By Don Church and Tony Schillaci, Out & Travelin'
Travel is not only the physical movement from one place to another, but can also be a state of mind. An easy-breezy day trip from most anywhere in Connecticut can transport you to a fun and sophisticated destination called “The Center and The Square” in West Hartford.
When seasoned travelers speak of world-class shopping venues, these elegant destinations – Fifth Avenue, Rodeo Drive, Rome’s Via Condotti and the Rue du Faubourg St. Honore in Paris - are often mentioned. It’s now possible to add “The Center and The Square” to that list as one the country’s most stylish and trend-setting shopping areas in New England – or anywhere.
Comprising about a dozen blocks of West Hartford, with as much municipal parking as Beverly Hills, the area’s motto is “Shop, Dine, Stroll.” We decided to try all three.
On a recent sunny fall day we picked up a free copy of the “2011 Guide to West Hartford – The Center and The Square” (ask for one when you park or at most stores and restaurants). Looking at the highly readable centerfold map, we strolled from the Town Hall parking lot on South Main Street along the tree-lined, wide-brick sidewalks past intriguing window displays and lunchtime crowds on the elegant outdoor terraces at Besito and Fleming’s restaurants. Strolling farther and turning left onto Farmington Avenue, there were shoppers taking break-from-shopping to sip Cosmos at The Elbow Room’s rooftop umbrella tables.
We poked our noses into Shayne and Paul’s cutting-edge Fringe Hair Works salon, where you can watch Fashion TV while getting beautified; tasted a variety of artisanal olive oils across the avenue at Bella Gusta; and enjoyed seeing the latest casually elegant ensembles for men at Daswani Clothiers. We picked up some imaginative home fashion ideas at LCR Design and Decorating Showroom, and looked at handmade gifts and decorative items at Ten Thousand Villages – a store dedicated to selling crafts by international artisans who have been paid a fair price for their unique creations.
There are a good number of shops in WeHa owned or operated by members of the gay community, so it’s always fun to walk into a store “cold” and be warmly greeted by “family.” Put on your best “gaydar” to check off these businesses in your guide, and then make a note to return to those places to do some serious buying!
Sauntering over to Lasalle Road our olfactory senses came alive sniffing cinnamon at Penzeys Spices, provolone and prosciutto at Via del Gusto, and exotic aromatics wafting from the kitchens at Reuben’s Deli and the Shish Kebab House. More great aromas enticed – this time the scent of lavender sachets wafting from the open doorway of Labrazel Home – a shop offering superb bedding and home items of the finest quality and in soft pastel colors.
Back up to South Main Street, we stopped for a colorful cupcake at Sugarbelle, a signature margarita at the authentic Mexican restaurant Besito, and walked around the corner onto Memorial Road where we discovered Rizzutos and thought about a snack of Bombolini and hot chocolate. Instead we decided to cleanse our palates and spirits farther down Blue Back Square on Isham Road in The Green Teahouse. Samples of refreshing teas are offered from the more than 100 loose teas available.
It’s easy to become delightfully overwhelmed shopping in West Hartford, so we decided that next time we’d take along a cooler to carry-away a plethora of refrigerator goodies and plan to do some holiday shopping during December’s Holiday Stroll. Later, in January 2012, when the Real Housewives of West Hartford are enjoying the Sale Festival at Kimberly Boutique, Artichoke or Lyn Evans, we can stroll along the beautifully gentrified avenues, gaze at the bling in the jewelry emporiums, and then warm up in one of the more than 140 distinctive shops and popular restaurants in this unique regional shopping paradise.
At day’s end we thought: “you’d have to walk all of Manhattan Island to find the number of quality specialty shops and eclectic restaurants that can be easily visited in “The Center and The Square.” It’s now on our list of travel musts. www.centerandsquare.com
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