[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I think the Buckland Hills Mall and surrounding commercial development did a lot to upgrade all of the towns east of the river. I remember moving here in the 80's and people use to turn up their noses at the thought of living east of the river. They said there was nothing there. The mall changed that and gave Hartford one of the largest shopping districts in New England. You do not hear people saying that they would never live east of the river these days. In fact many people from west of the river now frequent the many shops and restaurant in the Buckland Hills area. Jay

That may be, but talk to those who live in the immediate area close to all this development I guarantee they will have a different perspective. I'm not against living east of the river, but I wouldn't live anywhere near that mall. Seriously, who wants to constantly deal with gridlock hell all the time - especially around the holidays.

[ctwhitechin]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

That may be, but talk to those who live in the immediate area close to all this development I guarantee they will have a different perspective. I'm not against living east of the river, but I wouldn't live anywhere near that mall. Seriously, who wants to constantly deal with gridlock hell all the time - especially around the holidays.

Traffic by that mall is not too bad except from thanksgiving to new years then It is out of control. And I live east of the river very nice neighborhood but I agree, I would not want to live adjacent to that mall

[westender]

I would say the same caveats apply to living adjacent to the Westfarms Mall area. That's the west-of-the-river equivalent to Buckland Hills.

That used to be a lovely area until the sprawl started.

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by westender

I would say the same caveats apply to living adjacent to the Westfarms Mall area. That's the west-of-the-river equivalent to Buckland Hills.

That used to be a lovely area until the sprawl started.

Oh, I agree. WestFarms Mall is nice but the traffic especially during the holiday season is horrible. I take Route 9 to Middletown to visit family and during the holiday season there's always a line of cars waiting at the exit ramp, and believe me, it's a parking lot. I don't think it's as large or as sprawling a commercial strip as what you see at Buckland Hills, but I agree it can be pretty bad in terns of traffic.

Sort of off topic, but speaking of mall traffic, seeing as how it would only add to this I hope New Britain has the good sense to kill that plan to add Costco on open space like that. Am I the only one who thinks this is a horrible idea? I realize I don't live in NB but that particular part of town is nice and IMO it's worth saving the open space. Why not just put Costco in where the old WalMart used to be?

[Stylo]

ALL malls have bad traffic around the holidays. This is not unique.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Sort of off topic, but speaking of mall traffic, seeing as how it would only add to this I hope New Britain has the good sense to kill that plan to add Costco on open space like that. Am I the only one who thinks this is a horrible idea? I realize I don't live in NB but that particular part of town is nice and IMO it's worth saving the open space. Why not just put Costco in where the old WalMart used to be?

This is a tough problem. The proposed location of the Costco would serve as an expansion of the booming West Farms shopping district. It would provide some desparately needed development in a city that could use all the tax base it can get these days.

If by the old Walmart site you are talking about Farmington Avenue, I can point to a good example of why it will not work over there. There use to be a Price Club store just off I-84 over on Slater Road in New Britain. It was where Webster Bank's data center is now. At the time, Price Club was the hottest retailer in the country (they merged with Costco eventually) and their stores did a lot of business. A few years after that store was built it closed because it could not draw the customers. It was too out of the way for people to go to. The same can be said about Farmington Avenue. Not much there for anyone to go out of their way to shop. In retail, location is everything.

Let me say, I am not for or against the Costco. That is a decision the city needs to make. Like I said it is a tough one. Jay

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by JayCT

This is a tough problem. The proposed location of the Costco would serve as an expansion of the booming West Farms shopping district. It would provide some desparately needed development in a city that could use all the tax base it can get these days.

If by the old Walmart site you are talking about Farmington Avenue, I can point to a good example of why it will not work over there. There use to be a Price Club store just off I-84 over on Slater Road in New Britain. It was where Webster Bank's data center is now. At the time, Price Club was the hottest retailer in the country (they merged with Costco eventually) and their stores did a lot of business. A few years after that store was built it closed because it could not draw the customers. It was too out of the way for people to go to. The same can be said about Farmington Avenue. Not much there for anyone to go out of their way to shop. In retail, location is everything.

Let me say, I am not for or against the Costco. That is a decision the city needs to make. Like I said it is a tough one. Jay

Well they gotta do SOMETHING about that old WalMart site. I mean they can't just let it sit there and become an eyesore. I feel this way about it, maybe what was there before didn't work. But that doesn't mean it would fail here as well. If it's further from the mall, they can do something with that commercial area to make it enticing. From what you said earlier it sounds like maybe they tried that, but if they didn't put it there then what would go there? And how long is it going to sit empty? I just can't justify destroying open space for something like this. If they want it near the mall then why not put it in the old Linnens & Things? I think that building is still within the New Britain city limits (that whole stretch is shared by NB, Newington, Farmington and WeHa.) New Britian doesn't have a positive image, but it does have its merits and one of those is the Stanley Park area. Where they're looking to build is on open space that's a buffer between the golf course and where Target begins. Why not maintain the integrity of that area and leave it undisturbed if they have the option to do so? If they were bringing in a corporate office (which would generate a larger tax base and only commuter traffic instead of non-stop traffic) then I'd be more likely to support this.

[jasty]

Wow, thanks for so much insight. Any more thoughts about neighborhoods south of downtown? Frog Hollow? Behind the Rocks?

[DanaMarley]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Note to the OP: This is probably the most spot-on description you will receive re: Hartford and its surrounding suburbs. Having lived here for 6 years now, I agree with what this poster said. Couldn't have said it any better myself.



God, isn't this the truth. Even on Albany Ave when you're in Hartford, the very start of it is nice because you're in the West End. You go past a few side streets filled with big, beautiful houses, right after Scarborough Street it changes just like that.

I will say this, though - FarmingtonAve in Hartford isn't bad. I've driven back from the city's downtown using both this and Asylum and haven't had any problems. Personally I don't find these streets intimidating atall and there's some really nice architecture on these roads especially on Asylum.

I visited the Hartford area a few years ago, and I have to agree with you Mike. I'm surprised how downhill many areas have become.
There's suburbs outside of Hartford too, where you want to watch your back. It's not all sunshine & light just cuz it's outside the city limits. They had a murder at a convenience store down on Hartford Rd, in Manchester, and that's only down the street from those awesome Cheney Mill Estates.

My friend's told me that Burnside Ave in E. Hartford, isn't such a safe place to get out of your cars in some area. What about Manchester? I've seen a few sketchy looking neighborhoods in that town too, I'd think twice about walking around.
Which spots should you avoid?

[DanaMarley]

So, this is why the town of E. Htfd, & manchester may be going downhill in value?

"East Hartford on the other hand has always been a blue collar town. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's a town whose workforce has depended largely on a manufacturing base, and that's faded over the years. Add to that the fact that you have a high concentration of housing projects in some areas and, sorry, but you're gonna have problems and undesireable elements.

I didn't realize the housing projects has caused so much problems for the town. That's sad, really.

I hate seeing open spaces getting ripped up and totally consumed with the latest shopping mall, housing developement, etc.
Once upon a time, E. Hartford used to be very rural too, especially along its border to other towns. There were lots of farms behind people's house several years ago.
I cannot blame you for wanting to utilize the empty space the ole Wally World is taking up. Why not?