Update on Sportsbook & Bar @ the XL Center

[Waquoit]

All of the brick & mortar locations that are operated by the state are west of the CT River per the agreement with the tribes.

They have a brick and mortar location in Manchester.

 

[AD DB Burner]

They have a brick and mortar location in Manchester.

Thanks, I couldn't quite remember the exact agreement and how far the radius surrounding each casino applied, so the CT River seemed to be the most logical.

 

[auror]

“Fat, broke, and stupid is no way to go through life son.”—Dean Vernon Wormer. P.S. shocking you didn’t mention the 1950s lol. Also I’m right.

You know that guy was the bad guy from the movie right?

 

[HuskyHawk]

You know that guy was the bad guy from the movie right?

He was also absolutely correct.

 

[Mr. French]

He was also absolutely correct.

0.0 fun.

 

[husky8273]

successful Oak View Group renovation at a similar aged arena in Baltimore, Historic CFG Bank Arena hosted the Beatles and MLK. A major renovation and the work of GM Frank Remesch has kept it rolling

 

[DSquiz]

Opens this Sat, the 9th.

It’s two floors, anyone know if the upper bowl has an entrance too? Looks like a big bar on the upper level.

 

[Ha Who]

My concern is the food aspect of this. Why not bring in Black-Eyed Sally's or another longtime Hartford restaurant. The thought of the XL providing the food has me nauseous

 

[HCCForever]

My concern is the food aspect of this. Why not bring in Black-Eyed Sally's or another longtime Hartford restaurant. The thought of the XL providing the food has me nauseous

Vito's or Bear's Smokehouse are good options as well. Not sure if Vito's is still open since I haven't been there in a few years.

 

[Waquoit]

Anything is better than what the serve at The Tavern.

 

[Ha Who]

Vito's or Bear's Smokehouse are good options as well. Not sure if Vito's is still open since I haven't been there in a few years.

I liked Vito’s but I think they are closed

 

[HCCForever]

I liked Vito’s but I think they are closed

Thanks. I used to like their Chicken Pesto pizza. We used to go there in the early aughts when Jackie was the bartender and they were across the street from Bushnell Park. She made a delicious Crown Royal Manhattan.

 

[August_West]

My concern is the food aspect of this. Why not bring in Black-Eyed Sally's or another longtime Hartford restaurant. The thought of the XL providing the food has me nauseous

What? You dont like Chicken tenders cooked in broken down Fryer grease?

 

[August_West]

Isn’t the quote fat drunk and stupid? Being condescending and mistaken is always a tough combo.

It seems to work for me. ;-)

 

[August_West]

And of course when it's a UConn game you won't even be able to bet the game.

 

[Durks07]

What? You dont like Chicken tenders cooked in broken down Fryer grease?

That section of the XL Center smells like a war prison.

 

[CTBasketball]

I had high hopes they’d turn this into a Vegas-style Sportsbook. But it ended up looking like Winners in New Britain.

 

[Hunt for 7]

For someone who left CT in 1991, I really find it sad how much downtown Hartford has dissolved. Such good memories of going bar hopping in the 80’s. And there was always somewhere to get good food. Tough to see anyway they can revive it to some degree. Real estate developers need to start over. Office buildings have to be converted to housing, retail services leaving much less office space. People don’t want to sit home all the time so there is opportunity….like what they did at Parkville. City planners need to do more of that as they reconfigure what/how our cities can function and thrive.

 

[HooperScooper]

Office buildings have to be converted to housing,

That's been happening downtown for at least 5-10 years. For example, the old Connecticut Bank & Trust building on Main Street is now apartments. But remember that not every office building has the ability to be converted to housing.

 

[zls44]

I had high hopes they’d turn this into a Vegas-style Sportsbook. But it ended up looking like Winners in New Britain.

Did you want a Beyoncé residency or something?

 

[BlueMAB]

For someone who left CT in 1991, I really find it sad how much downtown Hartford has dissolved. Such good memories of going bar hopping in the 80’s. And there was always somewhere to get good food. Tough to see anyway they can revive it to some degree. Real estate developers need to start over. Office buildings have to be converted to housing, retail services leaving much less office space. People don’t want to sit home all the time so there is opportunity….like what they did at Parkville. City planners need to do more of that as they reconfigure what/how our cities can function and thrive.

 

[CTBasketball]

Did you want a Beyoncé residency or something?

There’s no way in hell the Rio Sportsbook should be better than one built in 2023…who’s in charge of this project?

 

[zls44]

There’s no way in hell the Rio Sportsbook should be better than one built in 2023…who’s in charge of this project?

The CRDA, who stinks, but this also looks like every Vegas Sportsbook I’ve been in?

 

[Waquoit]

The CRDA, who stinks, but this also looks like every Vegas Sportsbook I’ve been in?

It has to be better than the sports book at Foxwoods.

 

[Deepster]

For someone who left CT in 1991, I really find it sad how much downtown Hartford has dissolved. Such good memories of going bar hopping in the 80’s. And there was always somewhere to get good food. Tough to see anyway they can revive it to some degree. Real estate developers need to start over. Office buildings have to be converted to housing, retail services leaving much less office space. People don’t want to sit home all the time so there is opportunity….like what they did at Parkville. City planners need to do more of that as they reconfigure what/how our cities can function and thrive.

Nah. Won't happen. Too many other non-Hartford options now. It's just not worth driving, parking and not being close enough to walk between establishments. And the remote work has drained what was left of any lunch/happy hour crowd.

And, I'll say it again. How long have the Yard Goats been around with that great stadium? And what else is there to do around that park? Nothing. They haven't put a single new eating or drinking establishment that takes advantage of it to this day.