[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Csiko

How can we rank halfway down for half of the categories, and still be dead last, when even the categories we are lowest in are not dead last?

Totally separate from the fact that the metrics don't work because of the way CT's "metro" areas are defined compared to every other state in the union pretty much, how does their math add up? It's not an average of the four ranks, or a total of the four ranks.

Good question. It is because the way the weigh the different criteria. Metropolitan Hartford ranks very high in affordability, health and education and quality of life but because they are strictly looking at the city itself, those are not taken into account. I haven commented on that on their website and am sending the author that comment as well. Jay

[atler8]

Originally Posted by Mr_250

No I haven't and I have zero interest in ever living there. It might be fun to visit but living there is not something I would like to do.

For the reasons you mentioned above are the reasons I don't like to live there. Young people flocking there, great, all that means is more competition for jobs. No thanks, world class music scene, we have that in New York and honestly who cares. I don't have the time to listen to some 20 somethings sing on stage. I was into that scene in college but it won't make me money so I don't care. YouTube is great for that.

Stronger economy until the the supply and demand catches up with them and all of a sudden the affordable housing isn't affordable to those cool music scene kids who have to live 12 deep in a studio apartment. No thanks. I'll hedge my bet and stick to the steady habits of Connecticut over some hipster town with fun music.

Well said, Mr_250.
I'm over the hyped cities thing.
Austin schmaustin.

[tengushark]

Originally Posted by Csiko

How can we rank halfway down for half of the categories, and still be dead last, when even the categories we are lowest in are not dead last?

Totally separate from the fact that the metrics don't work because of the way CT's "metro" areas are defined compared to every other state in the union pretty much, how does their math add up? It's not an average of the four ranks, or a total of the four ranks.

I blame Malloy

[HumpDay]

Originally Posted by tengushark

I blame Malloy

Oh please...Malloy doesn't completely control everything that's done in Hartford.

[HumpDay]

Originally Posted by BPt111

North End of Hartford is different story Albany Ave, Martin St, Garden St, New Britain ave, Maple St, Tower st, Main St unsfafe umm

What I will tell you is that those areas are much better than they were back in the 80's. Parts of the north end were very similar to South Bronx during the same time. Tons of urban decay and neglect. Every major city has that problem but there tends to be negative implicit biases towards Hartford from those in the suburbs. I can guarantee that many of those that say Hartford's bad haven't even driven through Hartford except for Interstate 91/84. It's not uncommon for suburbanites to use 2 or 3 examples like past shootings or robberies to justify a generalization that Hartford's a s***hole when it reality it isn't even that bad. People need to give it a chance. Crime happens everywhere. Crimes happen in Simsbury and Enfield but don't get reported as much as crimes in Hartford.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by HumpDay

Crimes happen in Simsbury and Enfield but don't get reported as much as crimes in Hartford.

That's not true at all. People need to realize that, especially in today's world, the incorrect assertion that "suburbs sweep crime under the rug" couldn't be more false. Actually, the complete opposite is true.

Crimes that happen in affluent suburbs actually have a higher probability of being reported because residents aren't used to it happening in their town. To the contrary, because crime is more prevalent in cities, an incident that would generate a police response in Farmington or Avon wouldn't in Hartford or East Hartford. For that reason, many less violent crimes are likely to go unreported in our largest cities.

[ctguy87]

Originally Posted by HumpDay

What I will tell you is that those areas are much better than they were back in the 80's. Parts of the north end were very similar to South Bronx during the same time. Tons of urban decay and neglect. Every major city has that problem but there tends to be negative implicit biases towards Hartford from those in the suburbs. I can guarantee that many of those that say Hartford's bad haven't even driven through Hartford except for Interstate 91/84. It's not uncommon for suburbanites to use 2 or 3 examples like past shootings or robberies to justify a generalization that Hartford's a s***hole when it reality it isn't even that bad. People need to give it a chance. Crime happens everywhere. Crimes happen in Simsbury and Enfield but don't get reported as much as crimes in Hartford.

Please. Plenty of people drive from the western suburbs to Hartford via Albany, Farmington, or Asylum Ave to avoid 84 and see the true Hartford. You can justify the good things happening downtown, which has come a long way since the 80's as you said, but the majority of Hartford's neighborhoods are riddled in poverty, drugs, violence, and decrepit buildings. It's not one or two things that happen - it's the near daily stories of violence that come out of Hartford.

http://www.courant.com/breaking-news...219-story.html
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news...221-story.html
http://www.courant.com/breaking-news...128-story.html

These are not bank/liquor store robberies that happen everywhere. It's random on the street violence.

[KerrTown]

Originally Posted by Mr_250

Give me Hartford over Austin any day.

Native Texan here! (I agree! )

Everybody in Texas knows how much Austin's P.R. machine has overblown that city to Americans. Once the hype dies down, it's a great city to visit but not to live in. 6th Street is lame compared to Bourbon Street and New Orleans' French Quarter. Still has a small-town mentality which you can see one the fog lifts. "Liberalism" is really right-of-center Libertarianism. Full of yuppies/hipsters trying to displace poorer African-Americans in burgeoning East Austin through gentrification. Everyone wants to live on the hilly, affluent western half, but it's environmentally sensitive since it is an aquifer recharge zone where the Austin area gets their water.

Many native Austinites dream of making it with a better job paying a bigger salary in Houston, and to a lesser extent Dallas-Fort Worth and even San Antonio! There's something called "the Austin premium"--lower pay but the highest C.O.L. in Texas (a.k.a. San Diego--lower wages but L.A. C.O.L.). Austin's economy does not have the depth or breadth of larger Dallas-Fort Worth or Houston. The only thing it has going for it is the high-tech sector kicked off by Dell in the '90s in Round Rock and surrounding towns in Williamson County, the northern suburbs of Austin. Otherwise, it's basically the state government and UT in Central Austin and the support services that you can find in every other major city.

I'm planning on visiting the Granite State as a stopover from NYC during my next East Coast visit. Houston's most famous family has roots in your state. Can't wait see the Bush family's Ur (Molly Ivins' quote R.I.P.)! Ironically, I'll be taking off from IAH - President George H.W. Bush Intercontinental Airport. I imagine the beautiful Granite State as leafy, verdant, and rocky.

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by HumpDay

What I will tell you is that those areas are much better than they were back in the 80's. Parts of the north end were very similar to South Bronx during the same time. Tons of urban decay and neglect. Every major city has that problem but there tends to be negative implicit biases towards Hartford from those in the suburbs. I can guarantee that many of those that say Hartford's bad haven't even driven through Hartford except for Interstate 91/84. It's not uncommon for suburbanites to use 2 or 3 examples like past shootings or robberies to justify a generalization that Hartford's a s***hole when it reality it isn't even that bad. People need to give it a chance. Crime happens everywhere. Crimes happen in Simsbury and Enfield but don't get reported as much as crimes in Hartford.

Hartford was murder capital in New England 2015 higher than New Haven, Bridgeport, Springfield most was north of I-84 bridge. Alot of suburbanites was told to stay away from North End of Hartford.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by KerrTown

Native Texan here! (I agree! )

Everybody in Texas knows how much Austin's P.R. machine has overblown that city to Americans. Once the hype dies down, it's a great city to visit but not to live in. 6th Street is lame compared to Bourbon Street and New Orleans' French Quarter. Still has a small-town mentality which you can see one the fog lifts. "Liberalism" is really right-of-center Libertarianism. Full of yuppies/hipsters trying to displace poorer African-Americans in burgeoning East Austin through gentrification. Everyone wants to live on the hilly, affluent western half, but it's environmentally sensitive since it is an aquifer recharge zone where the Austin area gets their water.

Many native Austinites dream of making it with a better job paying a bigger salary in Houston, and to a lesser extent Dallas-Fort Worth and even San Antonio! There's something called "the Austin premium"--lower pay but the highest C.O.L. in Texas (a.k.a. San Diego--lower wages but L.A. C.O.L.). Austin's economy does not have the depth or breadth of larger Dallas-Fort Worth or Houston. The only thing it has going for it is the high-tech sector kicked off by Dell in the '90s in Round Rock and surrounding towns in Williamson County, the northern suburbs of Austin. Otherwise, it's basically the state government and UT in Central Austin and the support services that you can find in every other major city.

I'm planning on visiting the Granite State as a stopover from NYC during my next East Coast visit. Houston's most famous family has roots in your state. Can't wait see the Bush family's Ur (Molly Ivins' quote R.I.P.)! Ironically, I'll be taking off from IAH - President George H.W. Bush Intercontinental Airport. I imagine the beautiful Granite State as leafy, verdant, and rocky.

What? Austin is not the perfect utopia that the media keeps promoting? Hard to believe.

By the way, Connecticut is not "the granite state". That is New Hampshire. We are the "Constitution State" or the "Nutmeg State" but we would still welcome your visit. Let us know when you are coming and maybe we can give you suggestions on place to see and things to do. Jay