Living in western mass vs. connecticut (Boston, Worcester: cars, kitchen, parking)

[ryanthegoldengod]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

In metro Hartford, when you walk in the bar, there's about an 80% chance it's YES and the Yankees game.

My experience is different. 50/50 split if not tilting to the Red Sox. And believe me, I've researched this topic heavily by walking into many, many metro Hartford bars.

[jxzz]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

In Metro Hartford there’s an 80% chance you walk into a bar and the Red Sox are on. South of I’d say Wallingford is where it’s the other way around. Football in the Hartford Metro is still 60/40 in favor of The Patriots as well.

It is hard to believe the 80% number. Driving from Hartford to Boston is not easy. I used to drive from my home (East of New Haven) to Harvard and it took me about 5 hours and I got stuck in the MASS Pike. No direct train, terrible peak cars highway connection between Hartford and Boston.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by jxzz

It is hard to believe the 80% number. Driving from Hartford to Boston is not easy. I used to drive from my home (East of New Haven) to Harvard and it took me about 5 hours and I got stuck in the MASS Pike. No direct train, terrible peak cars highway connection between Hartford and Boston.

I don't think it has much to do with Boston. People don't usually go from Hartford to Boston. The issue is that the HARTFORD CT area is very close to MA. What a surprising number of people don't seem to realize is that there is an entire state out there called Massachusetts. It shares a long border with the state of CT. People cross over the state line all the time to shop, visit friends and relatives. Western MA is Red Sox. If you are sitting in East Longmeadow, MA you are watching the Red Sox. If you are sitting a few miles to the south just over the border in CT, you are watching the Red Sox. You are NOWHERE near NYC. You would not be watching the D*** Yankees.

Not you, jxzz, but some people really need to look at a map.

[mdovell]

While that is true I do see plenty of Yankees fans. I see clothing and merchandise. A few years back I saw someone with Mets clothing on. A coworker told me he grew up watching the giants because he didn't have cable.

I would also say that WEEI has done a pretty good job branching out to diaspora around the country for the redsox coverage.

The influence to NYC will still exist in western mass and certainly CT just due to transit alone. Just look at CT rail
http://www.hartfordline.com/images/s...ervice_map.svg

Then lay that on top of the PVTA one (union station being the connector)
huge file sorry
http://www.pvta.com/media/pdfs/systemMap2017.pdf

Now I'm not saying this all happened overnight or that it was just one person that did it but the links to CT and NYC are quite a bit stronger vs Boston. Until it makes a link between the 2nd and 3rd most populated cities (worcester to springfield) the ties further south will continue to grow.

[western mass and love it]

The Patriots have always been shown on Tv in Western Mass, with or without cable. The Red Sox and Bruins too. When I came out here in 1990 the Whalers were also shown on Television.

And I don’t know a single person born in WMass who has any allegiance or regional pull to NYC. It’s all Boston for the most part.

[missionhill]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

It’s all Boston for the most part.

I'd amend to say If there's a pull at all it's toward Boston over New York. However, as in_newengland points out, there's a major regional association up and down the Conn. valley including especially Springfield and its orbit of towns and Hartford and its larger orbit of towns. Above the tofu curtain Happy Valley is more its own thing and south of Middletown the pull is more to the south and New York.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

I don't think it has much to do with Boston. People don't usually go from Hartford to Boston. The issue is that the HARTFORD CT area is very close to MA. What a surprising number of people don't seem to realize is that there is an entire state out there called Massachusetts. It shares a long border with the state of CT. People cross over the state line all the time to shop, visit friends and relatives. Western MA is Red Sox. If you are sitting in East Longmeadow, MA you are watching the Red Sox. If you are sitting a few miles to the south just over the border in CT, you are watching the Red Sox. You are NOWHERE near NYC. You would not be watching the D*** Yankees.

Not you, jxzz, but some people really need to look at a map.

Massachusetts ends at I-495. Ask anybody.

[western mass and love it]

I’d say Springfield/ Hartford are really one Metro area. The two cities are separated by under 25 miles, have interweaving suburbs, share an airport, soon to share a commuter rail line. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Government consider it one metropolitan area in the near future.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by western mass and love it

I’d say Springfield/ Hartford are really one Metro area. The two cities are separated by under 25 miles, have interweaving suburbs, share an airport, soon to share a commuter rail line. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Government consider it one metropolitan area in the near future.

Yes, it's the Hartford-Springfield area. Both lie on the Connecticut River. They aren't that far apart. We both use Bradley International, we rely on rte 91, and HOORAY--will be getting a train connection very soon. So now that I live down here near Hartford, CT, I can still get back to WMass by train. But it's a few hours to Boston and it's only by car. Boston doesn't see fit to connect to the rest of MA. Out of sight, out of mind--that's how we feel about Boston!

[jxzz]

Originally Posted by in_newengland

Yes, it's the Hartford-Springfield area. Both lie on the Connecticut River. They aren't that far apart. We both use Bradley International, we rely on rte 91, and HOORAY--will be getting a train connection very soon. So now that I live down here near Hartford, CT, I can still get back to WMass by train. But it's a few hours to Boston and it's only by car. Boston doesn't see fit to connect to the rest of MA. Out of sight, out of mind--that's how we feel about Boston!

In a few weeks, West Mass residents can go to NYC in a few hours on train through New Haven. Think about that, Boston is really far away