[nep321]

Originally Posted by andthentherewere3

You took the words right out of my mouth.

Nep, not sure why you are asking us about those particular cities. You have complained about every CT city you have ever lived in. In your own words, you describe the above listed cities as "ghetto" and "gritty". You would not like living there. End of story. Move along...

Why am I feeding it.

This is simply not true.

I like Norwalk.

In hindsight, I like Middletown, Plainville and Vernon as well.

Maybe I complained about them in the past, but as I get older, my perspective on things changes. If you have trouble believing me, that's your problem.

People in these forums have a tendency to think that opinions or words from 5 years ago are "locked" and permanent and will always apply in the future, which is simply not true. It's called retrospective. For example, now that I've lived in FFC for two years, I firmly believe greater Hartford was a superior place to live. Of course, I can't go back there now because there are no jobs for me there that I would actually want. And being #50 of all states in job creation doesn't help either.

[nep321]

But seriously....is East Haven or West Haven really that bad? East Haven seems alright. Hamden seems alright. Naugatuck seems passable. Ansonia and Derby seemed extra gritty, but I want others to chime in if they're really that bad.

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Originally Posted by nep321

But seriously....is East Haven or West Haven really that bad? East Haven seems alright. Hamden seems alright. Naugatuck seems passable. Ansonia and Derby seemed extra gritty, but I want others to chime in if they're really that bad.

North Hamden is fine, I'd also check out Wallingford. East of NH should also be in consideration. Branford may be a really good fit but a single family home for 250 is a stretch (I think)

[RogerAnthony]

If you like Norwalk then you'd probably best like New Haven itself.

If you are looking more suburban then Wallingford, Hamden, and Cheshire are nicer than the other towns you listed.

[BlueGecko1]

Orange and Milford aren't bad places either. Lots of different sections of Milford and pretty safe. Orange is closer to New Haven, but I don't know as much about the area. Both seem fairly nice though.

[HumpDay]

Waterbury - Holy Land, very deindustrialized city, diverse
Meriden - somewhat blue collar, very old churches and brick buildings
Wolcott - some nice lakes, somewhat reminds me of Suffield (not sure why)
Ansonia - kinda reminds of Willimantic, has some drug problems, hard to find new modern homes in some areas, not that desirable
Derby - almost the same as Ansonia and has some nice fishing spots, not that desirable
Hamden - from what people tell me it used to be alot nicer, some areas are ok but doesn't impress me
New Haven - it has some nice and bad spots (every major city does), Yale dominates the young crowd, has nice bars and decent nightlife, have seen an increase of foot traffic within the past 5 years. Wouldnt mind living there.
East Haven - probably my favorite town on this list, has some nice beach homes
West Haven - has some issues but eh
Naugatuck - (had to look up how to spell it) ok town but wouldnt want to live there, very hilly and has a old town view.

[AMSS]

If that's your budget Nep, you need to get over yourself and settle for one of these towns. You are as good as the people that live in the listed places. Honestly, the places you listed are quite livable.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by AMSS

If that's your budget Nep, you need to get over yourself and settle for one of these towns. You are as good as the people that live in the listed places. Honestly, the places you listed are quite livable.

This.

One of my favorite sayings, said to one of my ex's by her father - "you can't afford to be a snob - so don't be one".

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by nep321

What is your opinion or impression of these cities and towns within New Haven County, in terms of desirability to live in? I ask, because if for some reason I get a job in NHC, these are the towns that offer affordable housing for me (no more than $250K). But I want to hear your opinions on them. I have been to all of these cities and towns and here are my general impressions, but I want to see if other people agree with or share my impressions. In general, I'm not crazy about NHC either, but it is a heck of a lot better than FFC, in my opinion.

1. Waterbury - would absolutely never live there; looks very blighted in most areas; sketchy areas
2. Meriden - rather ghetto and not impressive, although some outskirt neighborhoods are quite nice
3. Wolcott - not sure why home prices are affordable here...seems like a decent town, but also meh
4. Ansonia - very gritty, blue collar and I probably wouldn't fit in, but idk
5. Derby - very gritty, blue collar and I probably wouldn't fit in, but idk
6. Hamden - seems pretty decent, convenient and wide selection of neighborhoods
7. New Haven - college town at the core, surrounded by severe ghetto, blight and high crime
8. East Haven - seems pretty decent, albeit somewhat gritty
9. West Haven - seems okay in some parts, but also seems troubled, blighted and gritty
10. Naugatuck - seems VERY blue collar, gritty, horrible roads, crappy housing, etc.

Are my impressions shared by anyone else?

All of these towns/cities have good areas and bad. Looking at this list I would say I like East Haven and West Haven the best. That is primarily because they are less urban and are on the coast. They offer beaches which can be nice. Many of the other towns have nothing special to offer. They are cheap but for a reason. I do not know why Wolcott is more affordable. It is a decent town but is not as urban as the others. Jay

[AMSS]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

This.

One of my favorite sayings, said to one of my ex's by her father - "you can't afford to be a snob - so don't be one".

Love it. Can't wait to use it also!