Like the host of this podcast I too grew up in the Hartford area, and the city was always spoken about with ambivalence at best, disdain at worst. I never understood why but seeing these images and listening to this podcast made me realize how completely and utterly fucked it's history is. Robert Moses was truly the devil
Connecticut, home of the widest and most visible wage gap in America! Come see our yacht supply stores right next to the trailer parks! Marvel at the industrial zone within spitting distance of the old theatre! Greenville? Never heard of it, all I see there are some empty factories made of asbestos brick we can't tear down yet!
Even as a kid I thought it was absolutely insane driving past all of the incredibly opulent mansions in the west end and then like 2 blocks later it's nothing but run down apartments
The shoreline is about 90% vacation homes and McMansions built out of stale animal crackers. It's a breathtaking view with almost no people living in it.
I-84 is an evil demon highway. Just a complete abomination.
Like, it not only destroyed the city completely, but it's also fucking hellish to actually drive on to boot. If there's anyone, anywhere, who genuinely enjoys driving on I-84 through Hartford in heavy traffic, I would be absolutely astonished.
anyone, anywhere, who genuinely enjoys driving... in heavy traffic
Driving in traffic sucks and everyone hates it, and if you think you like it you're wrong you actually just like listening to music.
This is true, but I-84 is on another level. In both directions there are sections where multiple lanes on the right-hand side are exit-only, meaning you have to move over multiple times to avoid getting off the highway entirely. This is particularly true when entering 84 W from 91 S, which requires moving over at least twice within about a mile or so, and twice more if you intend to use one of the left-hand exits (yes, there are multiple exits off the left-hand side of 84).
Add to that the fact that the road is one of the most sharply curved roads in any major city, and the fact that the 50 mph speed limit through there is a total joke (people drive like it's a 65 limit anyway), and it's truly worse than almost all roads outside of LA.
America would be a much better place if this was a requirement for all commuters.
