[Daisy Grey]

Originally Posted by CuppaTea

too hot...

It looks like you don't mind the snow...in that case I would highly recommend Rochester, NY.
VisitRochester

I lived there for almost 9 years and it's a great city with lots going on and is located on Lake Ontario. Lots of colleges--RIT, U of R, Nazareth, St. John Fisher, Monroe Community College--all are pretty good schools.

The Park Avenue section is a fairly trendy section of town.
Park Avenue | Rochester NY | Restaurant | Boutique | Salon | Coffee Shop | Deli | Pub | 14607

The best part of all is it's the home of Wegman's, the best grocery store on the planet!

I would also recommend Buffalo, but I know most posters would think I was nuts. Sure, it has it's problems but the people there are the best, and both cities would have everything on your list. What's also cool about Buffalo is that you're just a bridge away from Canada so there is lots to explore on both sides of the border. COL would be lower than Rochester and much lower than CT.

And don't be fooled--it's Syracuse that breaks all the snowfall records....besides, these towns have snow removal down to a science....

[CuppaTea]

It's not that I love the snow...I could be happy without it, but I know there are trade-offs everywhere.

I chose CT because it seems the winters are milder than where I currently live.

I like the idea of New England.

Are there any suggestions for towns in CT?

[SeaDoo342]

Originally Posted by Daisy Grey

The BEST part about living in CT though is that I'm about 1.5 hrs from Boston and 2.5 hrs from NYC. I like to go to small venue indy rock concerts and all the best acts go to Boston or NYC. The problem is that I have no one to go with me.

Where the heck are you in CT that you are 2.5 hours from NYC? The furthest town east is not even 2.5 hours from NYC….

[Daisy Grey]

Originally Posted by SeaDoo342

Where the heck are you in CT that you are 2.5 hours from NYC? The furthest town east is not even 2.5 hours from NYC….

According to Google I'm exactly 2 hrs. 18 min from NYC (126.9 mi.)--I guess that's when you go the speed limit.... ...but I suppose it depends on where in NYC.

[Daisy Grey]

Originally Posted by CuppaTea

It's not that I love the snow...I could be happy without it, but I know there are trade-offs everywhere.

I chose CT because it seems the winters are milder than where I currently live.

You should have been here LAST winter then--many people are moving away BECAUSE they're so sick of winter!
That was a big deciding factor for my ex.

[CuppaTea]

I am soooooooooooooo confused about where to go! Too hot, too cold, too much snow, too expensive,
not safe, too unfriendly, earthquakes, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, high humidity....

Arrggghhhh.

I do NOT know how to make this decision.

[Csiko]

Originally Posted by CuppaTea

I am soooooooooooooo confused about where to go! Too hot, too cold, too much snow, too expensive,
not safe, too unfriendly, earthquakes, blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, high humidity....

Arrggghhhh.

I do NOT know how to make this decision.

Well, think about, in terms of weather, which bothers you the most. Make a scale out of it: Weather I absolutely most have, weather I'm okay with, weather I don't like but can tolerate, weather I can't tolerate.

Then research the areas you're looking at to see which has the shortest amount of time per year (or none) of the stuff you hate. Does it also have a lot of time each year of the weather you favor? Go for that, then.

As for CT:

We get 4-5 months of somewhat hot and humid weather, of which I would call about 1-2 months difficult to deal with. We get 2-3 months of cold weather, sometimes a month or two of extremely cold and snowy weather. We get about a month of mild weather in spring, though it usually gets warm very suddenly and stormy/rainy, and we get about a month of dry, mild wonderful autumn weather (with foliage).

We don't get earthquakes or tornadoes or hurricanes frequently. We average 2-3 large snowstorms a year, and by large I mean a foot or more. Snow can come as early as October, and we can have 50s in December. But we have four seasons. The least amount of snow in the state is in the southeast corner near New London. The most (ought to be) will be in the northwest corner (Litchfield).

You can drive an hour in CT and see very urban areas, very suburban areas, and very rural areas. It's hilly, roads are windy and drivetimes for the mileage is something you will not be used to coming from the midwest. There are a lot of people per square mile here. However, if you get lost easily, you can drive 10-15 minutes in any direction and eventually hit a major route or highway.

For your budget, you could probably live in a variety of places in CT, but it's more about what you want.

[Daisy Grey]

Came across this this AM-may be of interest.....
Best Places To Live And Retire In The US - AARP

Csiko did an excellent job of summarizing the weather/physical aspects of CT. I tell people that CT is like Ireland if Ireland had trees because--at least where I live--the terrain is quite hilly and there are still many old stone fences that still mark property lines.

My experience with the winters here is that because they are a somewhat milder than the Buffalo area they can be a tad too humid. It varies year to year. It's a double edged sword for me: a colder/drier winter is actually better for my bones. I really can't take the cold/damp any more which is why I've basically nixed the entire Eastern seaboard for retirement (except FL) Last year I left CT shortly after Christmas when the weather was in the 40s and cold/damp to drive my daughter down to Savannah GA where she goes to school. What a shock to discover that the weather there was the same: 40s and cold and even MORE damp! New Year's Eve was miserable: cold, rainy, gloomy--we ended up cutting our celebration short and heading back to her apartment at 8 PM.


If it's any comfort, in 2005 Storrs, CT (home of UCONN) was voted THE most safest place to live in the US according to Slate Magazine: Where to hide from Mother Nature.

Crime-wise there are 8 cities in CT deemed safe by the media: 8 Connecticut towns listed among safest in America - WFSB 3 Connecticut

If you're thinking about a move out to New England my suggestion is to just take a trip out here an see for yourself. You just might like it here. Actually, now would have been the perfect time to visit as NE is noted for its Fall foliage and we're having an unusually mild autumn. Unlike the rest of the country, you can cover quite a bit of territory in a couple of weeks. Rt. 84 which cuts across CT diagonally is about 98 miles. According to Google, Hartford CT to Portland ME is just a hair over 3 hrs via I-84/I-95. Heck, R.I. is only a 45 min. drive from the CT to the MA border!

Just more food for thought

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by CuppaTea

I like the idea of New England.

Are there any suggestions for towns in CT?

The lowest cost area is probably the north-east corner: Windham County and towns like Woodstock, Pomfret, Abington. There is not much going on, but you could go to sports events and cultural offerings in Storrs (UConn). It is also not too far to drive to Providence.

My step-mom live in Pawcatuck on the coast and she loves it. There is less snow on the coast than further inland. Your rent budget is feasible if you don't expect too much.

[Daisy Grey]

You asked for towns--here are some suggestions but it would all depend on what you're looking for (rural, small/quaint or large/vibrant)

West Hartford if you're into a vibrant, upscale city vibe.

North/west of Hartford there's Farmington, Avon and Simsbury.

Essex has a quintessential Nautical New England vibe (and is pricey--but a nice visit)

Glastonbury and Weathersfield are some nice towns south of Hartford.

I would say that Hartford itself is "OK." There are a few great museums--Mark Twain House, Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Wadsworth Atheneum--and a few good restaurants but not much else otherwise.

New Haven is a mixed bag as it is the home of Yale U (worth the visit!) and so has an upscale city vibe, but also has several pockets of crime and always seems to be in the news for that.

Middletown has more of a bohemian vibe (IMO)--it's home to Wesleyan U. and is right on the Connecticut River.

Of course, there's Fairfield County which is UBER pricey but I've never stopped down that way so I can't speak to the vibe down there. It's worth the trip to travel along the coast on I-95 from Greenwich to Stonington--this is the CT I think most people envision.

Most of these towns run North/South along I-91, and the coast runs West to East along I-95--you could probably plan an nice visit out of that. Don't go with a "set in stone" agenda--although do do some research about places that might sound interesting to you. I would just rent a car and travel around, stopping whenever you find something that draws you in....