Archive for the 'West Hartford' Category
Google Street View
Those Google folks are always working hard to gather and index information. On occasion it relates to real estate and is actually directly useful in the buying and selling process. The ongoing rollout of the Street Views feature of Google Maps is a helpful tool for buyers interested in getting a sense of how houses fit into the overall neighborhood.
The blue roads on the above map show where Street Views are available. Some towns in our area have much better coverage than others. Farmington, New Britain, Newington, Weathersfield, Manchester, Windsor all have very broad coverage. Avon seems pretty good south of Route 44, and West Hartford is good west of Main Street. Hartford has basically no coverage and Simsbury is very weak.
Using the feature is quite easy, and like most new things I discover on the internet, a little addictive. Click on the “Street View” button at the top of a map to access the feature. Roads where the feature is available turn blue, and a little yellow dude appears on the map with a picture of the surrounding area. You can then rotate around 360 degrees as if you are standing right there in the middle of the road.
As an example of why this could be helpful, consider the picture below.
Did you know that there is a cul-de-sac in West Hartford that has Victorian-style homes that were built in the mid 1980s? They are unique in town, and if you came across one in isolation listed for sale on www.raveis.com, then you could use Google Street View to see that it’s not an odd duck dropped in the middle of 1960s-era split-level homes.
I got to wondering how they actually got all these pictures. Rumor has it that there is a van that drives around with camera mounted on the top. Details are sketchy. More effort has been exerted in identifying weird scenes and situations captured by the van as it photographs the country. Enjoy!
West Hartford Dog Park Coalition’s Dog Swim a Splashing Success
Really, I can’t remember a time lately that was so much fun. I love dogs!
First one in the pool!
More join in…
Racing around…
Shy guy…
Two balls at once. Impressive!
Splashing around…
Marco! Polo!
Congratulations to the West Hartford Dog Park Coalition for running a fantastic event at the Kennedy Pool! There were probably at least 30 dogs in attendance and many more people. The dogs had a great time and their people had a great time. Thanks to the town of West Hartford for allowing this event to happen. Now, bring on the Dog Park!
UPDATE: More wonderful photos and video here. And over 100 dogs attended. A fantastic success!
The Fight for Young Professionals in the Hartford Area
Young professionals, usually associated with Generation Y (1980-1994), are where it’s at. Local towns and cities in central Connecticut are fighting over them because there are a lot of them (Gen Y is the largest demographic group since the Baby Boomer generation) and they have a lot of spending power.
Hartford has spent quite a bit of time and money courting young professionals to work and live in the city. Hartford 21, the Lofts at Main & Temple, Trumbull on the Park, in addition to other rental options downtown were created with the Gen Y demographic in mind. The currently stalled Front Street development, Colt Gateway, and Riverfront Recapture efforts were also part of the plan.
Blue Back Square in West Hartford is also seen as an attractive area for young professionals, with its restaurants and shops. While the condos there are essentially out-of-reach based on pricing, there is an upscale rental option with The Lofts at Blue Back Square.
And now Simsbury seems to be throwing its hat in the ring. The Simsbury zoning commission voted last week to a new mixed-use development that would have a rental component, marketed toward the young professional demographic.
With all of these options, where are the young professionals ultimately going to choose to live? While I am not technically part of Gen Y (I was born in ‘76 and am a staggering 32 years old), I think I am still considered a young professional. What I see my clients and friends gravitating towards are areas that are close to work (long commutes are really a drag), walkability to shops, restaurants, and coffee shops, and some type of nightlife, whether it be a low key coffee shop or wine bar or a techno-thumping club.
Perhaps more importantly, are employers in the Greater Hartford area going to be able to attract enough young talent that all of these options can survive? At what point is saturation reached? I may be incorrect in my thinking, but I’m going to say it anyway. I have a feeling that the Simsbury development might be a little late to the game and Simsbury might not be the ideal location for young professionals because of its more rural nature and lack of “things to do.” But only time will tell…