[brandonfromseattle]

As of today I have been a resident of Hartford CT for exactly one year. I saw the post from somebody who had been here a week so I wanted to give a year update of how I feel about CT. (I'm in my 20's BTW)

Pros:
Huge selection of ethnic and unique foods
Great festivals
Drinking at the park and not getting hasseled
Rooftop bars
Generally friendly people
No traffic (in Hartford)
An abundance of jobs
No homeless people on freeway offramps (or anywhere for that matter)
Nice little wineries
Great Parks
Urban and country is close together

Cons:
People drive like maniacs!
Rent is expensive and there is a serious lack of apartments
People here (and in all of New England) are whiners!
Why do young people find it acceptable to live in the suburbs?
The bus system is not good
Alcohol costs are lower than WA at bars but higher in liquor stores (a pro and a con)
No maple bars (you probably don't know what that is)
White people here (generally) are boring and don't even try to get out of their comfort zone

People need to learn that Hartford is the only city in CT that anybody outside of this area has ever heard of and it represents the state so they should respect it a lot more.

Anyway, I'm just giving my assessment of what it is like to be in CT as a west-coaster. I'll be here another 9 months but the job market is so much better here than Seattle, who knows...

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by brandonfromseattle

People need to learn that Hartford is the only city in CT that anybody outside of this area has ever heard of and it represents the state so they should respect it a lot more.

I think i can speak for many when i say, we couldn't give a flip what "outsiders" think is representative of the state. The city of Hartford will get respect when it starts paying its own way for schools/social services/etc. Right now, it's nothing but a drain on the bulk of us that pay taxes.

[Aquaboy]

I left Hartford 35 years ago. I dont regret it even tho I still like New England. Hartford has always been kind of isolated. Back in the olden days there was no cable TV, no signals from NYC or Boston, in fact cable was not legal in the 60s. We sort of lived in a bubble, working and living in the Hartford area, visiting the shore in New London etc. The rest of the world was "out there" somewhere.
I cant imagine moving there from Seattle or SF. Congrats and hope it works out!

[Comp625]

Hi brandonfromseattle,

Thank you for your thoughts! As someone who is also in his 20's, and grew up in CT, I'd encourage you to check out other parts of CT that are "well suited" for the younger generation.


As a quick background, I spent about 2 years working in Hartford (while living near New Haven) and another 3 working in Norwalk (while living in Stamford). Truthfully, Hartford isn't the nicest of cities, compared to New Haven and Stamford. If you like Hartford, I get the feeling that you would love the other cities that Connecticut has to offer.

• Stamford has a HUGE influx of young people who are mostly working professionals.
  • The younger working professionals are mainly comprised of fresh college grads, 20-somethings with a few years under their belt, and those in their early-to-mid 30's. Meanwhile, the "older" workers in Stamford (those with families, etc.) generally live in surrounding suburbs while commuting into the city by car/train.
  • "Alive at Five" is a summer concert series that takes place in Downtown Stamford. Although not my cup of tea, it is extremely popular among 20-somethings.
  • I used to live in an "Avalon" apartment complex in Stamford. Almost everyone in my complex, and its sister complexes around Stamford, were filled by younger people.
  • I'm not sure what you do for work, but Stamford (and lower Fairfield County in general) has a large job marketplace for those in the Financial Services & Investments Industry.
  • My co-worker from England moved from Stamford to Norwalk recently, and he regrets doing so. He's big into the party scene, and he says Stamford is just-that-much-better.
  • If you ask the 20-somethings on where they would rather be - Stamford or Hartford - I'd be willing to say that the majority would say Stamford.
  • Train ride to NYC is only 45 minutes. I know A LOT of people who take the train down to NYC and party their butts off until sunrise.
  • Stamford residents will sometimes take the 25 minute car ride and venture into White Plains, NY - another party hub if that's the scene you are into.

• If you're more of an artsy or academic guy, New Haven is the place to be.
  • Job market is dominated by Yale University and the Yale New Haven Hospital system. In my opinion, job market isn't as favorable as Hartford or Stamford, though I've known people who make the extra commute just to live in New Haven.
  • Nightlife in New Haven is very, very popular among those who live outside of the Stamford area.
  • My friend put it best: Hartford may be the State Capitol but New Haven is the State's Cultural Capitol. New Haven is KNOWN to have some of the best ethnic eateries available in Connecticut.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by brandonfromseattle

No homeless people on freeway offramps (or anywhere for that matter)

Plenty of homeless in Hartford, perhaps you just haven't been in the right (wrong) areas.

You will see them on busy off ramps at times.

Why do young people find it acceptable to live in the suburbs?

White people here (generally) are boring and don't even try to get out of their comfort zone

Just answered your own question. Something happens in the suburbs of CT. Parents definitely isolate their children, especially in the wealthier towns. I know a lot of people that live an hour from NYC but never step foot in it. Or live near Hartford or New Haven and never venture into it. There's an irrational fear of cities, ignorance, lack of appreciation for culture/cities, many factors. It's an odd phenomenon.

That's certainly not a rule though. The company I keep love cities and living in them.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Comp625

[*]Stamford has a HUGE influx of young people who are mostly working professionals.
[*]If you're more of an artsy or academic guy, New Haven is the place to be.

I'd agree with your list, New Haven in its current form (which is even more impressive than, say, 5 years ago) offers a lot. Not just for academics or artistic types although it does offer a lot more art than any other place in CT. Between the varied nightlife, culture, music, etc. it does offer more as a proper city than Stamford. Although I do totally agree Stamford has more going on than Hartford, and would handily place it as the #2 most active city in CT. However, New Haven definitely has it beat on nightlife and, arguably, restaurants too.

South Norwalk is not too shabby either, but it does get old after a while. I'd say it has about the same quantity of stuff for a 20-something as West Hartford.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by brandonfromseattle

No traffic (in Hartford)

I guess you've never been on the 84/91 interchange from 6-8 AM and 4-6 PM.

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

I think i can speak for many when i say, we couldn't give a flip what "outsiders" think is representative of the state. The city of Hartford will get respect when it starts paying its own way for schools/social services/etc. Right now, it's nothing but a drain on the bulk of us that pay taxes.

Precisely.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Stylo

I know a lot of people that live an hour from NYC but never step foot in it.

Guilty.

I'm afraid that i would run into Mayor Bloomberg and end up choking the little weasel. I can't stand that self-righteous s.o.b.

[Uconn97]

Originally Posted by Stylo

There's an irrational fear of cities, ignorance, lack of appreciation for culture/cities, many factors. It's an odd phenomenon.

This quote pretty much says it all...

[andthentherewere3]

Originally Posted by Stylo

I know a lot of people that live an hour from NYC but never step foot in it. Or live near Hartford or New Haven and never venture into it. There's an irrational fear of cities, ignorance, lack of appreciation for culture/cities, many factors. It's an odd phenomenon.

There's just nothing in those cities that we wish to visit. We'll go occasionally to a museum, but that's about. The rest of Ct. has all we need. It has nothing to do with fear or ignorance.