[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by 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.

I don't think the Gateway replaced the PJs. I know the Stowe Village projects on Kensington got knocked down and replaced with mixed-income housing, which also happened with Dutch Point. But I think this is different. I've actually heard ads for this on the radio, I wanted to see pics of it online. It does look nice and it does dispel the myth that there hasn't been any progress here, but the nabe overall is rough.

I'm all for mixed-use developments, but there's still a long way to go to confirm whether or not these will be successful in the long run. If those who left the slums take their inner-city values with them (as they sometimes do), then these new housing complexes will also fall apart. Unfortunately, this has happened in other places like in some parts of the Bronx, so that could happen here. There's been new housing in the North End on Bellevue and Belden streets but even here there was a shooting on oneof these streets recently. But if people are willing to take care of their homes (which even the poorest of the poor can do), then the area can stabilize a bit.

So it's been both good and bad. Structurally the new houses are better and those who live here don't live in squalor any longer, but that's still no guarantee that there won't be violence or other social ills.

Agreed that Blue Hills does have some beautiful homes. But if you ever wanted to see them, it would help to know this area a little bit, because it's still hit or miss - some really nice, well-kept areas that most people don't even know about, but not far away from these you've got Bowles Park (which really needs to be replaced) and Keney Park - which has had SERIOUS problems with crime and is rightfully regarded as a dangerous place. Unfortunately I don't know what streets these nice houses are on, I wish I did because I'd like to see them for myself.

[MikefromCT]

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.

Best wishes to you there. I have a friend inthe service who lives there now. I don't know the city well but I do know that it's very safe, you shouldn't have any issues there. Kudos to you if you can afford it, because it's not cheap.

[STRAP]

Originally Posted by cool_mommy

i won't comment on the cities you have mentioned because the population in such areas is 5 to 10 times greater than that of hartford. Instead i found some info on the fbi's web site i felt was comparable to that of hartford:

fbi uniform crime reports from 2007
cities with population rates similar to hartford, ct. The first number is population, followed by violent crimes and murder rates.

hartford, ct 124,203 – 769 – 14

burbank, ca - 105,046 – 140 – 1
irvine, ca - 188,535 – 71 – 3
pasadena, ca - 145,025 – 364 – 5
pueblo, co - 105,452 – 356 – 1
clearwater, fl - 110,520 - 452 – 4
hollywood, fl - 148,085 – 416 – 10
cedar rapids, ia – 123,773 – 246 – 2
topeka, ks – 122,807 – 378 – 5
lowell, ma – 103,729 – 517 -2
springfield, ma – 152,644 – 963 – 11
manchester, nh – 110,106 – 132 – 3
elizabeth, nj – 125,905 – 489 – 7
syracuse, ny – 142,062 – 676 – 9
fayetteville, nc – 132,521 – 610 -8
eugene, or – 146,885 – 219 – 1
providence, ri – 175,452 – 438 – 5
abilene, tx – 118,009 – 270 – 3
waco, tx – 123,879 – 529 – 3
provo, ut – 117,156 – 67 – 0
alexandria, va – 136,686 – 164 – 5
green bay, wi – 101,574 – 295 - 0

im from syracuse ny. To me hartford is overated when it comes to murders. I have chilled many summers in hartford an its average 2 me. Syracuse does not beggin to have as many hispanics but the streets are similiar in murder rates. This past year we had 25 murders. Not anything to brag about but the real population is around 140 thousand. An syracuse has a lot more whites when it comes to ratio then hartford. Listen stop actin like hartford is horrible. Yea its bad considering that its in conn. The richest state. The way yall acting is crazy. Conn is not bad like that people. Relax

[Leilani Vasquez]

You're not going to get murdered in Hartford just by walking down the street. Most of the murders that have happened are all isolated instances.

[B-ham 34]

Originally Posted by Lincolnian

Four more people involved in a shooting. Another three people shot dead in less than a week within the past two weeks. Is Hartford the equivalent of the Wild West?

Only a 30% graduation rate, one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the nation. Tons of money spent on education, social services, etc., the problem marches on.

What's the solution?

Build a wall along the border of Springfield, it's their fault, hell they made the list of top crime cities, Hartford didn't make it!!! Or you could pack up and move to Sweden or China, well maybe Nome Alaska

[B-ham 34]

Originally Posted by Lincolnian

Four more people involved in a shooting. Another three people shot dead in less than a week within the past two weeks. Is Hartford the equivalent of the Wild West?

Only a 30% graduation rate, one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in the nation. Tons of money spent on education, social services, etc., the problem marches on.

What's the solution?

Originally Posted by Rich Lee

That's an easy one: their parents need to be made accountable. If their children end up on state aid, then their wages should be garnished until the child reaches 18. Also, the age at which one can be tried as an adult should be lowered to 16.

In Friday's Hartford Courant, results of the writing competency tests were published. I can't imagine how these individuals intend to function in the real world with the following results:

27% - Hispanic
27% - Black
52% - Asian
63% - White

State's 8th-Graders Tie For Writing Honors -- School Examinations, New Jersey -- Courant.com

If this is indicative of the next generation, there will be a much greater divide between the haves and the have nots. From the looks of it, the divide will be along racial lines.

I don't mean to come across as judgmental, but every other industrialized nation is raising the bar as evidenced in their high-end exports, lower obesity rates, and longer life expectancies.

I don't know? Maybe pick up a sport & become a millionaire or get in the entertainment business or sell legal cigarettes and become a millionaire!!!

[B-ham 34]

Originally Posted by hfd

The shootings are mostly confined to the North End. Look at the police blotters and you will see the following streets show up time and time again: Vine, Mather, Garden, etc.

Facts! If i saw 50 out of 75 guys on my street get rich selling legal cigarettes and i'm 15 years old i might try to get rich too and eventually my other friends get involve and eventually we beef with the older guys who are already rich and BANG, BANG!!! Why because at interviews we don't get hired, cars stop by us as we walk and we hear doors lock, we are embarrashed and hungry! Also everybody loves the good life, hell we made a T.V series about Jersey guys doing what it take to get rich, it's called SOPRANOS!!!!

[njf63]

Hi,

We are coming to Harftford in April 2011 to visit the theme park at Lake Compounce. We were intending to take the train and stay at the Holiday Inn Express on Asylum Ave - is this a safe part of town ?

N&L

[JViello]

Originally Posted by njf63

Hi,

We are coming to Harftford in April 2011 to visit the theme park at Lake Compounce. We were intending to take the train and stay at the Holiday Inn Express on Asylum Ave - is this a safe part of town ?

N&L

Yes absolutely. You'll be right in downtown near restaurants, the park etc. Nice area.

Have fun at Lake Compounce and don't be afraid to explore DT Hartford, there is a lot to see and do.

[njf63]

Thanks - thought it probably was, but always good to have it confirmed !