[HauntedHouse]

I have to say how impressed I am with the concern shown for the quality of schools in Connecticut. I live in a suburb of Tampa, and it's really a shame how badly our local schools score - even by our own standards.

I had the privilege of going to private school through 8th grade and then a highly-rated public high school. I was fortunate that my parents made the financial sacrifice to see to my education, but I realize not all families are able to do that. There are only a few top-rated public high schools in the Tampa Bay area, and those are in affluent neighborhoods. If you live in this area and want your child to receive a first-rate educaion, you have to either a) make enough money to pay for private school or b) make enough money to live in an affluent neighborhood.

I was tutoring a friend of mine who went to an inner-city Tampa school that consistently achieves a "D" or "F" on our Florida standardized school rating system. She was now going to community college to get her nursing degree. I was shocked to learn that she had almost no spelling or grammar skills. I could not believe she was able to earn a diploma and not be able to write a complete sentence with proper punctuation or spelling.

Tampa has always had a lot of Northern transplants, and if there's one thing we native Floridians hate, it's hearing about how much better things are up North. But, as badly as I hate to admit it, education seems much more important to my Yankee cousins than to my Floridian siblings. Since so many of our schools, especially at the high school level, earn a "C" or lower, you'd think there'd be outraged parents demanding change. Unfortunately, every year the school grades are published, all our community musters up is a collective shoulder shrug before moving on to the next news item.

In an attempt to reconcile myself to any of my fellow Southerners who may be reading this post, I have to admit one unexpected observation I've made as an adult. Working in an office made up of about 75% Northern transplants, I haven't seen a discernible difference in work quality between them and the locals. Some of my wittiest, most well-spoken co-workers were born and bred in the greater Tampa Bay area. That has come as a surprise to me in the "working world," as I grew up hearing how much better the schools were up North, in New England in particular. I'm not sure how to account for this, but it gives me hope that some of us manage to become well-educated adults in spite of our communities apathy toward our public school system.

Kimberly

[Coem]

I grew up in Bristol... and happily left it after high school. Bristol is not a bad place really, there's just literally nothing there. It's a town of 60,000 and it doesn't have a single book store! That should tell you something about what kind of place Bristol is. Also lacking in Bristol are places to shop, ethnic restaurants (especially Indian and Thai), and a Whole Foods market. Obviously, if these things aren't important to you, than your view of Bristol will be different. Bristol did have good schools in my opinon, along with great youth sports leagues. All in all, it was a nice place for a kid to grow up, but you won't see me back there anytime soon.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by Coem

Also lacking in Bristol are places to shop, ethnic restaurants (especially Indian and Thai), and a Whole Foods market. Obviously, if these things aren't important to you, then your view of Bristol will be different. Bristol did have good schools in my opinon, along with great youth sports leagues. All in all, it was a nice place for a kid to grow up, but you won't see me back there anytime soon.

If having a Whole Foods market in your town is important, then you can rule out 168 of Connecticut's cities and towns since there is only one currently open in the state: Glastonbury.

Ref: Whole Foods Market : Locations : New Stores

[JayCT]

Rich - There are Whole Foods in West Hartford, Greenwich and Westport. The Glastonbury store is the fourth in the state. I beleive there are stores being planned in Darien and Fairfield. While Whole Foods is a good store it is very pricey and I would hardly think that the fact that Bristol does not have one reflects badly on it. JMHO, Jay

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Rich - There are Whole Foods in West Hartford, Greenwich and Westport. The Glastonbury store is the fourth in the state. I believe there are stores being planned in Darien and Fairfield. While Whole Foods is a good store, it is very pricey, and I would hardly think that the fact that Bristol does not have one reflects badly on it. JMHO, Jay

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the update. I referred to Whole Foods' website for information. (Their distribution is 1 1/2 miles from me here in Cheshire.)

I totally agree with your assessment that by not having one, Bristol shouldn't be considered a bad town.

Rich

[mt.]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

Bristol is an old New England mill town that has seen its better days. Schools are not as good as other surrounding towns. Housing is going to be far less then the NYC area for purchase or renting. The town has had some gang related activity in recent years- I do not know the status of this situation.

Employment in the town itself would be service related. ESPN world headquarters is located in the town.

Some neighborhoods are very pleasant. The downtown is in the early stages of redevelopment.

Hardly any gang activity anymore and MOST neiborhoods are very pleasant.

[mt.]

Originally Posted by glxyman21

Bristol is a city of about 60,000 residents. It is an alright place, but nothing special. Some neighborhoods are nice on the outter edges of the city while towards the center it appears quite a bit run down. If you're looking for rents you will find a lot in Bristol and at decent prices from homes, condos, to apartments. Housing is cheaper than the surrounding towns. The schools do have low test scores, especially at the high school level.

If you're working in Bristol I would say its fine, but if you're working in Hartford or any place up that way there may be quite a bit of traffic. Bristol lacks any highway system or connection to it. You will have to drive into Southington or Farmington to catch I-84, or take route 72 (which is only a 2 lane road in Bristol) and catch the 72 expressway that is in Plainville. Considering everyone uses these roads which are only two lanes, traffic can be hectic in and out of the city during rush hour. The state is in the process of continuing the 72 expressway into Bristol.

Housing is cheaper in Bristol, compared to the neighbors of Southington and Farmington which are also suburban communities. If you're looking for schools and quality look into those towns as they're more family oriented with better kept homes and businesses, but you will pay a higher price.

Watch out for Southington and Farmington, lots of hard drugs get around there. Bristol has problems as well, but in Bristol it's mostly pot.

[mt.]

Originally Posted by sun

The medium sized City of Bristol has a vibrant economic base, and hasn't experienced the flight of the middle class like many other CT cities. It has an older central core unlike the smaller surrounding towns which distinguishes it from them because most have none at all, but it also serves as an area wide hub of commercial, medical and industrial activity and jobs.
Over all, it's a safe, clean and enjoyable place to visit and shop. There are many other cities in CT that are much worse to reside in, but which I shall leave nameless because the list would just be too long.

Downtown Bristol is dead, Bristol is more of a big town now that so much of what once made it an urban center is gone. The east half of rt 6 in Bristol has slowly but truely become "Main st.". Bristol has its problems, but it's not that bad. Being born and raised here, in this extra average American town I find alright. My families been here for generations too. It's the type of town where alot of people know alot of people.

[Uconn97]

Originally Posted by mt.

Watch out for Southington and Farmington, lots of hard drugs get around there. Bristol has problems as well, but in Bristol it's mostly pot.

Oh you mean the gateway drug??

There are drug problems everywhere and trying to minimize one towns problems by bashing others is ludicrous.