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A Grand Opening

The Hartford Courant

March 21, 2011

A long-awaited amenity for downtown Hartford became a reality this past week with the opening of a new downtown grocery store, The Market at Hartford 21, on Asylum Street.

The stylish store has become something of a rallying point for the city's business-center residents. Some 200 downtowners packed the Zula Restaurant and Bar on a Tuesday evening earlier this month to hear from the store's owners, Ryan and Kelleanne Jones.

The grocery removes what is widely thought to be a major obstacle for residents and people who might consider moving downtown, especially for those who would like to live without a car. A grocery store within walking distance makes life that much easier.

As welcome as this development is, let's not make the traditional Hartford assumption that the store is the silver bullet that will turn everything around.

It is one step in what hopefully will be an ongoing process of infill housing, expanding downtown over I-84, better transit options, more entertainment activity and more amenities. There's still a lot of empty space in downtown; still a lot of work to do.