Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The CT River cities win this year a landslide imo. Not particularly close.
Guess that’s what the poll says. I’m surprised it isn’t closer, tbh.
Of the Connecticut cities, the only ones I’d really want to live in are Northampton and Middletown. Of the Merrimack cities, the only one I wouldn’t want to live in is Lawrence.
Despite being much bigger, I didn’t find downtown Hartford to be very vibrant at night even on Pratt/Trumbull/Asylum. Manchester can compete with it in terms of downtown vibrancy despite its heroin problem and despite being much smaller.
Maybe I just underestimated the appeal of Greenfield and Chicopee..
Guess that’s what the poll says. I’m surprised it isn’t closer, tbh.
Of the Connecticut cities, the only ones I’d really want to live in are Northampton and Middletown. Of the Merrimack cities, the only one I wouldn’t want to live in is Lawrence.
Despite being much bigger, I didn’t find downtown Hartford to be very vibrant at night even on Pratt/Trumbull/Asylum. Manchester can compete with it in terms of downtown vibrancy despite its heroin problem and despite being much smaller.
Maybe I just underestimated the appeal of Greenfield and Chicopee..
I thought Hartford has been going through a period of infill of sorts for its downtown area over the last decade or so--has that not really resulted in a more vibrant downtown?
I thought Hartford has been going through a period of infill of sorts for its downtown area over the last decade or so--has that not really resulted in a more vibrant downtown?
I spent a lot of time in downtown Hartford in 2018. So maybe there’s been a lot of infill since then? Just looking around on Google Maps, it doesn’t look all that different than what I remember.
Guess that’s what the poll says. I’m surprised it isn’t closer, tbh.
Of the Connecticut cities, the only ones I’d really want to live in are Northampton and Middletown. Of the Merrimack cities, the only one I wouldn’t want to live in is Lawrence.
Despite being much bigger, I didn’t find downtown Hartford to be very vibrant at night even on Pratt/Trumbull/Asylum. Manchester can compete with it in terms of downtown vibrancy despite its heroin problem and despite being much smaller.
Maybe I just underestimated the appeal of Greenfield and Chicopee..
Hartford has a wide array of options compared to any MR city, but the downtown is much weaker in terms of nightlife than in 2013 when i was a student and there was a legit club quarter. Many of them had tragic/freak accidents or things that closed them down. I've been to several VERY desirable, and VERY affordable lofts in downtown Hartford that were occupied by recent grads of my college. Even met Jemele Hill at Chango Rosa in Hartford ear Union Station, its closed now. City Steam brewery, the Atheneum, Bears Smokehouse, the movie theater, Dinner cruises on the CT River, and the CT Science Center are great for entertainment in Hartford. Never mind the food hall and nightclubs in Parkville as well as the CT Fastrak Bus to new Britain/CCSU.
But in Hartford the "nightlife" often takes place at small bar/lounges in the Southside along Park Ave or New Briain Ave or Franklin ave-out in the neighborhoods. Or at the West Indian Social Club on Main Street in the North End.
Also, New Haven pretty much kills any of these cities being listed. The suburbs in these areas are better and the cities are larger and more functional. More diverse suburbs. More affordable. And a more cohesive feel. With plenty of colleges up and down the CT. Id certainly live in Downtown Hartford, suburban part of Spfld and most definitely New Haven and Middletown. Amherst isn't bad either.
I wouldn't live in any Merrimack city beside downtown Lowell. Seriously, no.
Last edited by BostonBornMassMade; 04-29-2021 at 04:41 PM..
I thought Hartford has been going through a period of infill of sorts for its downtown area over the last decade or so--has that not really resulted in a more vibrant downtown?
It has definitely infilled residentially and with a satellite UCONN campus but the clubs closed via some weir tragic accidents and underage drinking. Really just bad luck that hurt the nightlife. But there is still a new foodhall in Western Hartford (Parkville) and other things.
New Haven isn’t on the Connecticut River. Also the focus of this thread is meant to be on city propers.
Oh yea.. its not, I think of them as the I-91 cities tbh thats my fault. I always think I-91 runs adjacent to the CT River. I bet a lot of people who voted think that way,
For scenery, landscape and attractions Connecticut valley in a landslide. Famously not industrialized at its mouth (at least for a major river) with beautiful marshes, hills, Essex and Old Lyme and Old Saybrook. The the rich valley ag lands from Middletown to Greenfield and a long winding upper valley bet Vt and NH. Hartford isn’t beautiful but it’s a more significant city than anything on the Merrimack. Northampton-Amherst area is a kind of paradise. Brattleboro a nice crunchy town with beautiful countryside around it. Upper Valley— Cornish-Windsor area is so scenic. Tremendous Native American history along the Connecticut, the land, the water and its legends. Merrimack has better mill cities, certainly Lowell and Manchester beat Holyoke, and there’s nothing in western New England like Newburyport. But I’ll take the Connecticut.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
