[Zuriel]

Originally Posted by mikeandaija2009

We are in North Port, Sarasota County. We find we have a lot to do here. State parks in the area, beaches are around 20 mins away. We enjoy it here very much but who's to say we won't get tired of it after a while, who knows. My sister has been here 20 yrs and would never call another place home but she does admit she loves a cool rainy day every once and a while to break up the monotony. Would I rule out a move back to the northeast, absolutely not. Sometimes I feel no matter what, I'll always be a New Englander. I hate to admit it though, I don't think I would ever come back to CT. Things to me just seemed to get way too expensive. I grew up in CT and moved away when I was 45. Its changed so much. Seems as though the middle-class of CT got pushed away

I agree with the middle-class disappearing. Maybe it's happening a little faster in CT...but it's happening all around the US.

I think my main issue with FL is the monotony. Once the luster of FL is gone...it's just plain boring.

[Lincolnian]

I just got back from seeing the Connecticut Whale AHL game. Tonight's attendance was 11,181. It was packed in Hartford. The restaurants were busy and you'd never know the economy was bad by the size of the lines inside waiting for $9 to $11 beers.

Connecticut has a lot to offer. Are taxes too high? Yes. Is there room for improvement? Definitely. Is the state moving toward extinction? Definitey not.

We went out for dinner last night with friends in Glastonbury. There were plenty of young people having a good time. I wouldn't count out Connecticut just yet.

[Tin Knocker]

Originally Posted by basehead617

I really think this element is exaggerated. The % of the land area of the state that is urbanized or even significantly populated at all is very small. People concentrate way too much on the shoreline and a couple cities when making generalizations - which aren't even that urbanized anyway. And definitely not very sprawly. Hell even a high % of shoreline towns have fairly low population and population density.

That description describes a very small % of the state IMO. If you drive the entire state, what you'll mostly see is rural and rural-suburban areas. And as I said, even FFC fits this description mostly.

Regardless we are one of if not the most densly populated state in the country. Personally, as a life long CT citizen, I'd like it better if our population were half its size. Growth has done nothing to make this a better place to live, unless your a bottom feeder. What was once a blue collar state where a working man could make a decent life for his family has largely become a snobby overpriced haven for wealthy commuters. When we think of six figures as middle class its pretty obvious that those of us who work for a living are having a tough time.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by Tin Knocker

Regardless we are one of if not the most densly populated state in the country. Personally, as a life long CT citizen, I'd like it better if our population were half its size. Growth has done nothing to make this a better place to live, unless your a bottom feeder. What was once a blue collar state where a working man could make a decent life for his family has largely become a snobby overpriced haven for wealthy commuters. When we think of six figures as middle class its pretty obvious that those of us who work for a living are having a tough time.

I agree. I can't stand the cultural atmosphere of CT. I don't fit in that great. I have to say though, I do love my new apartment

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by NYisontop

You're better off living in a CT city, and there are tons of nice, quiet, safe neighborhoods to do so with affordable houses on the market.

What those median prices don't explain is that homes in the ghetto/depressed/crime-ridden areas bring those averages down A LOT. You still have to pay to play, those cities aren't THAT much cheaper than the towns around them. And guess what? The taxes are usually double and the schools tend to under perform.

[trishguard]

Originally Posted by jp03

? I didn't even know this forum EXISTED when i moved to Charlotte so I am not sure what you are talking about.

I'm glad people keep leaving..maybe I'll be able to drive down the Merritt and I95 someday without too much traffic.

Driving around Norwalk is a nightmare these days. It doesn't seem like we are losing many people here.

[Ilovethecommunity]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Actually Hartford is by far the major jobs hub in the state. I think we take Hartford for granted because it is a quiet city that does not flaut what it has. We have had several new young people move to Hartford to live and they really like it there. For a small city it has a lot going on. Jay

Hartford a quiet city? That's like saying hell is nice this time of year.

[GraniteStater]

NH being high outbound for migration does not surprise me. The issue here is that the state is structured to make it very hard for younger middle class people on down that are starting out as well as middle class families. NH property taxes in most towns are reaching very high levels on the order of 20.00 to 30.00 per $1,000 assessed value. Those in rural areas of the state are more dependent on high fuel oil prices and roads that take a severe beating. The lack of an income tax and sales tax is still a huge advantage, but NH needs to start thinking more outside the box in terms of driving different types of job growth. The reliance on property taxes is getting worse with time, unfortunately. I have seen some properties for sale in the $200-225K range with taxes between $8-9K. Median household incomes are not as high as some parts of CT, but overall COL is still rated at 115-120, above the national average.

[EHCT]

Originally Posted by jp03

Cant wait to get back to CT!!!! All these negative threads are no deterrent. I have seen the other side!! Its not any prettier. May not have as much disposable income but so what.

I’m with you on that! I moved to D.C. from CT in my mid-twenties for a better job and more excitement. At that time, I loved the idea of living in a large metropolitan area because I had easy access to some of the things that weren't available to me back home. Now that I’m older and raising a family, the idea of moving back to CT is looking better to me every day. While I do enjoy living in the DC area, dealing with this rat race everyday can take a toll on you. Living here has helped me realize that much of what I took for granted in CT is difficult to find in other places. Homes with usable land, outdoor activities, reasonable commutes and neighborhoods where children can play outside safely are difficult to come by amongst the dense urban sprawl of this area.

Don’t get me wrong, if I do eventually make it back to CT there will be many things that I will miss about living in the DC area. I’ll miss the museums, sports venues, restaurants and nightlife. But like most areas in this country, there is definitely a give and take. At this point in my life the slower pace of CT is very tempting, even if it means giving up what I love about DC.

[NYisontop]

Originally Posted by Stylo

What those median prices don't explain is that homes in the ghetto/depressed/crime-ridden areas bring those averages down A LOT. You still have to pay to play, those cities aren't THAT much cheaper than the towns around them. And guess what? The taxes are usually double and the schools tend to under perform.

The cities are THAT much cheaper than the surrounding towns, entirely because of the reputation of the small surrounding communities as being safe versus the cities as being dangerous and with horrible schools. Housing prices are significantly lower because so many families rule out any home in the city to begin with. Job in Hartford, let's look at Bloomfield, West Hartford and Windsor. Bridgeport? Fine, Fairfield and Stratford, Milford, thanks... I've house-hunted in Connecticut too, there's a marked difference between suburb and city when looking at Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Haven, New Britain and Meriden versus the smaller and more privileged surrounding towns. The mill rate is usually double or near it, but the comparable properties are usually half the cost as surrounding communities, so your taxes aren't double, just your mill rate. And yes the average is helped by the homes in the lower-income neighborhoods but I look at comparable houses, and many of the most depressed homes aren't for sale pushing prices down, it's just lack of market interest in the cities. The amount of home my parents bought in Waterbury was a lot larger than what they could find in Prospect or Middlebury, and at less than half the cost, about 1/3rd actually. And their neighborhood is great. Near zero crime this decade. Similarly the rents for such properties in Hartford, Meriden and New Haven were so much below anything comparable in the suburbs. I'd yet to have an issue with crime. And no city school system fares well, but you throw out the entire system because it's urban. There are some well-run schools that stand-out in the cities, they'd fall short of some of the town and consolidated district schools, but not drastically short.

I did well in coming to Connecticut and living in its cities, earning about three times the wages when I had moved there at a cost of living probably about 50 percent higher. Rough translation, I didn't pay to play. I played, and saved. Things worked out well. I would recommend it as a viable option for others who'd never take the chance because of the very minimal perceived risks.