[SteveM85]

Here’s the deal guys. Hartford doesn’t have a seaport and waterfront like Infallible Boston. That’s a HUGE thing. Geography matters. A lot! And there isn’t anything anyone can do about it.

[BHW2436]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

Here’s the deal guys. Hartford doesn’t have a seaport and waterfront like Infallible Boston. That’s a HUGE thing. Geography matters. A lot! And there isn’t anything anyone can do about it.

Hartford has a river. It wasn’t built around it as a major piece properly so it is what it is. Most of the river the wasted with the interstate hugging it.

Plenty of cities are not waterfront and do just fine. Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Raleigh, Charlotte, Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix, many others…

Comparing Boston to Hartford is ridiculous anyways. Compare Hartford to Providence but Boston is one of the greatest cities in the entire country.

Water is a huge draw though and a major advantage when done correctly. For those familiar with Washington, DC area…Old Town Alexandria, Georgetown, National Harbor, The Wharf, and now Navy Yard are massive draws for people to be outdoors, dine, shop, and drives a lot of economic and social activities. Hartford area has nothing like that.

[SteveM85]

That’s right BW236. Hartford should focus on emulating the likes of Raleigh, Dallas, and Charlotte. It can’t do seaport but maybe they can put in a DoNo River District.

[Johnho771]

The Seaport is mentioned as inspiration for Hartford. Everyone knows Hartford is not located right by the ocean like Boston. But again the Seaport built on a landfill in a crime ridden area (there are litterally crime tours in the Seaport) should serve as inspiration for Hartford.

It's not like Hartford doesnt have a waterfront to be appealling. It is on the largest river in New England. Manhattan is located between two rivers and does just fine.

And can't compare Hartford to Boston. What other capital city should it be compared to? Mass and CT both have similar demographics if high median income and per capita incomes. Adjacent states in New England, and both capital are located in geographically central locations in their states.

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by Johnho771

The Seaport is mentioned as inspiration for Hartford. Everyone knows Hartford is not located right by the ocean like Boston. But again the Seaport built on a landfill in a crime ridden area (there are litterally crime tours in the Seaport) should serve as inspiration for Hartford.

It's not like Hartford doesnt have a waterfront to be appealling. It is on the largest river in New England. Manhattan is located between two rivers and does just fine.

And can't compare Hartford to Boston. What other capital city should it be compared to? Mass and CT both have similar demographics if high median income and per capita incomes. Adjacent states in New England, and both capital are located in geographically central locations in their states.

Boston was hardly a city to aspire to for decades. It vastly improved in recent decades. Great statewide leadership played a big role. Cities with and without ocean access have seen the same improvement.

We can't match Boston's incredible university cluster, nor can we expect pro sports, but we should recognize our cities have vastly underperformed for decades and address the root cause so this does not continue long-term.

[bushewick]

Originally Posted by Johnho771

My recommendation would be for guys like Lamont, Bronin, and other people with Hartford, to drive up to Boston for a day and just see what a capital city could be. Hopefully getvsome inspiration for developments like DoNo and Bushnell South.

believe me lamont and bronin know, unfortunately for hartford it's located in a region and a state where the love for suburbs is so strong, plus a ridiculous P&Z in Hartford that designated every neighborhood has "historic"

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by bushewick

so many large swaths of lots used either for parking or completely vacant in the city, and i can't help but think of the transformation of the south boston waterfront the past 10-15 years, something the city and developers should look to emulate, that lot is perfect for a mixed-use highrise

The days of vast parking lots around downtown Hartford are numbered. If you followed the Hartford market you would know that those lots are rapidly being developed.

The lots north of I-84 by Dunkin Stadium are all set for a massive development that is being held up by a lawsuit by a previous developer who claims they were wrongly removed as developer for that property. The lots by the State Office Building are in line for a new neighborhood to be built there. A couple of lots around Bushnell Park are also slated for development that owners are currently in the process of planning.

So far, the market for housing in Hartford has shown no end. New developments are filled up quickly. It’s only a matter of time when there won’t be any lots left. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

It would be nice to see significant, private sector, non housing growth.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

It would be nice to see significant, private sector, non housing growth.

With the retail and office market so soft, that is wishful thinking just about everywhere. Jay

[WILWRadio]

Originally Posted by JayCT

With the retail and office market so soft, that is wishful thinking just about everywhere. Jay

The commercial real estate market around the country is in trouble. I doubt Hartford is any exception to this. The most recent commercial real estate vacancy rate I can find for the area is 21 percent. Pretty high.