The Problem with Hartford (Stamford, Cheshire: hotels, travel, incomes)

[jjj195580]

I'm hoping the people here can speak to city leaders about improvements that MUST be made to Hartford. You have a great place, but something is not right. Our organization wanted to have our biannual convention in New England and our choices were Providence and Hartford. I really wanted Hartford because we have some family who recently moved to Cheshire and the airport in Hartford has more flights than Providence. We recently visited both cities and although I was favoring Hartford our group ended up choosing Providence. It was kind of a slam dunk vote although we think Hartford could have won out with a few easy fixes.
The number one reason we chose Providence is shopping. Our members and their spouses can walk out of their hotel and go to stores, restaurants, antique stores, the movies, and walk along the river. They do not want to fly into a place and then drive outside the city for activities. What's the point?
We all thought Hartford would have more shopping options. The convention people told us there are malls less than 5 miles away and a newly built shopping district in the next town over. On our tour it was more like a 20 minute drive and we didn't understand why it wasn't built downtown closer to the action. We were told something was going to be built downtown but no one could tell us if it would be done in time. We didn't see any construction.
We were told we could take public transportation or get a shuttle bus or a cabs to go shopping. We were told a Tiffany is opening and that was about 5 miles away. They also took us to "Park Avenue," which honestly looked a little sketchy. There were bodegas and some cutish stores, but the concierge told us not to go there after dark. The riverfront was also creepy at night and lacks the cafes along the waterfront that Providence has.
We did find Hartford to have a beautiful park, reminscent of Central Park and some splendid architecture, but again nothing around it. There are some historic sites that would be of interest to our members, but Providence has some also. We also found the hotels to be very nice, but not enough, and great restaurants.
We were surprised by the lack of shopping for a major city in a state that is known for affluence. Where does a woman staying at a hotel buy nylons or a bathing suit that may have been forgotten? Sometimes the walk through downtown was amazingly beautiful and it felt like Chicago and then we would encounter empty buildings and vacant lots that reminded us of Detroit. We walked around the Convention Center and within 2 minutes of walking we were at a public housing project that was poorly lighted right across from a deserted old mill.
Here are some improvements I think Hartford should do right away .
1. Build something like Providence Place next to the Convention Center. Our members and other conventioneers do not want to travel into an airport and drive into a city, and then have to travel to go shopping. They want it all there like Providence.
2. There really needs to be more hotels. Some of the rooms we were offered were in the suburbs because of hotel bookings, etc.
The Providence people seemed more on the ball. They seem to get it that conventioneers come ready to spend money they just need a place to spend it.
I really wanted to leave Hartford with a better impression of it. In fairness I understand that you are making improvements to they city, but my advice would be speed 'em up.

[mels]

I completely agree. Hartford does have plenty of cheerleaders saying it is making a comeback and I think it will get there, albeit through a painfully slow process. It won’t be next year, it won’t be three years from now (Front Street anyone?). They want people to live downtown with no grocery stores in place. They want the hotels filled but downtown is a ghost town with no shops, nothing to showcase the riverfront in the evening…there is just a lot of wasted potential.

If they are pointing visitors to the suburbs, then Hartford has longer to go than I originally thought.

[jjj195580]

That's what struck us was the potential. Beautiful buildings, no traffic. It's easy to fix. One thing Hartford should have is a tourist restaurant, something colonial or seafood. Boston has so many and Providence has some. Something that screams New England for those of us who are from someplace else.

[jjj195580]

One more thing, I remember being in Hartford on business in the 1990's and they brought us to the old state capitol to witness the cannons going off. It was like out of the movies. We were told they don't do that anymore. They should.

[skytrekker]

Providence is fun- and I have spent much time there, but there are plenty of vacant buildings and seedy areas.
Hartford has a much broader corporate presence- With higher paying jobs and lower costs.

Providence has made a more visual comeback- with Providence Place-but such type inside Malls are becoming a thing of the past-Providence by the way has no supermarkets in the city. It also has been befitted by its close proximity to Boston, so basically it has become a satellite of that city. Hartford has made greater strides-without relying on the geographic closeness of either New York or Boston.

Additionally Hartford suburbs are far more attractive, and the per capita income in Greater Hartford is much higher.
Hartford metro ranks as the 25th best for the visual and preforming arts in the USA & Canada. As for restaurants- the food choices are numerous and wonderful, from Italian, to Brazilian, Mexican, Spanish & Vietnamese.

[reason180]

Originally Posted by jjj195580

I'm hoping the people here can speak to city leaders about improvements that MUST be made to Hartford. You have a great place, but something is not right.

Thank you very much for sharing your observations.

Unfortunately the problems you noticed in Hartford can be found in most of the major cities in CT. Over the years many resources(jobs + shopping) have left urban areas for suburban strip malls and isolated office parks.

Hartford is improving. For example, Park Street has improved immensely. The area around Park Street between Broad and Zion used to be ground zero for a gang war between the Latin Kings and Los Solidos during the 90's. The gangs no longer run things there and most of their leadership has been locked up. Business owners in that neighborhood formed the Spanish American Merchants Association (Spanish American Merchants Association) and used their membership fees to pay for major improvements to the streetscape and a bus. There is still some blight there but it is much safer and many of the Latino businesses are flourishing and drawing in shoppers from the many Latino communities in the surrounding area. The point is there are some people that care, have vision, and are willing to work very hard to improve their community.


I hope you reconsider CT in the future.

[mels]

Providence has much more going for it with the schools being an integral part of it...Brown, PC, RISD, RI College. If I recall correctly, Providence also has grocery stores, including a Whole Foods, Shaws, and Stop and Shop. PVD has made a huge comeback, I hope in 10 years we can say the same for Hartford. Like I said, I think it is getting there, but progress is slow.

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by mels

Providence has much more going for it with the schools being an integral part of it...Brown, PC, RISD, RI College. If I recall correctly, Providence also has grocery stores, including a Whole Foods, Shaws, and Stop and Shop. PVD has made a huge comeback, I hope in 10 years we can say the same for Hartford. Like I said, I think it is getting there, but progress is slow.

Mels

sorry to disagree with you- but I have spent much time in Providence.
There is no Stop & Shop in the city nor Shaws-- both these chains lie on the periphery of the city like Hartford. Providence is basically a Satellite of Boston. Housing and living costs are far higher in Providence then Hartford, while incomes are far lower.

Yes Brown, RDSI and Providence add to the city- but greater Providence is a far poorer region then greater Hartford.

[andthentherewere3]

Originally Posted by reason180

Unfortunately the problems you noticed in Hartford can be found in most of the major cities in CT. Over the years many resources(jobs + shopping) have left urban areas for suburban strip malls and isolated office parks.

I think Stamford has made great strides over the years. I remember in the early 80's when people were afraid to go to downtown Stamford. But then they added the mall, and many, many great restaurants and bars, along with some other new stores. (and I don't like cities, so if I am impressed that says a lot ) It would be nice to see something similar happen in Hartford.

[missionhill]

If Providence is a satellite of Boston, Stamford is for sure a satellite of New York. Hartford, Springfield, and a lot of other cities in the northeast are on their own and many of them have the same problems--a concentration of poor people of color within the city limits, downtown a ghost of its former self, and much of the shopping and entertainment in the suburbs. Hartford metro is a lot more affluent than many other cities its size but affluence alone doesn't make the downtown stronger. Hartford's affluence made the city a jewell back in Twain's day; now it's made certain suburbs into jewels, leaving the city itself behind.