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Milford is friendly, but I'm probably biased, since my dad's family is from there and my aunts, uncles, etc all live there and are very active in the community.
Since 2000 I've lived in New Haven proper, Hamden, East Haven, Orange, and West Haven, by the beach. I moved down to Norwalk. I grew up in Monroe, Fairfield, Darien.
I must be in the minority. I've always found people here to be very pleasant. Whenever I'm out and about, almost everyone holds doors open for each other (and then they actually follow up by saying thank you); small talk waiting in line is not uncommon AT ALL; and I'm always waiving to (or am waived at by) walkers in the neighborhood. Even in Stamford, I can say I've never encountered outright rudeness. The only place (honestly ONLY) where I ever got the sense it was a possibly/likely (?) frosty place, was when I used to work in New Canaan. But that was years ago -- not sure it's the same these days. And I was MUCH younger then. So it could have been a combination of a then very young me straight out of NYC who happened to find herself in what was a much older/more mature (and loaded LOL!) town. Culture shock, perhaps -- on my part?
Last edited by Lalalally; 09-09-2014 at 08:25 PM..
I'm agreeing with Fairfield, etc. I grew up in FFLD county and have lived in New Haven County for the last 10+ years...while working in Hartford County and dating someone from up by Middlebury. Thus far, people from probably Huntington to Darien/New Canaan are where I have found people to be the most friendly, in the state. Just from my experience of course!
I travel to the Midwest for business frequently, however...that's a whole different level of friendly/nice/approachable.
Midwest you have to be careful with some people, but I do find Wisconsin genuinely sincere. Never met any mean Wisconsin people.
But elsewhere in Midwest think of it like this
Your profile as an individual is scored and you don't know the score, people won't tell you. They will not show when they are mad until it all catches up to an extreme. Think of it as office friendly. You don't get yelled at, you don't get cussed at, you don't know the score with your friends, the only obvious indicator you will get is the pink slip. For all substantive purposes, it may not matter nor affect you as most of what you don't know can't hurt you. But in a Midwest corporate environment, you should take mild feedback 10 times more seriously than you would mild criticism in a NY office.
And with friends you find overall people are more friendly because most of what people do fuss about if they were to open their mouths, is not important anyhow. But the downside is you don't know your stance. In the Northeast you do.
Other thing common in Midwest is the meaner you are to someone, the nicer the response back. However, if this inspires you to change your mean approach, don't count on your reputation being cleared anytime soon...as that will take years. And if you don't change, your hole will just get deeper.
This isn't true just in the Midwest, it's actually northeast that is more the exception.
Ontario Canada has a similar politeness system. It works where not everyone friendly to you is really your friend. Extreme rudeness is met by not speak spoken to. But the dislike occurs way before the ignore action.
I think the bottom line is people who act friendlier are not necessarily not keeping score just because they don't show it. And it's not like the same things that make people rude to you in Connecticut are not doing something similar in Midwest. You just think they are kinder because they don't channel it out like people here.
But I love the loud open randomness that uniquely defines the tristate NY, NJ, SW CT area. I wouldn't change it for anything. It's special. It's a fun people and they aren't rude, just loud...get used to it
OK, I'm planning on a move with my family within the next 6 months, due to my husbands job, which will mainly be in Norwalk; however, sometimes having to commute to Manhattan. We've lived in St. Louis, MO before and LOVED it but are originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Three kids-2 girls 12 & 9and a boy-3. I am having the HARDEST of times trying to figure out where we should actually live, but I've been checking out ALL the places you guys have been discussing:Fairfield, Darien, Westport, Weston, Wilton and New Canaan. Is there REALLY that much difference when it comes to town friendlyness? Thank you!!! Monica
Oh, man. If you're from Brazil, you'll fit right in Danbury, lol!
But first, we need to know a couple basics. What's your budget for a house or to rent? How long of a commute do you mind to Norwalk? to Manhattan?
All those towns you listed are peaceful. Regarding friendliness, what matters is which grocery store, banks, and other stores and amenities you frequent. And of course, your neighborhood. One neighborhood might be grouchy, but the next street across might be the coolest people you have met. So, it's too broad to really say. We can only generalize at a whole.
OK, I'm planning on a move with my family within the next 6 months, due to my husbands job, which will mainly be in Norwalk; however, sometimes having to commute to Manhattan. We've lived in St. Louis, MO before and LOVED it but are originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Three kids-2 girls 12 & 9and a boy-3. I am having the HARDEST of times trying to figure out where we should actually live, but I've been checking out ALL the places you guys have been discussing:Fairfield, Darien, Westport, Weston, Wilton and New Canaan. Is there REALLY that much difference when it comes to town friendlyness? Thank you!!! Monica
Please start a new discussion. You'll get much better answers that way.
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