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In Hartford, there are many Perfect Sixes. These are three story, brick and bow windowed fronted apartment buildings. They are great buildings. Many have been restored but converted to three families instead.
In Hartford, there are many Perfect Sixes. These are three story, brick and bow windowed fronted apartment buildings. They are great buildings. Many have been restored but converted to three families instead.
Good post! I had trouble seeing the last one. Instead, I saw part of it, but the part that was obscured by a paywall, appeared to be obscured by a pay wall seemed to be about a something about a sewage plant.
Anyway, I went to college not far from Hartford, in Worcester MA at Clark University. When driving from home on the outskirts of NYC, I knew I was close to Clark, and my triple decker home, when I hit Hartford.
Worcester was the first time I ever saw, much less lived in a Three Decker or Tripple Decker. The first was on Gates St. south of main and south of Crystal Lake Park, which I think has been re-named University Park. Living South of South Main was not recommended by the Clark University housing department. Like many young adults, we didn't listen. We found a really nice, top level apartment on Gates St.
We had some problems with a middle aged, beer swilling tattooed woman who attemped to set us up with her ex-con sons who were just released from Bridgwater State. She told us they were "good lookin"" and that they would like us. She was right about the second.
I thought "Bridgewater State" was a college. It may have been, but this one was either a prison or a psychiatric hospital. Perhaps there are two facilities with that name.
They really harassed us, alternately complaining about our "Big Victrolas" ( our stero systems) and requesting that we "lend them out" for impending parties.
When another denizen of Gates St. asked three of us too "c'mon in and join her for some Narragansett beer" while we were on our way, and almost late for class, we told her that we couldn't because we were on our way to class." We were friendly, but firm and slightly frightened.
The woman grabbed one of my friends arms and dug her nails in saying "Everyone says you Claaakies are all from Noo Yaahk and think your s@&T don't stink and now I know it's true! Doncha have colleges in New Yaahk?" She was scary. And drunk. And it was the morning. My friend pulled away. The ironic part is she is from Chicopee MA - not NY. My other friend was from Cos Cob. We were all pretty scared after that and we passed the apartments avoiding all eye contact.
Anyway, when Kitty's sons' came back from "Bridgwater" things became unbearable. We found a second Three Decker apartment on the "Good" side of Main South. On Maywood Pl.
They were both beautiful. Maywood was very near the University. Since then, it was purchased by Clark and turned into a Reception Building for new students and their parents.
The one on Gates St. still stands. I'll see if I can get a picture,
The Double Tripple Deckers were called "Six Packs" by some. I am not sure if that was a student thing, a local thing, or a late 70s thing. I know there were a couple on Chandler St.
Have you ever heard the term Six Packs in terms of attached triple Deckers?
It's funny - there is an Atwood Hall at Clark U, and an Atwood St. I guess that's a prominent family.
I am sad that so many have been turned into condos. A way of life has passed.
Good post! I had trouble seeing the last one. Instead, I saw part of it, but the part that was obscured by a paywall, appeared to be obscured by a pay wall seemed to be about a something about a sewage plant.
Anyway, I went to college not far from Hartford, in Worcester MA at Clark University. When driving from home on the outskirts of NYC, I knew I was close to Clark, and my triple decker home, when I hit Hartford.
Worcester was the first time I ever saw, much less lived in a Three Decker or Tripple Decker. The first was on Gates St. south of main and south of Crystal Lake Park, which I think has been re-named University Park. Living South of South Main was not recommended by the Clark University housing department. Like many young adults, we didn't listen. We found a really nice, top level apartment on Gates St.
We had some problems with a middle aged, beer swilling tattooed woman who attemped to set us up with her ex-con sons who were just released from Bridgwater State. She told us they were "good lookin"" and that they would like us. She was right about the second.
I thought "Bridgewater State" was a college. It may have been, but this one was either a prison or a psychiatric hospital. Perhaps there are two facilities with that name.
They really harassed us, alternately complaining about our "Big Victrolas" ( our stero systems) and requesting that we "lend them out" for impending parties.
When another denizen of Gates St. asked three of us too "c'mon in and join her for some Narragansett beer" while we were on our way, and almost late for class, we told her that we couldn't because we were on our way to class." We were friendly, but firm and slightly frightened.
The woman grabbed one of my friends arms and dug her nails in saying "Everyone says you Claaakies are all from Noo Yaahk and think your s@&T don't stink and now I know it's true! Doncha have colleges in New Yaahk?" She was scary. And drunk. And it was the morning. My friend pulled away. The ironic part is she is from Chicopee MA - not NY. My other friend was from Cos Cob. We were all pretty scared after that and we passed the apartments avoiding all eye contact.
Anyway, when Kitty's sons' came back from "Bridgwater" things became unbearable. We found a second Three Decker apartment on the "Good" side of Main South. On Maywood Pl.
They were both beautiful. Maywood was very near the University. Since then, it was purchased by Clark and turned into a Reception Building for new students and their parents.
The one on Gates St. still stands. I'll see if I can get a picture,
The Double Tripple Deckers were called "Six Packs" by some. I am not sure if that was a student thing, a local thing, or a late 70s thing. I know there were a couple on Chandler St.
Have you ever heard the term Six Packs in terms of attached triple Deckers?
It's funny - there is an Atwood Hall at Clark U, and an Atwood St. I guess that's a prominent family.
I am sad that so many have been turned into condos. A way of life has passed.
I haven’t heard sixes called Six Packs. I like it.
Just so you know, sheena12, "Bridgewater State" can refer to
a public state university in Bridgewater, Mass.
a state mental hospital for the criminally insane in the same town
The behaviors you describe in your post suggest to me that those sons had spent time in the latter.
I know now. We did not then. We thought her sons were going to college. At first. I was the only New Yorker in the group. Two of us were from Massachusetts. That's my defense.
One night on the porch, we were talking and wondering about the "strange semester system" at Bridgewater State. We were sipping sweet apple wine, listening to Electric Light Orchestra. It was a still, warm, September evening. My friend from Chicopee said, "I was thinking how strange it is for the semester to end on Halloween."
"Girl from Scituate 'ummmmhhhh isn't there a big ...hospital...well, kind of a ....jail...for..."
"Girl from Springfield/ Chicopee" like....the criminally insane??? Yes! I forgot that!
Girl from NYC -" You know I told you we should have listened to the Off Campus Housing Guide." The guide did not endorse off campus housing on that side of Main South or near Crystal Lake Park. . I'm like....not from around here" Then I thought...we were totally screwed.
oh s%@!" ... "Kitty is is NOT in JAIL - and she's nuts. She's so proud of her sons - she's like Ma Barker! You do know these people are all related, right? They are going to have some weird, inbreed, spree killing sons living here! We'll be like Sharon Tate! Those eight student nurses in Chicago? That murderer... Ted something who was arrested in Utah? And you know the girl who grabbed Shannon on the way to class? That's her niece! They're like a cult and their gonna sacrifice us to the devil!"
"New Yorkers get so uptight about every little thing. Said Newton Center Girl, Debi, "They're probably just working class guys and you're being elitist!"
(Conversation on the porch of a triple decker, Worcester MA. Some warm September 1976, Thursday or Friday night).
We moved to Maywood. My dad, drove all the way up from NY to facilitate the move. The other fathers were dead or moving in that direction.
A lot of the property on the "bad side" towards the Mills and away from where Thurber grew up, and the other Worcester Academy grads lived, was purchased by Ron Shaich who conceived of Panera Bread. He's about three years ahead of me and lived in a three decker on Oberlin.
You know what is totally impossible but would be interesting? If we could listen to parts of the many conversations that have taken place on the dissapearing porches of Triple Deckers.
You know what is totally impossible but would be interesting? If we could listen to parts of the many conversations that have taken place on the dissapearing porches of Triple Deckers.
Yep. A reason why I started this thread was to celebrate the existence of these tough but accommodating dwellings. They were primarily built for people who were grateful they even had a comfortable place to live. Now I have learned that all types of people, young and old, rich and poor, had been attracted to triple deckers throughout the years and yes, because of their multi-family character, they provide more opportunities to meet and get to know your neighbors over time than detached houses. For sure, triple deckers in New England were and probably still are quite popular with renting college students.
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We did not then. We thought her sons were going to college. At first. I was the only New Yorker in the group. Two of us were from Massachusetts. That's my defense. 
