Asylum Street, Hartford CT Before the XL Center (Frank's, E. M. Loew's, Allyn Theater)

[@TheCowardStrikesBack]

Excellent! Amazing that you could find all those old photographs to tell the story properly.

[@tmac4790]

Great video! I watched it all. I have so many memories of going to Frank’s in the 70’s when I was a little kid. I loved going there because “Mr. Frank” would frequently leave a roll of Lifesavers behind me on top of the booth where we were sitting at the end of dinner. There was a waitress who taught me how to twirl my spaghetti using a fork and a spoon. I can picture her, but don’t remember her name. They also had the absolute best table side Caesar Salad! I haven’t had a better one to this day. Thanks for the fun memories!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks for sharing those memories!

[@lostinspace2545]

I watched all of it and many more of your videos, Thank you for what you produce.

[@Brendadavidsonfree]

Thanks Dan. Hartford, to me, in unrecognizable. I remember it from the 60s

[@tedr2659]

I watched all of it. Great work

[@billvolovski2440]

The first movie I ever went to was "Bambi" at the Allyn Theater sometime in the 1960's.

[@johnrubino7604]

Thanks Dan, You do a nice job going down memory lane. Nice amount of pictures too.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@bryann7360]

I watched all of it, please keep them coming, great videos and history. I used to work in Hartford and always wondered what used to be there. Now I know big chunks of it. I have watched most of your videos and will get to all of them soon. So sad to see what has been lost especially to parking lots.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@bomaracev]

I've watched all of it. Thanks for all your work. See you sometime at the Twain House!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!

[@flight4951]

Another great video. I watched all of it.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thank you!

[@seahero93]

Really enjoyed this- thank you!

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@retireditguy9493]

This is another excellent video. With all the new information you are finding you should plan to have another edition of your book on Hartford.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Yes, I have been getting much more detailed than what was in that book!

[@philipcone357]

I was born in 1958 and I remember Frank’s restaurant across the street.

[@philipcone357]

My grandparents knew the Lenti’s and I remember their mansion in Glastonbury on Lenti Terrace. I was told they went back to Italy.

[@historywithdansterner263]

@@philipcone357 I found some interesting material about that in old articles in the Courant: after Lenti passed away, his wife returned to Italy, but still owned the house in Glastonbury. By the late 1960s, the house had been vacant and taxes hadn't been paid for several years. Letters were sent to Lenti's widow in Italy without a response, and the town scheduled a tax auction to sell off the property in 1969. It was cancelled when Mrs. Lenti suddenly returned and she was allowed to privately sell the house in order to pay off the back taxes.

[@philipcone357]

@@historywithdansterner263 yes The Roggi’s I believe bought it and renovated it.

[@gregdolecki8530]

Such ornate buildings that once stood in Hartford. What a shame they are largely gone.

[@historywithdansterner263]

I'm glad we still have landmarks like the state capitol, Old State House, Mark Twain House, Municipal Building, Colt Armory, etc..

[@jamespezzulo7087]

I watched all of it.

[@angelomanuele1091]

I did watch all of it and previous video

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@junkandthangs]

I watched it all the way thru til the end.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Thanks!

[@DCHutchins]

I moved to Conn in 1979 and it seems that Hartford has always been trying to get people back into the city, at least that is what the Courant always printed. I watched this and it seems like they did have a busy city, but urban decline took its toll.

[@ronaldfazekas6492]

Thanks--I watched it through--did you know that Loew's was the parent corporation of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer?

[@historywithdansterner263]

You are thinking of Marcus Loew, who founded Loew's Theaters in 1904 and MGM in 1924. He was no relation to Elias M. Loew, who became the largest theater-owner in New England.

[@bill90405]

Did the second site of Franks on Asylum later become Max’s? I began traveling to Hatford to visit Aetna C&S, little Aetna, the IRI and the Hartford in the early 80’s but my boss liked Carbone’s best.

[@historywithdansterner263]

Their last location at City Place became Max's.