The architectural details of this wonderful institution are unconditionally impressive…read more Thank goodness Hartford preserved this building that has been used as a city hall for many, many decades.

Unfortunately, I am disappointed with City Hall for not making it known that a silent, recorded…read moremeeting would be going on the day of my wedding. As someone completely new to this whole process, I was under the impression that I would have access to all parts of the second level for photos but that key piece of information was not relayed to me or my partner during the long process of planning. There were multiple but minor errors as well that gave me the sense that communication was not a strong suit within the event planning department. Upon confirmation for my wedding date, the wrong time frame was made for the reservation. It was quickly resolved so I thank them for that but then the number of attendees on the City Hall Rental form was also wrong. I was constantly double checking their work and what I needed was for all my information for my wedding to be handled with care and looked over with more detail. However, because the wedding was small we were able to find spots to photograph everyone without disrupting the guests and still enjoying the special moment. Also big shout out to the sweet security guard Jeff for being so helpful and welcoming on our wedding day!

Thomaston is a cute former factory town. There is still a running train as part of their Train…read moreMuseum. The town was originally part of Plymouth, and known for cheaper clockmaking. The town got the Thomaston for Seth Thomas, reasonably well know clock maker, although his company apparently no longer run in the United States. The actual town is pretty walk-able with lots of sidewalks, and room for parallel parking. They have some decent restaurants like Crabby Als, and an opera house for theater. Further from the historical side, they have lots of plazas with parking (and multiple pizza shops). There are entrances and exits from Route 8 bookending the commercial center of the town.

The main photo for this listing is of the Connecticut State Capitol, not the Legislative Office…read moreBuilding (LOB). Completely typical for Yelp to get something like this wrong since a real person rarely checks what other possibly real people are posting. Why must I be surrounded by frickin' idiots?

My first time to attend a beautiful event in the first floor atrium of the legislative office…read morebuilding. I was able to park for free after 4 in the lot across from the building. Very impressive architecture and a very interesting Ct Hall of Fame section. Very clean and spacious, perfect for the event.

I'm always at Mills Pond Park and the Canton Gate is near the entrance to this park. Thanks to Dan…read moreR.'s (FTR) review, I will add my input. It's on top of a small hill so it's not hard to miss. When I first saw it, I was curious and had to investigate. The structure looked old with quite a bit of rust on it; it looked like an abstract artwork because I couldn't tell what it's supposed to be. I saw fish engraved on it and what looked like a doorway. In the early 1990s, this 17-ft sculpture was created by David Boyajian; it was a gift to the town by the Canton Creative Arts Council. It was dedicated in September 1992. The town of Canton's notable landmarks are the Collins axe Factory and the Farmington River; this was where the inspiration for the sculpture came from per the sculptor. Overall, a decent structure where I like to take a moment, ponder, and reflect.

"Brown eyed girl, precious flower We have come to this…read morefateful hour And our love cannot wait Meet me at the gate" (Black Crowes) When you drive up the entrance to Mills Pond Park, you'll see an imposing structure on a hill to your right. There sits a 17-foot-high bronze and steel sculpture known as the Canton Gate. Its backstory dates to the '90's when the Canton Creative Arts Council decided to build something to thank their supporters. They sponsored a competition for local artists to submit their public art entries. The 1992 winning entry was crafted by David Boyajian, an artist and teacher from Hartford. His abstract design honors and incorporates historical, natural, and architectural elements of Canton, the Farmington River and the Collins Company factory. I saw a limestone block that represents the river bottom, images of birds, fish, cascading waters, and a door inspired by the one at an old local axe factory. While researching this review, I learned a cool fact - the artwork is listed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database. Now that's pretty cool, don't you think?

City of Bristol is located 20 miles southwest of Hartford and has a population of approximately…read more61,000. It incorporated as a town in 1785 then as a city in 1911. Lake Compounce opened in 1846; which makes it the oldest operating theme park in the US, is located there. The American Clock and Watch museum is also popular landmark. In history, the city is known for clock making. It was nicknamed "Mum City" because it used to be a mass producer of chrysanthemums. It was also known as "Bell City" because of doorbell production. I was exploring the area and it seemed like a decent area. I really enjoyed going to their town libraries. I gave it 3 stars when compared to neighboring towns and cities as well as overall statistics with crime, education, etc. This is more of a dense suburban area; there are also large employers such as ESPN and Bristol Hospital to name a couple, which provides plenty of jobs for residents.

BPL Atrium Library opened in August 2023 because the two libraries in Bloomfield closed for…read morerenovations in June 2023. (McMahon Wintonbury and Prosser). McMahon Wintonbury is slated to open in March 2025 and Prosser is slated to open in Summer 2025. The current temporary location is located on the Cigna campus in the former MetLife building. Don't make the same mistake as me and turn onto the wrong street, which is the location in the back of the building; it's the second street on the right. The parking lot was spacious and the building was large. Once you enter, there is a friendly library employee to the right that will give you a pass and open the gate for you. The lobby is huge with lots of natural light, tables, water fountain, and an escalator (there is an elevator too). Once you take the escalator to the second floor, the library is on the right. It's an open air library and it was spacious. It appears to be an old office with tons of cubicles too. We were greeted by a friendly librarian. The kids section was a decent size with plenty of books and toys. My kids loved the area. They also have the self checkout which is amazing and I wish my home library had it too. There was a box that prints out a story on a receipt paper, that was pretty awesome. This is a nice temporary location but I look forward to visiting the newly renovated libraries once they open.

I stopped by the Cora J. Belden Library in Rocky Hill to pick up a book for my book club. I have…read morenever been to this library before. I thought it was interesting that this library is located amongst the houses, for some people I'm sure they could walk here with their eyes closed. Right at the front of the library they have a hold box. I could be wrong with the name, but this is where they hold your book, and you could pick it up even when the library is closed. I walked inside, there's book sales and community events posted. I went to the computer to search where my book is located. According to my search result, I went to look under fiction. It wasn't there. There were other works by the same author. I went to the front desk to ask for assistance. The lady started walking towards a totally different direction. She went to look under Mysteries, I found it under New Releases. She explained that they're going through a new system, it might be difficult to find some materials. She was very helpful, despite me finding it. They also have a spiral staircase leading to the children's department. I typically love to explore the children's area, I was in a rush this time. There were some noisy kids having a fun time. I had a successful first time at the Cora J. Belden Library.

A pretty library with friendly staff - they have nice open areas to read and research, and even…read moresome art on the walls. Parking was plentiful with an easy in and out; there was even a knitting group meeting outside when I pulled up! They seem very community oriented.

Town of Berlin, CT was incorporated in 1785 and has a population of approximately 20,000. It is…read morelocated in the center of Connecticut and it also has a train station; the train station serves the New Haven and Springfield line. It's a mix of residential and industrial. There is the Metacomet ridge to the west side. There is hiking at the Ragged Mountain Memorial Preserve. The term Yankee Peddler came from this town; peddlers would travel throughout and sell their tinware. Schools are good and there are many small businesses such as cafes and restaurants. My family and I enjoyed exploring the town.