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Hartford Restaurant/Retail

ctman987

By ctman987
in Greater Hartford

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redbaron Whistle-Stop

redbaron

Posted
Posted

You tried to click on the girl didn't you? The chef Jason is an assoicate of David Burke. David Burke is one of the top chefs in the country.

This is no offense to the other restaurants in the city but it's good to see a place like this finally opening up in Hartford, bringing in a top chef, New York style service. It's a good thing and hopefully more follow suite. Restaurants are a big draw for any city, look what they did for Providence.

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JimSawhill Hamlet

JimSawhill

Posted
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OK, let's go one step further than it would be nice to see this or that type of shop in Hartford, if you were to invest your own money in a retail store in Hartford, where would you put it, what kind of shop are you planning, and how do you plan to get people into your shop and spend money?

If I opened my shop in Hartford -- I'd create 3 stores:

1) an Urban fishing store -- near riverside Park. I'd sell and rent canoes and small boats, fishing equipment and teach Hartford's youth fishing and the environment of the Connecticut River.

2) A hobby shop -- Hobby Center was a fixture on Pratt Street for years then they got lost in the Civic Center Mall so they closed in the 80s. I would open it near H21 -- and maybe have a space for a model railroad club.

3) A Native American restaurant. The place would be on Main Street -- near Sage-Allen and Capitol Community College area.

Any comments?

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JimSawhill Hamlet

JimSawhill

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I would love to open an independent bookstore specializing in kids books, maps and local history. I'd love to name it 'Huntington's of Hartford'. The store would have a cafe and wifi and maybe even a view of the RIVER.

Another store I'd do is to create a MODEL TRAIN store. Another would be a canoe/kayak store on the waterfront.

JimS

Oops:

I guess I just told you what I'd do before. sorry... :)

those are all great ideas!

taylor:

Thanks!!

Jim

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JimSawhill Hamlet

JimSawhill

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The Chowder pot is good!

Wouldn't it be nice to have some kind of waterfront seafood place on the river with the ability for boats to dock and dine at like what is done in numerous spots on the shore and at Saybrook Point in Old Saybrook.

I forget the name of the place in Middletown, but that place is always packed, and there is also a place in Essex that has a dock and dine.

uconn99:

It would be great to see more waterfront restaurants. !-2-3 Riverside (an East Hartford bar) would be aplace to have a semi-formal restaurant. I like the place, however -- boars and adult drinks do not mix. (It is even deadlier then DUI... the sun helps create more blood alcohol, so you shouldn't drink in boats)

Anyway, Frank Marita - at the time, the owners of America's Cup in Middletown - proposed a floating restaurant near Great River Park in the 1980s. -- It was supposed to be a SIDEWHEELER.

Jim S

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redbaron Whistle-Stop

redbaron

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If I opened my shop in Hartford -- I'd create 3 stores:

1) an Urban fishing store -- near riverside Park. I'd sell and rent canoes and small boats, fishing equipment and teach Hartford's youth fishing and the environment of the Connecticut River.

2) A hobby shop -- Hobby Center was a fixture on Pratt Street for years then they got lost in the Civic Center Mall so they closed in the 80s. I would open it near H21 -- and maybe have a space for a model railroad club.

3) A Native American restaurant. The place would be on Main Street -- near Sage-Allen and Capitol Community College area.

Any comments?

Urban fishing store may have a tough time competing with cabelas which is scheduled for Rentchesler field (aside is there any more news on that??) There is a Moes in S.Windsor (evergreen walk) but I would definitely love one in Hartford. I personally would loveto see an influx of high end, creative, ethnic restaurants. Taking advantage of the riverfront makes alot of sense, where would they go?

Anyone have any idea about the status of the aforementioned white table cloth restaurant on the ground floor of Trumbull on the Park? It's a great location, I hate to see it empty for so long.

Not sure, there also is space available at the old SNET Building for a restaurant. Has there been anyword on what is slated for H21??

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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Downtown needs more restaurants. Restaurants draw in crowds and make the city more lively after 5PM.

For the restaurant scene, I'd like to see more diversity from what is currently offered. I am of Italian heritage and love Italian food - but enough already. Where are the French, Indian, Mederterranian, Seafood, Spanish, etc. restaurants?

As far as retail, I would like to see small independant trendy type places that appeal to a young professional crowd. Asylum, Main and Trumbull Streets should be like Newberry St. or Soho. I would go as far as including chains as long as it was urban-oriented and unique to the area. Armani Exchange, Kenneth Cole, Zara, etc. grouped in clusters would do fine in downtown.

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paul514 Unincorporated Area

paul514

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I think what could really work for Hartford would be a street with lots of clothing stores that simply don't exist in the greater Hartford area making them unique. I'm thinking of trendier stores that cater to younger shoppers. This would draw in a younger crowd from the suburbs especially on weekends. With a good amount of restaurants in the mix, downtown Hartford would actually become a place to spend the day, and it would certainly be more interesting than Westfarms or Buckland.

Here are some stores that the city should try to get:

Armani Exchange

Ecco

Espirit

French Connection

H&M

Mexx

United Colors of Benetton

Urban Outfitters

Virgin Megastore

Zara

Once the young people come downtown the wealthy middle-age suburbanites can return too and for them higher end stores could follow such as:

Burberry

Dolce & Gabbana

Ermenegildo Zegna

Gucci

Louis Vuitton

Versace

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robm324 Whistle-Stop

robm324

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Posted

I think what could really work for Hartford would be a street with lots of clothing stores that simply don't exist in the greater Hartford area making them unique. I'm thinking of trendier stores that cater to younger shoppers. This would draw in a younger crowd from the suburbs especially on weekends. With a good amount of restaurants in the mix, downtown Hartford would actually become a place to spend the day, and it would certainly be more interesting than Westfarms or Buckland.

Here are some stores that the city should try to get:

Armani Exchange

Ecco

Espirit

French Connection

H&M

Mexx

United Colors of Benetton

Urban Outfitters

Virgin Megastore

Zara

Once the young people come downtown the wealthy middle-age suburbanites can return too and for them higher end stores could follow such as:

Burberry

Dolce & Gabbana

Ermenegildo Zegna

Gucci

Louis Vuitton

Versace

My first reaction is wow, too expensive...then again, with people spending tons on Condo's and people paying a minimum of 1500 on apartments at H21, then Hartford could support it....hopefully downtown can really turn into an upperclass place to be in the region.

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MadVlad Town

MadVlad

Posted
Posted

This is going to sound stupid, but we don't have enough sex trade in downtown. I want a really good strip club downtown. I know they tried to put one in around Allyn St a few years ago, but the city ordinances wouldn't allow it. I really don'e see the big deal....

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

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Posted

This is going to sound stupid, but we don't have enough sex trade in downtown. I want a really good strip club downtown. I know they tried to put one in around Allyn St a few years ago, but the city ordinances wouldn't allow it. I really don'e see the big deal....

And you'd instantly ruin the housing market downtown.

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

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Posted

I think what could really work for Hartford would be a street with lots of clothing stores that simply don't exist in the greater Hartford area making them unique. I'm thinking of trendier stores that cater to younger shoppers. This would draw in a younger crowd from the suburbs especially on weekends. With a good amount of restaurants in the mix, downtown Hartford would actually become a place to spend the day, and it would certainly be more interesting than Westfarms or Buckland.

Here are some stores that the city should try to get:

Armani Exchange

Ecco

Espirit

French Connection

H&M

Mexx

United Colors of Benetton

Urban Outfitters

Virgin Megastore

Zara

Once the young people come downtown the wealthy middle-age suburbanites can return too and for them higher end stores could follow such as:

Burberry

Dolce & Gabbana

Ermenegildo Zegna

Gucci

Louis Vuitton

Versace

You can find many of those higher end brands downtown already at Stackpole Moore Tryon and Tuesday's. But those stores would be nice. I really like the first list. I'd kill for a Benetton store in Hartford.

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mikel Hamlet

mikel

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Posted

Why's that?

Because Americans in general find strip clubs as "dirty" and bring a bad element into town. I personally don't think its true. In Montreal those clubs help keep Ste Catherine Street alive. But, there's a reason why strip clubs in Hartford are in industrial zones.

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Luca Brasi Hamlet

Luca Brasi

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Strip clubs downtown sure aren't going to help attract the shopping and high rents for retail or residential we are talking about in the heart of conservative yankeeism. I think the sex shops and strip clubs in the North Meadows are just fine where they are. They should continue to build on the "district" that has developed out behind the car dealerships.

Good list Paul... especially your first list (the second list although awesome may be a bit pricey for conservative CT). I don't see why these stores wouldn't thrive in clusters downtown. It would be a much welcome relief from boredom and mall culture of Westfarms and Buckland - and a definite step up.

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mamul Unincorporated Area

mamul

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Somone should forward all of these ideas to Nitkin for Front Street. The original idea of Front Street was to create a "Newbury Street" of Hartford. Pretty much all of the above mentioned stores can be found there except perhaps Dean & Deluca. I think stores will move into downtown after people move in. Its tough to have stores in areas where only people are working...even if you look at Boston there are very few stores in the financial district as it shuts down every day at 5:00 pm. Hartford, in its current form, is basically one big financial districut. People aren't looking to shop at Bennetton on their lunch breaks...but when the people come so will the stores.

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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Posted

This is going to sound stupid, but we don't have enough sex trade in downtown. I want a really good strip club downtown. I know they tried to put one in around Allyn St a few years ago, but the city ordinances wouldn't allow it. I really don'e see the big deal...

And you'd instantly ruin the housing market downtown.

A building in downtown Providence that sits right next to a strip club and two blocks from another was recently converted to million dollar condos.

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