Hartford is the capital of the state of Connecticut in the United States of America. It is home to the country's oldest public art museum (Wadsworth Atheneum), and the Mark Twain House, in which the author wrote his most famous works and raised his family. Mark Twain wrote in 1868, "Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see this is the chief."
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Founded in 1635, Hartford is among the oldest cities in the United States. It is home to the country's oldest publicly funded park (Bushnell Park), the oldest continuously published newspaper (the Hartford Courant), and the second-oldest secondary school (Hartford Public High School). The Greater Hartford region is enmeshed with Springfield (Massachusetts), which lies only 24 miles to the north.
Hartford is easy to navigate. Street parking is free on the weekends. Downtown is the safest to drive and park. CT Transit Hartford operates public bus service throughout the Greater Hartford Area. Most bus-stops receive service every 15-30 minutes. The regular fare is $1.75, with one free transfer. All day passes are also available for $3.50. Passes can be bought online or at the CT Transit Customer Service and Sales Outlet located at State and Market Streets next to the Old State House (M-F 7AM-6PM, Sa 9AM-3PM, CT Fastrak is Connecticut’s first Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
1 Connecticut State Capitol, 210 Capitol Ave, ☏ +1 860-240-0222. M-F 8AM-5PM. Downtown atop Bushnell Park the capitol is a National Historic Landmark that opened back in 1878. This stunning building is made of marble and is topped off by a gold dome. Open for free on-hour tours year round. free. (updated Jun 2018) 2 Bushnell Park, Bounded by Jewell Street, Trinity Street, Elm Street and Capitol Avenue downtown. The first publicly funded park in America. Located in the center of the city and bordering the state capitol building. The park was designed by the architect of Central Park in New York City.
1 Mortensen Riverfront Plaza, 250 Columbus Boulevard, ☏ +1 860-713-3131 ext 323. (updated Sep 2019) 2 XL Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, ☏ +1 860-249-6333. The largest arena in Connecticut. This is the former home of the Hartford Whalers National Hockey League team and numerous other professional sports teams and the current home of American Hockey League Hartford Wolfpack, and one of two homes for the men's and women's basketball programs of the University of Connecticut Huskies, and for its men’s hockey program. Various bands and recording artists perform here, mostly popular and more established acts.
Over the years, Hartford came to be known for its Italian cuisine. South End of Hartford used to be called Little Italy, and even though most Italian-Americans have migrated to the southern suburbs of the city, their restaurants and shops remain. Today, however, Hartford is not limited to Italian cuisine. Waves of immigrants from South America, the Caribbean Islands (mainly Puerto Rico and Jamaica) and southeast Asians have added a richer cuisine to Hartford. South End and West End is filled with Peruvian and Brazilian cuisines.
1 Vaughan's Public House, 59 Pratt St, ☏ +1 860-882-1560. Cozy pub offering traditional Irish fare, Guinness & single malts amid dark woods & memorabilia. (updated Sep 2019) 2 Pig’s Eye Pub, 356 Asylum Street, ☏ +1 860-278-4747. Famous for never having a cover, and live bands on the roof top patio. Overall a rowdy little place with lots of fun. 3 Black-Eyed Sally's, 350 Asylum St, ☏ +1 860-278-7427. Southern fare & BBQ in a hip, vibrant roadhouse with live blues, jazz & soul music. (updated Sep 2019) 4 Arch Street Tavern, 85 Arch Street (across from the Connecticut Convention Center & Marriott Hartford Downtown Hotel).
Despite what the media says, Hartford is generally a safe city. The areas where tourist attractions, colleges, shops, nightclubs and restaurants are is safe. Most of the violence is confined to the north end of Hartford which includes areas north and west of downtown (excluding the North Meadows and West End). A majority of the attractions and entertainment in Hartford is located in Downtown/Central Business District, the West End, South End, and North Meadows and these areas are fairly safe. North Meadows safety: If you are a visitor you would visit the North Meadows if you were attending some sort of event.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Hartford typically sees ~30°C daytime highs and 11 rainy days.
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