[tallandbuff]

I'm look at Middletown as one of my possible places to move to in Connecticut. Tell me all about it, the good, bad, and the ugly.

[jjbradleynyc]

I've been there a few times within the past 6 months on business. I'm no expert on Middletown, nor have I ever lived there. So, I can speak to my observations alone on several visits.
The downtown is quite vibrant for a smaller city, (around 45k population) and there are some large tracts with new stores, shops, offices, boutiques, restaurants, and bars downtown. It looks to be a lively place at times. The north end of downtown is pretty sketchy, though--with many people staring and people hanging out in groups doing "nothing" on the corners. I parked in that area and did not feel safe at all there.

Most of downtown was pretty nice, though. It sits on a bluff overlooking the river, with some really pretty views in and around town. The drives into Middletown are especially scenic on some routes. Housing can be inexpensive, relative to some of CT, and there is plenty of shopping from franchise stores available.

Overall, from my viewpoint, it looks to be a very liveable city for a family.

[JayCT]

Middletown is a nice small city. The downtown has come a long way in the last 15 years with a lot of good restaurants and shops. There is a multi-screen movie theater downtown as well and a lot of activites relating to Wesleyan University which is located nearby.

Middletown offers a wide range of housing choices from modest apartments to large homes on acre lots. I-91 runs through the Westfield section of the city so access to major cities like Hartford, New Haven or Waterbury is easy. You can even get to Fairfield County or the eastern CT shoreline pretty fast from Middletown. Because Middletown is a small city, there are a couple of somewhat sketchy areas. Nothing as bad as you would find in larger cities though.

You do not indicate what you are looking for there. The West Lake area (Westfield section) has a lot of condo and apartment complexes that may interest someone who is renting or looking for easy highway access. I hope this helps, Jay

[JViello]

The last two posts, IMO hit it on the head. I used to live in Middletown and consider it a twin to Manchester where I currently live in many regards with each have a little greater strength in certain areas.

I looked in both towns when purchasing and would not complain living in either. You can do good in Middletown depending on what you are looking for.

[superk]

I used to live in Middletown, and I can't think of anything I would complain about.

P.S. anyone see the recent "Diners, Drive-In's and Dive's" episode on Food Network about that Middletown diner?

[njohnson]

Middletown to me is such a mixed city.

On one hand you have a great downtown, perhaps one of the nicest in CT with a great mix of shops and restaurants and constant expansion. We took salsa classes downtown this past year. They recently just opened a bar called Public where the old Bob's store used to be and have plans for a piano and wine bar which IMO is a much needed edition to give the downtown the classy edge it needs. The North side as mentioned is a bit sketchy and that is due to the residences in that area, they are downright seedy. They have really worked to fix some of the side roads off of Main St. My friend used to live on one and it was downright scary around 8 years ago but now its much better.


My biggest gripe with Middletown is accessibility. It's great if your destinations are all along route 9 or North alone 91 however if you have a destination anywhere South in the state such as Wallingford or below it is a pain to get there. You either have to take congested 66 to 691 to 91 South or go the opposite way on route 9 to connect to 91 South. They both take about the same time, I've timed it when leaving bars in Middletown.

I'm not too crazy about most of the property in Middletown. Some of the areas in the South Middletown area are nice near Durham however are too impractical from a driving standpoint to be recommended. Much of the area North of Washington Ave and directly West of Main St N are pretty seedy and I would avoid.

To me the nicest areas are near Middlefield and North near Cromwell however East St has become tract home central with lots of homes close together with little property in illogical patterns reminiscent of something you'd see more in Florida, Las Vegas, or North Carolina. There are some absolutely gorgeous homes off of Atkins St. which to me has the best location being between routes 15, 9, and 91 although a bit far from basic amenities like a grocery store.

Being on the River you get some nice parties in the summer and during the Fourth of July there is a very good fireworks celebration with rockets launched from barges on the water.

As for things to do, there is good hiking nearby along route 66 and at Wadsworth Falls Park. Lyman Orchards offers GREAT fruit picking all year round and host lots of events as well as having a large golf course. Nearby East Hampton has a nice lake to go kayaking and a good small park area for a bbq or get together.

Schooling is going to be so so at best. You will hit some decent grade schools scattered throughout based on where you live but there are fewer middle schools and only a single high school which really isn't that great. I have 5 friends that all graduated from there.


I am currently looking for a house but I have personally limited my search in MTown to just a couple areas while also searching surrounding towns. I personally would like to visit MTown for it's downtown and enjoy what it has to offer without having to live in the downtown vicinity.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by njohnson

Middletown to me is such a mixed city.

On one hand you have a great downtown, perhaps one of the nicest in CT with a great mix of shops and restaurants and constant expansion. We took salsa classes downtown this past year. They recently just opened a bar called Public where the old Bob's store used to be and have plans for a piano and wine bar which IMO is a much needed edition to give the downtown the classy edge it needs. The North side as mentioned is a bit sketchy and that is due to the residences in that area, they are downright seedy. They have really worked to fix some of the side roads off of Main St. My friend used to live on one and it was downright scary around 8 years ago but now its much better.


My biggest gripe with Middletown is accessibility. It's great if your destinations are all along route 9 or North alone 91 however if you have a destination anywhere South in the state such as Wallingford or below it is a pain to get there. You either have to take congested 66 to 691 to 91 South or go the opposite way on route 9 to connect to 91 South. They both take about the same time, I've timed it when leaving bars in Middletown.

I'm not too crazy about most of the property in Middletown. Some of the areas in the South Middletown area are nice near Durham however are too impractical from a driving standpoint to be recommended. Much of the area North of Washington Ave and directly West of Main St N are pretty seedy and I would avoid.

To me the nicest areas are near Middlefield and North near Cromwell however East St has become tract home central with lots of homes close together with little property in illogical patterns reminiscent of something you'd see more in Florida, Las Vegas, or North Carolina. There are some absolutely gorgeous homes off of Atkins St. which to me has the best location being between routes 15, 9, and 91 although a bit far from basic amenities like a grocery store.

Being on the River you get some nice parties in the summer and during the Fourth of July there is a very good fireworks celebration with rockets launched from barges on the water.

As for things to do, there is good hiking nearby along route 66 and at Wadsworth Falls Park. Lyman Orchards offers GREAT fruit picking all year round and host lots of events as well as having a large golf course. Nearby East Hampton has a nice lake to go kayaking and a good small park area for a bbq or get together.

Schooling is going to be so so at best. You will hit some decent grade schools scattered throughout based on where you live but there are fewer middle schools and only a single high school which really isn't that great. I have 5 friends that all graduated from there.


I am currently looking for a house but I have personally limited my search in MTown to just a couple areas while also searching surrounding towns. I personally would like to visit MTown for it's downtown and enjoy what it has to offer without having to live in the downtown vicinity.

Well said...I would add the Country Club Road/Westfield Street area going East from 91 has some really nice homes and still gives very good access to both the highway and DT.

If they had just pushed 691 to at least RT217 it would have made a HUGE difference for that city.

on the hiking off 66. I love the jaunt up to the Rock Bluffs near Guido's.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by JViello

If they had just pushed 691 to at least RT217 it would have made a HUGE difference for that city.

That was the orignal plan but it was abandoned years ago because of opposition from the locals and the environmentalists. Middletown's water supply is right off Route 66 and the highway would have impacted it. Jay

[Rich Lee]

When Route 66 was widened and regraded two years ago from I-691 to Home Depot, it made a tremendous difference. There's very little traffic congestion along this stretch until you get past Home Depot/A&P.

[wanderintonc]

Yeah, Middletown's allright. It has places to shop and eat. It's centrally located. I happen to prefer the areas north, nearer Cromwell-it's closer to where I go for shopping and stuff. It's got some rough areas. Middletown always has, it's a small city rather than a large town. It's interesting.