Opinions of Hartford

[mikel]

Young mikel is brilliantly insightful as usual.

Right now, today, and especially in the coming weeks after Becker's and No Fish Today close, downtown Hartford will have the least to offer since I was born.

[beerbeer]

In the last couple of years Hartford has gotten a Morton's, which I consider one of the finest steak houses in the country, it had nothing close before Morton's. And Morton's biz is way up since the opening of the CCC.

There are better sushi and tapas places than in the past. Were they any downtown five years ago?

The city previously had nothing close to 960. And I prefer major college football (and tailgating) at the Rent to hockey. Not to mention the developments in-store across the river.

The west end keeps adding interesting restaurants, the most recent being Brazilian.

West Hartford Center is exploding into one of the best restaurant and entertainment districts in New England.

And there are more on the way, the retail and restaurants options that will be provided by H21 will be revealed in about two weeks.

But "No fish today" is closing. BFD, I've eaten there. Not bad, not great. Downtown is changing for sure. Much for the better.

We're doomed, we're doomed. LOL.

[SOCOM]

In the last couple of years Hartford has gotten a Morton's, which I consider one of the finest steak houses in the country, it had nothing close before Morton's. And Morton's biz is way up since the opening of the CCC.

There are better sushi and tapas places than in the past. Were they any downtown five years ago?

The city previously had nothing close to 960. And I prefer major college football (and tailgating) at the Rent to hockey. Not to mention the developments in-store across the river.

The west end keeps adding interesting restaurants, the most recent being Brazilian.

West Hartford Center is exploding into one of the best restaurant and entertainment districts in New England.

And there are more on the way, the retail and restaurants options that will be provided by H21 will be revealed in about two weeks.

But "No fish today" is closing. BFD, I've eaten there. Not bad, not great. Downtown is changing for sure. Much for the better.

How dare you say things are better today than they were 10 years ago! Don't you know that makes you ignorant and short sighted? We shouldn't be talkin about ANYTHING positive...we should be dwelling on the negatives and keep reminding ourselves of the past failures. That's how to get things done.

[Bill Mocarsky]

I was thinking the same thing. Nobody says that Hartford is out of the woods yet, but if I had to compare the Hartford of 2006, to the Hartford of 1996, I would say the city is doing much much better now. Does more need to be done? Hell Yeah!!! There's plenty that needs to be done. Revitalization is not done over night.

I disagree. In 1996, the Whalers played in the Civic Center, there was Luettgin's (sp?) and TJ Maxx in the Civic Center, along with a food court, there were two record stores downtown, a bookstore, a Footlocker, a Gap, two Radio Shacks, a peanut store and a chocolate/candy store, a great Italian restaurant downtown (Gaetano's), an Eastern Mountain Sports, the Hartford brewery, the Richardson Mall, and this is just off the top of my head. There was a lot more to do.

Yes, Hartford had all those things in 1996. However, in 1996 Hartford was a city in decline, which it has been for several years already.

I look at it as not where you are, but where you are going.

[HartfordTycoon]

Yes, Hartford had all those things in 1996. However, in 1996 Hartford was a city in decline, which it has been for several years already.

I look at it as not where you are, but where you are going.

This sums up my attitude as well. We had some great stuff, and if the Whalers would have stayed and we were doing certain things to attract residential to Downtown in 1996 who knows where Hartford would be today. However I am optimistic that we will gain new population Downtown which will spur quality retail, which will be great. Now if we take that a few steps further maybe we get the NHL back, a new Arena, and some more corporate tenants.

[drc72]

This sums up my attitude as well. We had some great stuff, and if the Whalers would have stayed and we were doing certain things to attract residential to Downtown in 1996 who knows where Hartford would be today. However I am optimistic that we will gain new population Downtown which will spur quality retail, which will be great. Now if we take that a few steps further maybe we get the NHL back, a new Arena, and some more corporate tenants.

Plus with all of Northland's big plans, the possibilities look great. I for one, am not gonna dwell on the past, it absolutely does us no good. We have to look to the future.