[WeHa]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Absolutely right. Frog Hollow is one of the worst ghettoes in New England and definitely a standard east coast super ghetto right up there with North Philly and west Baltimore in terms of poverty and crime. TO say its not a ghetto is blasphemous.

You must be delusional or you've never seen a ghetto or the Northend of Hartford. You're from Boston for petes sake. Frog Hollow is hardly Mattapan.

Frog Hollow isn't pretty but it's hardly a place where you're going to get shot just walking around Trinity Campus.

It's people who live in the areas around the city and think Hartford is a worthless, horrible, unsafe, deadly, ghetto that are part of the reason why it's hard to get people interested in downtown Hartford.

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by WeHa

You must be delusional or you've never seen a ghetto or the Northend of Hartford. You're from Boston for petes sake. Frog Hollow is hardly Mattapan.

Frog Hollow isn't pretty but it's hardly a place where you're going to get shot just walking around Trinity Campus.

Frog Hollow is MUCH better today than it was 25 years ago. Still not a desirable place, but definitely safer, cleaner and more livable than in the '90s when it was infamous for gang violence. Parkville is right next door and that area is improving all the time. New restaurants, loft apartments, even a new brewery have opened, so it wouldn't surprise me if this effect spills over into FH to a degree. IMO, FH used to be what people equate the North End with today.

Originally Posted by WeHa

It's people who live in the areas around the city and think Hartford is a worthless, horrible, unsafe, deadly, ghetto that are part of the reason why it's hard to get people interested in downtown Hartford.

I wouldn't go so far to call Hartford those things, but at the same time I feel, and this is just my $0.02, there's already enough accessible places and activities in the suburbs, so why bother? And it's not just where you and I live. Bloomfield, Wethersfield, Glastonbury have all developed their own nightlife scene (if on a smaller scale), so Hartford has these places to compete with now as well.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Frog Hollow is MUCH better today than it was 25 years ago. Still not a desirable place, but definitely safer, cleaner and more livable than in the '90s when it was infamous for gang violence. Parkville is right next door and that area is improving all the time. New restaurants, loft apartments, even a new brewery have opened, so it wouldn't surprise me if this effect spills over into FH to a degree. IMO, FH used to be what people equate the North End with today.



I wouldn't go so far to call Hartford those things, but at the same time I feel, and this is just my $0.02, there's already enough accessible places and activities in the suburbs, so why bother? And it's not just where you and I live. Bloomfield, Wethersfield, Glastonbury have all developed their own nightlife scene (if on a smaller scale), so Hartford has these places to compete with now as well.

It's not just competition with the suburban towns. It's painfully obvious that Hartford does not have a "destination" district...a lively, safe place where you see people on the street well into the night. Contrast that to Providence--not just the downtown & WaterFire, but several other neighborhoods too (Federal Hill, Hope, Wickenden, Thayer).

[East of the River]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

It's not just competition with the suburban towns. It's painfully obvious that Hartford does not have a "destination" district...a lively, safe place where you see people on the street well into the night. Contrast that to Providence--not just the downtown & WaterFire, but several other neighborhoods too (Federal Hill, Hope, Wickenden, Thayer).

I was in Providence for a week for work last year. I stayed near the convention center. I was amazed at how much better setup the area seemed then the area around the Hartford convention center.

[BPt111]

http://www.courant.com/politics/hc-h...908-story.html

[BPt111]

[WeHa]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

I wouldn't go so far to call Hartford those things, but at the same time I feel, and this is just my $0.02, there's already enough accessible places and activities in the suburbs, so why bother? And it's not just where you and I live. Bloomfield, Wethersfield, Glastonbury have all developed their own nightlife scene (if on a smaller scale), so Hartford has these places to compete with now as well.

I wasn't saying I think that of Hartford. But I agree with you 100% that the problem has more to with the town centers that have been built up while Hartford has been largely ignored.

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

It's not just competition with the suburban towns. It's painfully obvious that Hartford does not have a "destination" district...a lively, safe place where you see people on the street well into the night. Contrast that to Providence--not just the downtown & WaterFire, but several other neighborhoods too (Federal Hill, Hope, Wickenden, Thayer).

Exactly. You find that more in West Hartford center with all the outdoor seating during the warm months. But even there and Blue Back have a lot of empty store fronts right now.

It's not that I don't feel safe in Hartford, I just don't see the point. I associate it with bars, clubs and my early 20s.

[beerbeer]

Front Street is definitely a destination district with plenty of cheap parking and it will only get better with the new Bear's, UConn and probably a Barnes and Noble. There is music (Infinity) movies (Showcase) high end eats, cheap eats, and numerous places to drink from the Arch to Nix's. And that area is pretty darn safe.

Have you guys ever been to Hartford?

[GoHuskies]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

Front Street is definitely a destination district with plenty of cheap parking and it will only get better with the new Bear's, UConn and probably a Barnes and Noble. There is music (Infinity) movies (Showcase) high end eats, cheap eats, and numerous places to drink from the Arch to Nix's. And that area is pretty darn safe.

Have you guys ever been to Hartford?

To highlight the above comment:

It's not that I don't feel safe in Hartford, I just don't see the point. I associate it with bars, clubs and my early 20s.

This is exactly how I feel about Hartford. It still lacks the charm and pedestrian friendly vibe found in West Hartford or small cities like Providence. It doesn't help that everyone from the suburbs keeps thinking back to past shootings outside or inside a few nightclubs.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

Front Street is definitely a destination district with plenty of cheap parking and it will only get better with the new Bear's, UConn and probably a Barnes and Noble. There is music (Infinity) movies (Showcase) high end eats, cheap eats, and numerous places to drink from the Arch to Nix's. And that area is pretty darn safe.

Have you guys ever been to Hartford?

Yes, and have even attended a concert at Infinity Hall & Bistro! Have you been to Providence?