Hartford Through Visitors' Eyes: So-So

[Cotuit]

Not to turn this further into a Providence vs. Hartford thread than it already is (though a healthy rivalry might be good for both cities), I crunched a few numbers on both cities convention centers.

Connecticut Convention Center

205,000 sq.ft.

409 hotel rooms in attached Marriott Hotel

Rhode Island Convention Center

137,000 sq.ft.

364 hotel rooms in attached Westin Providence Hotel

However, Providence has a few interesting tricks up it's sleeve...

The state and city are finalizing a deal for the state to take contol of the city's civic center (The Dunkin Donuts Center) which buts up against the convention center. Plans call for connecting the two making for a combined exhibition space of approx. 240,000 sq.ft. (based on a press release about the boat show which was spread across the two facilities).

There are also two hotel expansion plans slated for this year. A second tower is slated to add 200 more rooms to the Westin. A new hotel with 250 rooms is planned for a parcel across from the convention center with a skybridge attaching it.

Expansions to the Hoiday Inn which sits beside the Dunkin Donuts Center and may be connected to the Dunk may add more directly connected rooms. The Holiday Inn will become a Hilton and add 40 rooms to it's current 275.

This could all bring the horse race to the following numbers:

Connecticut Convention Center

205,000 sq.ft.

409 hotel rooms in attached Marriot Hotel

Rhode Island Convention Center

240,000 sq.ft.

up to 1,129* hotel rooms in 3 attached hotels

This does not include the unattached Marriott Courtyard, Providence Renaissance Hotel, Providence Marriott, Biltmore Hotel, and Hotel Providence.

(*I had to do that math twice, that's more than I thought).

[CtownMikey]

I have to now step as a major supporter of Hartford.

First of all uconn99 you are correct. The Travelers Tower was the first skyscraper in New England.

I do agree that Hartford and Providence are on differant steps in their histories. Providence has gone through a major revitilazation and Hartford is going through one.

I do have to point out some noteworthy Hartford information:

Hartford is home to some extrodinary hospitals such as:

  - Hartford Hospital which sits on 65 acres just down the road from the State Capital. The hospital has been consistantly ranked one of the nations Top 100 hospitals.

  - The Connecticut Childrens Medical Center sits on the Hartford Hospital site and opened at its current location about 9 years ago. The hospital is in a state of the art facility designed just for kids. Previously the hospital was in Newington.

    - Saint Francis Hospital is the nations largest Catholic hospital in the country. A few years back the hospital merged with Mount Sainai hospital just down the road which was a Jewish hospital. This was the first merger of this kind in the country. The hospital is also ranked among the nations Top 100

      - The Institute For Living sits on 35 acres near Hartford Hospital and was one of the first mental health facilities in the nation and the first in CT.

    - John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington has strong connections to UCONN Medical School.

The Hartford area also has an array of highre eduaction facilities such as:

Trinity College: One of the best liberal arts schools in the country. The school competes with schools now such as Amherst. One of the only renowned liberal arts collges in the country to be located in an urban enviorment. The school also has made huge contributions to the city such as constructing the Learning Corrdoir a magnet type school.

Capital Community College: The College was originally in two locations in the city but in 2002 moved into the renovated G. Fox and Company on Main Street. The school  also boasts the 2nd highest African American enrollment in New Englands 50 colleges

Hartford Seminary is located in Hartford and Saint Thomas Seminary is located in Bloomfield just down the road from the University of Hartford.

Albert I Prince Regional Vocational Technical School, Hartford Hospital School of Allied Health are located in the city

Rensselaer Hartford Graduate School is located in the city just opposite I-84 by the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

University of Hartford just over the border from Hartford boasts is a coeducational university founded in 1877. The Main Campus is 340 acres and the Asylum Street campus in Hartford is 13 acres. The UHART Center for the Performing Arts is being constructed in Hartford's north end. There are 7200+ students, 86 undergraduate major2, 32 graduate programs and schools such as Harte School of Music and Barney School of Business.

The Greater Hartford area is home to some very prestigous private and pariochial schools such as:

  - Watkinson School in Hartford a coeducational private school with 260+ students in Grades 6-12. Member of the National Coalation of Essential Schools.

  - Kingswood Oxford in West Hartford is a coeducational private school with 590+ students in Grades 6-12.  Near West Hartford Center and features a newly constructed middle school.

  -Loomis Chaffe in Windsor a coeducational private school. School on 300 acres with 700 students

  -Miss Porters in Simsbury an all girls private school for students 9-12 grades. School has 315 students

  -Westminster in Simsbury a coeducational private school. For students grades 9-12. On 230 acres with 367 students

  - Northwest Catholic in West Hartford a coeducational catholic school

  - East Cathilic in Manchester a coeducational catholic school

  - Saint Pauls in Bristol a coeducational catholic school

  - Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford a coeducational private school. 800 students on 400 acres.

  - Taft School a coeducational private school in Watertown with 570 students.

  - The Kent School in Kent a coeducational private school

There are also numerous extremly wealthy suburbs of Hartford such as:

  Avon (Off Rt.44, west of the city)

  Farmington (Off I-84 and Rt. 44 west of the city)

  Simsbury (off rt. 44 and west of the city)

  Canton (off rt. 44 and west of the city)

  Glastonbury (off rt. 2 and rt. 3, south east of the city)

  West Hartford (Off I-84, just west of the city)

The new Connecticut Convention is the largest between Boston and New York (Larger then the Providence Convention Center, Springfield Convention Center and Worcester Convention Center. Also  boasts more hotel rooms then all of them

The new Hartford 21 residential tower at the Hartford Civic Center will be 36 stories high making it one of the largest residential towers in New England.

Hartford County Median Income per household: $50,716

Hartford County Median Income per family: $62, 144

Per Capita Income: $26,047

Providence County Median Income per household: $36,950

Providence Couny Median Income per family: $45,694

Per capita income" $19,255

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I feel that Prov. could match these noteworthy facts pretty well.. just gimme some time to prove it hehe

anyone else, feel free to find some facts! I'm looking now

[ctman987]

First of all I want to make it clear that I am not starting a competition allthough other facts about whatever are welcome. I put these here to let people know of the smaller local things Hartford offers because currently Hartford's image may be lower then where wveryone would like it to be.

[uconn99]

I am pretty sure the Marriot in Hartford can be expanded to 700+ rooms in the future.

[ctman987]

The Connecticut Convention Center, Marriott Hotel, and Front Street can all be expanded. The hotel was supposed to have 700+ rooms but a market analysis was completed before the construction of the whole project began and it was determine that at the time the market could only handle 400 rooms. There are plans if need be for the hotel to expand backwards by creating another towering adding 300 rooms and then another ballroom. The Convention Center can be expanded in front which is why surface parking and large gardens are in front of the center and Front Street could be expanded over the Conlon-Whitehead Highway if necessary.

Connecticut Convention Center140,000 square feet of exhibition space

40,000 square foot ballroom

25,000 square feet flexible meeting space

16 meeting rooms

504,000 total square feet

409 Room attached Marriott Hotel

1650 hotels rooms in walking distance

20 docks with 2 drive in bays

Marriott Hotel at the Connecticut Convention Center

409 rooms on 22 floors

2 restaurants, caf

[MadVlad]

Hi all-

I must say I have spend 25 years in New England (including Conn for 4 yrs)-since moved to Florida- and Hartford is a very difficult city to be attracted to.

It is small, has no significant metro area, does not have an attractive skyline, is a lifeless city, and frankly has no lure for anyone to visit, let alone live there.

Looking at the demographics andf the geography, I see little hope for this city becoming anything other than it is..a city with no character.

From a New England perspective, it can not in any way compete with Providence or Boston.

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Nice to know that it being the 27th largest media market makes it an insignificant metro area, but thanks for playing, call again in 7 days.

[MadVlad]

And, as an aside, you Providence guys need a little reality check. Saying Hartford and Providence are no longer comparable is ridiculous. I agree that Providence is a nice city, but don't get carried away here. Yes, I understand you guys have all pulled out your you-know-what's over on the Providence board cackling that your city is better. Whatever. Take it easy please, Providence isn't Eden, ok? You have your own problems, try dealing with those before trying to step all over Hartford's toes. Your skyline is fine, if elegant suits you, have at it, big-guy. I'll take Travelers Tower, CityPlace, the Goodwin (apparently you guys missed THAT building, from the ground up, simply magnificent), and the Phoenix building against anything you guys have. Be content that your little spire gets you some acclaim for "tallest whatever", and just remember that no one can live on a spire.

[HartfordTycoon]

And, as an aside, you Providence guys need a little reality check.  Saying Hartford and Providence are no longer comparable is ridiculous.  I agree that Providence is a nice city, but don't get carried away here.  Yes, I understand you guys have all pulled out your you-know-what's over on the Providence board cackling that your city is better.  Whatever.  Take it easy please, Providence isn't Eden, ok?  You have your own problems, try dealing with those before trying to step all over Hartford's toes.  Your skyline is fine, if elegant suits you, have at it, big-guy.  I'll take Travelers Tower, CityPlace, the Goodwin (apparently you guys missed THAT building, from the ground up, simply magnificent), and the Phoenix building against anything you guys have.  Be content that your little spire gets you some acclaim for "tallest whatever", and just remember that no one can live on a spire.

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Yeah, what he said. I really really don't feel that Providence will ever be more major than Hartford. But the VS thread is closed. Like I said in that thread, when the cement dries we will see who comes out on top.

[Cotuit]

But the VS thread is closed.

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Yes, the versus thread is closed.