Interesting Reads…

I was hunkered down in my house in Hartford today, catching up on some reading for the week. Here are some interesting articles I found related to the real estate/housing market. We’ll start with the micro-economic and move to the macro-economic… The Hartford Business Journal addresses the fact that the West Farms Mall seems to be doing just fine, even with the opening of Blue Back Square. Tiffany & Co. will be opening a 6,000

Mark Twain Holiday House Tour

Who can pass up twinkly lights and festive floral arrangements, housed at some of the most impressive architectural gems in Hartford? Not me, and hopefully not you. For 27 years, The Friends of the Mark Twain House & Museum have been organizing a holiday tour of beautiful homes in Hartford. This year the tour takes place on Sunday, December 2nd from 11:00am to 4:00pm. The cost is $30 per person if you purchase your tickets

A Cheesecake Factory Preview

Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a waitstaff training exercise at the new Cheesecake Factory restaurant located in West Hartford’s Blue Back Square shopping area. The restaurant will officially open for dinner on Thursday, November 1 at 5:00pm. I’ve eaten at Cheesecake Factories in the Boston, DC, and Denver areas before (the last time being about a year and a half ago) and the West Hartford establishment carries along the traditional decor and

Crate & Barrel- A Friend's Review

This is my friend Grant. He is a West Hartford resident and likes the whole Blue Back Square concept. A lot. So, when Grant approached me about being a guest writer and reviewing the new Crate & Barrel at Blue Back Square, I said “Sweet! I can take a day off!” And without further ado, here are Grant’s ramblings… The newest addition to West Hartford Center has arrived…say hello to Crate & Barrel. As one

Local Real Estate Sales Slow, Prices Not Too Bad…

My favorite mantra in residential real estate is “the market is local.” You can read all of the national news reports you want about how foreclosures are overwhelming Ohio and Michigan and how housing prices are dropping faster than Britney’s fan base. But if you live in an economy like Connecticut with a stable job market and reasonably paced home construction, you shouldn’t expect the sky to fall on the housing market. And after doing