I have heard both positive and many negative things about this city. I drove through the city back in 2002 and was impressed with the skyline, but other than that I don't know a lot about the state of the city.

Is the city revitalizing?
Are there vibrant neighborhoods?
What is the economy like?
Is the crime rate high?
What does the future look like for this city?

i dont know.. ive been pretty much everywhere in the north east, but never had any desire to stop there..

WZ1- Why no desire to stop there?

It has a magnificent skyline, which has actually grown since your 2002 visit with a new tall building, Hartford21- Luxury residential.

There are a few pictures here

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=9408528&postcount=23

I live in Hartford...

Downtown is revitalizing, and it is better than it has been for years. But there is still a dead area after 7PM...but condos like the one described will stop that problem in a few years. More jobs, the new convention center, and a general gentrification has made downtown much better.

There are many vibrant neighborhoods in the city. The West End along Farmington and Asylum avenues is a up-and coming place. The South End, where I'm at, is better than it has been in recent years. Trinity College in the vincity makes for good potential later. Other assets include the Hartford Hospital, which has recently skyrocketed land values in that area. The North End isn't at it's best, but it as well is better than the crime waves ten years ago.

Hartford's economy used to be the big two: Insurance and Government. This puts it at a weakness, but the economy has been diversifying, with Health Care becoming more dominant. Industry is still around, but except for a few examples like defense contracting, the metro never had the industrialized economies like Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Hartford is basically a white-collar metro...now. But there are still tens of thousands of people that are below the average...

Hartford is a small city, so it would have a higher crime rate, than New York or Boston. Except for a shooting outbreak in May and June, the crime rate has been sloping downward in recent years. Unbelievably, Springfield is more dangerous than Hartford, something impossible a few years ago. But there are still sketchy areas in the South and especially North Ends, which are no-go zones for tourists....

The city and the metro's future looks largely positive. Massive investment in the downtown is showing it's results, and there have been a larger amount of immigrants coming in the area. But sprawl is an issue, as it is everywhere. But people are more optimistic about the future now, than say...1999...

which are no-go zones for tourists....


There are tourists in Hartford?!?!

Must be something I've missed in 25 years!

There are tourists in Hartford?!?!

Must be something I've missed in 25 years!

LOL... :scouserd:

But, Hartford has some tourists, mostly for business purposes...

Gotta have some, look how much Hotels are downtown!

I am still mad you guys lost your hockey team to that nasty sunbelt sprawler. Hartford really deserves to have an NHL team.

^^ Yeah it does...

What makes me even more heated, is that the same team who went to NC, recently won the Stanley Cup...but oh well.

Many business developers are trying to make a bid for the a new team...I'd rather take the Hurricanes back. They are also planning to build a new arena for it.

These are targets:

New York Islanders
Nashville Predators
Atlanta Thrashers
Florida Panthers

And if a team is relocated here, they will be renamed the Hartford Whalers...

Hi, I'm from the Hartford area.

My opinion of Hartford is that it's on the rise. There are new upscale restaurants opening all over downtown, most recently Joe Black's on Pratt Street & Feng Asian Bistro on Asylum Street. On top of that there are lots of new condo's and apartments being built right downtown. Downtown feels alot different than it does a couple years ago.

If I had to rate Hartford over the past 10 years I'd say:

1995 - 2 out of 10. We had the Whalers but the city was continuing its decline.

2000 - 3 out of 10. Lots of ideas and promises for the city, but nothing was happening.

2005/2006 - 6 out of 10. As I said above, it's really starting to come around. I think in another couple years it'll be totally transformed into a 24/7 city with lots more attractions and trendy places to hang out.

Overall, I'm excited about Hartford for the first time in a LONG TIME. :)

^ That is great to hear. :)