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Old 09-18-2008, 01:45 PM
 
Location: Connecticut
34,801 posts, read 56,687,351 times
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I would not call Hartford dead, not at all. There are many clubs and restaurants there so there are people around on nights and weekends. I think most people that see downtown with all its tall buildings and things just expect more people around similar to New York. There are many nice apartments now in downtown and a lot of people are moving in, many of them are young. You may need to judge it for yourself. I will agree with Jessica that you will need a car to get around. Jay
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Old 09-18-2008, 05:09 PM
 
Location: Connecticut
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I live in West Hartford, and from my own experience I would say this is a great place to meet people. As someone earlier pointed out, the center is where most of the town's best bars, restaurants and stores are. For someone transplanted from New York you may be surprised at first at how low-key even this area is. Most restaurants and bars are open late, but they usually clear out by 11 pm or midnight. Generally more of an adult crowd. But this is not the only place to go if you're looking for something to do on a Friday or Saturday night. Farmington Ave, Park Road and New Britain Ave (in the Elmwood) section are all almost like mini-centers. There's some really good ethnic restaurants in here that are worth checking out. (On Park Road, Plan B, Chengdu and Barb's Pizza are all local favorites, and with good reason.) Many lovely, walkable neighborhoods. Most of Hartford's inner suburbs have these (Newington, Windsor and Wethersfield) but WH is probably the most walkable. And I swear, and I don't know why, but I've seen a ton of NY plates in town here. And they're not just from NYC, they're from Westchester, Long Island, and I don't think it's just college students either.

Hartford attracts more of a college age crowd. Which is one reason why I spend less time here. There are things to do here downtown, but unless you travel via bus you can only get here by car. And getting around can be a hastle if you don't know the roads. It's not like New Haven where they have street grids and it's easier to navigate. Yes, I84 is there, but it's always jammed. Plus I don't find the city to be particularly safe. Granted most of the violence is confined to the North End, but it's still a high crime area.

If WH doesn't suit your needs, there's a few other places that I can suggest. Middletown is great, but it's a drive to and from Hartford. Definitely visit Main Street sometime if get a chance.
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Old 09-19-2008, 08:00 PM
 
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I also agree that West Hartford center would provide the liveliest arena for your enjoyment. If you can't find a place within walking distance of the center, you could also look at the adjacent West End of Hartford which is cheaper and also has some restaurants and casual hangouts. Downtown Hartford has a lot of bars/nightclubs, if you're into that kind of thing (which I'm not). New Haven would be my other recommendation but only if your job in Hartford could be reached on the commuter bus that goes between Hartford and New Haven. I would NOT recommending driving every day.
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Old 09-19-2008, 09:49 PM
 
Location: Apex, NC
171 posts, read 451,266 times
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You aren't going to find places like you'll find in NYC and as long as you seek what you had in NYC you will be unhappy in CT outside NYC metro. That doesn't mean you won't find an experience just as good as what you had in NYC, it'll just be different and you need to be open to that.

With that said, I agree on West Hartford and not just because that is where I grew up. From West Hartford it is easy to go to many different areas. You can go enjoy the night life in New Haven and not deal with the commuter traffic since it is after hours driving. You also have a lot of options spread out around the Greater Hartford area. West Hartford is developing more and more of a night life. Plus you can shoot up 44 into Avon where there are a few decent places or out route 4 to Farmington where there are a couple good places. Downtown Hartford and Hartford West End are obvious options too. And don't be afraid to cross the river either. You'd be surprised what you can find out Glastonbury and Manchester way.

Not the same as NYC, but not necessarily "bad" either. I've had great times in NYC, Boston and the Hartford area. For certain reasons, CT has proven itself not to be the place for me and I have chosen to move out of CT after living there most of my life, but a lack of dining, entertainment or night life options were not among those reasons. Statements about the lack of options in CT tend to be greatly exagerated.
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