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Old 02-10-2013, 07:49 PM
 
10 posts, read 29,362 times
Reputation: 15

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Hey guys - I am a Massachusetts native who just spent the last 7 years living in Denver.

I'm excited to say that a recent job offer will land me back on the east coast this coming June. My Office is located in Hartford, but I have been warned by many not to live there. So for the last week, I have been torn between Manchester and New Haven.

1. Coming from Colorado - i value the more "outdoorsy" type lifestyle that Manchester seems to offer
2. I miss and love that historic, quaint "New England" feel, and I'm thinking that Manchester might have the edge there.
3. I love culture - eating out, bars, concerts, shows - sounds like New Haven is the place for that
4. I miss the water - obviously New Haven offers this
5. Sounds like crime is pretty comparable in either city

Anyone have any thoughts on any/all of these points? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Matt
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Old 02-10-2013, 08:04 PM
 
Location: Coastal Connecticut
21,770 posts, read 28,115,027 times
Reputation: 6711
New Haven does seem perfect for you, or another shoreline town like Branford or Milford (they have that quaint NE feel). New Haven and the surrounding area are plenty outdoorsy with coastal recreation, and parks like West Rock, Sleeping Giant, etc. But the commute is not ideal.

I'd suggest West Hartford. It has a quaint feel, great dining/shopping, nice parks, close to Hartford, safe.
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Old 02-10-2013, 08:05 PM
 
Location: Connecticut
1,292 posts, read 1,978,217 times
Reputation: 1502
Manchester is a much easier commute to Hartford. Stick with that. New Haven is not a far drive if you ever want to visit it.
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Old 02-11-2013, 08:28 AM
 
Location: In a house
13,250 posts, read 42,798,125 times
Reputation: 20198
I know this sounds a bit out there, but maybe Durham or Middletown might be better for you than either New Haven or Manchester. Durham has the outdoorsy you want, AND the quaint New England part (the Durham Fairgrounds and historic buildings). It's a semi-rural farming town with an active, neighborly community, but it also has a supermarket so it's not totally isolated from civilization

It's at a fairly easy access to both Hartford AND New Haven. Middletown is right next to Durham, and is easier access to the highway but not as "New Englandy" as Durham is. But it's only around a 5 minute difference in travel time to I-91 or Rte 9.
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Old 02-11-2013, 10:23 AM
 
Location: Connecticut
34,948 posts, read 56,989,667 times
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I would recommend living as close to your job as possible because you will be commuting there daily while only going out once or twice a week. I am not sure why you are writing off Hartford itself but considering New Haven. New Haven has a better nightlife than Hartford but not that much better IMHO. Hartford is certainly as safe, if not, more safe than New Haven. West Haven is certainly nothing special.

All that said Manchester is nice but I agree with AnonChick that you should consider Middletown. It has a nice downtown area with shops, restaurants and bars (certainly better than Manchester or West Haven's downtown); there are a lot of rentals (check out the many complexes in West Lake area) and you are commuting distance to Hartford but close enough to New Haven and the shore to enjoy what they offer. Jay
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Old 02-11-2013, 10:38 AM
 
Location: Coastal Connecticut
21,770 posts, read 28,115,027 times
Reputation: 6711
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayCT View Post
New Haven has a better nightlife than Hartford but not that much better IMHO.
With all due respect, it is a HUGE difference.

That said, I do agree with the rest of your post - downtown Hartford is definitely a consideration.
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Old 02-11-2013, 11:13 AM
 
Location: Central CT, sometimes FL and NH.
4,538 posts, read 6,806,877 times
Reputation: 5985
Quote:
Originally Posted by MassMatt View Post
Hey guys - I am a Massachusetts native who just spent the last 7 years living in Denver.

I'm excited to say that a recent job offer will land me back on the east coast this coming June. My Office is located in Hartford, but I have been warned by many not to live there. So for the last week, I have been torn between Manchester and New Haven.

1. Coming from Colorado - i value the more "outdoorsy" type lifestyle that Manchester seems to offer
2. I miss and love that historic, quaint "New England" feel, and I'm thinking that Manchester might have the edge there.
3. I love culture - eating out, bars, concerts, shows - sounds like New Haven is the place for that
4. I miss the water - obviously New Haven offers this
5. Sounds like crime is pretty comparable in either city

Anyone have any thoughts on any/all of these points? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

Matt
I'd live as close to Hartford as possible. You'll spend too much time in the car commuting and have less time to enjoy your "outdoorsy" lifestyle. The state is small enough that you can travel to New Haven easily during off hours. West Hartford or Glastonbury offer plenty of restaurants and establishments to grab a drink. Either location can get you into work in around 10 to 15 minutes.
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Old 02-11-2013, 11:23 AM
 
Location: Central CT, sometimes FL and NH.
4,538 posts, read 6,806,877 times
Reputation: 5985
I think that West Haven gets a bad rap. It may not be a favorite of of CD posters but it has a lot of nice assets such as beautiful beaches, recreational opportunities for kids, programs for seniors, good public transportation infrastructure, a new train station being built, many walkable neighborhoods that have easy access to retail, etc.

I have a cottage there and enjoy the urban/beach community. It's also contains some very affordable housing options (higher taxes factored in).

However, it's too far to Hartford on a daily basis.
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Old 02-11-2013, 12:47 PM
 
21,631 posts, read 31,231,833 times
Reputation: 9809
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayCT View Post
New Haven has a better nightlife than Hartford but not that much better IMHO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stylo View Post
With all due respect, it is a HUGE difference.
I'm with Stylo on this one. You can't even compare New Haven's nightlife to Hartford's IMO.
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Old 02-11-2013, 01:33 PM
 
Location: Coastal Connecticut
21,770 posts, read 28,115,027 times
Reputation: 6711
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lincolnian View Post
I think that West Haven gets a bad rap. It may not be a favorite of of CD posters but it has a lot of nice assets such as beautiful beaches, recreational opportunities for kids, programs for seniors, good public transportation infrastructure, a new train station being built, many walkable neighborhoods that have easy access to retail, etc.

I have a cottage there and enjoy the urban/beach community. It's also contains some very affordable housing options (higher taxes factored in).

However, it's too far to Hartford on a daily basis.
Way too far, but I'd second the notion that West Haven has some good neighborhoods, especially if you want to save money vs. nearby Milford for coastal living and don't need the schools.

The whole Ocean Ave area is pretty solid.

A friend of mine just bought a very solid SFH fixer upper in West Haven in a decent neighborhood for $105k. They're putting about 20k into it and it'll be a great little house. You'd be hard pressed to do the same in many surrounding towns.
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