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Hartford's Big Night


ctman987

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Here is what will be happening in and around the city on Friday October 7th:

Syracuse vs. UCONN at Rentschler Field in East Hartford: 40,000 people, sold out, many out-of-towners

Bruce Springsteen concert at the Hartford Civic Center: 16,000 people, sold out

The Marathon: Big marathon on Saturday but many coming on Friday for event dinner in Bushnell Park

Pratt Street Octoberfest block party

Cirque du Soleil will sell out soon

Math Teachers Convention at the Connecticut Convention Center: 2,000 math teachers

Will Hartford be ready?

What needs to be done to prepare?

Will there gridlock all over the capital area because of a lack of preparedness?

Where will people park? Downtown or out of downtown

Will people use public transportation?

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The Marathon: Big marathon on Saturday but many coming on Friday for event dinner in Bushnell Park

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Is this marathon only a full marathon, or are there 5K, 7K, or 10K components? If so, I may come up there for it and take some photos while I'm at it...

- Garris

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I will certainly hope to.  What are the best skyline photograph vantage points in Hartford?

- Garris

Providence, RI

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Some of the best views are from the Convention Center on the Riverfront. Here is the official link to the marathon.

United Technologies Hartford Marathon

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In my opinion, the best phot vantage point is from the staircase leading to the Charter Oak Bridge from Charter Oak Landing (park and boat launch). It's right near the Colt Building, and gives a great view northward of downtown. The view from the Soldiers and Sailors Arch would be great too, but access in there depends on when you go, I really doubt it would be open at night, possibly open on weekends and various weekdays.

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Also, the best looking buildings are the Richardson building (Main St), Brown Thompson (Main St near the Richardson), the Phoenix Mutual Building (blue, 2 sides, on Constitution Plaza, can't miss it), the base of the Goodwin Hotel (Asylum St, right across from the Civic Center), and the Colt Building (south of Downtown, blue onion dome, can't miss it from I-91). Also good are: the Capitol, the Bushnell Theatre (across from the Capitol), the Supreme Court Building (across from the Capitol), nice row of brownstone on Capitol Ave (from the Capitol, head toward Main St), the Linden (Main St),the Old State House (State House Square, Main St, near Travelers Tower), and Union Station. Many others around town, but I don't have specific address', though one is where Main Street starts, south side of South Green Park (little gargoyles along the top of the building, but it's in a bit of disrepair).

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I absolutly agree with madvlad on the view from the stairs on the Charter Oak Bridge, its the best in the city, I have a picture on my wall from this winter when the river is as blue as Caribbean water. The only downside is you really can't see Hartford 21 (which is an ok tradeoff since almost every other view it seems has Cityplace I blocking Goodwin Square, my favorite building)

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This is great stuff folks, thanks! It's actually better if the skyline views don't incorporate Hartford 21, since it won't be done yet by the time I'm there and I don't want to date the photos.

I was looking at the Charter Oak bridge online, and it looks to me like the bridge bisects the skyline, making it hard to get a good whole skyline shot. It's also full of overhead lights, which will ruin anything after dusk. I'm guessing the vantage points I'm looking for will need to be farther from the city... Does anyone have a photo from this point?

Also, which areas are good for scenes of streetscapes (signage, pedestrians, etc)?

Also, you guys can help orient me. From photos on the web, where are these taken from?

Hartford.jpg

hartford.jpeg

hartford.gif

hartford.jpg

hartford-1.jpg

I especially like those last two...

Thanks!

- Garris

Providence, RI

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1) the Capitol

2) possibly the top of a building or Elizabeth Park (west of downtown)

3) Hartford Hospital

4) Charter Oak Bridge ; )

5) maybe Charter Oak Bridge again

These are, of course, estimations on my part depending what angle the photos are taken. The Charter Oak Bridge isn't actually downtown, it's just south, so you have enough distance to easily get a full skyline shot. Unsure about the lighting there, might be a nuisance, might not be. You won't actually be on the Bridge, you'll be on the top of the staircase that leads to the Bridge. Charter Oak Place is a street that has nice old houses too. Also to consider taking photos of: the Mark Twain House, and the Harriett Beecher Stowe house. Both awesome turn-of-the-century houses that are in immaculate condition. Both are west of downtown along Farmington Avenue. I'll keep posting ideas of more buildings as they come to me.

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Another great view of the city in my opinion is from Great River Park in East Hartford. The park is on the other side of the river from downtown and a tad bit south of downtown so you get to look up at the skyline.

DIRECTIONS

From North of Hartford, take I-91 South to Exit 30, I

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A couple of my favorite vantage points are...

Colt Park (directly south of downtown)

HartfordskylinefromColtParksmall.jpg

and if you're willing to travel 7 miles east of the city (and spend $3 on admission into the park), Wickham Park in Manchester offers a spectacular view of the city, especially in the fall. This picture was taken about 10 years ago, so it is missing the Convention Center, the Marriott Hotel, and Hartford 21, which are all visable from this view.

Hartfordniceskyline.jpg

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Wow, thank you for the advice everyone...

It would appear that my highest yield photographic spots right now would be the...

- Charter Oak Bridge

- Colt Park (right nearby the bridge, it seems)

- Wickham Park

- Maybe Elizabeth Park (I'd have to see some photos from there. The only one I've found is the one below, and there seems to be substantial tree blockage here).

plskyline.jpg

Keeping the game going, where are these nice shots taken from?

jzhartford2.jpg

jeHtfdsunset2.jpg

- Garris

Providence, RI

PS: In the photos I posted previously, in the shots that everyone says are from the Charter Oak Bridge, is the new Convention Center blocking what seems to a street in the last two photos? (the streaking lights...)

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Wow, thank you for the advice everyone...

It would appear that my highest yield photographic spots right now would be the...

- Charter Oak Bridge

- Colt Park (right nearby the bridge, it seems)

- Wickham Park

- Maybe Elizabeth Park (I'd have to see some photos from there.  The only one I've found is the one below, and there seems to be substantial tree blockage here).

plskyline.jpg

Keeping the game going, where are these nice shots taken from?

jzhartford2.jpg

jeHtfdsunset2.jpg

- Garris

Providence, RI

PS: In the photos I posted previously, in the shots that everyone says are from the Charter Oak Bridge, is the new Convention Center blocking what seems to a street in the last two photos? (the streaking lights...)

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Those last 2 shots are both from E. Hartford. The top one must be from the Sheraton and the bottom one may be from Riverside Park in E. Hartford.

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Colt Park is near the staircase for the C.O. Bridge, but not right next to it. Coming out of Charter Oak Landing parking lot, you want to take a right out of the parking lot (under the overpass), then a left onto Wawarme Ave. Colt Park is ahead on your right. The area around the entrance/exit to Charter Oak Landing is kinda messed up, there's rail tracks, etc, but you basically you don't want to head back toward the Colt building, you want to go the other way.

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Also, there's a few little projects around there, so just be aware of your surroundings, though it should be totally safe....

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I actually read that Dutch Point had been completely razed in the Courant this week. I was totally unaware they had done it already, as I don't go to the south end often. The neighborhood is still not the greatest though.

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I haven't driven by Dutch point lately, but it depends which part of Dutch Point they are talking. The VanBlock Ave part was close to the Colt Building, the other part was little further. I remember when I first started working for SNET, we had to go into VanBlock Ave, and the way it used to be set up was stupid. We'd basically have to drive our truck through these arches that connected all the buildings, so it was like driving through a tunnel of street-thugs, and ne-er-do-wells that would basically be 2 feet from our window (heaven forbid they actually move when a vehicle had to drive through). We had to exit the same way, so if someone wanted to prevent us from exiting, all they had to do was block us in and we were screwed......

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