[aopoet04]

... I don't think it's THAT bad. A lot of the people there are very friendly, though the area isn't all that great on whole, it's actually pretty nice. But then, most of CT is.

[njohnson]

I've lived in Meriden for a while and am looking now with the gf to buy a home elsewhere.

On the whole, while not totally unsafe, it just isn't a great town. Here are some thoughts:

- Consistent economic troubles, the city is always out of money.

- High minority population, while I have nothing against them as I'm a half Latino myself, is a big minus. The high minority rate brings poverty which is a cascading effect as seen in other towns which have high minority rates. The schools suffer, crime increases, and home values plummet.

- Very urban environment for the most part to me really isn't suitable for raising children. There are a few nice areas but they tend to be bordering nicer cities. The best areas are on the borders of Southington, Cheshire, and Wallingford. Basically the closer you get to the center the worse it gets, just like nuclear fallout.

- Has one of the worst downtowns I've ever seen. First the city spent millions on an awful layout that wreaks havoc in the Winter. Second you have the police station downtown with criminal offenders awaiting their court appearances hanging on the lawn. Third some of the worst streets in Meriden border the downtown so no nightlife exists and no higher end boutiques want to open up shop. Fourth it's not a friendly walking area as the parking is awful and the areas around are unsafe.

- Schools are bad. I know 5 teachers in Meriden and they all say the same things. The best elemenary school is Thomas Hooker by far which is actually a bright spot and they won a few big awards recently but that is where it ends. The middle schools are rough and so are the high schools so there is little hope once they get out of elemenary. Some of the schools have such high minority rates (ben franklin has around 60%+ minority) that the whole school suffers. With lack of funding many schools in Meriden need a complete overhaul (including all 3 high schools), most were built in the 1960s.

- Property values are consistently stagnant and I would imagine will remain so. Not a good area to invest in and you really have to do your screening on renters.


All that aside I DO know great people from Meriden and there are a few bright spots such as Hubbard Park, Red Bridge walking trails, and Giuffrida Park however I can not recommend it as a place for a family or for those interested in a high quality way of life. I would spend a bit more money and look at surrounding towns that offer much more bang for the buck.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by njohnson

I've lived in Meriden for a while and am looking now with the gf to buy a home elsewhere.

On the whole, while not totally unsafe, it just isn't a great town. Here are some thoughts:

- Consistent economic troubles, the city is always out of money.

- High minority population, while I have nothing against them as I'm a half Latino myself, is a big minus. The high minority rate brings poverty which is a cascading effect as seen in other towns which have high minority rates. The schools suffer, crime increases, and home values plummet.

- Very urban environment for the most part to me really isn't suitable for raising children. There are a few nice areas but they tend to be bordering nicer cities. The best areas are on the borders of Southington, Cheshire, and Wallingford. Basically the closer you get to the center the worse it gets, just like nuclear fallout.

- Has one of the worst downtowns I've ever seen. First the city spent millions on an awful layout that wreaks havoc in the Winter. Second you have the police station downtown with criminal offenders awaiting their court appearances hanging on the lawn. Third some of the worst streets in Meriden border the downtown so no nightlife exists and no higher end boutiques want to open up shop. Fourth it's not a friendly walking area as the parking is awful and the areas around are unsafe.

- Schools are bad. I know 5 teachers in Meriden and they all say the same things. The best elemenary school is Thomas Hooker by far which is actually a bright spot and they won a few big awards recently but that is where it ends. The middle schools are rough and so are the high schools so there is little hope once they get out of elemenary. Some of the schools have such high minority rates (ben franklin has around 60%+ minority) that the whole school suffers. With lack of funding many schools in Meriden need a complete overhaul (including all 3 high schools), most were built in the 1960s.

- Property values are consistently stagnant and I would imagine will remain so. Not a good area to invest in and you really have to do your screening on renters.


All that aside I DO know great people from Meriden and there are a few bright spots such as Hubbard Park, Red Bridge walking trails, and Giuffrida Park however I can not recommend it as a place for a family or for those interested in a high quality way of life. I would spend a bit more money and look at surrounding towns that offer much more bang for the buck.

I lived in Meriden for a couple years and you summed it up pretty nice IMO.

It's a shame too, because my wife's family is originally from that area and from what I know, it used to be a very nice place to live. Silver City.

You can still see some snippets of what it used to be with things like Hubbard Park and the neighborhoods on the East Side etc. Oh well, what can you do?

[njohnson]

I know, I actually get quite angry when I see old great streets such as Bradley Ave with lots of old large Victorians that have been converted into 3 family slums essentially. There are very few areas on the west side of town besides those close to Cheshire that are not poverty sticken.

My grandmother has lived in Meriden almost her entire life as has my parents and they talk about times from the 1930s to the 1960s when it was a great prosperous town. Downtown Meriden used to be called "The Hub" decades ago and was a great area to walk around in with small shops and bakeries lining the streets. Take a look today and you see ghetto clothing stores, pawnshops, & quick check cashing fronts.

I think what ended up happening is it was an industrial town years ago and when the great minority influx came they tended to go to these areas as they offered them jobs. Then future generations stayed but the industry left town.

Then you are stuck with lots of low income people who bring the neighborhoods down as well as the property values. With surrounding areas too expensive to live in it creates a black hole where it's the only place that low income people can afford so they move there in droves hurting the middle class people who already live there and creating a cycle that is almost impossible to break out of.

[ZARDOZ70]

What's been posted previously in this thread is very accurate. Meriden is my home town, but there is little left of what I remember. Much of what was good about the town is gone, never to return. What the heck happened? Here's a short list:

1. The industrial based moved out, first to the Deep South, and then to China. Those jobs and know-how are NOT coming back, EVER!
2. A regional mall was built in 1969, destroying what was left of the downtown shopping district.
3. A large housing project was built downtown in the late 1950s. As with most federally-funded such projects, the buildings became the epicenter of crime, vandalism, gangs, you name it.
4. Meriden took the "free" federal and state money available in the 1960s for "urban redevelopment," and promptly decided to tear down block after block of vintage 1890s victorian buildings which made up nearly a third of the downtown shopping district. Meriden then awarded a redevelopment contract to a developer who built a cheap, crass downtown "mall." The Meriden Mall was a disaster, and eventually was torn down.
5. City planners and politicians, having ZERO appreciation for urban design or historical preservation, allowed the demolition of many beautiful and worthwhile structures, such as: Wilcox Mansion, Ezzo Bowling Lanes, Meriden Theater, Palace Theater, Zula's Golf, Jefferson Junior High School, Washington Junior High School, etc. These buildings or locations gave the city character and were architectural GEMS.

People have asked me, "When you retire, will you come back to Meriden?" The answer is, "No."

[veloman777]

The only way I could see it making sense to live in Meriden, would be to find one of the decent neighborhoods on the perimeter of the town. If you don't have interest in your town's downtown or anything for that matter, and you want to spend less than surrounding towns, it may work.

I once went to friend's party on Sherman ave near the center - NOT a smart idea. I was extremely sketched out parking on that street, and when I left a few hours later, I was HAPPY TO SEE that the only thing missing on my car was my right side mirror.

I occasionally bike through the town and it's always good motivation to keep my pace up really fast as I go through.

Ask yourself this, do you want to live in a town that has a bar called "The Alibi"? Yes, it means what you think....lol

The best part of Meriden is Castle Craig, great views at the top of that mtn. I did work with a bunch of guys who were minorities and from Meriden, and they were decent people, most of them. And I have two friends who rent a tiny 3rd floor apt near the mall. They don't mind the city, although they grew up there with their families.

Verdict: pay a few bucks more for any of the surrounding towns.