[JayCT]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

It's tough to do your bulk shopping using a bus. As a practical thing, you're limited to two nylon shopping bags. Good point about PeaPod though Stop & Shop is a pretty horrible grocery store. It's the closest store for me. I use it as a convenience store when I only need a few items.

You can always rent a car. With a Hertz prepaid weekend rate, you can rent a car for 3 days for $75.00. If you can walk to work and the city has critical mass with food and entertainment options, it's kind of pointless owning a car. That's more challenging in New York where it's harder to rent a car on weekends than midweek.

That is the challenge of living in ANY city, not just Hartford. People living in say New York or Boston and do not have a car must also wrestle with carrying large or multiple packages they buy. Just part of their life. As I noted, most either use a delivery service or just buy smaller sized packages. They accept it as part of an urban lifestyle. Remember too there is Uber and zipcars in Hartford now so they have options other than renting a car for a couple of days. Finally I do have any problems with the products at our Stop & Shop. From what I hear from people that use Peapod, they deliver quality meats and produce. Jay

[JayCT]

The legislative finance committee has approved funding for a scaled back plan to renovate the XL Center. It is a bit unclear what this means but in light of the budget problems the state is facing I guess this is good. Jay

Scaled-Back XL Center Renovations Approved In Legislative Committee - Hartford Courant

[beerbeer]

My wife is a Peapod junkie. We have cars and have two grocery stores within five blocks of our house. She does all her grocery shopping on Peapod. Which can be a problem when she is stoned, Devil Dogs anyone? It's okay, we live in DC and recreation pot is legal, but not suggested for online shopping. Peapod is probably killing it in Hartford with or without pot.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

My wife is a Peapod junkie. We have cars and have two grocery stores within five blocks of our house. She does all her grocery shopping on Peapod. Which can be a problem when she is stoned, Devil Dogs anyone? It's okay, we live in DC and recreation pot is legal, but not suggested for online shopping. Peapod is probably killing it in Hartford with or without pot.

Good one

[JayCT]

I think this opinion piece does a nice job of summarizing the new Dunkin Donuts Park and its potential impact on the city. Yesterday we happened through downtown and we were surprised by the number of people out and about. In addition to the circus being at the XL, there was a game at the ballpark. It was nice to look up Main Street and see the stadium all teaming with people. Hopefully things will get even better. Jay

Ballpark can be a magnet for Hartford | HartfordBusiness.com

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I think this opinion piece does a nice job of summarizing the new Dunkin Donuts Park and its potential impact on the city. Yesterday we happened through downtown and we were surprised by the number of people out and about. In addition to the circus being at the XL, there was a game at the ballpark. It was nice to look up Main Street and see the stadium all teaming with people. Hopefully things will get even better. Jay

Ballpark can be a magnet for Hartford | HartfordBusiness.com

Curious about something. Can the seating in this ballpark be expanded if that becomes necessary? I seem to recall it only holds 6,000 people which is not exactly a decent sized park even by Minor League standards.

I sincerely hope that Hartford can turn itself around. The new owner of the company I work for actually has an office in Hartford and based upon what I've been told by someone at corporate in St. Louis, I could transfer back to the Hartford area since we have work. Unfortunately the fiscal problems of the City of Hartford and State of CT have my family and friends balking at the idea. Many would like to leave and some have already left solely because of the financial issues plaguing the city and state. Hope it can be turned around. This park and a renovated XL Center along with the other developments taking place may help the city turn the corner and provide much needed additional tax revenue at some point. For now I am going to have to stay on the KY side of Cincinnati or look to transfer to a region with a healthier economy.

[Mike 75]

This is quite a setback for the city. Not good.
Trinity Students Assaulted By Teens At Fraternity Spring Formal - Hartford Courant

[beerbeer]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

This is quite a setback for the city. Not good.
Trinity Students Assaulted By Teens At Fraternity Spring Formal - Hartford Courant

This kind of thing -and much worse- happens at schools all over the country. A fight at a college event. Really, that's "quite a set back" for Hartford. C'mon.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

This kind of thing -and much worse- happens at schools all over the country. A fight at a college event. Really, that's "quite a set back" for Hartford. C'mon.

I agree. Happened at my school years ago and it was in a small town with very little crime. Jay

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I agree. Happened at my school years ago and it was in a small town with very little crime. Jay

So you had roving bands of teens crashing parties on campus and beating the crap out of the attendees? This wasn't some drunken bar fight. I went to school in a city larger than Hartford and never saw anything like this happen. This incident only reinforces the perception that the city is unsafe, and undermines the argument that the only people who need to fear violence in Hartford are gangbangers and drug dealers. Trinity is more protected than most, with a security force, gates and fences and the like and yet this still happened. Not a good look for Hartford.