Being a longtime resident of Hartford, Connecticut I have often commented to friends and family members that I know my way around every section of the city. One of the reasons why I am so familiar with the many roads and streets situated in Hartford is because I used to work as a Class 2 route truck driver and most of the stops on my route were located within the city.
Another reason is the fact that I also used to ride antique British motorcycles to and from work for more than a dozen years. Because I tried to stay off of the Interstate highways as much as possible I learned how to get from point A to point B in Hartford by utilizing the roads and streets in the city.
Presented here is an article which provides brief profiles of the major roads and streets located in Hartford, Connecticut.
East/West Roads and Streets
New Britain Avenue..
Running between Washington Street in central Hartford and the Elmwood section of West Hartford, New Britain Avenue is a busy major street that abuts prestigious Trinity College. Along its length this street is home to a broad spectrum of businesses and apartment buildings and houses.
Park Street..
Like most of the other major roads and streets in Hartford, Park Street offers a distinctive look and feel. From its beginning at the intersection with Main Street in the downtown section to where it becomes Park Road at the Prospect Avenue West Hartford town line, Park Road is lined with a multitude of urban businesses large and small, schools, banks, restaurants, bars, bakeries and churches.
Capitol Avenue..
This aptly named major street is where the Connecticut State Capitol building is located as are many other buildings that house State of Connecticut departments.
Capitol Avenue begins at Main Street in the downtown section and continues all of the way to the West Hartford town line at Prospect Avenue. Along the way this slightly hilly street passes by a renowned theatre, bars, restaurants, retail stores and lots of apartment buildings and houses.
Farmington Avenue..
Farmington Avenue is a major street that runs through the middle of the city. The street begins near Broad street where it forks off from Asylum Avenue and continues to the city line at Prospect Avenue. The headquarters of the Aetna Insurance company and the Mark Twain House are both situated on this attractive street.
Many small retail stores, restaurants, apartment and office buildings and churches are located on Farmington Avenue. Traffic on this street is fairly steady but becomes heavier in the morning and afternoon weekday rush hours.
Asylum Street and Asylum Avenue
This major street begins as Asylum Street in downtown Hartford at the intersection of Main Street and continues through the downtown section until it becomes Asylum Avenue near the intersection of Broad Street.
In the downtown section Asylum Street houses a wealth of restaurants, bars, retail stores, parking lots and office buildings including the Cityplace skyscraper buildings.
The Asylum Avenue section of this road features a mixture of office buildings including the Hartford Insurance Company headquarters, churches and apartment buildings.
Traffic on this street is normally pretty heavy. On weekday afternoons specific sections of Asylum Avenue become one-way headed westbound in an effort to ease the flow of commuter traffic from the downtown section of the city.
Albany Avenue
Albany Avenue begins in the northeast section of the city where it forks off from Main Street and continues to the city line at Prospect Avenue. This major road is packed with an eclectic mix of inner-city small businesses. There are restaurants, hair cutters, grocery stores, convenience stores, bakeries, gas stations and other businesses as well as several churches located on this bustling urban street. Traffic on Albany Avenue is frequently heavy.
Tower Avenue
This major road in the north end of Hartford is lined with well-kept houses and is almost exclusively residential. Traffic is usually fairly light on this road which runs between Main Street and Blue Hills Avenue.
North/South Roads and Streets
Prospect Avenue
This major street in Hartford, Connecticut serves as the city line between Hartford and West Hartford and is also the street where Connecticut’s Governor’s Mansion is situated. A street of contrasts, Prospect Avenue starts at a fork intersection with New Park Avenue and continues past apartment and office buildings, highway entrances, fast food outlets, shopping centers, modest homes and mansions and the world-famous Elizabeth Park.
The portion of this street near the Kane Street shopping center and I-84 entrance usually has a lot of traffic but the north end near the park and governor’s mansion is usually much quieter. Prospect Avenue ends where it intersects with Albany Avenue.
Sigourney Street
Running from the midtown/Park Terrace area to Albany Avenue in the north end, Sigourney Street is a busy roadway that is home to many apartment buildings. This street runs by the side of the huge Aetna Insurance Company headquarters and also houses a large culinary/technical school.
Main Street
Running from the Windsor town line south through the downtown section to where it runs into Maple Avenue, Main Street in Hartford is a long street that features a lot of contrasts.
At its southern end Main Street is home to some small businesses, churches, shelters, restaurants, apartment buildings and office space.
The downtown section of Main Street features a host of skyscrapers including the Traveler’s Insurance Company tower as well as an array of restaurants, banks, retail stores, government buildings and a community college.
The north end of Main Street is home to apartment buildings and houses, restaurants, bars, schools, retail stores, barber shops, government buildings, social service agencies and a large number of churches. Traffic on this street is usually pretty heavy.
Maple Avenue
From where it begins at Main Street in the downtown section to where it ends at the Wethersfield town line, Maple Avenue consists of a mixture of retail stores, schools, restaurants, bars, office buildings and other structures. Goodwin Park and the Goodwin Park golf course are also located on Maple Avenue. Traffic on this street is normally medium-heavy and it provides quick and easy access to the Berlin Turnpike in Wethersfield and Newington, Connecticut. Maple Avenue runs parallel with Franklin Avenue and Wethersfield Avenue.
Franklin Avenue
Franklin Avenue is one of the main arteries running through Hartford’s south end and for many decades has been synonymous with Hartford’s Italian-American community. Some of Hartford’s very best restaurants and bakeries are located on Franklin Avenue.
Wethersfield Avenue
Another one of the main streets running through the south end of Hartford, Wethersfield Avenue features a mix of apartment buildings and multi-family dwellings, retail stores, restaurants, bars, light industrial businesses and office space. This street starts in the South Green area and if you keep following Wethersfield Avenue southward it will lead you to into the neighboring town of Wethersfield.
Some of the other major roads and streets located in Hartford, Connecticut include Airport Road/Brown Street in the southeast section, Washington Street in the south-central area, Broad Street in the central section, Blue Hills Avenue in the northwest section and New Park Avenue/Sisson Avenue in the western part of the city.
Sources :
Personal knowledge of and experience with traveling the streets of Hartford, Connecticut