[Movin2theEast]

Hello Y'all,

I have been reading many of your helpful responses regarding relocating to the eastern coast, and appreciate all of your suggestions. I wanted to put forth my own set of circumstances and see what you come up with!

I am a pretty outgoing, single 28 y.o. female from Dallas who has recently accepted a job at YNHH and will commence working there in Jan 2011. I will be moving in December by my lonesome with my Siberian Husky (I know he will love the snow!) and wonder if ya'll have any hints on traveling at that time of the year, to the NE. I have seen some positivity regarding CT and some negativity as well, I really want to throw myself into this move with an open mind.
I came up last month to interview and really loved the feel of things but then it was 90 degrees and sunny, so does it really get all that gloomy? or is that just gloomy people talking? lol

Things I am looking for:
-Nice singles community ( is it hard to meet youngish singles in CT?)
-Safe neighborhood
-Looking to rent for at least the first six months I am there
-Short commute into New Haven (How will a lot of snow/ice impact this commute?)
-Easy access to shopping and highways

Any suggestions for cities to look at? Any apartment complexes you would suggest? or with the dog would you suggest any nice housing areas that are in a good neighborhood close to parks etc....we LOVE To take walks.
Thanks in advance!!

[MikefromCT]

First off, welcome to our state.

If you're working at YNHH, consider looking in New Haven itself. It's a good scene for young people, downtown has a funky vibe to it (in a good way) and there's plenty of nightlife. Will you have a vehicle? Because if not dowtown is really walkable and bike friendly as well. If you can find a place that's within your budget and one that will allow dogs, downtown sounds like it might be a good fit for ya. If downtown doesn't work, immediately east of downtown is a neighborhood known as Wooster Square which is NH's Little Italy. I don't know this area as well as downtown, but I can tell you this area is safe - and has some of the best thin crust pizza in the state! You might even hear a few pizans converse in Italian. Its not a big area geographically but its decent.

If that doesn't work out, just to the north of NH is Hamden, which is fine as far as safety and I think you could find something here. There's a bit of a bar scene here since Quinnipiac U is here.
As far as winters here, well, bring a warm coat! Personally I'm not crazy about our winters here, but wait till you see what it's like in April. Usually the towns do a decent job of clearing the streets if there's a storm or the roads are icy. The biggest drawback to living here is the high cost of living, which is probably where most of the negative remarks come from. Only a handful of states are more expensive. But still, for what it's worth there's still plenty to appreciate here.
Aside from what the city of NH can provide, if you ever wanted to head into New York City there's a 1hr 45minute train ride via MetroNorth that can get you there. They run nonstop. Also, a few towns east of NH are some nice beaches. You probably won't get there in the winter, but in the summer they're nice.

[Movin2theEast]

Hey Mike! Thanks for the reply, and the welcome!
Yes, i will have a car, and when I came up in the fall I spent quite a bit of time in the NH area. I noticed there were parts that I might want to stay away from. Do you know of any areas particularly in downtown New Haven that might be good for a single gal such as myself? Or rather ones to stay clear of...
I have also seen a lot of people mention Milford as a possibly good area to relocate to. What do you think the commute would be like to YNHH? How does it compare to New Haven itself? as far as a single area, and things to do?

Also as an aside...do you or anyone else have any suggestions regarding doggy daycare/boarding options for a frisky Siberian Husky, in the area???
Thanks a Ton!

[MikefromCT]

Well, Milford is a suburb. It's about 2 or 3 towns west of NH and it wouldn't be a bad choice but it's probably not as vibrant as NH. They do have a downtown area, if I'm not mistaken. Others could probably chime in and give their $0.02. It's close to NH so the commute shouldn't be too bad.

If you go with New Haven, avoid Fair Haven and Newhalville - both of these nabes are dangerous. Downtown and Wooster Square are the areas that I know, but I'm sure these aren't the only good ones worth exploring. Downtown has a ton of good restaurants, cafes, botiques, clubs, etc. And with Yale students and postgradate students here this is a good place for young people, IMO. Just keep in mind this is a small city. I don't know what you're used to in Texas, but our cities are small - the largest of them (Bridgeport) having about 140,000 people. Texas probably has suburbs that size. But like I said, if you do get bored, hop on the train and head to NYC or, even closer and in CT, Stamford.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by Movin2theEast

Hello Y'all,

I have been reading many of your helpful responses regarding relocating to the eastern coast, and appreciate all of your suggestions. I wanted to put forth my own set of circumstances and see what you come up with!

I am a pretty outgoing, single 28 y.o. female from Dallas who has recently accepted a job at YNHH and will commence working there in Jan 2011. I will be moving in December by my lonesome with my Siberian Husky (I know he will love the snow!) and wonder if ya'll have any hints on traveling at that time of the year, to the NE. I have seen some positivity regarding CT and some negativity as well, I really want to throw myself into this move with an open mind.
I came up last month to interview and really loved the feel of things but then it was 90 degrees and sunny, so does it really get all that gloomy? or is that just gloomy people talking? lol

Things I am looking for:
-Nice singles community ( is it hard to meet youngish singles in CT?)
-Safe neighborhood
-Looking to rent for at least the first six months I am there
-Short commute into New Haven (How will a lot of snow/ice impact this commute?)
-Easy access to shopping and highways

Any suggestions for cities to look at? Any apartment complexes you would suggest? or with the dog would you suggest any nice housing areas that are in a good neighborhood close to parks etc....we LOVE To take walks.
Thanks in advance!!

Without typing a long drawn out post I'll try to keep it simple...

"so does it really get all that gloomy? or is that just gloomy people talking?" - 90% of people hate 90 degree weather up here so it will make most people gloomy when its that hot.

"wonder if ya'll have any hints on traveling at that time of the year, to the NE" - Hard to predict what the weather will be like but prepare for freezing temps or ice or snow...I would find a way to be in CT by evening to beat the rush hour and some frozen roads when sun goes down.

"Any suggestions for cities to look at? Any apartment complexes you would suggest?" - Milford, Stamford. Stamford your close enough to NYC if you ever had an excuse to go there and also has a down town. Milford is affordable and had a lot to do for singles. Try the SouthWind Village Complex in Milford...You Dog would love it...Friendly people, walk to park and beach, great, safe area, close to major shopping strip.

"is it hard to meet youngish singles in CT?" - Well, it depends what your approach is or flirting style is... Most people are laid back and will repect your space by not approaching but you have the perfect situation....a dog....Thats a great way to meet people. My dog loves car rides and walks as well. I must walk 3 miles a day with her..

[willow wind]

Don't worry too much about the weather. It will be a change from Texas, but shoreline winters are mild compared to the rest of New England. It seldom snows in New Haven before the end of December/ early January. Most of the time when it is snowing inland it is raining on the shore. New Haven only gets about 22" of snow during a typical winter season and most of that melts quickly. There may be half a dozen nasty commutes home or to work, but it for sure won't be weeks of months or difficult driving. Snow season in the New Haven area is just 10-11 weeks.

Dress appropriately and go outside and enjoy the winter.

You may find your housing choices to be more dependent upon where you can find housing that will allow a good sized dog, than on where you would prefer to live. Many rental complexes that permit dogs have weight restrictions- say under 25 pounds. But if you look hard, you can find something. I would suggest you look in the Hamden area. Lots of rentals, lots of young people. Many options for doggy day care in the area or for a pet sitter to come in and walk the dog mid day. None of it is cheap however.

As for meeting people, get out of the house. People will not come a knocking on your door to be your friend, You've got to be proactive and go out and be where people are- walk your dog, take a dog training class, if you have a hobby- join a club, join a health club, take in the arts, etc.

[andthentherewere3]

Since you have a dog, I really can't recommend New Haven to you. I'd suggest Milford or possibly Hamden, there isn't as much to do for a 20-something as in NH, but you will be close by.

As for the winters, it all depends on the individual. I feel that fall starts very early, and spring starts rather late. Winter to me seems like a good six months of cold weather. Then again, I am bundled up when it's 70 degrees. Others here would be complaining of the heat at 70. But along the shoreline it's milder than inland, so any snow melts pretty quick.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

Since you have a dog, I really can't recommend New Haven to you. I'd suggest Milford or possibly Hamden, there isn't as much to do for a 20-something as in NH, but you will be close by.

I'd actually have to disagree with this. New Haven is better IMO for someone with a dog because it's walkable to a ton of parks. There are sidewalks everywhere so you can take your pup on a stroll or jog.

[andthentherewere3]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I'd actually have to disagree with this. New Haven is better IMO for someone with a dog because it's walkable to a ton of parks. There are sidewalks everywhere so you can take your pup on a stroll or jog.

To me there is just too much concrete/traffic/pedestrians on those sidewalks. I wouldn't want to walk there by myself, let alone take an animal with me. Drivers are insane there. And some of the parks there look a little sketchy. I'm not even sure there are many apartments that accept dogs in NH. That's just me though, I abhor crowded cities. I prefer less crowded areas to take my dogs, they'd be terrified by all the activity of a bustling downtown in a city. Then again, since the OP is from Dallas she and her dog might not mind at all.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

To me there is just too much concrete/traffic/pedestrians on those sidewalks. I wouldn't want to walk there by myself, let alone take an animal with me. Drivers are insane there. And some of the parks there look a little sketchy. That's just me though, I abhor crowded cities. I prefer less crowded areas to take my dogs, they'd be terrified by all the activity of a bustling downtown in a city. Then again, since the OP is from Dallas she and her dog might not mind at all.

There are lots of nice parks in the downtown area of New Haven, plus there is the green. I wouldn't go there at night, but I wouldn't walk on a suburban street at night either. But if you don't like cities, I can see why you wouldn't like New Haven.

I'm wondering if the OP is from the urban core of Dallas, or a more suburban part of the city (the city itself is HUGE - 385 square miles). That would give us more insight on where they would prefer to live.