[embroidery_rocks]

Hi

My husband and I are moving to the south-outskirts of waterbury. PLEASE don't reply negatively as we really don't have any other options due to our circumstances ( no time and 3 dogs!) But i do have a few questions...

~Car taxes? Are they based on the value of your vehicle? Any idea what we will be paying for a 1988 f150 truck and a 1985 mitsubishi pickup truck? We will be moving the 18th of august...when will our bill be due?

~We will be renting...are there any other taxes or expenses that i should be ready for?

~What are jobs like? I have experience in restaurants, newspapers and sewing....

~I understand that waterbury itself doesn't have a lot of "upscale" or "hip" to it....and there are areas that are run down and empty buildings and "slummy" areas.... But come on people!!!! there has to be something nice to it? What about a nice park? How about the library, is it old and ran down too? Any nice restaurants? A shopping mall? What about a movie theater?

~What about the surrounding towns? Anything nice to do around but not in waterbury?

Thanks all!!

[skytrekker]

Car taxes are valuated on; year of the vehicle and 'assessed' value of the vehicle- therefore a newer more expensive car, SUV or truck will be taxed higher. Taxes on motor vehicles are once a year- usually with the July tax bill in the town you reside.

As for renting- no taxes.

Service jobs in greater Waterbury are easy to find.

Towns to the north (Oakville, Watertown), as well as east (Wolcott, Prospect) and west (Middlebury) will better then Waterbury.

[mels]

There is a big mall in Waterbury (Brass Mill) with all of the usual mall stores.

Regarding car tax, they tax you on 70% of the fair market value of the car. Waterbury's mill rate is on the high side (city had issues, went bankrupt, lots of corruption, etc.). If the car is assessed as being worth 5,000 (if that is the 70% fair market value) and lets say Waterbury has a mill rate of 55, the tax on the car would be $275 that year. Sky is right, they send out bills in July.

Editing to add that I have no idea what Waterbury's current mill rate is, I just threw that out there as a guess.

[CateP]

Connecticut Mill Rates -- Courant.com
This site has mill rates for CT for 05-06.
Unfortunately Waterbury is not listed.

[CTlibrarian]

Current mil rate in Waterbury is 53.31
(my source: http://www.cerc.com/townprofiles.html)

The Brass Mill Mall is pretty good, I know some people who actually make the trip from "nicer" towns to shop there! There is a COSTCO and a BJs on the eastern side of town (exit 25.) The public library in Waterbury is an older building, but it has a good collection and up-to-date technology.

The Palace Theater (Palace Theater - Waterbury, CT) underwent a huge renovation a couple of years ago and is now an amazing showplace that attracts fairly big acts.

I have not been to the Carmen Anthony steakhouse in Waterbury, but the C.A. Fishhouse is awesome, so I imagine the steakhouse is equally wonderful.

I'm sure there are plenty of more places to recommend, hopefully some "insiders" will help out!

Welcome to CT~

[reason180]

Waterbury has some nice things going on.

Hayden Park and Fulton Park were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted the man responsible for creating Central Park in New York.

There are several beautiful buildings downtown designed by Cass Gilbert(he did the Woolworth building in Manhattan).

Check out the Mattatuck museum downtown, they have some interesting lectures every once in a while.

John Bale Bookstore downtown has some stuff going on as well.

Lisboa is a Portuguese restaurant that has been favorably written up in the NY Times more than once. If you like Latin food you should try Cubata's for Brazilian(they occasionally get Brazilian bands to play on the weekend) and Peruvian Corner on East Main Street. Mi Pueblito is a small market that has authentic Mexican food, the tacos and tamales are really good. Uncle Willies has good BBQ and sometimes live music.

Nardellis for grinders and D'Amelio's for good Italian.

There are several soccer leagues and a cricket club.

And you have the train or bus to New York City, I think the train is only $12.50(one way) on the weekend. It isn't a bad drive to the city on the weekend either.

Waterbury gets bashed quite often on this board but as you can see there is a lot going on for such a small city.

Outside of Waterbury you could take a short drive up to Litchfield and hike in White's woods, walk around the beautiful town green, check out Bantam lake, or check out a foreign film at Bantam cinema.

[embroidery_rocks]

i feel SO much better thanks to your replies!

[Josh2020]

Waterbury was always viewed negatively, but its not true. Despite the high mill rate (balances out with the lower assessments of homes somewhat), and some not-so-desirable areas, it's good!

Waterbury has a GREAT mall (Brass Mill Mall, Union St), with a Regal Cinemas Movie Theatre on the third floor...The mall is up to date and clean. Across from the mall there is a plaza including a Shaws grocery store, Barnes and Noble book store, Hometown Buffet, Friday's Restaurant, etc. Also if you travel a couple miles up (Wolcott St, Lakewood Rd), you have TONS of business'!!! Including ShopRite Grocery, Walmart, K-Mart, Bobs clothing, Stop&Shop Grocery, Hollywood Video, Office Depot, Dollar Stores, Target (Which is on Chase Hwy not to far from Lakewood Rd), Home Depot (Bank St), Sports Authority (Bank St) and MANY more stores you need in an everyday life!!! There is also Waterbury Hospital, and also St. Mary's Hospital (Franklin St), and there are probably much more business's I didn't even find yet LOL.

I am from Stratford (about 30 minutes south of Waterbury), and my friends' family from Stratford recently bought a house in Waterbury's Northend (because it is FAR more cheaper than Stfd., and you get more for your money), I take the train from Stfd. to Waterbury and it is $2.25 one way which isn't bad at all.

Since they moved up there, we drove around for a bit and noticed Waterbury has a very nice downtown (sort of reminds me of New York City), and their downtown is always alive. They have alot of business's. They have much more nicer residential (and downtown) area's than Bpt., and other big cities (sure there are some not-so-desirable area's, but every town has that).

I am not sure how Waterbury's schools are, but I'm sure it has a diverse community, as Waterbury has a mix of different races (which I like).

I know Naugatuck (neighborhing town) doesn't have much to do, as Waterbury already has most of what Naugy has. I am unfamiliar with the other area's, but I know Meriden also has a mall by a different company (Westfield Shoppingtown), which I heard that was nice. I also hear Meriden has alot of business's. About a 30-40 minute ride will bring you to Milford (closer to New Haven), that has a Westfield Mall that was just redone and is nice (but I still like Waterbury's better lol), and Milford and surrounding towns also have beaches if you are into that. A 30 Minute drive to Trumbull has a Westfield Mall that is OK. Your also close to Hartford (the capitol), that has lots of touring you can do.

Just keep in mind if your not used to it, Waterbury can be very hilly in some area's.

Some of this stuff may not be of any interest to you, but just thought I'd help let you know you aren't making a bad decision!

[ValleyGirl]

Originally Posted by embroidery_rocks

Hi

My husband and I are moving to the south-outskirts of waterbury. PLEASE don't reply negatively as we really don't have any other options due to our circumstances ( no time and 3 dogs!) But i do have a few questions...

~Car taxes? Are they based on the value of your vehicle? Any idea what we will be paying for a 1988 f150 truck and a 1985 mitsubishi pickup truck? We will be moving the 18th of august...when will our bill be due?

~We will be renting...are there any other taxes or expenses that i should be ready for?

~What are jobs like? I have experience in restaurants, newspapers and sewing....

~I understand that waterbury itself doesn't have a lot of "upscale" or "hip" to it....and there are areas that are run down and empty buildings and "slummy" areas.... But come on people!!!! there has to be something nice to it? What about a nice park? How about the library, is it old and ran down too? Any nice restaurants? A shopping mall? What about a movie theater?

~What about the surrounding towns? Anything nice to do around but not in waterbury?

Thanks all!!

Where are your cars currently registered? Are you in CT now? If so your July 2007 tax bill will have come from your "old" town. In order for your cars to be on Waterbury's tax rolls you would have to register them there by Oct. 1, 2007 you would then get your bill July of 2008.

[tony from waterbury]

i actually moved here from brooklyn newyork 15 years ago and i love waterbury, yes it is true that there are depressed areas and run down buildings in areas near old factory sites, if waterbury is so undesirable why is there so many new bussinesses popping up, paneras, loews is coming soon kohls and a christmas tree shop, i live in the east end of waterbury ct in a brand new 2005 colonial with 5 bedrooms 3 1/2 baths huge kitchen hardwood floors and 2 wood burning fireplaces, all for 250k my neighbors who moved in soon after paid 300k plus but have just as much ammenities, im 90 minutes from newyork, 2 1/2 hrs to boston and about 3 hours to capecod, taxes are high however i write them off each year anyhow, now that we have a good mayor jarjura things are beginning to improve, i work as a visiting nurse in waterbury and have notice more and more of my lower income patients on state are moving to florida via vouchers from hud, with my wife as a teacher and with our combine income we can live just about anywhere, and we feel waterbury is a diamond in a rough and will not be cheap for ever, surrounding towns like middlebury, prospect, chesire, and wolcott home values have soared if you want to pay 500k for half of what i got more power to ya, remember buy low sell high, just my own opion, hey somebody has to stick up for this city!