How do Mass. towns differ from CT towns? (Boston, Springfield: fit in, houses)

[inblackandwhitex]

How do Mass. towns differ from CT in terms of their appearance and overall feel? Are they really much different?

[teachertype]

Massachusetts is part of New England. Connecticut is a suburb of New York City. 'Nuff said.

[lrfox]

It depends entirely on which areas you're talking about and comparing. Did you have any specific areas in mind?

CT is part of New England, so there are inherent similarities between some communities and there are differences too. Parts of Northern CT feel like some of Western MA (in fact, seeing as they share a border, they look a lot alike). This is particularly true in/around the Springfield and Hartford areas. That region is VERY similar on both sides of the state line.

To me, much of Southwestern CT looks and feels similar to Boston area suburbs. This is because many of the communities in Southwestern CT were once independent towns with their own town centers that have been taken over by sprawling Metropolitan New York City. Most of those towns have become much more affluent and well to do. You find the same growth in the communities around Boston. The difference being that this type of sprawl extends much further in CT (as metro NYC is much larger) and the most affluent towns in SW CT are much more affluent than the wealthiest up here. I do think these areas feel and even appear, in some cases, very similar to one another.

Outside of the metro areas, I think you really have to take it on a case by case basis. Many CT communities have the typical New England Village set up with the "Green" or "Common" and New England style church. Interestingly enough, Rhode Island doesn't have too many (there are a few) examples of this set up as it was founded by Roger Williams who left the Puritan society (which established this village set up).

I think the urban areas are case by case too. Lots of CT's urban areas have the prototypical Three Decker houses that you find in MA. Still, they maintain their differences. New Haven has an urban center unlike most in MA. It has (in my opinion) one of the best "Commons" in New England (I think it's a better fit into the urban area than even Boston's). New London reminds me of a hybrid Portsmouth NH and New Bedford, MA. Waterbury, CT has all of the typical aspects of a mill town. It reminds me in some ways of a larger version of Fitchburg or Fall River in the way the city meets the hills.

Again, you can't just say "CT looks just like MA" or "CT doesn't look like MA." I understand that Southwestern CT is really suburban NYC now and the attitude reflects that. However, visually, that region looks like New England because that's how it was established.