Last week’s heatwave meant that we had to take a few trips out before 6 a.m. to get photos. Anything later, and it was too hot to move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were others out at this time too. Most were taking morning walks, but we did encounter some people in a car, cranking the stereo in Pope Park at 5:45 a.m., smoking up.

The whole “get an early start to the day” advice is flawed. Running into noise pollution, excessive litter, smells we don’t want to smell, and thoughtlessly discarded uncapped syringes (not pictured) all before the sun is fully up is actually a craptastic way to greet the day.

It’s especially unfortunate after the corporate news ran with the story of a loaded firearm being stashed on the playground in recent weeks. The park is not generally unsafe, but rude, inconsiderate behaviors only reinforce the idea that it could be.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then there’s the house on Babcock, owned by the church next door — the church that has so far done nothing to renovate or beautify the property. We continue to be unimpressed with this institution in our neighborhood.

 

Not picture this time: the series of improvements along Capitol Avenue. The sidewalk work is ongoing, but the changes near Park Terrace will make it easier for pedestrians to cross what had been an excessively wide intersection. This means we stand a chance of not getting hit by a bus when crossing there because they have to slow down significantly to make the turn onto Capitol. Hopefully, we will see vegetation added soon.

Two long-vacant places (405 and 491 Capitol Avenue) have been filled by Little River Restoratives and Fire-N-Spice within the last year; the spot at 461 Capitol Ave, which has seemed like a non-stop carousel of lunch places, has been taken up by Stella’s and Mazie’s.

In the last five years of walking by Snack-It almost daily, we only once — exactly one time — saw someone enter or exit the restaurant. The blinds were usually closed. The perpetually-closed Snack-It at 399 Capitol has officially shut down. A ramen place is being constructed there.

Donnie, who owns Red Rock Tavern, purchased 379 Capitol Avenue a few months ago. Red Rock has been receiving upgrades, including the adoption of a brunch menu.

The 387-389 Capitol Avenue building, which had been neglected for so long, has started to blossom under new ownership. It helps that the owners live in the building. The first tenants since the renovation recently moved in. They have permanently removed the roll-up doors and installed new windows. Some vegetation has been added around the building. They have been documenting all the improvements on a Facebook page.

Across the street, 390 Capitol Avenue is getting closer to completion. The conversion from vacant property to apartments is expected to be finished by the end of 2016.

Venom Vintage, in the Dunkin Donuts building on the corner of Capitol and Lawrence, is still open, but readers have reported that attempts to shop there during posted business hours have had mixed results — from the store being closed to the owner not being on premises to many goods lacking price tags to the cashier not having cash with which to make change for a customer. We will see in a few months if that store is still in the neighborhood. We hope they figure out how to make it work.

In Your Neighborhood: Each Saturday we showcase a different neighborhood in Hartford. These photos are taken while out on foot or on bicycle, because Hartford is not the Interstate and we should see it at human speed.