A Not So Hot Spot

In the last couple months or so we noticed the L.A. Hot Spot Convenience store had popped up over on Franklin Ave in the South End. While we didn't visit immediately, the store caught our discerning Hartford eye for a handful or reasons. First, this thing isn't exactly the traditional convenience store or bodega. It's huge and the front is almost entirely large glass windows, unusual for that type of store. Second the peculiar name the "L.A. Hot Spot" brings the name of our least favorite big city to our favorite small city.

Hartford Food Guy Reviews: Francesco's

The Hartford Food Guy returns to reviews Francesco's, located on 318 Franklin Ave, right across from a former Sad City living spot.  We once tried to eat at Francesco's on a Monday but the place had just closed just before we arrived. We ended up instead at the closed bar with Francesco's staff and followed that up with a trip to Bowl-O-Rama. Who needs 24 hour bowling on a Monday night? Apparently Francesco's staff. 

Hartford Pay Phone Contest: Pay Phone #22

Hartford Pay Phone #22 is located on Franklin Avenue in the heart of Hartford's South End. Franklin Ave is known for being home to great restaurants and bakeries, but as we can see in the photo, #22 resides outside the Santos Driving School. We are surprised to see Santos Driving School is in business, because it seems to us that no one in the South End has any sort of formal driving training.

The streets of the South End are just big enough and the area is just dense enough to be home to some of the most outrageous driving one can encounter.

Hartford Pay Phone Contest: Pay Phone ##

UPDATE: Franklin Mike informs us that this pay phone is not working so it will not be included in the total count, still we appreciate the interesting photo.

Loyal Sad City reader Franklin Mike has provided us with Pay Phone #14 in the Sad City Pay Phone Contest. Franklin Mike reports that this Pay Phone is located outside of 156 Franklin Ave, in the heart of Hartford's historic Little Italy. If one glimpses closely, one can make out the classic Italian restaurant Domino's Pizza in the background. I don't know about you but nothing says good Italian pizza to me like Domino's!

Franklin Ave & The South End: A Brief Essay

Not long ago, Franklin Avenue was one of the true gems of Hartford. In the summer, the entire street would be shut down for festivals and amazing restaurants flourished in the city's South End. Today the neighborhood has drastically changed. House break-in's happen on a regular basis. The Hartford Police Department, armed with all of three burglary detectives, have little to no chance of ever solving a burglary.

A Sad City Refrain

In a refrain all too common throughout the City, police report that they have no suspects and no witnesses from the shooting that killed one and wounded another on Sunday night. The shooting was reported to have taken place at 8:06 PM on a busy area of Franklin Ave yet amazingly no one was a witness to the crime. On a busy main street of a city. At 8 o'clock on a Sunday night.