Although the city has come a long way from its roots as a sleepy settlement town, contemporary Hartford retains the small town feel with less than 125,000 residents. The city also boasts the daily Hartford Courant, the nation's oldest continuously published newspaper. Since its first publication on October 29, 1764, it has never missed a single issue.

Hartford can also boast another historical milestone in Bushnell Park, the oldest public park in the country. Bushnell Park was envisioned by Reverend Horace Bushnell in 1853. It houses 157 different varieties of trees and shrubs from around the globe, representing the native foliage of North America, Europe and eastern Asia. All in all, 1,100 trees and shrubs were planted, creating a lush oasis near the downtown district. Bushnell Park also houses a vintage 1914 Stein and Goldstein carousel that still operates today. The carousel is enclosed in a 24-sided pavilion with 48 hand-carved wooden horses flanked by two lover's chariots. It is also one of three carousels left of its kind.

No telling of Hartford's history is complete without the Old State House, where the first constitution was written to establish an autonomous democratic government. In 1638, Hooker famously wrote that "The foundation of authority is laid, firstly, in the free consent of the people," a concept of self governing that largely influenced the U.S. Constitution. The Old State House building continues to be a tourist favorite, reflecting Federal, Victorian and Colonial Revival architecture. As agreed, all the materials used during its construction were from the United States, and the entire first story was constructed out of Portland brownstone. As the city continues to transform into a thriving metropolis, Hartford's real estate market has also continued to appreciate.

Expansionmanagement.com recently placed Hartford real estate in the 19th spot in its rank of the Top 40 real estate markets. And with an average home price of $130,000, it's easy to see why. A range of housing options abound here, with Hartford single family homes, duplexes, clustered town homes, flats, rental apartments and high-rise condominiums selling at a median price of $147,000. Hartford homes for sale are regularly available at affordable rates, and home buyers have a diversity of neighborhoods to choose from. The West End community of Hartford was mainly farmland in the 19th century. But by the 20th century, it underwent a development boom turning it into a thriving middle class suburb. Without a doubt, the pride and joy of West Enders is nearby Elizabeth Park, the oldest municipally operated rose garden in America. Packed inside this two and a half acre garden is a whopping 800 varieties of roses that number 15,000 altogether. It is primarily a family community with an abundance of West End single, two- and three-family homes on the market.

For a more historically saturated neighborhood, residents flock to Sheldon/Charter Oak where Thomas Hooker first broke ground during the city's founding. The name "Charter Oak" refers to massive oak tree where, according to local legend, the colony's charter for independence was safely hidden away. This modern community today sits just south of the downtown district bordered by the Connecticut River on its eastern end, offering proximity to the contemporary urban lifestyle with deep historical roots. A wealth of history and knowledge is waiting to be discovered in this jewel of New England, so start your Hartford real estate search today!

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hartford
http://www.census.gov/population/www/
http://www.expansionmanagement.com/smo/articleviewer/default.asp?cmd=articledetail&articleid=16397&st=5
http://www.homegain.com/local_real_estate/CT/hartford.html
http://products.cerc.com/pdf/tp/hartford.pdf
http://www.bushnellpark.org/
http://www.ctosh.org/history_vintphotos/osh_history.htm
http://hartford.omaxfield.com/westend.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_Oak