Let's Get Together (yeah, yeah, yeah)

This lovely Saturday morning, I woke up to a great blog entry @ www.realhartford.org. The entry contained a lot of "neighborhood pride." See, the author just purchased a home in Frog Hollow, a neighborhood right outside of downtown. She described her neighborhood in a tone that made me want to pack my bags and move, highlighting all of the vibrances of the community. This is something I often do with my own neighborhood. When asked about living downtown, and what downtown Hartford has to offer, I highlight the perks of living downtown and the changes that are well on their way. Anyway, this blog post got me thinking about collaboration. I've been thinking about how important it is for downtown Hartford business owners, residents, and employees to come together in a joint effort to revive our city. If retailers are going to be successful, they need the support of residents, employees, and visitors and to make downtown a desirable location, consumers, residents, and employees need to feel the presence of retailers and industry. I'm happy to have found a core group of "Hartford Activists" who blog, twitter, and advocate for change in our city (I have to admit, I didn't realize this group existed). Now, we have to continue to collaborate, come together, and push for the change that so many people are only talking about.

Unfortunately, it seems to me that city officials and certain (major) property owners are not joining in this collaborative effort. I recently read an article arguing that with more support from the city and state, the new CT Science Center in downtown Hartford could make our capital city a "hot spot" for potential residents, employees, and visitors from as far as western MA. If the state does not up their support now, while the facility is new, they could miss the chance to revive the city. We have to jump on things while they're hot, as we're doing with the grocery store issue. If Northland had filled all of those retails spaces in Hartford 21 for a way reduced rate back when it first opened, they would have built up the area and would now have retailers itching to get in there for a more desirable rent. Seriously, what kind of business person is handling the leasing??

Hartford, the Event Capital

Tonight I left work at around 5:30pm and was not so shocked to find the streets hustling and bustling with activity. Lately there have been a lot of UCONN games at the XL center, which is half a block from my office and only a 3 minute walk from my apartment. These games and other events at the XL Center always draw huge crowds. This weekend the city was alive with activity thanks, in part, to the Disney Princesses on Ice at the XL Center. Tonight, every restaurant I passed was packed with a wait at the door. This is not typical for a Wednesday night in downtown Hartford. So my question is, how do we continue to develop the city of Hartford as the event capital of Connecticut and of the region? In addition, once we get these patrons downtown for events at the XL Center, how do we keep them here? Sure, there are great restaurants and bars to stop at for a bite/drink before the game or show, but what else do we have? Two major downtown coffee shops, Starbucks and JoJo's, close at 5pm, closing themselves off from potential pre-game/show business and making it very difficult for patrons to get that much needed caffeine jolt (it's also nearly impossible to find a convenience store where would could grab a red bull and some candy/snacks). There's no bookstore where downtown guests could stop to read a magazine or browse while waiting for friends and there's no clothing store where one might pick up a much needed sweatshirt or some UCONN gear. What else can/do people do before these types of events. Once we get patrons downtown, how can we continue to attract them to the city. What other events would draw such large audiences. We know UCONN games have a huge draw, so we should definitely capitalize on that while it's hot. Why not put the team in permanent residency here and build a satellite campus downtown. It would be great if we could get a professional team with a home stadium in Hartford. Also, continuing to develop the music industry in Hartford would be a great plan. Why don't more major acts put Hartford on their tour schedule. Madonna played here in 2005 during her Confessions Tour. The Spice Girls played their reunion tour at the XL Center and drew a full house despite a blizzard. Lady GaGa and Kanye were scheduled to play the XL Center together but that tour got cancelled and now Lady GaGa is scheduled to play at Mohegan and The Oakdale. The XL Center and the city should put a little more effort into bringing these major acts to our capital city, thus fueling industry in area. Also, a grocery store and visibly open retail (including starbucks) would help display Hartford as a lively and livable city.

On a slightly different note, what if retailers, venues, and the city offered a tax break or a discount on tickets with a bus ticket receipt. That might be an incentive to use public transit rather than driving, which would clear the roads a bit, save the environment, and reduce drunk driving a bit....in this case, the buses would certainly need to run later to accommodate event goers...and the system would have to be more understandable.

Let the Consumers.....Consume!

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.

Plant a seed, Grow a Forest

I want to start this post by sharing a Hartford Courant article with you: Nonprofit Group Seeks To Open Grocery Store In Downtown Hartford By Summer.

Yes, that's my apartment building, and yes, those are many of my comments below the article (see comments posted by Jweb330). When I moved into the building, the residential management team informed me they hoped to get a small grocery store into one of the first floor commercial spaces. I subscribe, via Google Alerts, to all news relating to downtown Hartford and was thrilled when I finally saw a published article regarding CommonGround's plans to bring a grocery store to downtown Hartford. This article followed great news that the city will receive an influx of students next fall with the opening of the St. Francis School of Pharmacy in Hartford 21 and that Hartford 21 will soon have another retail tenant, New Alliance Bank. To me, it seems as though we have all the fixins' to build a city from the ground up, and I, for one, am eager to do my part to support the cities as it grows. I plan to rally my fellow downtown Hartford residents and employees to support the grocery store in The Hollander on High and Asylum street, even if it is a bit of a walk (that's part of city life, isn't it?) so we can finally see a successful retail outlet in downtown Hartford. Afterall, that would be incentive for even more retailers to come to the area. For all who are so eager to see a larger grocer in the Hartford 21 complex, it likely will not happen until the larger grocer sees a successful model on a smaller scale.

There were lots of comments on the Courant article about robbings and the area not being safe. Well, I have a small dog and I often take him out as late as midnight and have never encountered such crime. It is an extremely quiet neighborhood and is even more safe in the daytime, the normal operating hours of a grocery store. I would not be any more scared to walk around this neighborhood than I would be walking around the streets of Boston or New York (again, we are talking about city life, aren't we?)

I could go on and on about this topic, so if anyone wants to start a dialogue, please comment and let's get some discussion flowing. Anyway, I give props and all my support to CommonGround as they make efforts to improve life for downtown Hartford residents and employees. In fact, I plan to email the offices today and see how I can help. I hope you will all join me in my efforts and be a part of the growth of downtown Hartford.

Hartford: a Cure for Retail Therapy

So I know I often complain, both in the blog and otherwise, about the lack of retail in my new neighborhood, downtown Hartford, but the other day I was thinking about the benefits of the area's 40% retail space vacancy. I recently started a new job, my first job since graduation college and also moved into my first apartment where I will be paying rent (and all other bills) on my own. Luckily, I am not repaying my college loans yet (thank you 6-month grace period!), but in a few months, that will be yet another expense to add to my budget. I'm slowly getting myself on my feet. When I leave my office at 6pm and walk home to my apartment, I do not pass any retail stores or quick food stops that I can run into quickly. If I was living in New York City, Chicago, or Boston, my attention would easily be grabbed by storefronts filled with clothing, electronics, and quick, cheap, and yummy food....if there was a tasti delite or a pinkberry down here, I'd be making a stop at least a few times a week. If I want to go shopping, even for the essentials, I have to make a special trip to, say, West Hartford. I have to walk to my car, drive a few exits, drive back, park in front of my building, unload my car, drive to my parking spot, and walk back. Yeah, it's really not that big of a hassle but it does mean that I'm less likely to spend money, at least during the week. So that's a good thing right? Don't get me wrong, I still wish some of those empty store fronts in downtown Hartford will fill up with holiday displays, etc. It's upsetting that all the beautiful, brand-new, prime location retail spaces on the first floor of my building are still sitting empty when once, when Hartford was a bustling city, they were full. but I'm seeing a silver lining/bright side here. Also, I've been getting this email of free things to do in Hartford. It's being forwarded to me from an old email account at work but it is definitely a great resource for free events in Hartford. I'll have to look into it and get you some more information.

Happy Hanukkah everyone and happy Monday tomorrow!

300 New Next Door Neighbors

That's right, I'm about to have 300 new neighbors. Well, not right away, but within the next few years. It'll start with about 65 new neighbors who will serve as the first entering class at St. Joseph's new School of Pharmacy located in Trumbull Street's Hartford 21. The first class is set to begin their two-year masters program in the facility in fall of 2010. Within a few years the student body could swell to over 300. As far as I know, there is no current plan to build student housing, but hopefully many of the graduate students will choose to live downtown, near campus. There is also the possibility that St. Joe's will lease what used to be the Goodwin Hotel on Asylum street and convert the antique hotel into student housing (with a bookstore and cafe, please?!?!?!). While some might complain about the possibility of a student housing complex being developed a few blocks from their home, I'm thrilled with the idea. First of all, these are graduate students, so they will be more mature and respectful, and likely have more disposable income. One article I read said that "eds and meds" help to fuel a city, and I could not agree more. Look at major college towns such as Amherst/Northampton, New Haven, etc. Industry thrives in these cities, in part due to the large student population. I'm hopeful and eager that the new School of Pharmacy (and the New Alliance Bank branch also moving into Hartfor 21) will fuel industry growth in the downtown Hartford area and as there won't be a cafeteria in the facility, so students will be supporting downtown food and retail establishments. Now a grocery store, that would really fuel development in the city. Someone has got to make it happen, and soon, if there is going to be an influx of students into the city: I hear the city is offering funding to the first real estate developer that attracts a supermarket; so what are they waiting for?!

Also, St. Joe's school is creating the second pharmacy school in the state and with health care career opportunities on the rise, this is sure to be a desirable program. It would be even more desirable if there was a grocery store (and other amenities....a laundromat?!?!) downtown....can you tell how I feel? It'll be exciting to watch the city grow!

Wireless Hartford?!

It's amazing how much life (and blogs) get put on hold without internet access. I just moved into my new place downtown this weekend and I don't have internet access yet. To be honest, I'm a bit suprised I can't pick up a wireless signal from anyone else in the building, but I guess most people have caught on to the whole stealing Internet thing. Anyway, AT&T offers DSL for $20/month...(and that's not an introductory rate!) which is far cheaper than Comcast. So I'm giving that a shot and it should be installed by next Monday. Hopefully it is decent service. I am skipping on the cable for now and just getting a converter box so I can get basic channels and relying on hulu and my netflix.

What ever happened to "wireless hartford"??? Isn't there supposed to be free wireless access in all of downtown? If there is, I can't seem to pick up the signal. Ah well, I'll spend tonight hanging some pictures in the new place.