New Hartford entertainment venue featuring ax throwing, arcade, live music and more – Hartford Courant

Hartford – Hartford will have a new entertainment venue that will offer a little of everything: ax throwing, arcade games, billiards, darts, live music, food, beverages, an outdoor cafe and more.

District Social, a small chain of entertainment venues in four locations across upstate New York, is set to open soon, according to its owners. The venue is located at 330 New Park Avenue in a converted theater space.

Bill and James Diamond bought the building a few years ago. Apple Cinema Xtreme took 12 of the 17 theater screens in the space and renovated them with luxurious recliner seats, said Bill Diamond.

The Diamonds are converting the other five theaters for the District Social Hartford, which will bring family and adult fun to an area that’s booming.

“Our way of having fun means great tunes, great drinks and great friends in the company,” said Bill Diamond, president of Diamond Properties, based in Mount Kisco, New York. “District Social is a place where family and friends come together for a great night of fun and entertainment.”

Bill Diamond said the arcade should open in a week or two, while the rest of the venue will be up and running this winter or early spring of 2023.

He said the company is awaiting “all relevant approvals,” including its liquor license.

On September 27, the Hartford Planning and Zoning Commission was able to process the District Social’s application for a special permit and site plan for an entertainment gathering with an outdoor drinking venue/bar and cafe.

The District Social brand is just one of the many ventures in the penumbra of Diamond Hospitality Group, which is made up of 14 million square feet of space and nearly 40 separate businesses — spanning entertainment, recreation, lodging and technology — across the country. according to Bill Diamond and the company’s website. The company’s portfolio also includes RV sites, self-storage and co-working spaces.

According to Bill Diamond, the District Social Hartford aims to bring life to this part of the city.

“We expect District Social Hartford to be a very exciting venue and a great improvement and convenience to the neighborhood,” he said. “Our customers include families and millennials [and] adults of all ages. We hope this venue will bring a tremendous amount of life back to this neighborhood.”

District Social could benefit from a location that is about a 10-minute walk from the Flatbush Avenue CTfastrak station. The development could also help fill a gap between Hartford’s popular Parkville Market and transit-oriented apartment developments along the Busway and attractions like GastroPark, a food truck park in nearby West Hartford.