OT: Does anyone live in Downtown Hartford?

[Walker11]

If Bridgeport is of interest to anyone, find the best unit you can while they are cheap. I can't see how this place won't be very well redeveloped. There's way too much history and culture here. And way too many projects going on right now. This city should be very heavily redeveloped by 2019/2020. Posting this link to give an idea of what Bridgeport is becoming. New amphitheater should also end up attracting big names. RIP Bluefish.

Jim Breuer to headline Bridgeport comedy club's opening

They are also in the process of cleaning up and slowly beginning to redevelop the East Side. East Main St area can easily be something like a mini-Greenpoint (Brooklyn).

Ganim touts major developments across city

"According to Ganim, more than $2.5 billion worth of proposed projects are either under construction or ready to break ground this year."

You have the most optimistic take on Bridgeport out of anyone in the world. I wish it were true - I can hit a golf ball from my yard into Bridgeport.

 

[minidarren]

I propose a change of thread title to "Does anyone in Downtown Hartford live?"

 

[BlueDogs]

Hartford still needs to build up its downtown residential population and attract more vibrancy through innovation spaces for artists, musicians and start-ups, street cafes. It needs to solve the I-91 highway problem which isolates the city from its best asset and reclaim the space to the river. The highway needs to go under ground and massive river front development can occur.

 

[Adios]

You have the most optimistic take on Bridgeport out of anyone in the world. I wish it were true - I can hit a golf ball from my yard into Bridgeport.

Give it time. It's been in the process. My woman even thinks Bridgeport will experience a renaissance. I live on North Ave, bordering the West End. It is not what it used to be (nowhere near) and I've been around the West End plenty. It's really being cleaned up. The city now has very low tolerance for general criminal activity. I am pretty much a life-long Fairfield resident.

The East End was REALLY bad and now I can drive around without the fear of being carjacked.

 

[Husky25]

Downtown needs a supermarket (and I don't mean a Market 21 type) to sustain the residential apartment dwelling population. I'm thinking IGA or Highland Park.

 

[polycom]

Downtown needs a supermarket (and I don't mean a Market 21 type) to sustain the residential apartment dwelling population. I'm thinking IGA or Highland Park.

Whole foods or bust.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

The stigma is not from people who live there. They have filled close to 1,000 new units downtown in the last five years and another 50o will open in the next year. I have stayed stay downtown for business and have for the past 20 years. There are good hotels, restaurants, drinking holes and diversions. BTW, they have had no problem filling up the new units or getting the rents they ask. They go fast.

That’s good to hear. Growing up in Vernon and knowing a lot of people from The neighboring towns, no one was really looking forward to growing up and moving to Hartford. I wonder if people are changing that.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Downtown needs a supermarket (and I don't mean a Market 21 type) to sustain the residential apartment dwelling population. I'm thinking IGA or Highland Park.

Trader Joe’s would be perfect in the west End or downtown.

 

[Travelman6]

People can't afford t1 cities anymore. Context I paid $1300 a month and I paid the least amount of money with 3 other roommates in Boston. In Hartford I can pay 400 more and get a nice 1 br to myself.

I agree. I was lucky to find a room, everything included, in Woodley Park, near the zoo in DC for 800$. I considered that to be a crazy good deal, and later found 900$ in the Friendship Heights area in upper NW near Military rd and CT ave, everything included. (everything included equals water, electric, gas, internet, tv, maid at WP too). Compared to my pals those were great deals as they were, as you said, paying anywhere from 1200 up to nearly 2000. In fact that first landlord was super generous, even brought food home and had cookouts for us, treated us to lunch from time to time. My other friends were for sure jealous.

I always thought Hartford had potential, hope it realizes it, but finds that balance between becoming a little more gentrified (and safe) but not so much so that those 400/month double or even triple. Because when the yuppies come with mom and dads money and no discretion on how to find good deals, yikes!

 

[Husky25]

Whole foods or bust.

Market 21, take 2, IMO.

Trader Joe’s would be perfect in the west End or downtown.

I'd buy that for a dollar. Trader Joe's would probably attract people into the City.

 

[Adios]

Whole Foods must have definitely helped the Black Rock neighborhood in Bridgeport. The one here is 500 feet from the Bridgeport border.

 

[Ha Who]

Downtown needs a supermarket (and I don't mean a Market 21 type) to sustain the residential apartment dwelling population. I'm thinking IGA or Highland Park.

Here is the problem. Hartford is very walkable. It should not be a problem to walk from Front Street to the dunk. However, there are many dead areas in between. I’m not a nervous Nellie about Hartford. For years I have parked by the former crack building for the XL. But I would not leave the old Sonesta at night to walk anywhere. The apartments are spaced too far apart. Will these dead area be filled in?

 

[polycom]

Has anyone visited the Heirloom Flats in Bloomfield?

 

[Guapo]

I agree. I was lucky to find a room, everything included, in Woodley Park, near the zoo in DC for 800$. I considered that to be a crazy good deal, and later found 900$ in the Friendship Heights area in upper NW near Military rd and CT ave, everything included. (everything included equals water, electric, gas, internet, tv, maid at WP too). Compared to my pals those were great deals as they were, as you said, paying anywhere from 1200 up to nearly 2000. In fact that first landlord was super generous, even brought food home and had cookouts for us, treated us to lunch from time to time. My other friends were for sure jealous.

I always thought Hartford had potential, hope it realizes it, but finds that balance between becoming a little more gentrified (and safe) but not so much so that those 400/month double or even triple. Because when the yuppies come with mom and dads money and no discretion on how to find good deals, yikes!

Lol, wish those were still the prices in DC/Woodley Park..,

 

[Robertelamin]

Has anyone visited the Heirloom Flats in Bloomfield?

I haven't but if your girl is going to be working at St. Francis then Bloomfield is definitely a good spot.

 

[polycom]

I haven't but if your girl is going to be working at St. Francis then Bloomfield is definitely a good spot.

Visiting every place in this thread in the next two weeks, I'll be sure to report back.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

You know that nice apartment I moved into right after graduation? I paid $75/month

I was working really crazy hours and suddenly found myself 1 week away from the end of my shared lease in Manchester where I had been living throughout my last semester and into my first job which was in Hartford. All my roommates were moving out and I needed to find a new place but I had absolutely zero time to look.

Meanwhile a friend had just made a deal with building management to get free rent in a 1 br for taking the garbage out every morning (1 central garbage room in each of 6 floors). When he found out I needed a place he went back and worked out a deal instead to share a 2 br (and the aforementioned daily chore) with me and split the difference in rent for the 2 br ($150).

So my entry level salary was suddenly rather adequate!

My first apartment was in Boston, at 820 Beacon St, across a parking lot to Fenway Park, just before the Green Line came above ground beyond Kenmore Square. I, too, split a $150 rent with a friend who sent me his half monthly after he decided to just stay in his suite back in upstate New York where we'd both gone inactive for a semester. His suitemates had chased away the university's chosen replacement for his room.
I didn't even have to empty the trash. It simply had to be 1974.
Fenway bleacher seats cost $1.25. I saw 42 games and was there the night people were gearing up for streaking, with random mooning and a lot of buzz. The first time a woman lifted her shirt, security shut things down.

 

[uconndoit]

My first apartment was in Boston, at 820 Beacon St, across a parking lot to Fenway Park, just before the Green Line came above ground beyond Kenmore Square. I, too, split a $150 rent with a friend who sent me his half monthly after he decided to just stay in his suite back in upstate New York where we'd both gone inactive for a semester. His suitemates had chased away the university's chosen replacement for his room.
I didn't even have to empty the trash. It simply had to be 1974.
Fenway bleacher seats cost $1.25. I saw 42 games and was there the night people were gearing up for streaking, with random mooning and a lot of buzz. The first time a woman lifted her shirt, security shut things down.

You just had to one-up me.

 

[uconndoit]

My first apartment was in Boston, at 820 Beacon St, across a parking lot to Fenway Park, just before the Green Line came above ground beyond Kenmore Square. I, too, split a $150 rent with a friend who sent me his half monthly after he decided to just stay in his suite back in upstate New York where we'd both gone inactive for a semester. His suitemates had chased away the university's chosen replacement for his room.
I didn't even have to empty the trash. It simply had to be 1974.
Fenway bleacher seats cost $1.25. I saw 42 games and was there the night people were gearing up for streaking, with random mooning and a lot of buzz. The first time a woman lifted her shirt, security shut things down.

In 1990 my brother was sharing a small 2 bedroom on Beacon Hill while going to university in Boston. If I remember correctly, it was $1500/month...and I'm sure that would be considered an outrageous bargain these days.

On a side note, my great great great uncle was General Joseph Hooker - there's a statue of him right near there in front of the Mass. State House.

 

[Robertelamin]

My first apartment was in Boston, at 820 Beacon St, across a parking lot to Fenway Park, just before the Green Line came above ground beyond Kenmore Square. I, too, split a $150 rent with a friend who sent me his half monthly after he decided to just stay in his suite back in upstate New York where we'd both gone inactive for a semester. His suitemates had chased away the university's chosen replacement for his room.
I didn't even have to empty the trash. It simply had to be 1974.
Fenway bleacher seats cost $1.25. I saw 42 games and was there the night people were gearing up for streaking, with random mooning and a lot of buzz. The first time a woman lifted her shirt, security shut things down.

That sounds awesome.

 

[Ewekon]

They have been also pushed out of Stamford and Norwalk into Bridgeport.

Black Rock is hipster heaven. You can't walk a block without seeing a man bun and/or a dog

 

[Adios]

Black Rock is hipster heaven. You can't walk a block without seeing a man bun and/or a dog

And it will spill east from there, across I-95 into the West End.

Hipsters scare me more than hoodlums.

 

[bigknight3]

I moved downtown recently. I think I can help. What are you looking for? Studio, 1 BR, 2 BR? Are you by yourself or living with someone?

As far as a "ghost town," it is better than it used to be even 2-3 years ago. If you are looking for places where you can hang out and have a few drinks, there are a couple of nice places to grab a few drinks.

The stigma is not from people who live there. They have filled close to 1,000 new units downtown in the last five years and another 50o will open in the next year. I have stayed stay downtown for business and have for the past 20 years. There are good hotels, restaurants, drinking holes and diversions. BTW, they have had no problem filling up the new units or getting the rents they ask. They go fast.

Been lurking for a bit haven't had a chance to respond. Who are the few brave souls your referring to? People are living Downtown. More people need to continue moving in. But that's affected by people retelling old inaccurate horror stories and continuing the "stigma". Like @Palatine said. The stigma isn't from those who live and work downtown. I've worked in Hartford for the over the last 8 years. I moved here 5 years ago. And been out consistently in downtown ever since. I don't live downtown but I did purchase a 2 family house near the Southend/Trinity college area as opposed to paying the rents that downtown apartments go for. When I'm downtown, I park on the street regularly. I've walked from one corner of downtown over to the Front Street area with no issues.

Granted, how comfortable you are and your familiarity with city living may affect your perspective. I grew up in Waterbury in one of the nicer sections but am accustom to traversing all of the various types of areas that come with city living. North end, South end, West end, downtown, Front street. These a reason to go to all of them.

Hartford isn't a ghost town. As far as downtown, yes, maybe it slows down on a Sunday like someone mentioned or when there's snow and its. But aren't most of use home on those same occasions. If you find Hartford to slow at times you can easily get to WeHa, Glastonbury or Middletown if you want to change it up.

But there are people out regularly. You've got Yard Goats, XL Center, Wadsworth, the Bushnell, Hartford Stage, TheaterWorks, Sea Tea Improve, Pratt street - has a PaintNite studio that just opened, cigar shop, juice bar, package store, Greek, Italian, Irish and Carribean restaurants all on the same street. City Steam Brewery (w/ 3 other breweries outside downtown (Hooker, Hanging Hills, and Hog River), the comedy club in the basement. Rocking horse/Russian Lady/Tavern tend to the younger crowd. And who knows what will become of the Allyn Street corridor that's currently in transition. Food trucks around Bushnell Park, summertime festivals including Jazz Fest. Small state greate beer fest on the Constitution Plaza (was significantly better in its 2nd year last summer). Front street - music venue, steak, movie theater, Bear's bbq. Arch street tavern - more live music, Boo-Yah free funk night on Wednesdays. Blind Pig. All of these locations are within walking distance of any downtown apartment. Yeah, there's no large grocery store to walk to but I've always driven to get my groceries and downtown is surrounded by options.

People are regularly at Vaughn's, Trumbull Kitchen and Salute. Dish can get busy and has its regulars - just extended their happy hour until opening pitch of the Yard goats games - so 4-7 instead of 4-6 and they have a $7 burger menu starting at 7pm. We're never going to be Boston with 1000s of people roaming around but isn't all of CT like that that you have to seek out activities if you're looking to do something but there is always something going on somewhere.

And as fair as WeHa versus Hartford. I prefer Hartford and I'll go into WeHa. Nightlife in the center just turns in to people milling about in over-cramped spaces, bumping into each other and fighting to get to the bartender to place an order.

 

[bigknight3]

News articles I remember about people living downtown. I think they all cover the positives and some negatives.

Millennials say Hartford's urban assets undervalued

Why Hartford is a good place for young professionals

Millennials moving into Connecticut as older generation is moving out

https://www.hypehartford.com/who-we-are/about-hype
https://www.facebook.com/HYPEHartford
(Plans over 70 events throughout the year. The majority are downtown. Monthly networking events but all other events have a social focus)

 

[GemParty]

Freshii opening soon on Main Street.