Yup utilities and healthcare have proverbial moats. It’s too hard for upstarts to access the infrastructure to compete, so it’s anti competitive by nature.

Hartford has some nice apartments and there are restaurants open during the week and weekend, although Monday and Tuesday are quieter. There are lots of concerts, minor league sport events, comedy shows, etc. Most people moving in would prefer trying right downtown, or west end of Hartford. West Hartford is generally an upper middle class suburb with a lively town center. It’s a 10 minute drive from west Hartford center to downtown Hartford. For Hartford there is 777, Hartford 21, metropolitan building, spectra building, and the newest is the pennant at north crossing, which is right near the still new minor league baseball stadium and has cool amenities. Community in Hartford is business commuters on weekdays , then people coming for events on weekends. On quiet days homeless and pan handlers can stand out. For what it’s worth the mayor lives right downtown and senator Murphy is just outside downtown Hartford.