LA's Celebrity DJ AM to Rock Downtown

Just like the old disco proverb says, Thank God It's Friday. Finally, the weekend has arrived. It's been a long week at the grind for us here and we're sure it has been for you too. So with that said, the plan is to get dolled up, throw on our ultra-best and tear up the streets of downtown Hartford tonight!!!

We'll probably make our first stop at Koji for some pre-game debauchery. If you haven't been, we highly recommend it. Koji is a swank little bar/restaurant on Asylum that makes the meanest Scorpion Bowls this side of Tokyo. And if drinks aren't your thing, they have a menu full of lighter fare and plenty of Yakitori to choose from. Food and drink aside, we simply love how the place is always packed with people having (and looking for) a good time. There's just something so right about eating meat off a stick, drowning our faces in big bowls of jungle juice and watching Godzilla on the flatscreens throughout the room.

Not sure how it couldn't be, but if that isn't your scene, well perhaps getting freaky on the dance floor is. We're going to be complete starfu*kers tonight and head on over to the Emperor at the Linden for their one year anniversary party. For the big soiree they've brought in celebrity DJ AM (aka Adam Goldstein) from Los Angeles to rock the party. Don't expect to see Nicole Richie in tow, but we're sure you'll see Hartford's best trying their hardest to be oh-so-Los Angeles cool. Who knows, maybe AM's new Canadian supermodel Jessica Stam will be by his side. For those of you unfamiliar with AM's sound, he'll hopscotch across all genres of music and mash up a blend of hip-hop, rock, house music and even the occasional movie theme.

Make sure to bring your sunglasses, this one's going late night and it's bound to get ugly in a good way.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas... Or Is It?

Ahhh, the holidays are upon us once again. Don't freak out, but as of today there are only 27 days left until Christmas... if that's your sort of thing. Well, it's our sort of thing and we're going to talk about it.

On the drive back into Hartford last night after work, we couldn't help but notice how bleak downtown looked. Sure we understand that the glory days of department stores that once lit up the downtown streets are long gone and we can deal with that. And we'll even go as far to say that the city has made an effort to light up the downtown street lamps with lights shaped in the form of little Christmas trees... but that just doesn't cut it. Hartford is, after all, the capital and wouldn't you think that more would - or should - be done? Bushnell Park, pictured below, once lit all of the trees around the Capital Building reminding us all that it's Christmas time. And if it didn't remind you that it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas, at least it looked pretty.



So we have to ask, where has all the holiday cheer gone and what happened to the decorating of the trees in Bushnell Park? Does anyone else miss them? We do...

Does fashion exist in Hartford?

Do the people in Hartford really have a "look"? The Hartford Business Journal recently wrote an article entitled The Fabric Of Our City: Does business in Hartford have a look? and reports from three angles: companies that have a distinct dress code, companies who don't and companies who have become relaxed. Fair and balanced? We think they did a good job at pointing out that "corporate dress" is a thing of the past. However, the article got us thinking a little further than the nine-to-fiver who comes into Hartford and flees right after work.

It's fair to say that you can sum up New York fashion in a few words. Very clean, stylish, trendy, Wall Street, funky. Boston conjures up images of Dockers, boat shoes and yuppies. But what about good ole' Hartford? What's the look of our little city when the lights go down?

We like to think that there are a few different looks:

Dress to Impress. Those who make an effort.
If you ever find yourself at Emperor, Koji or Room 960 on any given weekend, you're bound to run into some well groomed guys dressed in chic button down shirts or trendy t-shirts and pretty little girls prancing around in pumps and short skirts. People in these places actually make an effort to look good and don their best threads. Good to see people actually look in the mirror before they go out!

Those who can care less.
Have you been up to the joints by Union Station lately? My God. We have to wear our sunglasses at night just to hide! Trust us, it really is that scary! There are those who dress up like they just left the office (ahem, see HBJ article on khakis and polos) and then there are the others who look like they just rolled out of bed. For Christ sake, make an effort!! No one wants to look at you in the clothes you dusted off from your storage bins. Get out and shop!

Ghettofantabulous.
We're all for individual expression, but nothing gets us going more than seeing a grown man with his ass crack hanging out and pants falling down to his knees. Does anyone really dress like this? New rule: Carry an extra belt, because if you see someone like this first whack them with it and then do the right thing by putting it on their pants!

There's no real secret to looking good when going out. Be creative and expressive. What you wear tends to say a lot about you. Guys, for a never-ending list of fashion tips, make sure to check out GQ or Details Magazine online. Lots of good stuff here. And for the ladies, check in with the mother of all women's magazines, Vogue.

And if you're feeling really adventurous, check out Tuesday's Clothing or Stackpole, Moore & Tryon in downtown Hartford for some local fashion flavors. It's also worth noting that Tuesday's is no longer on the corner of Asylum and Ann Street. They're now up on the corner of Pratt and Trumbull.

And that's the scoop...
OR

Hello Hartford!!

Hello Hartford!

Here’s the scoop. We’re what you would call the TMZ or the Perez Hilton of our beloved capital city, except only better. Why? Because we’ve got the scoop on everything and anything in Hartford – or so we'd like to think!

Truth is, there have been some websites over the years that are just too damn one-sided and others that are well, just plain boring. Yawn... oh yes, and to be fair we dare not leave out our good friends at the Hartford Courant, Slant Magazine and the Hartford Advocate. Think of us as a new news source for things related to all things in Hartford.

With that said, it’s rumored that the force behind the clubs Velvet and System is back on the scene again and is thinking of getting back into it. Were any of you at the Velvet reunion on Thanksgiving Eve?

Would a return of another Velvet or System be good or bad for Hartford's nightlife? You decide – let us know what you think.