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West Hartford is kind of the go-to for young professionals who want to live in an area with a lot of amenities.

Definitely the problem with downtown is no grocery store, gas station, or other sort of basic stuff you'd get if you lived in a less urban area. The bright side would be no commute, easy access to theater, museums, and the park.

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You mentioned The Millenium building. While that is technically downtown, it is a bit isolated in that you won't walk out your door and be mere steps from other things to do, neighbors, etc. It is a converted hotel and faces a highway entrance ramp and road that get VERY busy on nights when there are baseball games or concerts at the amphitheater. Do a Google Street view "drive" to see what I mean in terms of being isolated from the rest of downtown.

If you are looking for a modern building check out The Pennant (right behind The Millenium but on Main Street so not as isolated), Hartford 21, or anything by Spectra. There are also some older buildings that have been converted to nice apartments: Capewell, 55 On The Park, The Metropolitan.

I have lived in the South Downtown neighborhood (north of Element 250, south of the Traveler's Insurance Tower) for 18 years and it is a great neighborhood with a number of historic condos and apartment buildings, great neighbors of all ages and walks of life, lots of dogs, and a good vibe. We just had our neighborhood holiday happy hour on Tuesday at a local restaurant and it was a great turnout!

If you are expecting the vibrancy of NYC you will be disappointed. We may not have the density of other cities but there are a lot of activities/parks/restaurants within a 1-mile walkable radius of downtown. I have never felt unsafe here, walking around at all times of the day or night. Just like any other city, be aware of your surroundings and be smart, don’t leave stuff visible in the back of your car enticing people to break in, etc.

Near the airport is where I’ll be working. Not that we are night owls but we enjoy going out on Friday’s to drink at a bar and play golf on the weekends.

Is commuting that way

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Definitely check out 55 On The Park. It’s right next to Bushnell Park, relatively new and well maintained. Most tenants are friendly and seem to be young working professionals so I feel very safe. Love the high ceilings and I almost never heard any noise from upstairs/neighbors. The only downside is that the parking lot right next to the building is full right now so you’d be on a waitlist. They do have a garage for rent next block but it’s very old and run down.

Where will you be working? It actually matters quite a bit. What are you interested in doing?

Im easily influenced lol...ixnay on the element!

OP, don’t go for 250 — it’s not well maintained and I’ve heard a lot of bad stories about it. Obviously, proceed at your own risk :) I would highly recommend any of Colt Gateways buildings.

Hartford Hospital is literally 5 minutes from the Downtown area. I wouldn't see you having problems with high speed internet, you would need to check the providers. I know of XFINITY, COX and I believe Frontier, but definately do your research. Also, Connecticut is know for their hiking and walking trails. You can litereally walk over into East Hartford using the trail by the CT Science Center. There are several Walmarts located within driving distance and can deliver. Also, there is a Costco, located right in Farmington. Not far from the West Farms Mall and it has a gas station. Hopes that helps.

Hello,

My name is Sabrina and I'm a REALTOR serving all of Connecticut including Hartford. Hartford is the capital of Connecituct which draws in alot of activity and events. Downtown Hartford opens up to festivals in the summer months, like the jazz festival, marathons and right now during the winter there is the ice skating in Bushnell Park. There is the museum, Capital Community College and UCONN is also downtown Hartford. Several places to catch a show, or watch the fireworks on the CT River during the 4th of July all within walking distance. Now, with all that I can't sugar coat , like most major cities, there is crime and unsightly areas within and around Hartford. The other comments are definately valid, however, when walking at night you should be vigilant and obserrvant in any city including Hartford. Parking downtown is not always the best, unless the property you live provides a spot and chances there maybe a fee as well. In regards to the catalytic converters, those have been stolen all around the state whether in downtown Hartford or right from someone's driveway in West Hartford. Lastly, if you would ike more information about apartment living in downtown Hartford, I would be more than happy to assist. Reach out and we can discuss. Thanks

Main x Temple is a great area. Lots of great food in the area.. anything past Yardgoats (north of yardgoats) is sketchy.. if you see North Main st and Albany Ave you've gone too far. Anything south of Main St. x Park St. Would be considered South.. Franklin Ave, Wethersfield Ave, Maple Ave.. those are south and east sides.. more activity over there. Main x Temple is good. You'll be ok just try to make sure you have parking in a garage or figure it in.. catalytic converters are a hot ticket on the streets. Good luck

> As far as crime, don't pass yardgoat stadium and you'll be fine

On North or South of the stadium? Roughly, what would you consider south of downtown? We were looking online at apartments on Main and Temple. Huge thanks!

My partner and I just got an apartment at capewell, moving up from NJ - it is really nice so far. Element 250 isn’t too far away.

The area south and immediately west of us isn’t super great from driving thru, but the access to downtown and the river is quite nice (so far!). Eager to explore more of Hartford’s hidden gems.

We have a parking spot around back and a garage spot; a guy in our building reported a “break-in” in his admittedly unlocked car in the same lot, but we haven’t had issues with that. We’ve had a few packages stolen from out front, even with a camera, so I’m looking into renting a mailbox at the UPS store.

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There are so many hidden gems downtown.. you just need to be careful late night because you never know (as with any big city). You might do better in glastonbury (right over the bridge).. the area is generally on the upswing. Just the very very early part of the upswing. As far as crime, don't pass yardgoat stadium and you'll be fine. Things get dicey on the north end. Lot of drugs and streetwallers south of downtown as well. Good luck and welcome!

Thanks for responding! Is the parking situation an issue for you assuming you park on the street?

I know the crime situation is relative but what’s your take?

We moved here from Pittsburgh a few months ago, bought a condo in a historic district downtown, and mostly love it. I’m glad we have cars, and cats instead of kids. I definitely have to drive for groceries and basic necessities, but enjoy walking to parks and rivers and museums on my days off.

Agree. Raccoons and squirrels can be nasty. They'll jump out of dumpsters on to you if you walk by at the wrong time. Raccoons will also definitely live in your attic and that can be a HUGE problem

Rats tend to be pretty chill or nonexistent in CT because they get trapped or caught by cats and other predators, though there are some houses in Hartford where they will come inside and are a bad problem for a specific complex or city block sometimes.

If you're in a big city and they are swarming in large groups (or stuck in a subway car with you) or endemic to an entire neighborhood, they can be more of a problem, but that's definitely not the case here.

Rats aren't too bad in Hartford compared to big cities like Philly, Baltimore, Boston, etc. I don't know if you've all spent time in some of those cities but in the summer there can be large (cat sized) rats swarming around, even in nice neighborhoods. But there are definitely some localized problems with them in some of the outlying Hartford residential areas, where the city and/or landlords aren't doing their jobs.

I’ve lived in Hartford for close to 20 years and I have seen rats here and there, usually around dumpsters, or any time there’s been a big gathering of people where there is a lot of garbage that hasn’t been picked up yet. For example, after a parade or festival when the trash cans are overflowing.

Rats are a property management issue everywhere in the world. Rats go where people make it easy (through lack of maintenance/vigilance) to access shelter and food, are super smart, and are prolific breeders. Rats become more noticeable when their habitats are disturbed (such as during construction) and wherever there is a food source: any public trash can or restaurant dumpster, supermarket loading dock, farm feed bin. Some of the worst rat issues in any city (including Hartford) stem from absentee landlords not providing adequate trash receptacles for their tenants (residential and commercial) and not maintaining their property (reducing opportunities for rats to get in plus ongoing pest control treatment).