[Stylo]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

You have the numbers to be sure. I think it's going to be hard for any town east of the river to make it into the final. I wouldn't be shocked if you are right about New Haven. It's only getting better. I feel like Milford's biggest barrier to greatness is the nightmare of the Boston Post Rd. That stretch from Orange most of the way through Milford is soul crushing. On one hand, it provides a lot of great shopping, but it's double edged sword. It reminds me of Paramus, NJ. That horrible commercial stretch hides a lovely town.

It’s not as bad as Paramus, that stretch is pure hell

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Stylo

It’s not as bad as Paramus, that stretch is pure hell

I have to agree. I assume they are referring to Route 17 and Route 4. Those are very different than the Post Road in Milford. They are divided highways with no at grade signalized intersection. They also have entrance and exit ramps and traffic travels at pretty high speeds. They are more like the Berlin Turnpike without at grade intersections. These also are major commuter corridors high volumes of traffic. Much more than Route 1. Jay

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I have to agree. I assume they are referring to Route 17 and Route 4. Those are very different than the Post Road in Milford. They are divided highways with no at grade signalized intersection. They also have entrance and exit ramps and traffic travels at pretty high speeds. They are more like the Berlin Turnpike without at grade intersections. These also are major commuter corridors high volumes of traffic. Much more than Route 1. Jay

Yeah, I think people that visit the Milford/Orange stretch at the holidays or prime time during Saturday forget that 95% of the time, there's a totally manageable, moderate/light amount of traffic.

Those routes in Paramus seem to always be congested during the day.

[WestRiverTraveler]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Yeah, I think people that visit the Milford/Orange stretch at the holidays or prime time during Saturday forget that 95% of the time, there's a totally manageable, moderate/light amount of traffic.

Those routes in Paramus seem to always be congested during the day.

There are SO many lights and so many people taking lefts. As Jay mentioned, Rt 17 is more of a travel road, but being divided, it has jug handles turn left. I'm not saying the stretch of road is exactly the same. The point is that they are both of a stretch of road that masks how nice the town actually is.

For a lot of people, their only experience with Milford is shopping on weekends. To be honest, it's no day at the beach on weekdays. From time to time, I run out to Whole Foods after work on a weekday. It's not as congested, but it's still busy and a bit of a PITA. On weekends, it's a pure nightmare.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

There are SO many lights and so many people taking lefts. As Jay mentioned, Rt 17 is more of a travel road, but being divided, it has jug handles turn left. I'm not saying the stretch of road is exactly the same. The point is that they are both of a stretch of road that masks how nice the town actually is.

For a lot of people, their only experience with Milford is shopping on weekends. To be honest, it's no day at the beach on weekdays. From time to time, I run out to Whole Foods after work on a weekday. It's not as congested, but it's still busy and a bit of a PITA. On weekends, it's a pure nightmare.

It's honestly never that bad for me aside from midday Saturday and right before holidays, and I've lived here 13 years. Plus, locals learn how to use side roads, so even on busy days it's not that big of a deal. And it's only the stretch from mall to Costco, which is a mile stretch. Whereas in Paramus, I'm pulling my hair out every time I try to shop there. Agree to disagree, I guess?

[WestRiverTraveler]

Originally Posted by Stylo

It's honestly never that bad for me aside from midday Saturday and right before holidays, and I've lived here 13 years. Plus, locals learn how to use side roads, so even on busy days it's not that big of a deal. And it's only the stretch from mall to Costco, which is a mile stretch. Whereas in Paramus, I'm pulling my hair out every time I try to shop there. Agree to disagree, I guess?

Paramus is objectively worse as far as traffic, yes, but you are missing my point, though. Paramus is a really nice town, but the first thing non-local think of when think of Paramus is Rt 17. It's the same thing for Milford. Mention Milford to someone east of the river who doesn't have local friends. Most will say the same thing. Milford is a traffic mess. Midday Saturday and holidays is literally the time most people go to Milford. My Madison friends HATE going to Milford to shop.

I grew up in Old Saybrook and spend a year at Southern. I did not like what I saw of the town until I started visiting home with one of my exes. (I lived in Boston at the time.) All I knew of Milford was the BPR. Once I spend some time there, I started to appreciate the town a lot. I agree 100% when you are local, you know the back roads and can miss a lot of the crap, even at peak time. I was there today at an off-peak time. It was still moderately annoying, though admittedly, the Orange section of BPR is worse.

This relates to the Town Tourney because I know a lot of people have a lower opinion of Milford because they only go there during peak traffic.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

Paramus is objectively worse as far as traffic, yes, but you are missing my point, though. Paramus is a really nice town, but the first thing non-local think of when think of Paramus is Rt 17. It's the same thing for Milford. Mention Milford to someone east of the river who doesn't have local friends. Most will say the same thing. Milford is a traffic mess. Midday Saturday and holidays is literally the time most people go to Milford. My Madison friends HATE going to Milford to shop.

I grew up in Old Saybrook and spend a year at Southern. I did not like what I saw of the town until I started visiting home with one of my exes. (I lived in Boston at the time.) All I knew of Milford was the BPR. Once I spend some time there, I started to appreciate the town a lot. I agree 100% when you are local, you know the back roads and can miss a lot of the crap, even at peak time. I was there today at an off-peak time. It was still moderately annoying, though admittedly, the Orange section of BPR is worse.

This relates to the Town Tourney because I know a lot of people have a lower opinion of Milford because they only go there during peak traffic.

Well, yeah, I agree the town is unfairly judged by a mile stretch of road, since that’s where most people shop, when 99% of the town is different, and a lot less traffic.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by WestRiverTraveler

Paramus is objectively worse as far as traffic, yes, but you are missing my point, though. Paramus is a really nice town, but the first thing non-local think of when think of Paramus is Rt 17. It's the same thing for Milford. Mention Milford to someone east of the river who doesn't have local friends. Most will say the same thing. Milford is a traffic mess. Midday Saturday and holidays is literally the time most people go to Milford. My Madison friends HATE going to Milford to shop.

I grew up in Old Saybrook and spend a year at Southern. I did not like what I saw of the town until I started visiting home with one of my exes. (I lived in Boston at the time.) All I knew of Milford was the BPR. Once I spend some time there, I started to appreciate the town a lot. I agree 100% when you are local, you know the back roads and can miss a lot of the crap, even at peak time. I was there today at an off-peak time. It was still moderately annoying, though admittedly, the Orange section of BPR is worse.

This relates to the Town Tourney because I know a lot of people have a lower opinion of Milford because they only go there during peak traffic.

On the contrary I know some who live for US1 in Milford/Orange. It’s all they talk about sometimes.
It’s no doubt the most dominant stretch of US1 Big Box Big Chain in the state and reminiscent of similar out of state Big Shopping stretches as well. There are numerous examples up and down the East coast you can cite along with Paramus. They may not be 100% carbon copies but I get where you’re coming from.
Just to be crystal clear, this is not meant as a slight. It’s still the biggest sandy beach town in Western CT and nobody can take that away. No one!
The first thing I think of when I hear the name Milford is that I need to go pack a cooler and load the umbrella and beach chairs on the truck, not US1.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

On the contrary I know some who live for US1 in Milford/Orange. It’s all they talk about sometimes.
It’s no doubt the most dominant stretch of US1 Big Box Big Chain in the state and reminiscent of similar out of state Big Shopping stretches as well. There are numerous examples up and down the East coast you can cite along with Paramus. They may not be 100% carbon copies but I get where you’re coming from.
Just to be crystal clear, this is not meant as a slight. It’s still the biggest sandy beach town in Western CT and nobody can take that away. No one!

Norwalk, Wallingford, Newington/Wethersfield, Danbury/Brookfield. All the same kind of shopping district.

[WestRiverTraveler]

Originally Posted by SteveM85

On the contrary I know some who live for US1 in Milford/Orange. It’s all they talk about sometimes.
It’s no doubt the most dominant stretch of US1 Big Box Big Chain in the state and reminiscent of similar out of state Big Shopping stretches as well. There are numerous examples up and down the East coast you can cite along with Paramus. They may not be 100% carbon copies but I get where you’re coming from.
Just to be crystal clear, this is not meant as a slight. It’s still the biggest sandy beach town in Western CT and nobody can take that away. No one!

I have total love-hate relationship with that stretch of road. I hate needing to go there. I hate driving on it. I love that it has almost every store I need, including REI. I don't know anyone who enjoys going shopping here, but I know a lot of people who are damn glad it's only 30 minutes away.

EDIT: I'll bet your FFC friend have a better tolerance for the traffic. The traffic game is totally different east of New Haven. Not too long age, I was immune from 20 year of Eastern MA traffic hell, but now I fully rewired to Shoreline East mode.