Today I had to run to CVS after work to grab some cleaning supplies. I really didn't want to go to CVS as it is a bit out of the way (by out of the way I mean like 3 blocks out of the way, so I really can't complain) but I went regardless. I found that many downtown Hartford residents employees and residents were in a similar situation to mine and needed to stop at the convenience store on the way home from work. The store was packed. Also, the store closes at 6pm on weekdays (is it open at all on the weekends??) so those who get out of work at 5 have to rush to the store and those who work until 6 are forced to go home empty handed or support towns and cities other than Hartford.
Anyway, my main point here is that there clearly are consumers in Hartford. I was out and about all night on New Years Eve and was so happy to see our city alive and vibrant with arts and culture patrons and consumers (the Courant reports a great turnout for this years First Night Hartford). This Saturday I was out walking my dog at about 4pm and I noticed lots of people walking around downtown and very few stores or restaurants open. On big event night at the XL center, retailers and restaurants miss out on huge opportunity by closing their doors at 5pm (coughstarbuckscough). Shouldn't we do a bit of catering to these event goers and show them that downtown Hartford is a city
worth coming to? If cheap/quick restaurants, a market, coffee shops, and retail outlets were available, maybe more event goers would extend their stay in the city and, in turn, support downtown industry.
If an amenity such as CVS can fill up from 5-6pm, couldn't a grocery store as well? Hartford employees could stop off and pick up a box of pasta, or some yummy prepared food for dinner before heading home to homes in the suburbs. Downtown residents could finally live as real city residents and walk to the market instead of waiting until the weekend and driving to the suburbs to get groceries. This also means commuters would be supporting industry in Hartford, would not have to stop at a market on the commute, and would get home sooner.
...I've heard argument that there is not enough parking at The Hollander for a market. Well, CVS seems to do quite well with even less parking.
1 comment:
There have been times when I've been annoyed about Starbucks not being open, but I think that it actually does have some benefits...we could be encouraging the numerous locally-owned and operated coffee joints in town to expand their hours. JoJo's on Pratt surely benefits from being open later than Starbucks, and it is also open on the weekend when Starbucks is not. There are lots of other coffee and sandwich shops that should be encouraged to follow JoJo's example.
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