fountainReal Hartford began in March 2007 as a “Town Blog” hosted by CT Local Politics; the previous address was Real Hartford (ctlocalpolitics.net/realhartford). In July 2009, the site moved to the present address ( www.realhartford.org ) so that I could expand the blog to fit my vision of it.

What is my vision for it? Well, while most things seem political to me, I do not always write about blatantly political events, such as city council meetings or what the mayor has been arrested for this time. How a city works — how a community works — fascinates me. There’s a web of cause-and-effect between politicians and everyday people. Before I get to that, I need to remind readers why this blog exists in the first place: Hartford, like many other urban areas, gets a bum rap. It’s not that all of the rumors spread are untrue; there are exaggerations and omissions aplenty when it comes to “news” stories and gossip. I started this blog because as a resident I felt that so many myths and half-truths clouded what Hartford actually is as a place where people — normal people — live and work. For political reporting to have any meaning, there needs to be context. When the only reporting a place receives is related to political scandal and murders, there is no context. There is nothing that shows how everday people who are not the anomalies, not the exceptions, live.

So, with that, welcome to Real Hartford’s new home on the interwebs.