[stormweary]

I have read in several threads mostly negative comments about Willimantic yet, today on the Hartford Courant web site there seemed to be a more positive view of the place. It sounds like there may be some gentrification of the downtown with artists and such. (I am an artist so this is what peaked my interest ) Just wondering if anyone who lives there(or anyone else for that matter) would comment further on this.
thanks!

[Dragonfly1]

The problem with Willimantic is that there is no major highways to get to it. They have fought making a highway from Hartford to Providence run through the small city for years. It used to be really depressed with much crime, but I hear there is a revival. I have not been there in years, but the surrounding areas are really beautiful, rural areas. It's easily accessible to Hartford, too.

I have a friend who lives in in Windham Center and when I visit we go to a couple of Willimantic restaurants. It needs new blood and some love. It has potential to becoming an artists place as it has 2 universities close by. UConn and Eastern Ct State University ( where my friend went to school).

Good luck

DK

[kd83]

Potential beyond belief...an awesome set up...college campus etc..just had some hard times

[uconn99]

Third Thursday street festival-



American Thread Mill (This building is now Artspace)-

[uconn99]

Do you have a link to the article?

[mels]

Originally Posted by kd83

Potential beyond belief...an awesome set up...college campus etc..just had some hard times

I agree. I thought up until I moved somewhat near the area that Willi was the same dump I remember from way back when, but it really has made some changes for the better. I think it will keep getting better so now probably wouldn't be a bad time to get in. The downtown has more life now and they have some good restaurants, a good co-op, etc.

[stormweary]

Thanks for the feedback. In my researches I found the Artspace and it sounds great!! Thanks for the picture, what a beautiful place! I am also attracted to the place because of the 2 universities near by. I do adjunct teaching in the fine arts so that is an added plus for me.
My daughter lived for awhile in Wil. and she said the problem for her was that she's have to drive a half hour just to go to a movie. There just wasn't much around for her to do. She lived there because the rent was cheaper. She's now up in Vernon and likes it alot. (she also has a much better job!!)

[UncaDaybid]

One particularly fun & interesting event is their annual Boom Box parade. It all started when the annual parade was canceled because the local high school had no marching band. A local resident convinced the AM station to broadcast patriotic music at noon on July 4th, then rounded up a few friends who dressed in red white & blue, and paraded through the streets blaring the music on their boom boxes. This has grown into an annual event.

There is a movie theater in nearby Mansfield, just over the town line in the Eastbrook Mall. It's relatively new and never as jam-packed as Showcase in Manchester.

I used to always get confused about whether Windham was part of Willimantic, or vice-versa, or none of the above, etc. My guess is that Willimantic is to Windham what Rockville is to Vernon, or something to that effect. I'm sure more knowledgeable sorts will correct me. There are some nice areas in Windham. The biggest turn-off for us was the school district, at one point they were in danger of losing accreditation. I believe they are in the process of turning it around. They were also hit economically when Rogers Corp closed their Windham plant, but that seems not to have been so much of a hardship as people feared.

Basically the town is still a bit depressed but the residents appear to remain upbeat. (The prospects of getting a freeway connector to Willimantic, however, are slim to none; there have been several proposals over the past 30 years which have all been shot down.) There are 2 universities nearby, and the Mansfield/Storrs downtown project near UConn is sure to draw more people to the area. There are a ton of artists in the area and you can visit open studios on several weekends during the summer. I agree that there is a ton of potential there, with the right planning and care it could become a fine cultural canter. Artspace in the rehabbed mill is very nice. If they continue in this direction things can only look up.

~UncleD

[mels]

Wiillimantic is part of Windham, but I believe Willi used to be its own town.

[yankee.peddler]

Originally Posted by mels

Wiillimantic is part of Windham, but I believe Willi used to be its own town.

It was a separate city between 1893 and 1983.