Burnside Avenue facts for kids
Burnside Avenue is a major road in Connecticut. It connects Main Street in East Hartford, Connecticut to Manchester, Connecticut. This road is also part of U.S. Route 44. Burnside Avenue runs through a diverse part of East Hartford. It is home to many families from different backgrounds.
You'll find East Hartford Middle School near the middle of the avenue. It's right next to the main campus of Goodwin College. The eastern part of Burnside Avenue has fewer homes. Instead, it has many shops and restaurants. The avenue also has two important parks in East Hartford.
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Exploring Burnside Avenue's Parks
Burnside Avenue is home to two wonderful parks. They offer fun activities for everyone.
Martin Park: Fun in the West
Martin Park is located on the western side of Burnside Avenue. This park has a swimming pool, which is great for hot days. It also has a skating park where you can practice your moves. Plus, you can easily get to many of East Hartford's bike trails from here.
Wickham Park: Nature and Views
On the eastern side of the avenue, you'll find an entrance to Wickham Park. This is a large private park. It has an aviary, which is like a big birdhouse. You can also find bike trails and hiking trails here. It's a perfect spot for picnics. From Wickham Park, you can enjoy a great view of the Hartford skyline.
A Look at Burnside Avenue's History
Burnside Avenue has a rich history. It was once seen as its own small village.
Early Days: Mills and Villages
Before the 1900s, people often thought of Burnside as a separate village from East Hartford. The area had rough land and was close to the Hockanum River. This made it a good place for early factories. Even before the Industrial Revolution, paper mills were very important here.
Growing into a Suburb
By the year 1900, Burnside started to grow as a "streetcar suburb." This means people could live there and easily travel to work by streetcar. Because it developed early, Burnside has more homes packed together. This is different from the newer homes built in other parts of town after World War II.
Improving the Road: The Road Diet
In 2016, Burnside Avenue went through a big change. It was called a "road diet."
What is a Road Diet?
A road diet is when a road is changed to have fewer lanes for cars. On Burnside Avenue, the number of travel lanes was reduced from four to two. A central turn lane was added in the middle. Bike lanes were also added on the sides.
Why the Change?
This change was made to make the road safer. Before the road diet, there were many accidents on Burnside Avenue. Some of these accidents were very serious. Many also involved bicycles. The road diet helped make it safer for everyone, including people riding bikes.
