park.

I've often wondered whether a "gentrification" of the North End might start with UHa students looking for cheap rent close to campus, especially now that they've reopened the semi-secret entrance off Mark Twain Drive. Maybe someday, when things get a little better, they could open a connection to Tower as well.

BTW I've lived most of my life technically below the poverty line as well, but fortunately have been lucky enough to find viable digs in relatively safe areas. It can be rough making ends meet; I hope you find your way to better times, at least economically speaking (I won't claim to know about your happiness level otherwise).

i lived on bellvue and i live far below the poverty line but i left yesterday for danbury and i now live there.

[Lincolnian]

Originally Posted by ctownplayer

i lived on bellvue and i live far below the poverty line but i left yesterday for danbury and i now live there.

Good choice. I wish you well. I hope that you are able to find new opportunities there.

[ctownplayer]

Originally Posted by Lincolnian

Good choice. I wish you well. I hope that you are able to find new opportunities there.

thank you, danbury is going quite well. i used to live here like 6 years ago in high ridge gardens for a short amount of time. i now own my own house off of route 7 and i love it.

[Lincolnian]

Unfortunately it looks like the warmer weather is bringing out the urban cowboys with guns a blazin'. Papa's Pizza, one of my favorites, now carries the dubious distinction of having a string of stabbings, shootings, and murders over the past several years.

How unfortunate. 20 years ago a Friday or Saturday night trip to Papas after going out on a date was a perfect ending to a night out in Hartford. Now it could truly be the end of one's life. How sad.

Six Wounded Saturday In Hartford Shootings -- Courant.com

Bus Terminal Has History of Violence - News

[hartford_renter]

True... true...