[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by Lincolnian

Young professionals also want a critical mass of employment opportunities that reflect today's globally-connected world and high technological development.

So why would Hartford attract those kinds of jobs to achieve critical mass? Kendall Square is 100 miles away. Manhattan is 110 miles away.

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by East of the River

Well you know except NYC Boston Portland ME Jersey city etc all have those same problems with growth.

CT has treated it's cities as a disease for 60 years, that along with limited land area making for limited tax collection or expansion means they will still be the same way many years form now.

The cities have done little to help themselves. Rampant corruption and financial mismanagement have basically confirmed the suburbanite view of the state's cities as money pits.

[beerbeer]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

So why would Hartford attract those kinds of jobs to achieve critical mass? Kendall Square is 100 miles away. Manhattan is 110 miles away.

Well, if (big if) Connecticut ran the state better, Hartford should have a much better cost of living and much cheaper housing than New York or Boston. Connecticut also (pre-state income tax) was a much better place for CEO's and management to live. That's why GE moved out of NYC to Stamford in the first place. Many companies did. Connecticut ran them out of state with punitive taxes for CEO's and management. Who do you think the millionaire tax affected?

Besides Boston is 90 miles from Hartford. You can drive it in little over an hour. It takes about the same time (because of traffic) to drive from San Francisco to Cupertino (home of Apple).

In reality Hartford should offer many things that a big city can't. But the state of Connecticut is so poorly run with high taxes, high energy costs, burdensome regulations and poor business climate that Boston and New York are better options.

And forget businesses moving in. First, the state has to get its act together to stop businesses from moving out.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

Well, if (big if) Connecticut ran the state better, Hartford should have a much better cost of living and much cheaper housing than New York or Boston. Connecticut also (pre-state income tax) was a much better place for CEO's and management to live. That's why GE moved out of NYC to Stamford in the first place. Many companies did. Connecticut ran them out of state with punitive taxes for CEO's and management. Who do you think the millionaire tax affected?

Besides Boston is 90 miles from Hartford. You can drive it in little over an hour. It takes about the same time (because of traffic) to drive from San Francisco to Cupertino (home of Apple).

.

Sorry, just had to correct these misstatements. I've driven Boston - Hartford back & forth probably 100+ times...no way is it shorter than 100 min (under best of conditions)...many times closer to 2 hrs. Also San Fran to Cupertino is 45 miles, much of that is a reverse commute, so you're talking 1 hr tops.

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

Well, if (big if) Connecticut ran the state better, Hartford should have a much better cost of living and much cheaper housing than New York or Boston. Connecticut also (pre-state income tax) was a much better place for CEO's and management to live. That's why GE moved out of NYC to Stamford in the first place. Many companies did. Connecticut ran them out of state with punitive taxes for CEO's and management. Who do you think the millionaire tax affected?

Besides Boston is 90 miles from Hartford. You can drive it in little over an hour. It takes about the same time (because of traffic) to drive from San Francisco to Cupertino (home of Apple).

In reality Hartford should offer many things that a big city can't. But the state of Connecticut is so poorly run with high taxes, high energy costs, burdensome regulations and poor business climate that Boston and New York are better options.

And forget businesses moving in. First, the state has to get its act together to stop businesses from moving out.

I hear this alot "burdensome regulations" but can you name those regulations for us ? Every talking head on TV and every article in the paper talks about this, but can never name any.

And I will pre empt the standard response "business entity tax" because its only $250 every two years and a drunken fool can fill out the paper work. I think its only five questions.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by beerbeer

Well, if (big if) Connecticut ran the state better, Hartford should have a much better cost of living and much cheaper housing than New York or Boston. Connecticut also (pre-state income tax) was a much better place for CEO's and management to live. That's why GE moved out of NYC to Stamford in the first place. Many companies did. Connecticut ran them out of state with punitive taxes for CEO's and management. Who do you think the millionaire tax affected?

Besides Boston is 90 miles from Hartford. You can drive it in little over an hour. It takes about the same time (because of traffic) to drive from San Francisco to Cupertino (home of Apple).

In reality Hartford should offer many things that a big city can't. But the state of Connecticut is so poorly run with high taxes, high energy costs, burdensome regulations and poor business climate that Boston and New York are better options.

And forget businesses moving in. First, the state has to get its act together to stop businesses from moving out.

Add to the corrections, GE was not in Stamford. It was in Fairfield. You may be getting confused with another corporation that moved to Stamford about that same time, GTE. It was in that upside down pyramid building along I-95 downtown. Also, companies that are leaving our state are not necessarily going to cheaper locations. Taxes in New York and Boston are not lower than here really. They are going where they believe they can better attract young talent. It remains to be seen if that is correct or not. Jay

[MrGompers]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Add to the corrections, GE was not in Stamford. It was in Fairfield. You may be getting confused with another corporation that moved to Stamford about that same time, GTE. It was in that upside down pyramid building along I-95 downtown. Also, companies that are leaving our state are not necessarily going to cheaper locations. Taxes in New York and Boston are not lower than here really. They are going where they believe they can better attract young talent. It remains to be seen if that is correct or not. Jay

Additionally, the "lack of young talent" is an excuse. It's code for "we want to pay low(er) wages" Plenty of educated and qualified young and old people in CT. The wages these companies want to pay won't even support a single person in NYC or Boston. They are much better off in Hartford or New Haven.

Plus when these young people have kids they will be coming right back to CT for the schools. It doesn't make any sense to chase changing demographics which in reality is what these companies are doing whether they know it or not.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

Sorry, just had to correct these misstatements. I've driven Boston - Hartford back & forth probably 100+ times...no way is it shorter than 100 min (under best of conditions)...many times closer to 2 hrs. Also San Fran to Cupertino is 45 miles, much of that is a reverse commute, so you're talking 1 hr tops.

There's no reverse commute there anymore.

See attached. Just screenshot that.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by MrGompers

Plus when these young people have kids they will be coming right back to CT for the schools. It doesn't make any sense to chase changing demographics which in reality is what these companies are doing whether they know it or not.

Why would they need to do that? Leafy suburbs stuffed full of professional people have top school systems. Pretty much any major metro area has those. It's not unique to Connecticut.

You live in the city as a 20-something. When you get married and have children, you flee to those leafy suburbs with the top school systems. If you make enormous bucks, you can stay in the city and do private schools. What you're not going to do is throw your career off the rails and move to Connecticut unless it's the NYC suburb part. Even that's kind of a stretch. Greenwich to Grand Central is an hour and any other CT suburb is farther. That's pretty soul crushing to do every day.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by Stylo

There's no reverse commute there anymore.

See attached. Just screenshot that.

Maybe not, but 45 miles is still much shorter than Boston <--> Hartford, which was the statement I was trying to correct. Not to mention that there are frequent Caltrain options (which I'm using this week, as business has brought me out to the Bay area) in both directions along this corridor!