Hartford: the vibe
Videos from people who went, played right here, with what viewers said underneath. Not part of the score.
The verdict
Wary · 38Commenters mourn Hartford's lost architecture and past vitality, while current residents describe decline, high taxes, and empty downtown streets; little positive about living there now.
- historic architecture
- past downtown vibrancy
- insurance industry legacy
- nostalgia for game days and holidays
- urban renewal losses
- highway destruction
- high taxes
- crime
- empty downtown offices
- closed attractions on weekends
- decline of Main Street businesses
- Hartford was once a thriving city that was damaged by mid-century planning
- Current downtown feels empty after office hours and on weekends
- Locals say taxes and crime have driven businesses and people away
- Few people today see much reason to visit or live downtown
- Nostalgia outweighs enthusiasm for present-day city life
Read from 7 videos, 29 comments and 0 posts on 2026-11-08; the summary is written by a language model and can misread sarcasm.
America's Fallen Cities: Hartford
Alexander Rotmensz · 724K views · 2024
What viewers said
“As a CT resident who has only known the modern Hartford...I'm sad seeing what we've lost.”
♥ 562 likes
“I live in the Hartford area. I grew up here and work in downtown Hartford. I try to explain to people that this city used to be a jewel, but few comprehend. This video presents that story better than I could ever explain. Thank you. I am go”
♥ 2K likes
“My daughter and I were driving through Hartford. I thought I'd stop to show her the Old State House. We parked ina garage nearby and walked to the State House Museum and it was closed in a Saturday, because when the office workers leave, Ha”
♥ 590 likes
“What was done to America from the late 1950s through 1980s was a crime against humanity... the loss of architecture amd destruction of our cities and communities was absolutely criminal.”
♥ 2K likes
“Important to note the loss of the whalers in ‘97 was huge. Remember going to games as a kid and how exciting the city was on game day.”
♥ 18 likes
“the other ones are depressing, this one is downright horrific. The loss of places, homes, neighborhoods, architecture, etc is just makes you kind of sick to your stomach. people lived there”
♥ 2K likes
“I live in the suburbs. I started working in Hartford in the late 70's. I always wondered what it looked like before most of it was bulldozed. The amount of office space has at least tripled since then. Most suburbanites won't go to Hartford”
♥ 253 likes
“Imagine the northeast megalopolis without the urban renewal and suburban sprawl starting in the 50s. A dense, vibrant megacity hundreds of miles long with great public transportation and neighborhoods in every city, and much more nature nea”
♥ 41 likes
“No, don’t finish this series please 😭. We need to see so many more - Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, Syracuse, Atlanta. Heck, once upon a time even LA was great and had the largest light rail network.”
♥ 1K likes
“this is so saddening. its actually crazy how little of the original hartford is left.”
♥ 96 likes
Found with a YouTube search for the city and “digital nomad”, fetched 2026-11-08; titles, descriptions and comments belong to their authors and link to the originals.