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COMPLETED: Blue Back Square

ctman987

By ctman987
in Greater Hartford

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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Posted

West Hartford Center is NOT Hartford. It was originally built as the center of a farming community near Hartford. There is much of nothing between Hartford CBD and West Hartford Center, including a large gap in the urban continuity. It's a completely different place!

New districts become fashionable in cities, sure. But they are usually nearby, always close enough to walk. West Hartford is a completely different city.

West Hartford was originally part of Hartford, so that alone should tell you something.......

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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Manhattan was originally built as a farming village. So what? Hartford's west end is one of the most vital and lively areas in the entire city. It is two miles from BBS and two miles from downtown.

It is even closer than that. BBS is about three miles west of Union Station. Whitney Street is about the halfway point, 1.5 miles from each.

Here's a little trivia: Four Mile Road, which is a couple blocks west of WHC, is four miles from the Connecticut River. I think there is a stone marker on the corner of Farmington Avenue.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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Manhattan was originally built as a farming village. So what? Hartford's west end is one of the most vital and lively areas in the entire city. It is two miles from BBS and two miles from downtown. Your observations raise a question. Have you ever been to Hartford?

Both downtowns are literally minutes apart. I drive down Farmington Ave all the time, and I am amazed on how quick I get to WHC from downtown Hartford.

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

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What are you people going on about? Of course West Hartford is there because of Hartford. It's obviously close. But West Hartford has become a city of its own, while Hartford's real CBD is still pathetic. If it makes you feel better when you shop there, at least it's on the bus line and at least it's the next town over. But it's still a shopping center in the suburbs in my book, just a more progressive one. I'd rather go to West Hartford Center than the mall but Hartford sees no real effect from this.

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

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In most cities the CBD is an office park. The night life corridors and epicenter are located outside of downtown.

That is completely ridiculous. Many cities have their modern (50's through 80's) zones of tall skyscrapers and offices and little else. Even London and Paris. But you can walk out of them into the city. West Hartford is a completely different city. If Hartford were as big as Chicago, West Hartford Center would be like downtown Gary. This is not Hartford's entertainment district, it's not a district of Hartford at all. I hope nobody tries telling conventioners or visitors this nonsense, any fool would know they were out in the suburbs.

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Bill Mocarsky Hamlet

Bill Mocarsky

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That is completely ridiculous. Many cities have their modern (50's through 80's) zones of tall skyscrapers and offices and little else. Even London and Paris. But you can walk out of them into the city. West Hartford is a completely different city. If Hartford were as big as Chicago, West Hartford Center would be like downtown Gary. This is not Hartford's entertainment district, it's not a district of Hartford at all. I hope nobody tries telling conventioners or visitors this nonsense, any fool would know they were out in the suburbs.

I grew up in the west end. Walking to West Hartford Center or downtown Hartford was no problem. It is like one city. I would like to see what we can do with the combined energy of Blue Back Square, The Farmington Avenue Alliance, Hartford 2010 and AVAC.

BTW, The city of London is about 1 square mile.

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drc72 Burg

drc72

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That is completely ridiculous. Many cities have their modern (50's through 80's) zones of tall skyscrapers and offices and little else. Even London and Paris. But you can walk out of them into the city. West Hartford is a completely different city. If Hartford were as big as Chicago, West Hartford Center would be like downtown Gary. This is not Hartford's entertainment district, it's not a district of Hartford at all. I hope nobody tries telling conventioners or visitors this nonsense, any fool would know they were out in the suburbs.

Ever been to downtown Los Angeles??? All the night life is located away from the CBD. According to a friend of mine that lives out there, "there's not really much to do in downtown LA".

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

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So, I am currently sitting (and walking and shopping) at Blue Back Square for the first time. This is going to be a phenomenal development when done (which looks to be soon). It's still very chaotic, but so what. Here's what I take out of this: this development could be put in probably 6 different sites in/near downtown Hartford, and work. It has great density, I'm assuming plenty of residential, parking, everything a successful urban site needs. Hartford officials needs to take a quick peek and see their future.....

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HartfordTycoon Town

HartfordTycoon

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So, I am currently sitting (and walking and shopping) at Blue Back Square for the first time. This is going to be a phenomenal development when done (which looks to be soon). It's still very chaotic, but so what. Here's what I take out of this: this development could be put in probably 6 different sites in/near downtown Hartford, and work. It has great density, I'm assuming plenty of residential, parking, everything a successful urban site needs. Hartford officials needs to take a quick peek and see their future.....

I'm sure that they all have and are hoping that is actually what the cards hold for Hartford.

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

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Ever been to downtown Los Angeles??? All the night life is located away from the CBD. According to a friend of mine that lives out there, "there's not really much to do in downtown LA".

Yes Los Angeles is a disgrace, this is nothing new. It just happens to have a perfect climate and perfect beaches to attract people.

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The Voice of Reason Town

The Voice of Reason

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I agree that BBS could be put in several places and work out just fine. Hartford unfortunately is so much less proven (in the minds of developers) than West hartford. In the next year or more H21 will start to fill out on tennants as will Pratt Street. Once that happens, and the resturant scene downtown continues to develop, you may very well just see a private sector development much like BB proposed downtown. If Front street ever happens I think this would only improve the chances. But it will take patience. Hartford is still in a slow mend. we genreally missed out on the most recent building boom, but we are making steady progress still, and we should be ready for the next boom.

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ctman Whistle-Stop

ctman

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The article makes a lot of good points.

BBS is a great development, smart in just about every aspect. If it was 4 or 5 years ago I would have loved to live there. My question is, if you are looking for urban living and the convienence of walking to work, restaurants, RETAIL, and the like, why would you move to hartford? with BBS you can walk to a movie and to a restaurant afterwards. You can walk to a grocery store after grabbing a morning coffee at starbucks. Taxes and insurance are lower. The town offers services (granted I don't think it offers the methadone clinic hartford does). You can even get a house with a yard, albeit a small one, within walking distance to the center for 350-400k. In hartford, you can walk to restaurants and the wadsworth, but thats about it. Take a walk around and try to find a coffee on sunday morning, 1 place is open - JoJos. Take a walk down WHC and BBS on a sunday am, every coffee place is open and full of people- starbucks, daily grind, and so on. Yea, once (if) more people move to hartford places will be open. I moved to DT Hartford over 2 years ago on that promise, thinking we would be part of a huge wave of new residents and Hartford would have a supermarket and more open storefronts in no time. I lobbied hard for co-workers to consider hartford on the promises made that more creature comforts were oh so close. All it was just a lot of talk though. Sure, there have been some changes for the better, I'm sure Trumbull St will look better once the renovations are done, still desolate after 6 on a weeknight, but it will look better. UConn MBA program opened up at constitution plaza, it's scrolling newswire bringing some life to that part of DT - if only the D&D there wouldn't run out of coffee before a 6pm class. The roads are in much better shape. There are some cool new restaurants that have opened up. Some bad changes too; Metlife, ING, WFSB, MassMutual have all left the city, reducing the pool of potential residents. Perez was re-elected. Now, it must be asked, if presented with a 400k condo overlooking bushnell park, or a 400k condo in BBS, why chose hartford now?

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The Voice of Reason Town

The Voice of Reason

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Posted

BBS is a great development, smart in just about every aspect. If it was 4 or 5 years ago I would have loved to live there. My question is, if you are looking for urban living and the convienence of walking to work, restaurants, RETAIL, and the like, why would you move to hartford? with BBS you can walk to a movie and to a restaurant afterwards. You can walk to a grocery store after grabbing a morning coffee at starbucks. Taxes and insurance are lower. The town offers services (granted I don't think it offers the methadone clinic hartford does). You can even get a house with a yard, albeit a small one, within walking distance to the center for 350-400k. In hartford, you can walk to restaurants and the wadsworth, but thats about it. Take a walk around and try to find a coffee on sunday morning, 1 place is open - JoJos. Take a walk down WHC and BBS on a sunday am, every coffee place is open and full of people- starbucks, daily grind, and so on. Yea, once (if) more people move to hartford places will be open. I moved to DT Hartford over 2 years ago on that promise, thinking we would be part of a huge wave of new residents and Hartford would have a supermarket and more open storefronts in no time. I lobbied hard for co-workers to consider hartford on the promises made that more creature comforts were oh so close. All it was just a lot of talk though. Sure, there have been some changes for the better, I'm sure Trumbull St will look better once the renovations are done, still desolate after 6 on a weeknight, but it will look better. UConn MBA program opened up at constitution plaza, it's scrolling newswire bringing some life to that part of DT - if only the D&D there wouldn't run out of coffee before a 6pm class. The roads are in much better shape. There are some cool new restaurants that have opened up. Some bad changes too; Metlife, ING, WFSB, MassMutual have all left the city, reducing the pool of potential residents. Perez was re-elected. Now, it must be asked, if presented with a 400k condo overlooking bushnell park, or a 400k condo in BBS, why chose hartford now?

CTMan, I applaud you. I know you are a little down, or maybe even bitter that the changes you expected did not happen. But you did move downtown 2 years ago and you along with the the other little improvements are the reason that someone like me would concider moving downtown in Hartfords current state. If enough of you and enough of me exist than people like my wife would be willing to move downtown. Sadly I will not be moving because of the afore mentioned wife. But West Hartford likely will get us. Sure its not downtown Hartford, but if there are urban dwellers in the metro area it is only a matter of time for the net effects to add up and developers to respond. Incidentally she said that Hartford would need 2-3 more buildings like H-21 to get her to commit. and I think she is very mainstream. So be strong Urban pioneer. Your hopefully making it possible for me to move downtown some day.

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Leo Berman Unincorporated Area

Leo Berman

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Posted

"or a 400k condo in BBS"

Is that even possible?

BBS is a great development, smart in just about every aspect. If it was 4 or 5 years ago I would have loved to live there. My question is, if you are looking for urban living and the convienence of walking to work, restaurants, RETAIL, and the like, why would you move to hartford? with BBS you can walk to a movie and to a restaurant afterwards. You can walk to a grocery store after grabbing a morning coffee at starbucks. Taxes and insurance are lower. The town offers services (granted I don't think it offers the methadone clinic hartford does). You can even get a house with a yard, albeit a small one, within walking distance to the center for 350-400k. In hartford, you can walk to restaurants and the wadsworth, but thats about it. Take a walk around and try to find a coffee on sunday morning, 1 place is open - JoJos. Take a walk down WHC and BBS on a sunday am, every coffee place is open and full of people- starbucks, daily grind, and so on. Yea, once (if) more people move to hartford places will be open. I moved to DT Hartford over 2 years ago on that promise, thinking we would be part of a huge wave of new residents and Hartford would have a supermarket and more open storefronts in no time. I lobbied hard for co-workers to consider hartford on the promises made that more creature comforts were oh so close. All it was just a lot of talk though. Sure, there have been some changes for the better, I'm sure Trumbull St will look better once the renovations are done, still desolate after 6 on a weeknight, but it will look better. UConn MBA program opened up at constitution plaza, it's scrolling newswire bringing some life to that part of DT - if only the D&D there wouldn't run out of coffee before a 6pm class. The roads are in much better shape. There are some cool new restaurants that have opened up. Some bad changes too; Metlife, ING, WFSB, MassMutual have all left the city, reducing the pool of potential residents. Perez was re-elected. Now, it must be asked, if presented with a 400k condo overlooking bushnell park, or a 400k condo in BBS, why chose hartford now?
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