[BigHouse9]

salatheel - who are you trying to convince here? We all get it, you don't like CT. I have a feeling you will find the poor aspect of things wherever you go, even in NC. The prople in CT are wonderful folks and it is a beautiful area with so much to do. Try to concentrate on the positives of things and I am sure you will find more of a better quality of life.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by Golden1

I've eaten at Vitos. It's good.

I'm not bashing CT but just pointing out in Northern CT there is not a lot of hunting for culture and traveling. The best small mom and pop restaurant would tank where I live because it's Olive Garden country. I once told people I like Mexican food and was told Chi Chi's had great mexican food. There you go. That says it all. Very few reach out to find the best eateries or pizza places like I do in my area. It's just not a big deal. In NYC it was a big deal to explore nooks and cranies. BUT I couldn't afford to live in a house near NYC and northern CT is affordable although taxes and utilities is becoming worrisome.

What are you calling "Northern CT"? What you describe is NOTHING like the Metro Hartford area I live in.

Just curious what areas in particular you are talking about.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by salatheel

Connecticut is in for a bigger correction than what NC will expierience. It is already happening. Jobs and population increase=real estate appreciation. My house is on the market and I could have gotten 15-20% if I had it ready last spring. No doubt Florida and Arizona are getting the worst of it right now.

Good, since we are not losing population by your definition my property value is secure! Sweet!

[melkat]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

No Salatheel



In NC there is in fact rampant overbuilding- and loose lending practices- with a high amount of foreclosures- lets try and write information that is correct-

there was just an article in the paper on sunday in Charlotte about all of the forclosures..it is unreal how many there are....regarding housing some areas in Charlotte (proper), the ones that actually have decent schools, prices for houses are what you pay in CT (Dilworth, Meyer Park etc..).

The thing about here in the *south* is that there aren't that many southerners, many many Northerners (I live in a cul de sac with 6 houses...4 are from NY)...so we don't have the southern charm but pushy obnoxious people that are more miserable in the heat

[JViello]

Originally Posted by salatheel

Your in the Boonies out in Vernon and maybe that makes a big difference.

If you are calling Vernon the boonies you are in for the shock of your life with "rural" NC. LOL

Vernon is 10 miles outside of Downtown Hartford. You know, this "minor" city?



Hardly the boonies. lol It's a nice suburb with a rural feel.

[Golden1]

I live in Manchester and before that I lived for two years in South Windsor.

The people who seem to be big into culture in Northern CT or rather Hartford County Proper are usually around the Simsbury/Avon area. When you get beyond Hartford it's all a different story. Chain restaurants rule and traveling anywhere is considered a hassle by the locals. Coming from another area I was stunned how few knew their way around the region/state.

If people are looking for great places to eat in a charming area then head to the shoreline or a few places in Litchfield. In central CT and Northern CT there are a couple of good places to eat but you have to look for them. There's a couple in Hartford, yeah, but wouldn't you expect that in a city? Outside of Hartford it's basically chain restaurants and the locals are happy enough with that so it's a matter of perception I guess. If one thinks the best burger in the world is at Ruby Tuesdays how can you explain there's a better place forty minutes away or talk of eateries in New Orleans or other awesome food places.

I think as far as people from other areas such as California who want to come to CT for a New England life style I'd suggest areas along the coast or Litchfield area. There are towns that look exactly like one would see in a movie. I like my area but I'm well traveled enough to see it's not a lot different from most areas of the U.S. such as upstate NY. Again the good thing about CT is you do not have to travel far for culture or the old world New England look if it's not at your door.

The thing is other posters may have a different perception and life style in which they travel and see other people traveling or going to the theater. That's fine. I'm casting a light that from my point of view and my middle class life style, coming from the hustle and bustle of the Bronx to Northern CT that people are not that excited by culture and willing to spend a day or hour traveling to new locations. But I imagine that does reflect so much of Northern CT but the country in general. My feelings is people are branching out less and less from their houses and going from point a to point b without looking around. How many times do we hear "I'll wait for it on DVD" when it comes to a movie in the theater? Everything now is about convenience. One person such as myself drives all over trying to find pizza that resembles the pizza I enjoyed in NY and another is content with the pizza shop up the road that tastes like frozen pizza. What can you do? Such is life

[pelican state]

Originally Posted by rodger craig

i know that soon enough there will be smart people leaving ct. look around, taxes are at an all time high, electricity is the highest in the union, god forbid that you have to travel the highways. the reason ct is ranked so high in truck safety is due to the fact that traffic traveles so slow. have you been to realty trac and seen all the foreclosures? it will blow you away. i came back here 20 years ago and soonit will be time to sell and go to ......mabe arkansas where you can actually buy a house for less than $200,000 and the taxes would be all of $1500 a year if that. i think that ct is going to come upon some real hard times

I had an excellent experience in Little Rock, AR. We evacuated to LR from Katrina (New Orleans). I'm originally from the NE, had no idea what to expect in AR - but it was the only place with electricity

Turned out LR was an oasis containing a mix of the best of all cultures in the US. Real Southern hospitality and grace, Southwestern cuisine/architecture thrown into the mix, LR looked a lot like CT in some areas (streams, huge Beech trees, hilly, stone fences, etc.) Lots of upscale shopping and restaurants, plus the discount places like Burlington Coat Factory were stocked and not picked over :-)
People have the mindset of Northern Californians. Very outdoorsy and friendly.

And - not too many Walmarts ha! (I figured home of Walmart they'd be everywhere). Bill Clinton's library is there, overall progressive place/attitude. A couple suburbs look as exclusive as some I've seen in CT.
Beautiful Frank Lloyd Write style houses built on bluffs overlooking the river (no flooding issues :-) ) who knew? :

Not too sure about the rest of the State, but we thought of buying land near Little Rock for the future. The only downside - AR is surrounded on three sides by some fairly regressive states....

Rave over The NY Metro Area is nice, $200k houses are a thing of the past, unfortunately. And the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence - only looks that way

[BigHouse9]

Don't know what this has to do with CT especially the progressive/regressive thing (LOL at those labels anyway). Let's keep this on topic.

[pelican state]

>>soonit will be time to sell and go to ......mabe arkansas where you can actually buy a house for less than $200,000 and the taxes would be all of $1500 a year if that.<<

This was in reply to above comment. Sorry if it drifted slightly off topic.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by Golden1

I live in Manchester and before that I lived for two years in South Windsor.

The people who seem to be big into culture in Northern CT or rather Hartford County Proper are usually around the Simsbury/Avon area.

Again, I'd have to disagree. I'm one of them myself. Only chains in Manchester? Granted all the chains happen to BE in Manchester thanks to Buckland but here are lots of great mom and pop places all over the area.

Head over to Nulli's on Hartford Road for some very good Italian...or Manchester Pizza which is owned by a first generation Italian family. Rocco's right on Center Street. Wooster Street pizza.

And you can't forget Cavey's for some of the best Northern Italian and French food around...voted best in state by CT Magazine and Zagat.

Don't forget the MOTHER of all Pizza's Frank Pepe's is opening a branch in Manchester.

There is Ulliano's Bakery on Spruce Street...a little tiny hole in the wall with an old Italian baking fresh pasteries and some old world bread. (Hint: On Sunday's ask for a grinder and he'll disappear into the back and bring back a home made grinder with home made Salumi with home made roasted pepper with some fresh provolone on one of his self baked rolls...super simple and super "old world" good.)

Shadey Glen for a slice of Americana.

Main Street pub, Hatford Road Cafe for some great classic pub food.

Adam's mill for continental

Main street with all of it's various ethnic places and cafe's...

Even Chez Ben a little hole in the wall on Middle Turnpike is a great place for French Canadian food.

In otherwords, there is a lot more than chains in Manchester and they have clients as most of them have been around for years and years.

RT44 in Avon has as many if not more chain's than Manchester...I know I'm looking out the window at RT44 as I type this and travel the road every day.

One person such as myself drives all over trying to find pizza that resembles the pizza I enjoyed in NY and another is content with the pizza shop up the road that tastes like frozen pizza. What can you do? Such is life

Check out the places I mentioned. If you've never had Pepe's, it's as good if not better than anything you will find in NYC. Real coal fired oven and crispy super thin crust.

Randy's Wooster Street is pretty good but still made in conventional ovens. It's good though.

Perhaps you just havn't wandered around enough.