[MikeGKC]

Hi! We are looking into moving to Connecticut from California! We have been interested in Providence(RI), but want to check into other places too. The cities that stuck out to us are New Haven and West Haven, Bridgeport because we like being on the water and now recently Hartford. One of us is hoping to get into the medical field and the other is a pastry chef/baker. Some things we are concerned about: How affordable are these place? What is the job market like, especially in these fields? What is the atmosphere of the society like? Transportation? Culture? Diversity? Night life? What kind of things are there to do there? We are done with the college scene, but we wouldn't complain about a friendly neighborhood pub. Any opinions you have are helpful since we have never been to Ct! Thanks!

[Cyndiu]

I live in West Haven, though we are putting the house on the market June 1. We're Florida-bound. Anyway, New Haven & Hartford are similarly expensive to live in, West Haven next and Bridgeport is probably the cheapest. Having said all of that, West Haven is the best crime-wise and is a much smaller city than the other 3. There is tons to do in New Haven, especially live music and fantastic restaurants. Bridgeport has minor league baseball and hockey teams.

I'm not sure about the pastry/chef job market, but depending on what you're looking for, medical might be easier.

[Lowerdeck]

Of the four, I would probably pick West Haven. Close to the water, close to New Haven and all that is going on, lower crime rate, still affordable (relatively speaking).

[nico7]

Do you want a house, condo, or apartment? West Haven is about 10-15 minutes from the various interesting parts of New Haven. You could easily work in New Haven and live in West Haven. I think you'll get more for your money in terms of space and security if you live in West Haven. New Haven has nice neighborhoods but they are a bit pricey. If you plan to use the public schools, then definitely West Haven out of those you mentioned.

[wavehunter007]

The best bet I tell everyone is to live just outside New Haven (Branford, Hamden, West Haven)…you get the best of both worlds (city and smaller towns). New Haven has its share of urban problems like most cities.

I think New Haven is more fun and lively than Hartford…closer to the beaches, closer to NYC (train gets you from New Haven to NYC in 90 min), the restaurants seem better and with more choices, there are a many colleges and art schools around New Haven. In terms of culture and diversity…there is a large international presence (especially Asian) in New Haven because of Yale. The museums and lectures associated with Yale make New Haven an interesting place if you’re into that. Yale New Haven Medical Center is still one of the biggest centers of medical positions in the state of Connecticut. Some of the towns close to New Haven have many special care medical facilities if you’re going into that field.

Finally, weather –wise… New Haven gets half as much snow as Hartford...with a month longer growing season. The closer you get to the Mass state line...the more winter you will get. If you hate winter (like I do) stay in far southern/coastal Connecticut.