[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MMS02760

It is safe from 9-5 when all the office workers are there. Not so much the rest of the day.

What do you base that on? Your perception from the suburbs? There are a lot of people downtown every night for restaurants, theaters and entertainment as well as people that live there. Again, all of the new rental units being built and RENTED really fast at premium prices downtown would not be if this was considered by most to be a dangerous area. Jay

[mels]

Originally Posted by MMS02760

It is safe from 9-5 when all the office workers are there. Not so much the rest of the day.

Based on that comment, I am guessing you never venture into downtown Hartford. Plenty of us regularly go out to eat, attend events, etc. downtown and have somehow managed to live to tell the tale. Life must be pretty cozy in that bubble in which you live.

I swear, the suburban fear mongering on this board is INSANE. I say this as a fellow suburban resident. I like living in the woods where I do but I also enjoy hanging out in a more urban environment and benefiting from all that it has to offer (restaurants, bars, cultural events, etc.). Best of both worlds!

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by mels

Based on that comment, I am guessing you never venture into downtown Hartford. Plenty of us regularly go out to eat, attend events, etc. downtown and have somehow managed to live to tell the tale. Life must be pretty cozy in that bubble in which you live.

I swear, the suburban fear mongering on this board is INSANE. I say this as a fellow suburban resident. I like living in the woods where I do but I also enjoy hanging out in a more urban environment and benefiting from all that it has to offer (restaurants, bars, cultural events, etc.). Best of both worlds!

I agree. We go into Hartford for theater and events as well as restaurants. We even go to the Front Street movie theaters instead of out to Manchester. We like them better than the other theaters and they are really easy to get to from Glastonbury. Jay

[MMS02760]

If downtown Hartford is so great as you say, why aren't you living there?

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MMS02760

If downtown Hartford is so great as you say, why aren't you living there?

Because I don't like living in an urban area. That does not mean Downtown Hartford is unsafe. It just means I want to live in a single family home in a suburban community. Jay

[AMSS]

I don't know Hartford well at all. But years ago, my job took me to both Bulkely (sp) and Hartford Public high schools at night. I never had a problem. We go to the XL center (I guess that's downtown) and I've never had a problem.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Because I don't like living in an urban area. That does not mean Downtown Hartford is unsafe. It just means I want to live in a single family home in a suburban community. Jay

I feel the same. There's nothing better than sitting in my quiet backyard watching my dog chase squirrels. Some of my dearest friends would disagree with me.

[pekoe12]

As someone who is planning on relocating back to Ct next year, I find these post's about Ct crime, taxes and life in general to be most interesting and often very helpful. I hear so many different stories both pro & con. My own father tells me how awful New London has become and he avoids going there, especially the lower Montauk ave / downtown area. Is it that bad there? Some of the stuff I hear makes me want to rethink a move back to Ct. I hear and am told to avoid the cities like New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford because they are unsafe but is it valid or just fear mongering by people who don't like Ct or those cities?

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by pekoe12

As someone who is planning on relocating back to Ct next year, I find these post's about Ct crime, taxes and life in general to be most interesting and often very helpful. I hear so many different stories both pro & con. My own father tells me how awful New London has become and he avoids going there, especially the lower Montauk ave / downtown area. Is it that bad there? Some of the stuff I hear makes me want to rethink a move back to Ct. I hear and am told to avoid the cities like New Haven, Bridgeport and Hartford because they are unsafe but is it valid or just fear mongering by people who don't like Ct or those cities?

I'm not sure about New London. As for the other cities, there are nice neighborhoods and not so nice neighborhoods I think you're right when you suggest the possibility it's fear mongering by the anti CT crowd. You see it right here on the forum.

I will say - CT has gotten very expensive in the past two decades. We're regularly ranked among the most tax burdened, utilities are usually THE highest in the USA. There is also a lot of bitterness toward our governor for creating an anti-business climate here. Hopefully this will soon change and people here will become a little happier. Right now, as I said, many people seem downright bitter here.

On the flip side, we regularly rank #1 nationally and among the best in the world for Human Development, we have the highest per capita income in the country, and you can't beat our access to NYC and Boston. We're a great state for foodies and people who enjoy the outdoors. We also just ranked 3 in quality of public schools (behind I think MA and VT?). You take the good with the bad, just like anything.

[mels]

Originally Posted by MMS02760

If downtown Hartford is so great as you say, why aren't you living there?

I used to live in an urban environment. In CT specifically, I have lived in Stamford and New Haven. By the time I moved up Hartford way, I was ready to live in a quieter area on a bit of land. I still enjoy urban amenities, I just don't want to live in an urban environment 24/7. Been there, done that. I also enjoy visiting NYC and Boston, as well as extremely rural parts of northern New England (I am a backpacker/outdoorsy type). It doesn't mean I want to live in any of those places.

Are you telling me you only visit cities and areas where you would want to live? I have a feeling you are trying to be obtuse just to attempt to prove a point. I don't know why the anti-Hartford contingent on this board (of which you are clearly part of) find it difficult to deal with the fact that some of us actually like going to downtown Hartford.