[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by nep321

What is your opinion or impression of these cities and towns within New Haven County, in terms of desirability to live in? I ask, because if for some reason I get a job in NHC, these are the towns that offer affordable housing for me (no more than $250K). But I want to hear your opinions on them. I have been to all of these cities and towns and here are my general impressions, but I want to see if other people agree with or share my impressions. In general, I'm not crazy about NHC either, but it is a heck of a lot better than FFC, in my opinion.

1. Waterbury - would absolutely never live there; looks very blighted in most areas; sketchy areas
2. Meriden - rather ghetto and not impressive, although some outskirt neighborhoods are quite nice
3. Wolcott - not sure why home prices are affordable here...seems like a decent town, but also meh
4. Ansonia - very gritty, blue collar and I probably wouldn't fit in, but idk
5. Derby - very gritty, blue collar and I probably wouldn't fit in, but idk
6. Hamden - seems pretty decent, convenient and wide selection of neighborhoods
7. New Haven - college town at the core, surrounded by severe ghetto, blight and high crime
8. East Haven - seems pretty decent, albeit somewhat gritty
9. West Haven - seems okay in some parts, but also seems troubled, blighted and gritty
10. Naugatuck - seems VERY blue collar, gritty, horrible roads, crappy housing, etc.

Are my impressions shared by anyone else?

New Haven would be your best bet. It's not "surrounded" by severe ghetto. There are some nasty neighborhoods, and a few isolated blocks near St. Raphael's hospital in particular that are no-man's land. New Haven is a pretty big city with dozens of neighborhoods, most of which are liveable. Some of them are downright ritzy and your $250k wouldn't even buy a 1BR condo within 5 square blocks.

East Haven is mostly blue collar, mostly Italian. Mostly religious, and just barely tolerant of people who aren't like they are (I lived there for 11 years - I was their token Jew).

Hamden is mostly excellent, with a very few unpleasant areas near the New Haven border along Dixwell Avenue.

West Haven is mostly old, more than anything else. Somewhat gritty but the grit gives it character IMO.

[Raider111]

Originally Posted by nep321

There are some, but they are either management level, public accounting firms or with companies I already worked at, or companies that my friends who work at told me to avoid like the plague.

FFC has tons of jobs for me. New Haven County has some, surprisingly.

Well if you cant find anything there, no need to leave, all those towns come in a nice tidy package in norwalk itself. New Haven Style hood n ghetto in section 8 south norwalk. Nice beaches and coastline of east_west haven. No need to go all the way to Ansonia- Derby- Naugatuck, all three are finely represented in lower central norwalk.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by AnonChick

New Haven would be your best bet. It's not "surrounded" by severe ghetto. There are some nasty neighborhoods, and a few isolated blocks near St. Raphael's hospital in particular that are no-man's land. New Haven is a pretty big city with dozens of neighborhoods, most of which are liveable. Some of them are downright ritzy and your $250k wouldn't even buy a 1BR condo within 5 square blocks.

East Haven is mostly blue collar, mostly Italian. Mostly religious, and just barely tolerant of people who aren't like they are (I lived there for 11 years - I was their token Jew).

Hamden is mostly excellent, with a very few unpleasant areas near the New Haven border along Dixwell Avenue.

West Haven is mostly old, more than anything else. Somewhat gritty but the grit gives it character IMO.

Interesting. Didn't know that East Haven was a very provincial, religious, blue collar town. I certainly would not fit in.

New Haven and Hamden seem like the best bet.

[Stylo]

Why is Milford not a consideration? You can get a decent house for $250k. Maybe not quite as much house as Hamden, but the taxes are considerably lower. Branford is another good choice.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Why is Milford not a consideration? You can get a decent house for $250k. Maybe not quite as much house as Hamden, but the taxes are considerably lower. Branford is another good choice.

Idk, they just seem pricier than the other towns I listed. But I'm sure it's possible. They are nice towns though.

[Stylo]

Branford is about the same price as Hamden for non waterfront. Milford is not much more.

Milford is a lot more to rent, but for buying it's a negligible difference and the taxes are relatively low for the area.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Branford is about the same price as Hamden for non waterfront. Milford is not much more.

Milford is a lot more to rent, but for buying it's a negligible difference and the taxes are relatively low for the area.

Well that's good.

I know for a fact that I would much prefer living in NHC than FFC. But I'm not sure how much different it will really be. I don't like the FFC vibe/culture at all.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by nep321

Interesting. Didn't know that East Haven was a very provincial, religious, blue collar town. I certainly would not fit in.

It's not. Keep in mind, one poster said that. I know many people in East Haven and not one was religious and unaccepting. Actually, none of them are even Italian. Remember, it takes a long time to wash a stereotype. Darien is still catching hear for similar claims, when it's completely different today.

[AnonChick]

No really, it is. I was just there last weekend visiting family of my sister's boyfriend. They live in one of the *many* neighborhoods that are predominately italian. This particular neighborhood is predominately "right off the boat" italian. His parents don't speak english very well and can't read or write it at all. No one on the block has a credit card; they pay for everything (including their houses) in cash. The people who occupy and own the houses are a mom and dad, who raise at least a few children each, and ALL the houses in the area are 2 and 3-bedroom capes on 1/8-acre lots. They walk to the supermarket, some of them don't have drivers licenses because they can't show ID to the DMV proving that they're citizens. Many of them are here on permanent visas and a few of them are still illegal, after over 30 years of residency.

That's just one neighborhood. Now go down to Main, heading over to the bowling alley: ALL blue collar. Mostly immigrant, or families of immigrants, still mostly italian but with a more latin variety, with a healthy dose of working-class irish. There's no financial wealth there, no mansions, no lavish gardens. This is more of a Christmas creche on the front lawn all year round district; it has its own charm but it still reeks of blue collar old-world christian culture.

The only exceptions that I can think of are down by Nellie Green's, the condos along the beach area, and the condos along Thompson Street in Foxon.

[whome224]

Surprised you would want to live in New Haven county, nep. There's tons of highway signs that say "New York" on them!