[sickofnewyorkcity]

Hello,

I am in my mid-30s and I have been thinking about leaving New York City for a while now. Hence, my login name. I sold my apt in Brooklyn more than a year ago and have been renting since then.

I would like to move out of the city and rent somewhere else and then eventually buy.

I was in Hartford recently to watch a college hockey game by taking a 2 hour bus ride from NYC to Hartford. The area seemed nice, what is it like to live there? How is the commute to NYC if I don't have a car?

I work in the financial area and it might be a possibility to find a job in Hartford eventually. Will the commute kill me?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by sickofnewyorkcity

Hello,

I am in my mid-30s and I have been thinking about leaving New York City for a while now. Hence, my login name. I sold my apt in Brooklyn more than a year ago and have been renting since then.

I would like to move out of the city and rent somewhere else and then eventually buy.

I was in Hartford recently to watch a college hockey game by taking a 2 hour bus ride from NYC to Hartford. The area seemed nice, what is it like to live there? How is the commute to NYC if I don't have a car?

I work in the financial area and it might be a possibility to find a job in Hartford eventually. Will the commute kill me?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

New Haven maybe, but Hartford no way (for a daily commute).

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by sickofnewyorkcity

Hello,

I am in my mid-30s and I have been thinking about leaving New York City for a while now. Hence, my login name. I sold my apt in Brooklyn more than a year ago and have been renting since then.

I would like to move out of the city and rent somewhere else and then eventually buy.

I was in Hartford recently to watch a college hockey game by taking a 2 hour bus ride from NYC to Hartford. The area seemed nice, what is it like to live there? How is the commute to NYC if I don't have a car?

I work in the financial area and it might be a possibility to find a job in Hartford eventually. Will the commute kill me?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks

Morning traffic

Downtown Hartford to New Haven to pick up I-95 = 1 hour 15 mins
Downtown New Haven to FFC = 30 mins
FFC to NY border = nearly 2 hours.


Unless you take Amtrak from Hartford to New Haven to pick up Metro North it is possible but long commute and it can be expensive. Amtrak take 40 mins to New Haven and Metro North take 1 hour 30 mins to NYC.

[BPt111]

Hartford to NYC daily commute is unrealistic when u hit Fairfield County, sometimes Downtown New Haven it is a nightmare.



This what Fairfield County traffic look like

[HumpDay]

Are you looking to live in Hartford or in the Hartford area. These are 2 completely different atmospheres. I live in Hartford and I'll be the first to tell you it may not be as pretty as it may appear. The North End of Hartford is filled with poverty, urban decay, and violence while the South End is a little nicer but it still has some sketchy areas. The West End of Hartford is probably one of the, if not the nicest part of Hartford. There are many nice middle class homes and mansions owned by wealthy individuals. It's not too expensive but the mill rate is very high. The suburbs are more spread out and are very safe wth great schools. The suburbs are by far more desirable than Hartford itself. People have been moving out of Hartford and into the suburbs for decades. Downtown is also pretty desirable. Many professionals are moving in downtown Hartford because it's starting to turn into an apartment hub aside from it already being an office hub. The commute from Hartford to NYC is about 2-2.5 hours. If you include traffic and rush hour it will probably be 4-5 hours tops. It won't be pretty. Traffic in Hartford is already rough as it is and the stretch from New Haven to the NY line can be brutal especially on a Friday afternoon. I've heard the Merritt Parkway is better but traffic on it is still atrocious. Taking a train is your best bet. The Hartford Line is a train line being built to New Haven from Hartford and it will be done shortly. From New Haven you can take a train straight to NYC. Once the Hartford Line is complete, you'll be able to take a train from Hartford to NYC. That's good stuff....but even taking a train from Hartford it will still be a very tiring and a very long commute. If you have work in NYC at 7am I'd probably say you'll have to leave at 3-4am. Maybe a little earlier. I just don't find that realistic unless you're dedicated in doing so. If you find a job in Hartford and want to move up here (depending on your budget) look at Glastonbury, Simsbury, and West Hartford. All being very very nice areas. The Hartford area is extremely affordable if you compare it to NYC.

[MikefromCT]

Absolutely not. Don't do it. I can understand wanting to leave the city, but subjecting yourself to a daily commute between those to cities is not worth it the least little bit. I wouldn't even suggest commuting to NYC from New Haven. I know a few people who commute from Hartford and New Haven a few times a month to Manhattan for business meetings, and once the Springfield-New Haven Rail is electrified next year it may trim the commute a bit, but to do this on a daily basis? No.

[Gramercy]

Don't do it. Back before I lived in Manhattan, I used to live in the Hartford area and was coming into the city to interview in hopes of getting a job and moving here. It was awful, and I was only doing it randomly to interview. I couldn't imagine commuting on a regular basis.

[BPt111]

The area you are about talking previous was Downtown Hartford it has got a long way and starting to become desirable alot of people from suburbs renting apartments there for urban living and be a little closer to their in Downtown Hartford. North End of Hartford which is north of I-84 bridge is poverty plagued, high crime, blighted area it is worst area in Hartford I would stay away from it. South End of Hartford which is little better but still got sketchy areas, Frog Hollow, Parkville, Sheldon Charter Oak, South Green, Upper Albany, Asylum hill is better than north end of I-84 also but still sketchy. Westend of Hartford is descent well kept homes with middle to upper middle class families.

If want to live in Hartford area checkout Downtown Hartford or it surrounding areas and look for financial job in Hartford area.

or Option 2

All have access to Metro North Grand Central 42nd street Manhattan, NYC

NYC distance checkout Stamford and Norwalk

Cheaper prices but longer commute Black Rock(Bridgeport), Stratford, Milford, Downtown, Wooster Square, East Rock(New Haven) 1 hour 15 minutes - 1 hour 35 minutes train drive.

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by BPt111

The area you are about talking previous was Downtown Hartford it has got a long way and starting to become desirable alot of people from suburbs renting apartments there for urban living and be a little closer to their in Downtown Hartford. North End of Hartford which is north of I-84 bridge is poverty plagued, high crime, blighted area it is worst area in Hartford I would stay away from it. South End of Hartford which is little better but still got sketchy areas, Frog Hollow, Parkville, Sheldon Charter Oak, South Green, Upper Albany, Asylum hill is better than north end of I-84 also but still sketchy. Westend of Hartford is descent well kept homes with middle to upper middle class families. The new development taking place in Downtown North in Hartford will have some effect on North End in Hartford but it will take a while.

If want to live in Hartford area checkout Downtown Hartford or it surrounding areas and look for financial job in Hartford area.

or Option 2

All have access to Metro North Grand Central 42nd street Manhattan, NYC

NYC distance checkout Stamford and Norwalk

Cheaper prices but longer commute Black Rock(Bridgeport), Stratford, Milford, Downtown, Wooster Square, East Rock(New Haven) 1 hour 15 minutes - 1 hour 35 minutes train drive.

Corrections*

The area you are about talking previous was Downtown Hartford it has seen it better days and starting to become desirable place to be alot of people from suburbs are renting apartments there for urban living and be a little closer to jobs in Downtown Hartford area. North End of Hartford which is north of I-84 bridge is poverty plagued, high crime, blighted area it is worst area in Hartford I would stay away from it. South End of Hartford which is little better but still got sketchy areas, Frog Hollow, Parkville, Sheldon Charter Oak, South Green, Upper Albany, Asylum hill is better than north end but still sketchy. Westend of Hartford is descent well kept homes with middle to upper middle class families.

New Haven to Springfield line is begin improve with two tracks which be finish by Fall 2016 or Fall 2017 trains will be run more often between Springfield and New Haven there will be train directed from Hartford to Penn Station, Manhattan NYC

[JayCT]

I agree with the others. You do not want to commute from Hartford to Manhattan. It is at least a 3 hour commute during rush hour. Not something I would want to do every day. Consider moving closer like say Stamford or Norwalk or find a job in Hartford and move. Just don't expect Hartford to be like Brooklyn. It is a small city so it does not offer the same range of amenities as you have in Brooklyn. Jay