[melinuxfool]

I'll be moving to Connecticut to study at UConn this fall. Are there any tips from CT natives on things to do/see while I'm here for my four-years of study?

[salinacj]

Hi There Linux fool. There is plenty to do, though you will need a car to get to most of it. UConn itself is in a small town, surrounded by trees, farms, and some more trees. Campus itself is large, and there is plenty to do. Lots of sports, student clubs, a movie theater, bars, dance club, places to eat, etc.

About 30 minutes up north is Stafford Motor Speedway for car races, go about 40 minutes more, you will run into Springfield Mass, and Six Flags Amusement park.

About a half hour to the west is Manchester, which is now basically just one big Mall. Comedy club, Movie Theater, restaurants, lots of stores there. About 15 minutes past this is Hartford. Has the Bushnell for off-Broadway theater. Also lots of clubs to get drinks at. There is a minor league hockey team in town.

Go a half hour to the south, and you have the two biggest casinos in the world. Lots of things to do there without ever having to gamble. There is also a minor league baseball team in town. Keep going south, you hit the coast. Beaches, Mystic Seaport, Aquarium, lobsters! Want to get on a boat and keep going, there is Block Island, Long Island....

15 minutes east of campus there is Providence Rhode Island, they have lots to do, and a great mall.

UConn is about half way in between New York and Boston (2 hours either way about) Can go see the Red Sox at Fenway (or that other team in New York)

Hope this helps!

[skytrekker]

Providence is actually about a 45 -50 minute drive from the Uconn campus.

[salinacj]

Lol, that 1 was supposed to be a 4

[skytrekker]

cool Wink

[hoppybunn]

In all honesty there isn't really THAT much to do in CT. Maybe I'm biased since I grew up in CT and all but basically the way to discover places to go is to make friends and figure out weekend getaways (trust me at some point you'll get pretty bored of the Uconn campus since there isn't much there, unless you're into the party scene). There are a lot of things to do/see up in Mass and RI though, and you could always plan a weekend trip down to the city since it's not too bad of a drive and obviously there's ton to do in NYC. You could also check out the casinos (I think there are areas you can go without being 21) and there's Mystic seaport and the aquarium about an hour away. I hear New Haven nightlife is pretty hopping too but NH is about and hour away as well. As salinajc stated, the nearest major shopping mall is about 25 minutes away and you'll probably go there fairly often if there's something that you need since Storrs is a small town and the nearest shopping center (which is kind of sketchy) is about 15 minute away. Since I assume that you're going to be a freshman you won't be able to obtain a parking sticker to park your car on university lots so I would suggest that you try to get a spot in Farmer Brown's lot since having a car especially in that area of CT is almost vital (Unless you want to be spending ALL your time on campus or having your parents drive you around whenever they visit). I think there is a bus however that shuttles to the shopping center I was talking about earlier, and I think there's one that also goes to Manchester (the big shopping mall). Hope this helps!

[skytrekker]

Hartford has cultural happenings that are among the best nationally- greater Hartford ranks 21st best in that nation for visual & performing arts- be it art museums, theater, opera, symphony- you will never be bored if you like these offerings.

New Haven also does not lack culture; The iconic Yale campus has Theater, Music, cultural events. There is the Yale Art Galley, the British Museum of Art, the renowned Peabody Museum, The Shubert Theater, the Long wharf theater.

The state does lack mega 'Theme Park' places- so if this is your idea of fun-you may be disappointed.

Sports in CT is UCONN, both football and basketball, but Central CT state University, Yale, and the University of Hartford all have very good and competitive sports.

Both eastern and western Connecticut have some vineyards/wineries that produce high quality vintages-so if you are 21 or over they can make a very interesting diversion. There are beautiful scenic roads-especially route 169 in eastern CT. Mystic Seaport is hardly boring-one of the best reproductions in the nation, and the Mystic Sea life Aquarium is fascinating.

The Goodspeed Opera house & Gillette Castle are great places to visit- as is a ride on the Essex Valley Steam train in that small and charming town.

Downtown Hartford has some interesting clubs, fine restaurants, sports events at the sports center complex, and many interesting events at the New Convention center, not to mention the newly soon to be completed strikingly beautiful Science center high on the banks of the CT river. The famous and historic Bushnell Memorial Auditorium for performing arts has off Broadway shows, and great events like the Connecticut Gay Men's Chorus. The Wadsworth Atheneum downtown is the oldest and one of the finest Public museums in the nation. New Britain, a short drive from Hartford has the newly enlarged and improved American Museum of Art- one of the finest in the nation.

Not far from Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks- I find the Air Museum to be fascinating.

Not too mention fine beaches, state forests for hiking and other beautiful geographic offerings. Uconn is located in a rather rural location- but Connecticut as a state is far from boring, and everything is close by.

There is just as much if not more to do here then in Massachusetts- or Rhode Island. When you add the proximity of Boston, Providence and NYC- plus Vermont and Maine- the places to go are among the best in the world- all a short drive from UCONN.

There are few places nationally that have the highly sophisticated cultural offerings as Connecticut.

[nico7]

http://www.city-data.com/forum/connecticut/315240-list-things-do-see-ct.html