The tendency is to want every depiction to be beautiful, for our dirty laundry to never be noticed on the line. But how does one put something out there and expect invisibility?
Parkville might be faring better than some surrounding neighborhoods when it comes to warding off or dealing with things like graffiti and blight, but it is not immune either.
That’s how a boarded up house on an otherwise maintained street can stand out. How is it possible for this to stand when many of the homeowners on the block post signs demanding that people pick up after their dogs?
Other parts of the neighborhood are less cohesive, with there being a “wrong side of the tracks” feel, by virtue of there being tracks and now a busway, in front yards.
In other places, roads essentially dead end with a large church or a health center. The latter has this description on its website: “Park Place Health Center is Hartford’s premier healthcare center located on the west side of Hartford, just a short walk from local trolley and bus routes. ” A trolley?! Either someone has been terribly misinformed or is a proponent of wishful thinking.
Along Park Street in Parkville — as is the case for the parts in South Green and Frog Hollow — many cultures are represented. It’s not a, exclusively “Portuguese neighborhood” any more than Frog Hollow is an exclusively “Puerto Rican neighborhood.” One need not look too hard to see the presence of others. Look at the restaurants, the flags, the signs affixed to houses. Listen to the many languages spoken on the street. Neighborhoods change. That is something to embrace.
Richard
On Photo #1—remember all the hoopla about under the railroad bridge a few years back. The gooddie do-gooders coming in, along with the sanctioned artist to make the children safe and happy on their way to school. The Corridor of Hope is now peeling and overgrown, graffiti all over the mural, no bridge to cross the slimy water. The well meaning folks have gone now and it is back to being a corridor of despair. The sanctioned art of the man is dying. We know it is easy to get folks worked up into doing a project for the good but then it seems to always be the same, no one cares after the project is done. Now if they did that would be a real testament to and of their caring.
other than that- thanks for the pictures of our neighborhood.
Kerri Provost
It seems this may get some more attention. Leadership Greater Hartford is collaborating with United Way, Knox, and Real Art Ways, and partnering with the City of Hartford, CTfastrak, and CT DOT.
They say: “Imagine if this stretch of the city were free of litter, graffiti, weeds and poison ivy.
Imagine if the corridor had day lilies and other colorful perennials dotting both the north and south sides of the street.
Imagine if both the old and the new walls supporting the railroad and bus tracks had attractive and meaningful art murals displayed.
Imagine if the underpass were well-lit and included technology that would make traveling through the tunnel a pleasant experience.
We believe this vision could be achieved through modest investment and extraordinary collaboration. As the attached sheet depicts, much of this work could be accomplished by the nonprofit groups working with volunteers. Other work could be handled by the State, City and AMTRAK. With a commitment of $50,350, LGH could mobilize its partners and volunteers to begin the general maintenance, landscaping and art project for Phase 1 of this project. This work would be completed within a year and would be maintained for at least another year.
While Phase 1 is being completed, we will also be planning for the possibility of Phase 2 – a much larger project for which design proposals would be sought. It is hoped that the successful execution and preservation of the work planned over the next several years will fuel interest on the part of both public agencies and private interests to continue collaborating to transform urban blight into a spectacular gateway to the capital area – a true ‘corridor of hope.'”
Richard
Yes to getting rid of poison ivy where ever it may grow.
David Morin
Glad to see all this collaboration. There is no “wrong side of the tracks” unless it exists in your choice of perception. How
does anyone access the attached sheet? Choose to stay positive.
This idea as before is a good, sound project that shows caring.
Thanks to all: LGH, United Way, Knox, RAW, City of Hartford, CT DOT, CTfastrak, AMTRAK and Volunteers for any attempt here at
this Train Trestle & Busway Bridge west of Laurel Street along
Capitol Avenue. This goodie do-gooder requests that all please include funds for maintenance after all phases are completed!
Parkville is not faring better than others fighting Graffiti!
Refocus your camera and look again at buildings you pictured!
Richard
“Imagine if both the old and the new walls supporting the railroad and bus tracks had attractive and meaningful art murals displayed.”
It is always a tab bit spooky when people start talking like that. The sanctioned art that is now peeling away was suppose to be “attractive and meaningful”, as it tried to appeal to the youth who passed under the bridge to stay in school. If any artwork is used to brighten up our lives, by that I mean those of us who live here, and walk here and gives us the hope that we will safely pass under the bridge with our life and limbs intact then let it not be art that is sanctioned by “the man” or his shadows. I would love to see as I proposed years ago during the short live “sharing and caring under the bridge,” art that is by our youth. Art like the art of Heaven Skate Park. A changing exhibition, art in flux, youthful art, art that breaths new life not a static vision by a chosen artist. I have to ask, Who is this for? What are folks trying to accomplish? Who are we trying to impress?
“This work would be completed within a year and would be maintained for at least another year.”
With this sharing and caring please let the maintenance scheduled for one year extend through out the winter months. This means someone must remove the snow from the sidewalks so all may pass through the Corridor of Hope. No one up to this day has claimed responsibility for removing the snow from these walks. I can’t believe that The Corridor of Hope should shut down in the winter months like the mountain passages of ancient China.