XL Center renovation | Page 3 | The Boneyard

XL Center renovation

CTBasketball said:
You guys are spoiled. Embrace the suck that is the XL Center.
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You, my friend, are a marketing genius:


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Embrace the Suck!​
 
Palatine said:
Let's all pretend we don't know what the problem is.
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Correct, we all know how the right-wing elites sold out Hartford. Not just by sticking a highway in the middle of the city for private benefit. But the move away from county government, making it easier for affluent suburbs to pretend that society's problems are Hartford's alone.
 
Waquoit said:
Correct, we all know how the right-wing elites sold out Hartford. Not just by sticking a highway in the middle of the city for private benefit. But the move away from county government, making it easier for affluent suburbs to pretend that society's problems are Hartford's alone.
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Wow those right wing elites are absolutely nefarious. I'm amazed they keep getting reelected in Hartford.
 
CL82 said:
Wow those right wing elites are absolutely nefarious. I'm amazed they keep getting reelected in Hartford.
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Nah, they're all in Florida now. Their work is done
 
I only got approached twice for money the last time I went to the XL center, so I guess that was a plus.
 
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dennismenace said:
I don't think Hartford is unique. Look at what happened to every major city in CT. They were all manufacturing based which paid a lot of taxes. Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury, New Britain. Then the interstate highway system made it easy for folks who still had jobs in cities to commute and go home to the suburbs. It has been an exodus and now there are many less good paying jobs so no need to commute.
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With likely no bad intent, you omitted mention of Stamford. The City of Stamford had a manufacturing heritage that was similar to other CT cities. In 1949, it was consolidated with the larger Town of Stamford. Over such time, Stamford's population has grown through its inclusion of North Stamford, Shippan, Springdale, and Glenbrook. This has ensured a population that includes urban poverty AND vast wealth.

Stamford's population has grown from ~60,000 before consolidation to ~100,000 around the time of I-95 running through the city (1970) to current day ~125,000, which is greater today than Hartford which has in a similar time frame has gone from ~180,000 to ~160,000 to ~120,000.

The Hartford METRO population has grown while the city has been hemmed in. If Hartford were, say, Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, Windsor, Wethersfield, and Bloomfield, things would probably be different.
 
Hans Sprungfeld said:
With likely no bad intent, you omitted mention of Stamford. The City of Stamford had a manufacturing heritage that was similar to other CT cities. In 1949, it was consolidated with the larger Town of Stamford. Over such time, Stamford's population has grown through its inclusion of North Stamford, Shippan, Springdale, and Glenbrook. This has ensured a population that includes urban poverty AND vast wealth.

Stamford's population has grown from ~60,000 before consolidation to ~100,000 around the time of I-95 running through the city (1970) to current day ~125,000, which is greater today than Hartford which has in a similar time frame has gone from ~180,000 to ~160,000 to ~120,000.

The Hartford METRO population has grown while the city has been hemmed in. If Hartford were, say, Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, Windsor, Wethersfield, and Bloomfield, things would probably be different.
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Stamford though has the luxury of being on a 1 stop direct line to Manhattan within 50 minutes. If Hartford had something similar to Boston and was within a reasonable commuting distance, I would like to think it would see the same type of success.
 
Irish Loop said:
It's not just XL Center. It's Hartford. it's Connecticut.

It's endless negativity and self-flagellation. I don't know what it is. Too many Catholics, maybe?

Some people view everything through the prism of Government Is Bad. And everything comes back to that.

UConn spending too much? Cut funding. Tuition raising? How could you cut funding?!

Some folks just want to bitch and moan. I don't know. I think everyone needs to chill out and go to therapy and relax a little. Yes, life is Hell, but what else you got going on. Try to enjoy yourself once in awhile.

Anyway. Hartford needs something. The idea that the middle of the state is just not going to have any venue whatsoever for 8-15K is insane.

Also the idea that Hartford is the only city with a terrible highway running through it is hilarious. Go to another city, really, almost anywhere.
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I love Hartford and the things being accomplished here. Some people will never know because they literally never go into any of the neighborhoods. And I love Connecticut...However, Connecticut residents (especially above 50 years old) are the most negative people and they really contribute to holding back progress because their constant whining and negativity.
 
Irish Loop said:
Anyway. Hartford needs something. The idea that the middle of the state is just not going to have any venue whatsoever for 8-15K is insane.
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If there is an actual need, wouldn't the free market fill it? One possible argument is that it would but the decaying XL Center is taking up the need and thus preventing a private vendor from investing to fill it.
 
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CL82 said:
Wow those right wing elites are absolutely nefarious. I'm amazed they keep getting reelected in Hartford.
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He also neglected to mention that the riots In the 60’s chased many North End residents out of the city. The 84 split the city argument while valid is sometimes overstated.
 
Letsgohuskies11 said:
Stamford though has the luxury of being on a 1 stop direct line to Manhattan within 50 minutes. If Hartford had something similar to Boston and was within a reasonable commuting distance, I would like to think it would see the same type of success.
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NYC is the financial and media center of the world. Being connected to Boston would help Hartford but it's nothing like being connected to NYC. The little fiefdom hamlet mentality has hurt Hartford immeasurably as it has all CT. cities, running an interstate through the middle of the city cutting off neighborhoods from each other and cutting the city off from the water is another massive killer. CT. is sadly about the least forward looking place, it's a shame because it has a lot of built in advantages.
 
Letsgohuskies11 said:
Stamford though has the luxury of being on a 1 stop direct line to Manhattan within 50 minutes. If Hartford had something similar to Boston and was within a reasonable commuting distance, I would like to think it would see the same type of success.
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More accurately, Stamford benefitted from CT's lower costs, lower taxes, and suburban beauty by comparison with NYC, which was weak at the time. In that sense, it offered the same appeal and alternatives that have been sought in suburbs adjacent to Connecticut'other cities.

Still, Stamford had laid the groundwork by not allowing its immediately nearby wealthy to escape 'urban ills.'
 
Kenny11 said:
I love Hartford and the things being accomplished here. Some people will never know because they literally never go into any of the neighborhoods. And I love Connecticut...However, Connecticut residents (especially above 50 years old) are the most negative people and they really contribute to holding back progress because their constant whining and negativity.
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When you say "the things being accomplished here", can you elaborate more on what you mean there?
 
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Hans Sprungfeld said:
With likely no bad intent, you omitted mention of Stamford. The City of Stamford had a manufacturing heritage that was similar to other CT cities. In 1949, it was consolidated with the larger Town of Stamford. Over such time, Stamford's population has grown through its inclusion of North Stamford, Shippan, Springdale, and Glenbrook. This has ensured a population that includes urban poverty AND vast wealth.

Stamford's population has grown from ~60,000 before consolidation to ~100,000 around the time of I-95 running through the city (1970) to current day ~125,000, which is greater today than Hartford which has in a similar time frame has gone from ~180,000 to ~160,000 to ~120,000.

The Hartford METRO population has grown while the city has been hemmed in. If Hartford were, say, Hartford, West Hartford, East Hartford, Windsor, Wethersfield, and Bloomfield, things would probably be different.
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Possibly. But Stamford grew up as a refuge from NYC by Corporations which wanted the proximity to the City without all the costs and taxes. This was particularly true of Corporate Headquarters. Ct at the time offered a
more favorable tax arrangement for both Federal and State taxes and at the time (Pre Weicker) CT had no income tax for individuals. Of course our illustrious state is now seeing such Corporations as GE leave Stamford for the more attractive environment of tech center Ma. Where else but CT would a city (Hartford) get a 20 year legislated budgeted handout of $50 million per year for "education." Redistributing the wealth at the expense of cities who were expecting to recover excess taxes paid in. You can't make this stuff up. I doubt this has been done anywhere in US tax history.
 
Lol. I didn't read a post that gets it yet. What Hartford needs is rich young people to live and work in Hartford or none of the things people are asking for will happen. CT residents already love suburban living and that's fine. But when the Dunkin' doesn't open on Saturday you have a people problem. Spending money on the XL center makes no sense. Light that dump on fire and put it somewhere else.
 
Irish Loop said:
It's not just XL Center. It's Hartford. it's Connecticut.

It's endless negativity and self-flagellation. I don't know what it is. Too many Catholics, maybe?

Some people view everything through the prism of Government Is Bad. And everything comes back to that.

UConn spending too much? Cut funding. Tuition raising? How could you cut funding?!

Some folks just want to bitch and moan. I don't know. I think everyone needs to chill out and go to therapy and relax a little. Yes, life is Hell, but what else you got going on. Try to enjoy yourself once in awhile.

Anyway. Hartford needs something. The idea that the middle of the state is just not going to have any venue whatsoever for 8-15K is insane.

Also the idea that Hartford is the only city with a terrible highway running through it is hilarious. Go to another city, really, almost anywhere.
Expand ...
You realize of course that the design (including exits every 1/5 mile at one point) was to reward the merchants
and landlords. Pork. Some were so dangerous that they never actually opened. Highways which went around cities (New Britain, Meriden, Waterbury) did not save those cities either.
 
dennismenace said:
Possibly. But Stamford grew up as a refuge from NYC by Corporations which wanted the proximity to the City without all the costs and taxes. This was particularly true of Corporate Headquarters. Ct at the time offered a
more favorable tax arrangement for both Federal and State taxes and at the time (Pre Weicker) CT had no income tax for individuals.
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Yes, @superjohn and I made mention of this a bit further up the page.

dennismenace said:
You realize of course that the design (including exits every 1/5 mile at one point) was to reward the merchants
and landlords. Pork. Some were so dangerous that they never actually opened. Highways which went around cities (New Britain, Meriden, Waterbury) did not save those cities either.
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An as yet unmentioned aspect of Hartford's Interstate Highway System history, was how I-291 was intended as a ring-type highway that would encircle the city and allow traffic to switch from I-91 to I-84, or even go along the same axis without going through downtown.

The strongest (most powerful) opposition came from those along the path of the Talcott Ridge portion through West Hartford/Avon/Farmington, where there were some of the most desirable homes in the metropolitan region. It was also Metropolitan District Commission property, which was the reservoir water supply, and a long-time beautiful/beloved outdoor recreation area. It was a likely coalition of wealthy/connected NIMBY-meets-environmentalists that defeated the project.

The odd, unused multi-level stack that still stands where New Britain, Farmington, and West Hartford coverage would have connected I-291 to Route 9 down to the prosperous CT shoreline towns. Years after I had left the Hartford area, small segments of this road were built, joining, for example, Manchester to Bloomfield. So many other US cities built such highways and spawned prosperous real estate development. Joel Garreau's "Edge City" was the classic book on this phenomenon.
 
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bendm said:
this makes practicing land use law suicidal. 169 fiefdoms, plus all the little villages and boroughs, all with their own regulations. another reason why i moved.
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For a good time, check out Nassau County, on New York's Long Island: Unincorporated areas, School Districts, Taxing Districts, Villages, 3 very large & populous "Towns," and 2 small "Cities."

Cities, Towns & Villages | Nassau County, NY - Official Website

www.nassaucountyny.gov www.nassaucountyny.gov
 
polycom said:
Lol. I didn't read a post that gets it yet. What Hartford needs is rich young people to live and work in Hartford or none of the things people are asking for will happen. CT residents already love suburban living and that's fine. But when the Dunkin' doesn't open on Saturday you have a people problem. Spending money on the XL center makes no sense. Light that dump on fire and put it somewhere else.
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You don't seem to get it at all. People are giving reasons why rich young people don't want to live in Hartford. Choking your city off from it's best asset with an interstate running through it and having a city proper of 18 square miles has always killed the city. The state had the best economy in the 80's and young rich people still didn't want to live in Hartford. There is nothing exciting about living in a tiny footprint of a concrete office park surrounded by parking lots, with a highway running through it and a vacant waterfront.
 
bendm said:
this makes practicing land use law suicidal. 169 fiefdoms, plus all the little villages and boroughs, all with their own regulations. another reason why i moved.
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It's insane, it's the only place I've seen in the country where they still pretend it's the 1800's.
 
Towney007 said:
I enjoy Hartford quite a bit, guess i'm weird.
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Atheneum is a great museum, The Bushnell theater and the park are beautiful, ahe Hartford Stage is great but would you want to live there? Midsize cities are changing and becoming vibrant all over the place, I highly doubt that's happening with Hartford and it's not because CT. people have bad attitudes, it's because the gov't has failed the city for decades. Do they even have a grocery store?
 
superjohn said:
Do they even have a grocery store?
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nope. Market 21 closed in 2011 and still sits vacant on Asylum St. 2 blocks down there's a little bodega called greenway with a small selection of rotten produce, expired beverages, and stale everything else.
 
bendm said:
nope. Market 21 closed in 2011 and still sits vacant on Asylum St. 2 blocks down there's a little bodega called greenway with a small selection of rotten produce, expired beverages, and stale everything else.
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A new super Bodega just opened at Pearl and Main. Still no supermarket. The residents are complaining about a proposed supermarket in Do No being too close to a high school. After all the kids might get a job after school
 
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