Ready to Shred on New Year's Eve? There a lot of ways to celebrate the arrival of the new year this year: a few million will be freezing their buns off in Times Square watching that giant crystal ball drop; many others will be out shakin' their booty at their favorite hotspot; still more will be spending a quiet evening either at home or at a friend's home sharing the moment and some bubbly in relative privacy, and watching the ballyhoo at Times Square on TV. And then, there will be those intrepid souls at First Night in Hartford, CT who choose to spend some time...shredding. No, I don't mean shredding as in wicked fast guitar playing, or even shooting down a snow-covered hill on a snowboard. I mean shredding. As in PAPER. Wallingford, CT's ProShred, a document security company, will be... 12/30/2011

New Year's Eve ~ First Night Hartford 2012   First Night Hartford 2012 is Hartford CT's affordable, family-oriented, alcohol-free, multicultural, and artistically-inspired celebration of the new year. Now in its 23rd year, each year gets better and better.   This year's festivities include activities at Bushnell Park, the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford Public Library, State House Square, City Hall, the Old State House, Center Church and many other locations.    First Night activities begin at 2:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve and culminates in the last fireworks display at midnight; however, the free ice skating in Bushnell Park will begin at 11:00 a.m. and continue until 1:00 a.m. The types of performances  include: Fireworks Carousel rides Horse-drawn wagon rides Magic shows Live music and da... 12/29/2011

December's Season of Celebrations and Sharing ~ Free Admission to the Connecticut Science Center   The Connecticut Science Center will be offering FREE general admission this Saturday, December 3, 2011 in exchange for the donation of one new unwrapped toy per person for Toys for Tots.  The event is being sponsored by United Technologies and Toys for Tots.   If you have never been to the Connecticut Science Center, you are in for an amazing time.  And if you are a frequent visitor, you know this is a deal that you just can't pass up.  Tickets are normally $17.00 for adults, $15.50 for seniors, $14.00 for ages 3-17 (younger children are free).   Located at 250 Columbus Boulevard in Hartford CT, the Connecticut Science Center is an exciting hands-on gallery of experiences, including KidSpa... 12/01/2011

Ice Skating at Bushnell Park   Back by popular demand is the FREE ice-skating at Bushnell Park in Hartford CT.  The opening ceremony was held on Friday, November 25 and officially began the season of ice-skating at Bushnell Park.  The 80 by 90 foot skating rink will be open everyday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. until February 20, 2012. If you don't have your own skates, there are also FREE ice skate rentals.  The ice skating is part of Winterfest which includes many other holiday events.  The lighting ceremony has already taken place, but there are plenty of other activities to do all season long.   FREE ice shows will be held on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Food vendors will be offering tasty treats for sale Wednesdays through Sundays. The Bushnell Park Carousel wi... 11/28/2011

The other day I was writing a post about the Hartford Marathon.  I was focusing on the event itself, race day, and all the wonderful spirit that is evident on race day.   What I wasn't really thinking about was all the energy and thought that goes into running and organizing a massive event that draws thousands of runners and spectators.  And one thing I really wasn't thinking about was:  Who cleans up the mess afterwards?   If you have ever been to a major running event, one of the things that can't be ignored is the number of water bottles that are distributed during a big race.  I have long been against buying water in individual bottles as being one of the biggest wastes and contributors to land fill overload.   But the Hartford Marathon has long had a commitment to reducing its car... 09/28/2011

2011 Hartford Marathon ~ October 15, 2011   The Hartford Marathon is not just a marathon; it's a marathon, half-marathon, 5-K race, team relay, and kids' race!  It's also a charity event with plenty of opportunity for sponsoring and donating. The route is scenic and awesome, spectators are frenzied, the before and after celebrations are legendary, and it's just a great festive event!  If you have never participated, you are missing out on a good time.  Last year, the weather was just perfect and the crowds were huge; this year promises to be even better. There is still plenty of time (and ways) to register for the 2011 Hartford Marathon! Register online until midnight October 12, 2011 Register in person at the XL Center on Thursday and Friday (October 13 and 14) from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 ... 09/24/2011

Today, having good credit is more important than ever. With lending regulations becoming tighter, it is usual for only those with good credit to be able to obtain home loans, auto loans, credit cards, or any other lines of credit they may be greatly in need of. Only those with excellent credit are able to obtain the most optimal interest rates, saving them money over the life of a loan. Greatly in need of credit repair, or seeking to prevent the need for credit repair, many Americans are left wonder, “Just what affects my credit?” Since credit is comprised of both a detailed credit report and credit scores, as reported by the three major credit agencies, it is important to know what affects your credit report as well as what could lower a credit score. Your payment history is the most w... 09/08/2011

Avoid These Kitchen Contractors in Hartford, CT – Connecticut   Avoid These Kitchen Contractors in Hartford, CT – Connecticut Your kitchen may be outdated, or you may feel as though you need something new and exciting in your home; either way, it is time to search for kitchen contractors in Hartford. Finding kitchen contractors won’t be difficult, but determining which contractor you will hire for the kitchen remodel can sometimes be challenging. You want quality and craftsmanship in your kitchen, not a mess of mistakes attempted to be hidden. Unfortunately, there are many kitchen contractors that aren’t professional and can put you and your home’s value at risk. To avoid working with an unsafe kitchen contractor, follow these four steps, and feel confident that you will be working with... 09/05/2011

Dangerous Bathroom contractors in Hartford, CT – Connecticut   Dangerous Bathroom contractors in Hartford, CT – Connecticut Your bathroom may be outdated, or you may feel as though you need something new and exciting in your home; either way, it is time to search for Bathroom contractors in Hartford. It is simple finding Bathroom contractors, but deciding which contractor you will hire for the bathroom remodel can sometimes be difficult. You want quality craftsmanship in your new bathroom, not numerous mistakes attempted to be hidden. Unfortunately, there are many dangerous Bathroom contractors that can put you and your home’s value at risk. To avoid working with an dangerous bathroom contractor, follow these four steps, and feel confident that you will soon be working with a professio... 09/04/2011

Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz Starts Tonight! Free Admission!   From July 15 through July 17, Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford will be the place to be for the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz.  Opening ceremonies are tonight at 6:30 followed by live music.  The gates open at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.  The admission is FREE!  There will also be numerous food and craft vendors, and activities such as Carousel rides and tours of the Memorial Arch will take place throughout the festival. The Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz is the largest free jazz festival in New England, with over 45,000 visitors last year.  The weekend weather looks like it is going bring out lots of spectators to enjoy all the festivities, so get there early to claim your space... 07/15/2011

Using a credit repair company can save you $$$ with collection accounts! Using a reputable credit repair company or a credit repair service is often the best way to settle a collection account.  First, you should not try to settle the collection account until after the collection company has verified the debt in accordance with FDCPA (Fair Debt Collection Practices Act) standards.  You would be amazed at just how few times this actually happens.  If you are not sure exactly what these standards are then you should invoke the help of a credit repair company or a credit repair service.  I should clarify that credit repair company and credit repair service are synonymous but I use both terms in order that anyone who understands one but not the other still understands my meaning. In settlin... 06/26/2011

Last Chance to See Monet's Water Lilies at the Wadsworth Atheneum!     Through June 12, 2011, you will be able to see some of Claude Monet's beautiful paintings of water lillies at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, CT.  From 1899 to 1926, when he was 74 to 86 years old, he created more than 300 paintings of water lillies.  The paintings are on loan from American private and public collections.   I had seen some of his paintings at L'Orangerie in Paris and the detail was mesmerizing.  The museum was created to showcase the large panels of his work in a circular room with plenty of natural light to see the detail.  What a wonderful place to contemplate and reflect!   But you can see some of Claude Monet's Water Lilies right here in Hartford at the Wadsworth Atheneum.  Ticket prices rang... 06/06/2011

One of my listings has been hit with a Craigs List Rental Scam. I listed a property in Hartford one week ago. I am not an expert on how this scam works but this is what I know. Someone takes your MLS listing and posts it on Craigs List as a rental or a rent to own. Unusually cheap. They post their phone number and then make arrangements to meet the person at the house. (This is what I do not understand-how they get in) Then they take a check or cash from the prospective tenant and run. Well, I started getting phone calls that they were at the property and no one showed up or they passed by the property and were very interested in renting it and how soon can the see the property. I had a lady call me and she gave me the phone number of the person she spoke with and he told her he is in A... 05/23/2011

Whether you reside in Hartford, Connecticut or elsewhere, if your business owes back payroll taxes to the IRS it is good advice to deal with the issue as soon as possible.  How do you handle the back payroll taxes? Get into tax compliance!  We always advise our clients that the first step for handling any tax problem with the IRS is to get into compliance, which means you file all of your payroll tax returns and begin making your current payroll tax deposits.  Without current compliance there is no making a deal on the back taxes.  Is the Company worth saving? If the company is worth saving then the next step will be to deal with the IRS Collection Division to resolve the company payroll tax debt.  If the company is not worth saving than it is probably in your best interest to shut the ... 04/21/2011

  Welcome to the HARTFORD MULTI-FAMILY Real Estate Market Update presented by The Master's Key Realty for the Month of March 2011.  MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES Currently there are  239  actively listed Multi-Family properties in Hartford, CT. Of these, 26 are 5-19 units, which would require commercial financing.  These multi's range in price from a low of $80,000 for a six unit rehabber to $1,000,000 for a package of properties with 16 units in all.   TWO TO FOUR UNIT MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES Currently there are  176  actively listed 2 - 4 UNIT Multi-Family properties in Hartford, CT. These multi-family homes range in asking price from $25,000 to $290,000.   Thirty-one of these properties are new to the market in March 2011, the remaining 145 have been on the market for more tha... 04/08/2011

Can It Be? ~ Hartford Makes Kiplinger's Top Ten Cities for Commuters List!   Hartford CT was just named one of Kiplinger's Top Ten Cities for Commuters List.   Only cities with over 1,000,000 people were considered, and the criteria included: Average time of commute Average length of commute One year statistics for delays Public transportation Gasoline prices Parking We complain about traffic, but compared to other cities, Hartford has it relatively easy.  If you would like to relocate to the tenth best city for commuters, you can start your home search here! Here, in order, are the Top Ten Cities for Commuters: Rochester NY Columbus, OH Providence, Ri Richmond, VA Buffalo, NY Cleveland, OH Cincinnati, OH Kansas City, MO Louisville, KY Hartford, CT To read the results and statistics by ... 03/04/2011

The Connecticut Flower and Garden Show ~ February 24-27, 2011   The Connecticut Flower and Garden Show will be held this weekend at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.  Located on Columbus Boulevard, the Connecticut Convention Center will host "Capture the Magic" which is this year's theme.  With almost three acres of space, the Connecticut Convention Center will showcase landscaped gardens, floral arrangements, 250 vendor and product booths, and many educational seminars. And, if you bring 1/2 cup of your soil, you can get it tested for free by UConn Co-op. The hours will be: Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ticket prices (cash only) are $14 for adults, $2 for ages 7-14, and $12 for seniors on Thursda... 02/21/2011

Wait! Not Fenway Park! Not Yankee Stadium! Take Me To Vintage Baseball At Colt Meadows! Last summer, my husband and I saw our first Vintage Baseball games and we had a blast. We attended on Boost Hartford Day and saw Billy Barnie's Blue Boys play The Charter Oaks of Hartford according to 1860's rules (no gloves) and the Hartford Senator's play the Springfield Wheelmen according to 1880's rules. We brought our lawn chairs, refreshments, and enjoyed the day at Colt Meadows. Food and refreshments were available at the vintage concession stand - soda pop, hot dogs, and more. Best of all, admission and parking were free! Vintage baseball - local, affordable, and for fans of all ages! Games expanded to weekly play!   The 2011 season of the Coltsville Vintage Base Ball League will begin on Sat... 01/27/2011

Harriet Beecher Stowe House - Free and Open to the Public   On Monday, January 17, 2010, Harriet Beecher Stowe House in Hartford CT will offer free tours and activities for Martin Luther King  Day.   Located at 77 Forest Street, Hartford CT, the center will be open from 9:30 to 4:30.  In addition to a tour of the house, there are exhibits including "Uncle Tom's Cabin - A Moral Battle Cry for Freedom" as well as other exhibits about the life and times of the author and her family.   For children ages 5-12, there will be activities such as storytelling, a scavenger hunt, crafts, and journal writing in addition to tours from a child's point of view.   Celebrate Martin Luther King Day and learn about one of Hartford's most famous residents on Monday, January 17, 2010.  For more information,... 01/14/2011

  The annual Festival of Trees has occured this year and I thought that I would share it with you all.  It is a festival of holiday celebrations donated by local community members and companies to the Wadsworth Athaneum Museum, which puts is on display for the first two weeks in December.  All items are auctioned off to benefit those in need.  They have trees, wreaths, menorahs, cultural celebrations, art work etc all for viewing.  The Museum also has a kids craft room where young ones can go and create a craft item and get their hand painted with a wintertime icon such as a snowman, reindeer etc. This is an annnual event for my daughter and I as we enjoy checking out the local creativty that has been brewing for some phenomenal art pieces.  You also get admission to the museum once yo... 12/30/2010