I wanted to ask this mainly of the Hartford people, but I am sure it will make for a much more entertaining read when other cities are included.

What is your favorite place, what do you like to do there?

maybe what is your favorite place to "go out to"

I was kind of curious because I know I hardly have seen the best of my city Hartford, and would like to see, smell, feel, taste what other people love.

I will share a few of my small pleasures, but there are many.

I love going to City Steam Brewery and sitting on the patio with friends after work on Friday. Its a Beautifull building, they make good beer, they have a small quiet patio. I like to drink a few Naughty Nurse's, eat the Chicken Nachos, and in the end my future wife and I end up hitting the comedy show downstairs some times. Its best shared with others, but fun with just the two of us.

one of my favorite places...In Hartford.

I like getting stoned and sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at 3AM eating Chinese Food/Pizza watching the cool tourists who stay out late.

The location is interchangeable with the Jefferson Memorial, WW2 Memorial, Washington Monument, Roosevelt Island and Haine's Point.

Good question, we should have a thread like this in US urban issues.

The waterfront, just eating or walking around or whatever. What precious little is actually improved upon, anyways.

I like to dine at all the fabulous chain restaurants like: P.F. Chang's, Cheesecake Factory, Golden Corral, Quaker Steak & Lube, Bravo, Chipotle, McCormick & Schmick's, McFadden's Irish Pub, Claddagh Irish Pub, Red Robin, etc.

And I enjoy shopping at Pottery Barn and Apple Store... just wish we had a Container Store and Baby Pottery Barn :(

^^ My next computer is sooooo going to be an Apple, it's not funny. Returning to "my roots".

I like walking around and discovering new things.
-Broadway plays
-Chelese(sp?) Pier. ( Ice Skating/Bowling)
-Coney Island Beach

BUFFALO - shooting photos, clubbing on chippewa, walking the neighborhoods, Anchor Bar, Prima Pizza, Delaware park, Central Terminal.

BATAVIA - Driving to Buffalo. :)

I like to ride my bike, Buffalo has many many many miles of bike path from the canal, to downtown, the river, the falls, UB etc. Local food is great, weekends Elmwood or Delaware has the best restaurants with lots of people. Every week there is a new festival in a completely different area than the week before. Beaches up in Canada, and i like to drink beer.

BUFFALO - shooting photos, clubbing on chippewa, walking the neighborhoods, Anchor Bar, Prima Pizza, Delaware park, Central Terminal.

BATAVIA - Driving to Buffalo. :)

I heard Batavia has good pizza.

Does your city have any special cultural qualities that you enjoy? as in theaters, musuem or what not that are kind of unique to your city.

I have yet to truely explore Hartford. I want to check out Mark Twains House, and some of the theaters. any special little pocket parks that are quiet sanctuarys?

I know I am asking for your cities secrets, but this is a pretty tame crowd.

Cheers

- Rochester, NY -


I LOVE dining out at the independent restaurants around Rochester, NY.

Sitting on the patio/street at Cafe Cibon on Park Ave in Rochester watching hot girls jog by.
http://www.cafecibon.com/

Eating out at Black and Blue.
http://www.blackandbluesteakandcrab.com/

Eating out at Jojo.
http://www.restaurantjojo.com/

Eating out at Bamba Bistro.
http://www.bambabistro.com/

Eating out at Sienna.
http://www.siennagrillandbar.com/

My list goes on and on.


For culture, a hidden gem is:

Artisan Works:
http://www.artisanworks.net/

George Eastman Mansion and National Photography and Film Museum
http://www.eastmanhouse.org/

For a city our size (1.1 million metro area) we have a great Art Gallery
http://mag.rochester.edu/

Or even a free walk around the Mt Hope Cemetary to see the beautiful landscape and the graves of Susan B Anthony, Jack the Ripper, and Frederick Douglass.
http://www.fomh.org/

My favorite thing to do in Buffalo - or any city, really - is *CENSORED* even though it's tough getting strawberry jam stains out.

I have to say, I rarely go downtown anymore.

When I'm in Hartford, I usually stick to my neighborhood, the West End. I try to support the local businesses, like the restaurants, convienience stores, chains, and anything around Farmington Avenue until you hit Woodland by shopping there mostly. If I'm not there, I go to the best park in Greater Hartford, Elizabeth Park.

Dammit Tenroot, I was hoping for more from you.

Farmington Ave definately has some nice places well worth your support.
If I lived west of Downtown I would definately frequent farm ave more. Sadly I give a decent amount of monies to Buckland area, evergreen walk primarily. But I am a Manchester guy for now.

When possible I spend money downtown as I Identify more with downtown than Manchester, being that I work in State House Square and do not care much for my "hood" :P

what are the best places around Farmington ave?
anything I should check out that I might not know about?
I have only been in CT for 11.5 months

Sorry, but I don't have much to do downtown. I'm a reverse-commuter!

Sadly, most stores on the street are in the strip mall variety, but I still support the local CVS, Bank of America, and yes, even Burger King! :cheers:

There's a coffee/tea bar called Tisane on Farmington Avenue, it's pretty expensive, but it does a good job attracting the few, but growing yuppie population in the West End.

There's also a Brazilian restaurant called Braza, I like the food there too but it can get a little pricey.

You guys need to start posting photo's of Hartford.

Tisane is very nice I stopped there once and will again, and I have plans on hitting Braza as everyone raves about it.


Pictures of hartford?
you should check out the "state of the week thread" for Connecticut. I took all kinds of pictures from my office as well as many street level shots.

My top-five favorite summertime activities in Buffalo, NY:

The Wednesday night Summer Film Series outside on the patio at Bacchus winebar. They have a screen draped across the neighboring brick wall, and they project really cool classic films onto it. Last night, for example, we watched The Shining while sipping wine with good friends under the stars. Their food, and especially the cheese menu, is also really good. (The other various outdoor film series around the city are pretty good too if winebars are not exactly your scene.)

Taking a boat with my bf to the middle of one of the nearby lakes early Sunday mornings, cutting the engine, laying back and listening to Sunday Baroque on NPR.

Taking my dog to an abandoned park and letting her run off the leash.

Reading the morning newspaper on the front porch and having Sunday-morning coffee with friends and neighbors.

Sitting on the back porch with my bf and listening to crickets on quiet evenings (like Sunday and Monday nights) and then listening to the noise from people partying down on Chippewa Street, around the corner, on other nights (like Fridays and Saturdays).

I don't have much of a favorite thing to do where I live.

Seeing what other folks are doing to make things better and celebrating each small victory.

I love riding my bike to the lakefront and back. Last week I was out on an incredible warm night. The beach was still filled with people at sunset. The high rise buildings reflected off the water that was super warm. The sky was red. On the way back I pass Wrigley Field. There was a game going On. The urban scene was so beautiful I got a chill down my spine. As you approach the ball park you see the sky lit up ahead of you. As you get closer you can hear the crowd and then a hit and the place roars to life as you pass. There are people on all the roof tops and people in the streets. You hear the announcer and the place is just so alive. WOW what a great city!

Whenever I get back to Ithaca:

fMBmi-duz18


Actually, I haven't done anything like that in 40 years.:ohno:

In Buffalo, I like... walking around the nice north neighborhoods, riding the Metro Rail, staying overnight at a hotel or hostel downtown, taking pictures of downtown and skyline, Albright-Knox Gallery and its cultural attractions, Prima Pizza, Bisons baseball, Sabres hockey, the waterfront trails and Lake Erie, smelling the cheerios cereal in the General Mills plant!

During the day, walking around Center City and exploring the historic district and admiring the old architecture and reading the bronze historical markers ("the first photograph in the United States was taken here in 1839" or "Ben Franklin conducted his famous experiment using a kite and a key on this spot in ...").

At night, cruising around - in my car or on foot - Philadelphia's "Gayborhood" ... looking at the cute guys going to or coming from the gay bars.