I
nhabiting a city of nearly
125,000 people, in a state
that's among the most
densely populated in the
country, residents of Hartford
know all about urban living.
But their experience also
includes access to numerous
parks and recreation areas, some
along the Connecticut River
waterfront and many dating all
the way back to the 19th century,
including one designed by famed
landscape architect Frederick
Law Olmsted.
Many of Connecticut's 139
state parks and forests are also a
short trip away.
Hartford's riverfront parks,
according to the city's Parks and
Recreation webpage, are Charter
Oak Landing, which features a
couple of nesting eagles; Great
River Park, with a 350-seat
amphitheater and a public boat
launch; Victorian-era Riverside
Park, home to the Greater
Hartford Jaycees Community
Boathouse and miles of unpaved
trails through floodplain forest;
and Mortensen Riverfront Plaza,
centerpiece of the Riverfront
Recapture park system.
Natural
abundance
BY PAULA WOLF
IN AND AROUND HARTFORD, PARKS AND
GREEN SPACE ARE WITHIN EASY REACH
46
HBJ HARTFORD
LIVE
WORK
PLAY