Ames / East Hartford, CT

XISMZERO · April 20, 2006, 01:15:49 PM

Updated Visit!
Swung by there today after visiting a Salvation Army Thrift Store in search of old shopping carts on their lot, I drove another 10 or so minutes to the still-up-for-lease vacant Ames in East Hartford on 5 Main Street. I've also got something of a story to attach on why I didn't leave with a complete photo shoot...

After my 10th picture of the building, an elderly man came up in a car behind me and asked what I was doing. Now in my past few months and all the places I've been, I've not been harassed more than once aside from my Holyoke Mall incident. The man, who was dressed in a suit, seemingly a veteran, a man of respect, claimed to be the owner of the building I was photographing (the Ames building). I told him vague basics about myself, after seeing his veteran status, I didn't want to be rude or pushy to him (had it been anyone else I would've probably ignored them for the most part). I proceeded to tell him it was my hobby to do what I was doing before asking for my identification. He mentioned I would've been able to see the building by appointment.

With all due respect to the man, I defended myself in saying that I had been on public property and that it was my right to take pictures of anything public I had wished - which is totally legal apart from whatever anyone thinks I'm doing. From that point, there was no way this man was going to order me to do anything to the pics I've already taken. That's my policy - no one will order me to delete pictures unless they are people of authority who have a really good valid reason.

He thereby wished, after a semi-interrogation (he had also asked what I was doing all the way out in East Hartford - none of his business at all), I would simply move along.

So that ended by photo session. If it had been an undocumented store I would've risked more but the location wasn't too intruging so I decided to leave. I had received a few looks from other people I didn't care about onlooking.

I suppose I had just had been caught in the unfortunate situation of being there at the time the man who owned the building was passing by. Anyway, I did bring back a decent selection of photos from the building's front as an update for Ames Fan Club.

You can see the photos here

d_fife · July 25, 2006, 06:44:15 PM

as of july 20, 2006 here is the vacant Ames in east hartford. it is on the glastonbury line. it was a zayre.

d_fife · July 25, 2006, 06:45:22 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by d_fife
as of july 20, 2006 here is the vacant Ames in east hartford. it is on the glastonbury line. it was a zayre.

east hartford. when I Was here, I remember reading the first posting mentioning a disgruntled plaza owner questioning. Well it never happened to me. I wodner what he would do if he saw me do this.

XISMZERO · February 13, 2007, 05:39:53 PM

No real update. Ames in East Hartford is still vacant. The neighboring tenant, TJ Maxx, has repainted their half of the strip.

XISMZERO · March 06, 2008, 02:21:14 PM

UPDATE: Still vacant as of March 6, 2008!

It seems whenever I come here it's on bad terms. The first time I got yelled at by the plaza owner and now I just got an unwelcoming ticket for "speeding" (41 in a 25 zone). This is my first speeding ticket...

XISMZERO · March 06, 2008, 02:22:13 PM

UPDATE: Still vacant as of March 6, 2008!

It seems whenever I come here it's on bad terms. The first time I got yelled at by the plaza owner and now I just got an unwelcoming ticket for "speeding" (41 in a 25 zone). This is my first speeding ticket...

I think I saw the plaza owner's car too which made me stay in my car for all of these shots...

C. Fontaine · March 06, 2008, 02:33:30 PM

Damn, sorry about that ticket. I was fighting one here in RI the other day and another guy got off because the officer wrote his ticket up wrong, assumingly. He was caught on radar speeding (25 in a 35).:insane:

What do you think is wrong with this location? The location? The area? The owner? (He sounds like a character, if he sits and guards his property all day!) It's a nice building, and was even posted as Ames's old sites logo.

standa · March 06, 2008, 03:14:09 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by C. Fontaine
Damn, sorry about that ticket. I was fighting one here in RI the other day and another guy got off because the officer wrote his ticket up wrong, assumingly. He was caught on radar speeding (25 in a 35).:insane:

What do you think is wrong with this location? The location? The area? The owner? (He sounds like a character, if he sits and guards his property all day!) It's a nice building, and was even posted as Ames's old sites logo.

The property website shows a Petsmart proposed for part of the Ames space. I don't know if it will still be opening.

XISMZERO · August 04, 2009, 09:41:35 PM

An "update" of sorts. Connecticut loses another vacant Ames as the East Hartford location signage removed, building painted. Here's a shot I took back in February 2009.

Ameskid · August 07, 2009, 12:59:14 PM

Has anyone actually tried to get the letters from the Ames signs when they come down?

gu4ever · August 07, 2009, 10:20:48 PM

That's a good question, It's sad their aren't many signs left still on buildings anymore, and interestingly from seeing buildings in person and photo's the letter A seems to be the first to come apart into pieces?!!

I'm scopeing the contractor in Matamoras, once the renovations are complete on the interior of the old Grand Union, I'm sure that sign will be coming down and it needs to be recycled to a G R A N D new home.

:question: What happenes to old store front signs once they are removed? Do they end up in a salvage yard, a recycle center or just plain get burried into the ground?

beachgal26 · August 09, 2009, 02:50:02 AM

I would assume that most of it ends up being hauled away with the rest of the construction trash.

Has anyone been able to score some memorable treasures as the store's being torn down?

;)

C. Fontaine · August 09, 2009, 01:01:45 PM

I scored the plaza signs from the Webster Square Ames in Worcester, MA as a new Shaws was being built.

Zayre88 · August 09, 2009, 01:08:47 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Ameskid
Has anyone actually tried to get the letters from the Ames signs when they come down?

These letters are quite big, the letter "A" alone looks as wide as a set of doors...

Ameskid · August 15, 2009, 10:08:28 AM

True, but think what would happen if you had a minivan to haul it...

You could break it in half, fold the rear seats down, and stuff it in there!

XISMZERO · August 15, 2009, 09:20:20 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Ameskid
True, but think what would happen if you had a minivan to haul it...

You could break it in half, fold the rear seats down, and stuff it in there!

You'd be amazed what you could stuff into an 03 Civic...

Still can't get that paint out...

Marc82 · August 15, 2009, 09:54:20 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by XISMZERO
You'd be amazed what you could stuff into an 03 Civic...

Yeah including your 6ft 2 - 325 pound friend. :P Plenty of room too.

Ames / East Hartford, CT

d_fife

d_fife

beachgal26

Marc82