Hartford is sometimes dismissed as simply a stop on the highway between Boston and New York, but this city of 120,000 people has its own identity. Settled by Puritans in the 1630s, the city thrived until the mid-1900s, when many wealthy families relocated to the suburbs. In 2017, Hartford came close to filing for bankruptcy due to a dwindling tax base and rising debt obligations. Today, Hartford’s rich history remains intact, with landmarks such as Mark Twain’s Victorian Gothic-style home. Residents can wander through art exhibits in the country's oldest public art museum and even rent out Harriet Beecher Stowe's former bedroom for writing inspiration. There are also architecturally significant commercial and residential buildings, including an I.M. Pei-designed high-rise and the marble-and-granite Connecticut State Capitol building. With median housing costs significantly lower than the national average, young professionals and small businesses have found it possible to get their start in the middle of this centuries-old city. Amid the grey stone landscape of downtown buildings, colorful murals are signs of Hartford's renaissance.
Looking ahead to its 400th anniversary, the city has created a master plan called Hartford 2035, and each community will get a say in what upgrades benefit their residents the most. "It's a demographically dynamic city — a patchwork of neighborhoods with different identities that blend together in a harmonious way," says Owen Deutsch, Principal Planner for Hartford’s Planning & Zoning Division (in the Development Services Department). "Each neighborhood has its own identity and needs." Nearly half of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, and more than 90 languages are spoken within the Hartford metropolitan area. Events like Hartford Latino Fest and the Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival celebrate some of the city’s rich cultures, and religious institutions from churches to mosques to synagogues are also well-represented.
Hartford is a city with many major insurance companies calling it home.
People can enjoy walking with friends and shopping in Asylum Hill.
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Concerts and sports at the XL Center
Infinity Music Hall hosts concerts and comedy shows, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art — the oldest public art museum in the United States — features European and American paintings and sculptures. The Connecticut Science Center curates exhibits about dinosaurs and outer space. Touring Broadway shows, including "Sweeney Todd" and "The Color Purple," stop at the Bushnell Performing Arts Center, and national performers like Taylor Swift and Billy Joel come to the XL Center.
Hartford is also known for sports. Local rowing clubs take to the Connecticut River in the summertime. In the fall, the University of Connecticut Huskies play football minutes from Hartford at Pratt & Whitney’s Renschler Field. UConn basketball and hockey teams also play some home games downtown at the XL Center. UConn has the most successful women’s basketball team in the United States, with 11 national championships, and the men’s team has won five national titles. Minor-league and semi-professional soccer, baseball and hockey teams also practice in Hartford: the Hartford Yard Goats play baseball at Dunkin Park, Trinity Health Stadium accommodates the Hartford Athletic soccer team and the XL Center is home to the Hartford Wolf Pack hockey team.
People visit Downtown Hartford to cheer for the Yardgoats at Dunkin' Donuts Park.
At Hartford's XL Center you can see a concert or cheer for national champion UCONN basketball.
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Mostly multifamily living in Hartford's neighborhoods
The city's median housing cost is around $270,000, significantly lower than the national median of about $430,000, making it an attractive area for buyers. "Hartford's on the rise with home ownership," says JG Kemp, a Realtor with Five Stars Realty, who was born in Hartford and has worked in Hartford real estate for more than 20 years. "Prices are going up little by little." Listings generally fall between $70,000 and $400,000. At the low end, buyers may find a one-bedroom condo in an aging 1970s complex. On the high end, investors might find a renovated multifamily building from the early 1900s. Large multifamily residences, penthouse suites in high-rises and a few well-kept single-family homes can range from $450,000 to over $1 million.
In the west end, which borders the desirable suburb of West Hartford, there are brown stucco Colonial Revival-style estates behind bushes and grassy front lawns. Kemp says the south end has more commercial housing structures, while homes on the northern end often have built-in cabinets and hardwood floors. A few brick row homes are available downtown, but many of the city’s historic single-family homes have been transformed into apartment buildings or condos.
A row of multi-family homes in Sheldon Charter Oak, Hartford, CT.
A row of multfamily homes in Asylum Hill are situated on larger lots of land with yards.
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From Bushnell Park to the former Colt Armory
Bushnell Park, named for the influential Reverend Horace Bushnell, is home to the state capitol and a performing arts center. The park has a carousel, a grand brick archway and a fountain that depicts members of the Saukiog Tribe, the first residents of Hartford. The park also has a free ice-skating rink open during winter, when the city receives an average of more than 40 inches of snow. The Hartford Riverwalk, a 3.4-mile paved pathway along the Connecticut River suitable for running and biking, begins at Riverside Park, which also serves as a gateway to miles of unpaved trails through a nearby forest. Rowers can set off from the park’s community boathouse while kids enjoy the carousel, a relic from 1914.
Another important space is Colt Park, which borders the historic Colt Armory. In the 19th century, members of the Colt family used the 114 acres to house their collection of exotic animals and tropical plants. Today, it's a public space with sports fields, a swimming pool and play areas for children. Golfers may appreciate the public Goodwin Park Golf Course in southern Hartford, which is attached to a green space with a pond, tennis courts and picnic areas. The nearly 700-acre Keney Park in northern Hartford also includes a golf course, a splash pad and playgrounds. It's slated for renovation as part of the Hartford 2035 master plan. Talcott Mountain State Park in nearby Simsbury has a 2.5-mile trail that leads hikers up to Heublein Tower. From there, visitors can see the Hartford skyline, the Berkshires, and, on a clear day, Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire.
Sheldon Charter Oak locals meet up in Colt Park for a game of basketball.
The 100 year old horses of Bushnell Park's carousel in Downtown Hartford are ready for a spin.
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A patchwork of neighborhoods with different cuisines
North Hartford has several Caribbean-style restaurants, such as Pampi's Jamaican Restaurant. Popular Italian eateries are sprinkled throughout downtown Hartford and the west end. The south end's "Little Italy" now highlights Peruvian, Bosnian, Columbian and African cuisines in addition to its long-standing Italian restaurants. In Hartford’s center, patrons of Max Downtown can enjoy chilled raw oysters or burgers made from dry-aged beef. Other downtown options include Dhaba Wala’s traditional Indian fare and Story & Soil Coffee.
Some of the city's up-and-coming sections include Parkville, home to the Parkville Market food hall. In the west end's Farmington neighborhood, diners can choose from a variety of food trucks in WestSide Square, a food truck plaza with regular live music and outdoor games. Downtown's walkable retail center lies along Pratt Street, where stores include Hartford Prints and Gentle Bull Shop. There are a few grocery chains within the city, and during the warmer months, residents can visit farmers markets on the west end, north end and downtown. Many people do the bulk of their clothing shopping in West Hartford or online.
Downtown's college students also fuel a nightlife scene, with spots such as the Rocking Horse Saloon and Pig's Eye Pub remaining open past midnight. Music lovers head to Black-Eyed Sally's Southern Kitchen & Bar on Asylum Street to listen to live jazz and blues. There are also distilleries and breweries popping up around the city, including the Thomas Hooker Brewery at Colt.
The bar at Max Downtown in Downtown Hartford features a wide selection of whiskies.
The Tavern Downtown is popular for pub food and a drink with friends.
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Getting an education in Hartford
Hartford has a public school system serving more than 16,500 students in prekindergarten through Grade 12. The district, which has 39 schools and 18 magnet programs, has a C rating from Niche and an overall student-teacher ratio of 13-to-1. Standout schools include the University High School of Science and Engineering, where high-achieving students take honors and college classes through a partnership with the University of Hartford. The R.J. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts serves prekindergarten through eighth grade. Students also have access to private schools such as the A-plus-rated Kingswood Oxford School, which serves grades six through 12.
While Hartford doesn’t fit the traditional portrait of a college town, it does have a few postsecondary educational institutions. The private University of Hartford is known for its music and arts programs. Trinity College is a small liberal arts school whose campus was designed with the help of Hartford native, Frederick Law Olmsted. Locals can take advantage of Capital Community College, the only public undergraduate college in the city. UConn also has a campus in Hartford, though its main campus sits about 30 minutes away in the small, rural community of Storrs.
University High School of Science & Engineering Magnet School offers students unique opportu
R.J. Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts is a top ten performing art school in CT.
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Traveling around New England
Two interstates cut through the city, allowing drivers to reach the larger cities of New York and Boston, both a little more than 100 miles away. Interstate 84 heads southwest to the New York border and eventually connects to the Massachusetts Turnpike, while Interstate 91 leads north toward Springfield, Massachusetts.
CTtransit offers a bus service around Hartford, including a free circulator service called Dash that loops past Bushnell Park and the Connecticut Convention Center. Hartford residents can also link up with CTfastrak buses, which run on bus-only roads, when possible, to allow for faster travel. At Hartford Union Station, locals can catch Greyhound and Peter Pan buses, take Amtrak trains, or hop on the Metro-North Railroad to Grand Central Station in New York. A shuttle bus runs between Union Station and Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks. Driving to Bradley takes about 20 minutes, and the airport offers direct service to more than 35 locations, including Dublin, Ireland and Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Around 30% of residents rely on bike, foot and public transportation. Deutsch says the city plans to address this with infrastructure improvements such as bike lanes and pedestrian accessibility features. "City rights-of-way should be available to users of all ages, abilities, and modes of transportation," he says. Walking trails have also been added along the banks of the Connecticut River from Hartford to Windsor and between Pope Park and West Hartford.
As the state capital, Hartford is the center of Connecticut's political activity. It's also well-known for its insurance industry. National companies like Aetna are headquartered here, and other major employers include Hartford Hospital, which has a Level I Trauma Center — one of three in the state.
Building a better future for Hartford
Though the city has made strides in sustainability, including investments in solar energy and increasing citizens' understanding of recycling, it still faces several environmental concerns. Air pollution sometimes reaches dangerous levels, and high levels of mercury have been detected in the Connecticut River. Some residents experience seasonal flooding, while others may notice a smell from nearby landfills and sewage incinerators. The 2035 plan includes steps to address these issues.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations Crime Data Explorer, the number of violent crimes reported dropped by nearly 50% between 2014 and 2023. Property crime reports have also decreased. As part of Hartford 2035, the city will build the Hartford Reentry Welcome Center, a program to reduce recidivism. There are also efforts to boost police recruitment among locals.
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