[BPt111]

Originally Posted by Csiko

This! I'd have voted for Meriden for sure.

Bridgeport comes close to second. I dunno though, Bridgeport now is what I expect Meriden to be in 10 years.

Meriden is starting to improve their downtown and rebuilt Meriden train station for Springfield-New Haven Line and New apartments begin built.

MyRecordJournal.com | Meriden, CT | Another downtown demo project begins in Meriden

MyRecordJournal.com | Meriden, CT | Meriden

MyRecordJournal.com | Meriden, CT | Can

MyRecordJournal.com | Meriden, CT | Crews complete Church & Morse building demolition in Meriden

MyRecordJournal.com | Meriden, CT | City, developer form partnership to renovate downtown Meriden building

MyRecordJournal.com | Meriden, CT | First plans for razing two Mills buildings in Meriden submitted

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Really?

So let me give you a hypothetical scenario here. Let's pretend you have a wife and 2 school aged kids and you are forced to choose between Meriden and Hartford. You can live in the "best" neighborhood, but you still must send your kids to the public schools. You would take Hartford? Or Bridgeport? Or New Haven?

This. Back to the New Haven vs Waterbury thing - I think people just have a trashy image of cities like Waterbury and Meriden, and a favorable opinion when it comes to New Haven's Yale scene and Hartford's corporate scene. At the end of the day, however, Yale and corporate mean nothing when you would be constantly concerned who your kids are sharing a classroom with. If people think a city's crime rate does not spill into the schools, they are 100% wrong.

There is a reason Hartford becomes a ghost town by 6 PM during the week.

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Really?

So let me give you a hypothetical scenario here. Let's pretend you have a wife and 2 school aged kids and you are forced to choose between Meriden and Hartford. You can live in the "best" neighborhood, but you still must send your kids to the public schools. You would take Hartford? Or Bridgeport? Or New Haven?

Out of the three Hartford is the worst. All three have their fair share of bad neighborhoods, so its a push on that front. You can argue about Newhallville vs. the North End, but its really splitting hairs. When it comes to "nicer" neighborhoods, that is where Hartford fails. The West End is the only neighborhood that's decent, and even then its not that great. There's enough petty and property crime there to make you uneasy. Black Rock, Westville and East Rock are all much better neighborhoods. In terms of schools New Haven is the least bad of the three.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

This. Back to the New Haven vs Waterbury thing - I think people just have a trashy image of cities like Waterbury and Meriden, and a favorable opinion when it comes to New Haven's Yale scene and Hartford's corporate scene. At the end of the day, however, Yale and corporate mean nothing when you would be constantly concerned who your kids are sharing a classroom with. If people think a city's crime rate does not spill into the schools, they are 100% wrong.

There is a reason Hartford becomes a ghost town by 6 PM during the week.

That is also why the target audience for all the new construction in New Haven is young professionals, students, and empty nesters. Mostly renters. It is the same in many cities.

[BPt111]

What about Norwich, Willimantic, South Norwalk, Stamford, Manchester, Windsor, Enfield, East Hartford,
East windsor, Windsor, Bloomfield

[mels]

Originally Posted by BPt111

What about Norwich, Willimantic, South Norwalk, Stamford, Manchester, Windsor, Enfield, East Hartford, East windsor, Windsor, Bloomfield

Those cities aren't even close to the ones listed in the poll when it comes to crime. To call a place the "worst city", the crime has to be way up there (which is why Waterbury and New London don't rank near the other cities, IMO). There is no "dangerous" area of Manchester or East Hartford. Run down? Yup. Some shady areas? Sure. But dangerous? No.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by mels

Those cities aren't even close to the ones listed in the poll when it comes to crime. To call a place the "worst city", the crime has to be way up there (which is why Waterbury and New London don't rank near the other cities, IMO). There is no "dangerous" area of Manchester or East Hartford. Run down? Yup. Some shady areas? Sure. But dangerous? No.

I agree with you about Waterbury. The only reason it's on there is because it was the impetus for this thread's creation. Someone asserted last evening that Waterbury was the "worst" city, so i decided to see if anyone else agreed. Apparently 3 others do.

Unlike what some others have done here before, i'm not going to do a redo, or multiple rounds, or any of that nonsense. I think i have a pretty good idea of the overall opinions.

[Mr_250]

Originally Posted by Mike 75

New Haven would be Bridgeport without Yale, no doubt about it.

Why are New Britain and Meriden not on the list?

Having grown up in New Britain (public school all the way) I don't see how New Britain is that bad. People have such a sour taste in their mouth about New Britain, but it is really a "nice" little City. It has a lot going for it.

Hartford, Waterbury and New Haven are fine. They are Cities not Little House on the Prairie.

My vote, Bridgeport.

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by Mr_250

Having grown up in New Britain (public school all the way) I don't see how New Britain is that bad. People have such a sour taste in their mouth about New Britain, but it is really a "nice" little City. It has a lot going for it.

Hartford, Waterbury and New Haven are fine. They are Cities not Little House on the Prairie.

My vote, Bridgeport.

Downtown Watebury is zombie land Walnut St, Waterbury Hospital area, Boyden St area ? Waterbury Mall

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Stylo

That is also why the target audience for all the new construction in New Haven is young professionals, students, and empty nesters. Mostly renters. It is the same in many cities.

Obviously. There's a reason financially stable families would never live in New Haven.