[germansoldiers]

Originally Posted by Esperanita

The NB Public Library is fantastic! I've lived in Hartford and now right outside of Atlanta in Cobb County and the NB Public library is the best I've seen hands down! (The libraries are so underfunded here in Cobb County that they don't even catalog paperbacks. It drive me crazy!)

I just googled New Britain Library and took a look at the pics. Fantastic building. That's the kind of architecture I saw there that impressed me so much.

Funny you mention Cobb County. I just moved to Brooklyn from Atlanta. I cannot stand Atlanta and will avoid transferring flights there if I can help it. The people there think the city is the best thing since sliced bread and it's a laugh. Run down, cheaply built strip malls that extend dozens of miles out into humid subtropical pine forests. Crime is rampant even in areas that look "nice". Real estate has plummeted there. McMansions can be bought for 75,000 -- but they'll fall apart in 2 years, if they haven't sat vacant with squatters inside since the Great Recession.

Cobb County is extremely conservative. Their libraries are underfunded because of the Tea Party/anti-tax mentality there. I knew an older couple (who have three grown children) who recently moved to Cobb from a nearby county. Why -- because Cobb exempts older people from paying taxes going toward education. They were like, "why should we have to pay for children, ours are grown."

The whole Atlanta/conservative mantra is: I've got mine, now *********, younger generation. I'm sure other people's tax money supported their children when they were in school. But they don't see it fit to help other children in their community now? How selfish.

My German background has instilled in me a sense of community, a leveling of the bar so that all people can enjoy the fruits of democracy. Yeah, some would call me socialist. But I think that German/Scandinavian background in the upper Midwest and the old school New England Puritan vibe (education first, duty to others less fortunate than you), is why these states vote blue.

[parentologist]

New Britain reminds me of Holyoke, MA. A once very productive manufacturing town, with a large stock of old (and I mean pre WWI) housing, along with some beautiful old homes where professionals and factory owners/managers had once lived. That was the money that built the churches (and synagogues) and the gorgeous public buildings. Then, with the decline of manufacturing, there was a large stock of vacant, densely packed housing available and no workers to live in them. That, combined with the better welfare benefits here, drew people from Puerto Rico to the available, inexpensive housing stock. And so we have today's New Britain.

[Humanista]

Originally Posted by germansoldiers

Funny you mention Cobb County. I just moved to Brooklyn from Atlanta. I cannot stand Atlanta and will avoid transferring flights there if I can help it. The people there think the city is the best thing since sliced bread and it's a laugh. Run down, cheaply built strip malls that extend dozens of miles out into humid subtropical pine forests. Crime is rampant even in areas that look "nice". Real estate has plummeted there. McMansions can be bought for 75,000 -- but they'll fall apart in 2 years, if they haven't sat vacant with squatters inside since the Great Recession.

Cobb County is extremely conservative. Their libraries are underfunded because of the Tea Party/anti-tax mentality there. I knew an older couple (who have three grown children) who recently moved to Cobb from a nearby county. Why -- because Cobb exempts older people from paying taxes going toward education. They were like, "why should we have to pay for children, ours are grown."

The whole Atlanta/conservative mantra is: I've got mine, now *********, younger generation. I'm sure other people's tax money supported their children when they were in school. But they don't see it fit to help other children in their community now? How selfish.

My German background has instilled in me a sense of community, a leveling of the bar so that all people can enjoy the fruits of democracy. Yeah, some would call me socialist. But I think that German/Scandinavian background in the upper Midwest and the old school New England Puritan vibe (education first, duty to others less fortunate than you), is why these states vote blue.

I know what you mean. I would love to move back north. Eventually I might even give up on the housing market here recovering I know CT might have higher taxes, but you get what you pay for.

[CLexplorer]

@germansoldiers - Glad to see someone else appreciates the historical beauty of New Britain like I do. I'm not from here, or Connecticut even, but I do find it to be a unique place both in architecture and personalities of the residents here.

There's a lot of New Britain pride from many lifelong residents here, who are open minded and seem very enthused to hear a newcomer appreciate the historical relevance and beauty. Since moving here I've taken to reading up on local history and it's fascinating. Bart Fisher, who sadly passed away very recently, was a New Britain historian that had a great column called "Hardware City History."

A few of his articles -
HARDWARE CITY HISTORY:How Walnut Hill Park’s WWI monument came into being

HARDWARE CITY HISTORY: In 1930, residents nearly rioted after a comic was discontinued

HARDWARE CITY HISTORY: At Civil War’s outset, New Britain’s V.B. Chamberlain rallied men to act

Enjoy!

[germansoldiers]

Originally Posted by CLexplorer

@germansoldiers - Glad to see someone else appreciates the historical beauty of New Britain like I do. I'm not from here, or Connecticut even, but I do find it to be a unique place both in architecture and personalities of the residents here.

There's a lot of New Britain pride from many lifelong residents here, who are open minded and seem very enthused to hear a newcomer appreciate the historical relevance and beauty. Since moving here I've taken to reading up on local history and it's fascinating. Bart Fisher, who sadly passed away very recently, was a New Britain historian that had a great column called "Hardware City History."

A few of his articles -
HARDWARE CITY HISTORY:How Walnut Hill Park’s WWI monument came into being

HARDWARE CITY HISTORY: In 1930, residents nearly rioted after a comic was discontinued

HARDWARE CITY HISTORY: At Civil War’s outset, New Britain’s V.B. Chamberlain rallied men to act

Enjoy!

Thank you for these links. I look forward to reading them!

[nlsanders]

Originally Posted by KEVIN_224

Our city is also called Hard Hittin' New Britain. They're not talking about the Golden Hurricanes (high school) or the Blue Devils (CCSU) either. Most of Arch Street is bad, especially at night, close to downtown. I wouldn't suggest Winter, North or Oak Streets behind the NewBrite Shopping Plaza. The housing projects off of Myrtle Street and Corbin Avenue aren't too pleasant. Mayor Tim O'Brien promised a crackdown on blighted properties. Funny, there's a house/former business one block from my place that was on fire on both November 2nd and this past Monday. Other eyesores include a home on Winthrop Street and another place roughly across the street from the Citgo/Food Bag store. That burned long before the other two did.

One of our positives is New Britain Stadium and the Rock Cats, the AA-level Eastern League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They play in Willow Brook Park by the Berlin town line. Minor League baseball has been in this city since 1983, counting the prior Red Sox franchise we had.

LMAO, Im from new britain I use to live on Winthrop st, down the street from that citgo. (my mom, brother, and sister are still living in that house)

[germansoldiers]

Out of curiosity, how is New Britain High School in terms of academic achievement? How does it compare to neighboring cities/towns?

[parentologist]

Take a look at the greatschools website, and you'll have your answer.

[RogerAnthony]

Originally Posted by germansoldiers

Out of curiosity, how is New Britain High School in terms of academic achievement? How does it compare to neighboring cities/towns?

Dead last.

[Humanista]

Originally Posted by germansoldiers

Out of curiosity, how is New Britain High School in terms of academic achievement? How does it compare to neighboring cities/towns?

I went to NBHS, graduated first in my class and went to MIT. I also got into Princeton, Columbia, UPenn and everywhere I applied to. I got a full four year scholarship courtesy of living in New Britain.

I had terrific teachers that cared. As in many schools, it is all what you make of it. If I recall correctly, I even took classes at Tunxis while I was at NHBS without additional payment. For my situation, NBHS was the best high school I could have gone to without paying 20/30000 per year for a place like Choate. (I was a CT Scholar and went to Choate for two summers. It was a great experience with a tons of amenities, but even now I would not have asked my parents to pay for it.)