OT: Hartford...North End Promise

[glastonbury50]

It’s my dream. I’m never leaving CT or the Hartford area - I prefer it. And it seems like a cool spot to live. But now I have a wife who prefers a home or a walk-up condo.
Are you insinuating that living there is beneath you? Are you a snob?

The penthouse on the top floor of that building is almost 4,000 square feet with a built in elevator up to it. Its a really upscale building. It's almost a Manhattan, celebrity type of place. Also the rest of the apartments are all beautiful, its a really upscale place.

 

[bendm]

almost

 

[Deepster]

The XL Center needs to be revamped, they're not knocking it down so they(we) need to bite the bullet. It would add so much momentum to what UConn is doing with the resurgence of Men's Basketball and the Hockey team starting to make some noise.. it would foster a synergy for the 3 UConn teams that play there and the rest of the AD with all the new olympic sports facilities coming online.

“Foster a synergy”? They already play there. They have for years. Your point is toothless and just tries to sound smart.

 

[HuskyHawk]

It’s my dream. I’m never leaving CT or the Hartford area - I prefer it. And it seems like a cool spot to live. But now I have a wife who prefers a home or a walk-up condo.
Are you insinuating that living there is beneath you? Are you a snob?

As someone who grew up in Manchester, I always viewed East Hartford as a dump. Mostly known for adult bookstores. But that was 30 years ago. Manchester is now worse than it was then. Is East Hartford better?

On a related note, Hartford and East Hartford could have been very different with some foresight. I -91 should never have been allowed along the River. And Hartford needed to annex surrounding towns. It’s ridiculously small.

 

[TerryBoyz]

I hope any plans for improvements to Hartford include fireworks for the 4th Of July! Can’t believe we can’t find money to do that again.

 

[Deepster]

I hope any plans for improvements to Hartford include fireworks for the 4th Of July! Can’t believe we can’t find money to do that again.

LOL. Classic Hartford. New England's Rising Star can't scare up some overtime for police and fire to get people actually coming into the city on a holiday weekend. I'm sure the restaurant/bar business loves that decision.

 

[Palatine]

LOL. Classic Hartford. New England's Rising Star can't scare up some overtime for police and fire to get people actually coming into the city on a holiday weekend. I'm sure the restaurant/bar business loves that decision.

Hartford is one of the few places that kills events because they become too successful.Years ago Hartford had a bluegrass festival that was becoming a national event. They eventually cancelled it because of crowds, a victim of it's own success. I'm half surprised they haven't torn down Duncan Donuts Park because of crowds.

 

[John Greene]

The penthouse on the top floor of that building is almost 4,000 square feet with a built in elevator up to it. Its a really upscale building. It's almost a Manhattan, celebrity type of place. Also the rest of the apartments are all beautiful, its a really upscale place.

Attended a fund raiser/cocktail party there when it first opened since we socialized with 3 tenants. Was a popular address for corporate/legal singles or married w/o children couples. On a nice day they could actually walk to the office at the Travelers, Phoenix, Steam Boiler, or legal firms located in Constitution Plaza & 700 Main. Biggest negative they all thought was no easy place to food shop.

 

[XLCenterFan]

I hope any plans for improvements to Hartford include fireworks for the 4th Of July! Can’t believe we can’t find money to do that again.

I found some money:
Travelers 2019 Q4 profit: $873 M
Aetna/CVS 2019 profit: $1.53 B
The Hartford 2019 Q4 revenue: $543 M, up from $190M LY

 

[John Greene]

I found some money:
Travelers 2019 Q4 profit: $873 M
Aetna/CVS 2019 profit: $1.53 B
The Hartford 2019 Q4 revenue: $543 M, up from $190M LY

Just to confirm my geezerhood. Back in the days when the CEO's of the Travelers, Aetna and CG were known as 'the Bishops" the companies would take their turn supporting civic projects. With the headquarters all gone the only thing left is the golf tourney

 

[Waquoit]

Hartford is one of the few places that kills events because they become to successful.Years ago Hartford had a bluegrass festival that was becoming a national event. They eventually cancelled it because of crowds, a victim of it's own success. I'm half surprised they haven't torn down Duncan Donuts Park because of crowds.

This is almost true. The bluegrass festival was in East Hartford. And it was cancelled because the then new mayor didn't like the festival and the promoter (an EH town employee). It was a unilateral decision. The festival still exists in Goshen, after stops in Hebron and Norwich.

 

[bigknight3]

I found some money:
Travelers 2019 Q4 profit: $873 M
Aetna/CVS 2019 profit: $1.53 B
The Hartford 2019 Q4 revenue: $543 M, up from $190M LY

Hartford insurers commit another $10M gift to city

 

[Deepster]

Hartford insurers commit another $10M gift to city

Corporations like that typically donate money to philanthropic ventures. The article lists things like the public library getting help from it, for instance. They don't want their name on events like the 4th of July Celebration in case something bad happens there and they're automatically associated with it.

 

[Palatine]

Just to confirm my geezerhood. Back in the days when the CEO's of the Travelers, Aetna and CG were known as 'the Bishops" the companies would take their turn supporting civic projects. With the headquarters all gone the only thing left is the golf tourney

The state bleeds Fortune 500 companies like a hemophiliac. It does affect the quality of life. Hartford is still a hub for major employers with a wealth of historic, cultural and popular attractions. The real problem is lack of economic growth that would bring even more of each into the city.

 

[bigknight3]

Corporations like that typically donate money to philanthropic ventures. The article lists things like the public library getting help from it, for instance. They don't want their name on events like the 4th of July Celebration in case something bad happens there and they're automatically associated with it.

These are honestly two separate issues. Those companies made a commitment to invest in Hartford during a time where budgets are tight. They made that commitment, $50M over 5 years, with some expectation that they'd be involved in the conversation about the fiscal stability of the city moving forward.

The poster above then targeted those same companies as sources of funding for the fireworks. I posted the article to show that they are already investing in the city.

The Riverfront Recapture cited that the fireworks would be canceled due to health and safety concerns from the popular event where there was overcrowding along the waterfront. They did say that with recent budget cuts that the difficult decision to cancel the event was clear.

The recent budget cuts referenced were from MDC, not the city of Hartford.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

For sale in E Hartford’s tallest building:
Check out this home at Realtor.com
$159,900
2 beds · 2 baths
235 E River Dr Apt 308, East Hartford

https://b1iw.app.link/gBQrXGY7B4

 

[bigknight3]

For sale in E Hartford’s tallest building:
Check out this home at Realtor.com
$159,900
2 beds · 2 baths
235 E River Dr Apt 308, East Hartford

https://b1iw.app.link/gBQrXGY7B4

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

View attachment 51595

Jesus. Does that cover a second house?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Just to confirm my geezerhood. Back in the days when the CEO's of the Travelers, Aetna and CG were known as 'the Bishops" the companies would take their turn supporting civic projects. With the headquarters all gone the only thing left is the golf tourney

And The Hartford too.

 

[HuskyHawk]

For sale in E Hartford’s tallest building:
Check out this home at Realtor.com
$159,900
2 beds · 2 baths
235 E River Dr Apt 308, East Hartford

https://b1iw.app.link/gBQrXGY7B4

People are saying that's "upscale". Cheap minus those HOA fees.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

People are saying that's "upscale". Cheap minus those HOA fees.

Definitely a smaller unit and looks to be on the first or second floor.

 

[glastonbury50]

A lot of times Hartford runs into issues on not following through with these things. They would potentially build the development but not police the area appropriately or not keep I up as it will be kept when it is first built. It sound like this COULD be a great thing for the city so let's hope it works out.

 

[CL82]

And Hartford needed to annex surrounding towns.

Lebensraum?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Lebensraum?

almost every city but Hartford grew that way.

Municipal annexation in the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[CL82]

almost every city but Hartford grew that way.

Municipal annexation in the United States - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Overbroad statement. Some cities have grown that way, but not nearly "almost every one."

FWIW, I have no problem with the merger of municipalities but all the municipalities should be willing participants. Hartford's problems are more about mismanagement than municipality size. The notion that mismanagement can be cured by "annexing" surrounding (and often better run) communities is a flawed one, in my humble opinion.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Overbroad statement. Some cities have grown that way, but not nearly "almost every one."

FWIW, I have no problem with the merger of municipalities but all the municipalities should be willing participants. Hartford's problems are more about mismanagement than municipality size. The notion that mismanagement can be cured by "annexing" surrounding (and often better run) communities is a flawed one, in my humble opinion.

Hartford is the smallest state capital and smallest (geographic) city of its metro area size in the country. Find me some cities that didn’t annex. Boston took over several. New York even more. More modern cities are even more aggressive. LA consuming the San Fernando valley and Houston gobbling up everything.

Hartford is mismanaged. But if it was broader and more diverse it would have a better pool of people in charge of it. It has been severely hamstrung.

 

[CL82]

Hartford is mismanaged. But if it was broader and more diverse it would have a better pool of people in charge of it. It has been severely hamstrung.

Or would it just have more people victimized by that
mismanagement?

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Imagine what might have been if they had not cut the downtown off from the river decades ago.

This. Been saying this for years.

The other fatal flaw: Lack of a sizable university in the center of the city. It is the only city of note in this region that lacks a college or university in a central location. College kids bring money, cheap labor. and life to a city.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Or would it just have more people victimized by that
mismanagement?

Well add the voters of West Hartford, Bloomfield, Wethersfield, Newington and see what their voting and management patterns would look like. I mean 100 years ago they needed to do this. Different people would have been in charge. The same way Boston annexed South Boston, Hyde Park, Dorchester, West Roxbury etc. It's a moot point now.