[basehead617]

Originally Posted by brandonfromseattle

The person who started this said:
*
"I am single, young, professional and enjoy being close to the things that a city has to offer such as theaters, arenas, bars, etc. If Hartford has a "hip" scene where is it and where should i live to be close to it?"
*
For this person anywhere in the burbs would be garbage. *If a 35 year old family wanted to move somewhere they could go to the mall all the time then Manchester would be great. *If you want to live somewhere that has city amenities then you should live in the city.
*
Before moving here some people suggested Farmington or Vernon because "Hartford is too dangerous" and I know I would be miserable if I had taken their advice.

*applause*

Sometimes the advice on here for young people really is bad. The average POV seems to be of an uptight suburban housewife (even the men!) who wants to make sure you avoid areas with black people, and end up in the kind of place where 'things to do' really leaves out 'if you're a little kid.'. There is a different perspective from people such as yourself that is sorely missing from these discussions.

It is one thing to be a terrified 30-something SAHM using the coded language of 'is it safe' (yup we know what that means) and getting the typical Avon/Farmington response (don't worry, it's *safe*... wink). Hell, I don't even mind that line of thinking.. The forum is here to help people. If they want to be around white people, that's their prerogative. But I think a lot of young folks come asking about where to live to get the kind of experience you're talking about, and get warned away from the places that would benefit them most. The idea of 'acceptable risk' is apparently an absurd one to the uptight. Once they hear about a murder in a neighborhood all they can think of is little Timmy and how they're so glad they avoid places with riff raff like that. Fine, but just keep in mind not everyone has their priorities in that order. There's a lot to be gained from the experience of city living and maybe it's more dangerous.. But that doesn't mean it's better to stay in a sleepy suburb.

Someone mentioned Bloomfield. I don't think it's a coincidence that it is almost never mentioned as a place to consider for those looking to move to the Hartford area, even when it more than satisfies requirements.. Even for safety!

Oh yeah, and don't let people tell you you're a 'hipster' for not being afraid to hang out in an actual city, with you know... city people.

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by basehead617

Someone mentioned Bloomfield. I don't think it's a coincidence that it is almost never mentioned as a place to consider for those looking to move to the Hartford area, even when it more than satisfies requirements.. Even for safety!

Oh yeah, and don't let people tell you you're a 'hipster' for not being afraid to hang out in an actual city, with you know... city people.

Bloomfield is probably the most understated suburb in greater Hartford. It's largely overlooked because of its public schools. But for someone looking for an attractive town and public schools aren't an issue, it can be ideal because it's a beautiful area - scenic country roads, nice homes on spacious lots, a nice town center area, and even today there's still farmland, which IMO is reassuring since nowadays there's such a desire to plow these under and turn them into lawns in the name of "progress" - whatever the hell that means.