With its low self-esteem and high urban blight, Hartford is the ultimate underdog city. Sad City Hartford documents the joys, sorrows and eccentricities of New England's Rising Star.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Hartford Pay Phone Contest: Pay Phone #24

Pay phone #24 is located at the corner of Webster and Barnard outside of Victoria's Market. #24 is actually a dual phone set up, but only one of the two phones is functional. It makes us wonder how long the non-functioning phones sit around. Are they of any value to the phone company? Is the phone company under any obligation to remove them?



Victoria's Market is cool for a couple reasons. Not only does the awesome yellow awning just scream out to passerbys, but the back side has a non-functioning drive-thru window. This begs the question, what was the window installed for? Is Victoria's an old bank or fast-food restaurant? At first blush it doesn't look like either. Maybe Victoria's was a Hartford pioneer in the drive-thru bodega?

 It's also interesting to note that these pay phones weren't placed close to the store as one would usually see, but far removed from the store near the sidewalk of a busy intersection. No matter, the yellow awning and the non-functioning drive-thru window make #24 a notable find.

Email me your notable pay phone finds!

3 comments:

  1. Victoria's originally was a Bess Eaton Donuts Shop, that explains the drive through window.

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  2. Thanks for the tip. I've wondered about that window for a while.

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  3. Yeah, it was a Bess Eaton Donut and when I was young; it was a Whole Donut. The Whole Donut, mind you that attracted all the senior citizen ne'er do wells who sat in there all day smoking. I went to elementary school at MD Fox, down the street.

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