Northeast - Biking in Hartford CT question

I will be attending a conference in October at the Marriott Hartford Downtown on Columbus Blvd in Hartford, CT, but because the hotel is so expensive I booked a much less expensive room at the Hilton Hartford on Trumbull St. instead (about 8 city blocks away).

I'm thinking of bringing my folding bike to get to and from the convention. I am completely unfamiliar with Harford. Can anyone tell me how the biking is in that area? A recommended route? Also, I will probably be returning to my hotel in the late evening. Is it safe to ride back at night? (I have loads of lights and always ride with a neon vest that has lights built in for night riding). Is this a bad idea? The conference will be taking place on the Friday evening through Sunday morning.

Thanks for any info.

I will be attending a conference in October at the Marriott Hartford Downtown on Columbus Blvd in Hartford, CT, but because the hotel is so expensive I booked a much less expensive room at the Hilton Hartford on Trumbull St. instead (about 8 city blocks away).

I'm thinking of bringing my folding bike to get to and from the convention. I am completely unfamiliar with Harford. Can anyone tell me how the biking is in that area? A recommended route? Also, I will probably be returning to my hotel in the late evening. Is it safe to ride back at night? (I have loads of lights and always ride with a neon vest that has lights built in for night riding). Is this a bad idea? The conference will be taking place on the Friday evening through Sunday morning.

Thanks for any info.

Do not stray too far. I do not feel challenged if I ride my bike through Mattapan in Dorchester, MA. However, the stories that I have heard about some of the areas in Hartfod send chills through you. They had some really tough events. Do not stray too far to the west. Areas like the suburbs of Bloomington or West Hartford are really nice, but it is not recommendable to cycle to them.

You would be fine in the downtown area. It gets really sketchy the closer you get to the highway.

Bill

Thanks for the response, Bill - I appreciate your advice. I don't have any plans on doing any biking other than between the two downtown destinations, so it sounds like I'll be OK.

You can easily walk from the Hilton to the conference. As much as you clearly love your bike, I'd take a cab back at night. If you want to get out for a day ride sometime, the area north/northwest of Hartford can be fabulous. Use caution in the North End of Hartford. PM me if you want some routes from downtown to some nice areas that are nearby. There is also the Farmington Valley Greenway which is a paved rail trail going from the Unionville section of Farmington all the way to Westfield MA. It's about 35 miles one way.