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Insurance industry in Hartford. Yale and what comes with it in New Haven. Biggest one though is New England setting within relatively easy commute to NYC jobs.
I agree, Im not a fan of NYC at all. After so many visits living in NJ, its meh. I found it unkept and super gentrified. I see why some people like it, but a lot of people living in NJ/CT do not like it. At work (And I work with younger mostly super liberal professionals), we have sacrifice Thursday on who is going into the Manhattan office . Usually they are in and out by 5pm lol. But moral is, yes, a lot of people may work in NYC from CT/NJ, but C/D is an inaccurate representation on how people view cities and places and why people chose to live where they do. Side note, honestly, check out Weehawken NJ. You can get some of the best views of Manhattan from that part and then hit up JC/Hoboken for some good food and nice parks and clean urbanity. Let that misconception go away. Im going to be honest, about 90% of Native Jersyeans will l get annoyed if you say this.
But to the OP's post. Why is CT better than MA/NJ?
Better than Massachusetts
1. Significantly, I mean significantly, cheaper housing values.
2. Much better run towns. It isn't even comparable. The roads, infrastructure and servcies are light years better than Massachusetts. Some super uber wealthy area in MA are crumbling.
3. The Food. Sorry MA, but CT does food better.
4. Slightly better weather.
5. More topographical variation compared to the Boston area. CT is surprisingly very hilly and the towns are more picturesque than most MA towns that arent on the water or outside Metro Boston. Like chosing Wellesley, Rockland, Brockton, Randolph, Weymouth, Danvers, Lexington, etc you have little hills. In most of CT, big hills lol.
6. The vibe. CT feels more New England than MA. Quaint towns, reserved yet friendly people, the food, etc. Idk I just think CT is really New Englandy and gets that whole vibe down path.
Better than New Jersey
1. Cheaper. By a lot too. NJ is insanely expensive, like MA. Not quite as much as MA, but you score better in NJ especially if you want to work/be close to Manhattan.
2. Cleaner. NJ is kinda dirty in a lot of parts. CT is very well manicured.
3. Toooollllllsssss. Holy crap the amount of damn tolls here and nuts!!
4. Traffic. What. the. **. Rush hour extends from 3pm - 8pm around me :/ Cant get ANYWHERE.
5. Less Humidity. NJ is disgusting in the Summer. It was consistently 5-10 degrees cooler in Central CT and you could actually go outside.
6. Want a NE Vibe/Charm. NJ has a Mid Atlantic vibe. CT is 100% New England. Thats a huge drive for some people.
7. Less busy. NJ is BUSY. I mean, traffic beep beep. Stroads everywhere. I live in Somerset County and its wildin out here. I'd hate to be in Middlesex, Union, Bergen, Passaic or Essex Counties.. which are dense urban sprawl disasters.
8. Raise a family. Yes I know NJ might rank higher in stats to raise a family in over CT. But I think a lot of people value what CT offers over what NJ does. Therefore, CT might score higher.
THIS - I find that you get value of money in CT and you can actually feel your tax dollars despite some grumblings about this - trust me CT got it good here relatively speaking (pov: someone who has lived in 5 different states).
I'd also like to add that our state-wide politics/politicians are generally pretty sane overall compared to our big neighbors. Not a ton of flash here unlike in NY (in CT - they tend to govern for the broad 60-80% of the population - leaving the extremes on either ends aside - just my pov though).
THIS - I find that you get value of money in CT and you can actually feel your tax dollars despite some grumblings about this - trust me CT got it good here relatively speaking (pov: someone who has lived in 5 different states).
I'd also like to add that our state-wide politics/politicians are generally pretty sane overall compared to our big neighbors. Not a ton of flash here unlike in NY (in CT - they tend to govern for the broad 60-80% of the population - leaving the extremes on either ends aside - just my pov though).
Yep. I like CT. CT has it good. People in CT do grumble, I get some of it, but CT has it way better than NY or NJ. Especially in terms of COL.
CTs strongest asset is its value. You get top-notch quality for what, 45-65% of the cost? lol
I was born and raised in Texas, lived in California for five years, Nevada for a year, and then moved up to Connecticut 2003. I have grown to love Connecticut. First it is a small state! That is a good thing. Right now my commute to work is about eight minutes, 15 minutes if I walk. The gym is about 10 minutes away, the library is five minutes away, grocery stores 10 to 12 minutes away, schools are good, Boston and New York are relatively close, good Italian food, and I’m not sitting in my car for 45 minutes a day or more. We live in a neighborhood where the neighbors are great, we have a couple of Block parties every year, and we’ve built a pretty great life here in Connecticut.
I was born and raised in Texas, lived in California for five years, Nevada for a year, and then moved up to Connecticut 2003. I have grown to love Connecticut. First it is a small state! That is a good thing. Right now my commute to work is about eight minutes, 15 minutes if I walk. The gym is about 10 minutes away, the library is five minutes away, grocery stores 10 to 12 minutes away, schools are good, Boston and New York are relatively close, good Italian food, and I’m not sitting in my car for 45 minutes a day or more. We live in a neighborhood where the neighbors are great, we have a couple of Block parties every year, and we’ve built a pretty great life here in Connecticut.
Now that’s what I call livin’ the dream. If you’re in CT you’re on Cloud Nine. There’s some juvy crime and a couple of 830g builds but overall life is good in The Meg.
Hard to beat CT and the tri-state’s scratch Italian food, no doubt about it.
For every patriotic FB page leaving CT member seeking more freedom, guns and Jesus, there’s 100 CT Cloud Niners who will never leave, ever.
I was born and raised in Texas, lived in California for five years, Nevada for a year, and then moved up to Connecticut 2003. I have grown to love Connecticut. First it is a small state! That is a good thing. Right now my commute to work is about eight minutes, 15 minutes if I walk. The gym is about 10 minutes away, the library is five minutes away, grocery stores 10 to 12 minutes away, schools are good, Boston and New York are relatively close, good Italian food, and I’m not sitting in my car for 45 minutes a day or more. We live in a neighborhood where the neighbors are great, we have a couple of Block parties every year, and we’ve built a pretty great life here in Connecticut.
It sounds like you live in my area of Long Hill Trumbull. I can take a 15/20 minute walk to my bank, grocery store, Town Hall and library. And a 5 minute ride to my gym and the Trumbull Mall. We have block parties to in my neighborhood also.
I agree, Im not a fan of NYC at all. After so many visits living in NJ, its meh. I found it unkept and super gentrified. I see why some people like it, but a lot of people living in NJ/CT do not like it. At work (And I work with younger mostly super liberal professionals), we have sacrifice Thursday on who is going into the Manhattan office . Usually they are in and out by 5pm lol. But moral is, yes, a lot of people may work in NYC from CT/NJ, but C/D is an inaccurate representation on how people view cities and places and why people chose to live where they do. Side note, honestly, check out Weehawken NJ. You can get some of the best views of Manhattan from that part and then hit up JC/Hoboken for some good food and nice parks and clean urbanity. Let that misconception go away. Im going to be honest, about 90% of Native Jersyeans will l get annoyed if you say this.
But to the OP's post. Why is CT better than MA/NJ?
Better than Massachusetts
1. Significantly, I mean significantly, cheaper housing values.
2. Much better run towns. It isn't even comparable. The roads, infrastructure and servcies are light years better than Massachusetts. Some super uber wealthy area in MA are crumbling.
3. The Food. Sorry MA, but CT does food better.
4. Slightly better weather.
5. More topographical variation compared to the Boston area. CT is surprisingly very hilly and the towns are more picturesque than most MA towns that arent on the water or outside Metro Boston. Like chosing Wellesley, Rockland, Brockton, Randolph, Weymouth, Danvers, Lexington, etc you have little hills. In most of CT, big hills lol.
6. The vibe. CT feels more New England than MA. Quaint towns, reserved yet friendly people, the food, etc. Idk I just think CT is really New Englandy and gets that whole vibe down path.
1? Depends where in CT and where in Mass. FFC and the 128 belt are expensive there's no way around that. By housing you also have to see the taxes as well. A 450K house in eastern mass might have 5K or less in property taxes, western mass it might be 10K (longmeadows). Lower prices mean higher tax rates.
2? Uh no. Not after the foundation issues came out. I could illustrate a number of different laws, rules and regs. There's a reason why much of CT still runs on Ma. Most towns don't do nearly the same things that you think they do. They aren't running their own pensions, water/sewer systems, educational (often regional due to low populations), mutual aid for fire, some police rely more on state etc. Then the economic development is just tell them go to Hartford or New Haven.
3? Do you mean food access? Quality of restaurants etc?
4? It's the same really. The berkshires can be colder but that's due to the elevations.
5..there's much bigger hills in western mass. Easthampton alone is a big hill. the views of the valley are pretty interesting from Springfield looking around. You can be on on Mt. Greylock and see 90 miles away.
6..no not even close. When I go to western mass, central mass it feels much more like a town that involved significant planning and history. Historical districts are much more developed and protected. Mystic village is fine and I get that but recently I went to Sturbridge Village. Then there's historic deerfield, lexington and concord and all the ethnic festivals (Irish, Polish, Puerto Rican, Armenian etc). I see much more development in Mass vs CT.
Hartford was this huge mecca for financial and insurance jobs but work from home eroded it. I've been there a few times in the past months. Went to a conference and outside of those attending there weren't that many there. Went back again for that Pratt street event. It's small and there's still too many empty places. A liquor store, hair salon, music, good coffee and arts and some dancing...that's Arts on Main in Stafford. 90% less of the population but the same crowd and vibe as Hartford. Stafford Springs Arts on Main
Market rate housing in Hartford looks like public housing in Holyoke, literally looks like the the same architect. Look at Sage Allen and then Lyman Terrance. The siding, the windows, the courtyard etc
CT does have potential for things to happen but it has to have towns talking to each other and businesses coming together rather than staying in the office all day. It doesn't feel nearly as a state as others.
It's so hard to generalize for the whole state. FCC and the inner Boston suburbs are similar in many ways. The main difference is that FCC is connected to NYC. So, if you are comparing FFC to other suburbs, you compare it to North Jersey and Westchester.
I don't know that anywhere in MA has the combination of affordability, great schools, beach assess, economic opportunity, and culture that CT offers from Milford to Madison. Even the east of Madison, you have great towns. It they are just getting a little far from the positives of being near urban centers. Inland, what are we comparing? Great Hartford to Greater Worcester or Springfield? Central and Western MA have some decent towns, but they don't really have an match for West Hartford or Glastonbury.
Some Boston friends of ours moved to CT not long after we did. They don't have family connections to CT. They choose Glastonbury instead of moving out to the Boston suburbs. They both work online, and they wanted great schools and proximity to cities when they want it.
1? Depends where in CT and where in Mass. FFC and the 128 belt are expensive there's no way around that. By housing you also have to see the taxes as well. A 450K house in eastern mass might have 5K or less in property taxes, western mass it might be 10K (longmeadows). Lower prices mean higher tax rates.
2? Uh no. Not after the foundation issues came out. I could illustrate a number of different laws, rules and regs. There's a reason why much of CT still runs on Ma. Most towns don't do nearly the same things that you think they do. They aren't running their own pensions, water/sewer systems, educational (often regional due to low populations), mutual aid for fire, some police rely more on state etc. Then the economic development is just tell them go to Hartford or New Haven.
3? Do you mean food access? Quality of restaurants etc?
4? It's the same really. The berkshires can be colder but that's due to the elevations.
5..there's much bigger hills in western mass. Easthampton alone is a big hill. the views of the valley are pretty interesting from Springfield looking around. You can be on on Mt. Greylock and see 90 miles away.
6..no not even close. When I go to western mass, central mass it feels much more like a town that involved significant planning and history. Historical districts are much more developed and protected. Mystic village is fine and I get that but recently I went to Sturbridge Village. Then there's historic deerfield, lexington and concord and all the ethnic festivals (Irish, Polish, Puerto Rican, Armenian etc). I see much more development in Mass vs CT.
Hartford was this huge mecca for financial and insurance jobs but work from home eroded it. I've been there a few times in the past months. Went to a conference and outside of those attending there weren't that many there. Went back again for that Pratt street event. It's small and there's still too many empty places. A liquor store, hair salon, music, good coffee and arts and some dancing...that's Arts on Main in Stafford. 90% less of the population but the same crowd and vibe as Hartford. Stafford Springs Arts on Main
Market rate housing in Hartford looks like public housing in Holyoke, literally looks like the the same architect. Look at Sage Allen and then Lyman Terrance. The siding, the windows, the courtyard etc
CT does have potential for things to happen but it has to have towns talking to each other and businesses coming together rather than staying in the office all day. It doesn't feel nearly as a state as others.
1. Yes. Yes it is. You can get a house in CT for 500k and pay 15k a year in taxes on in a beautiful suburb like Farmington, Simsbury, Trumbull or Madison. That would be 1mil+ with 10-12k property taxes in Wellesley, Hingham, Westwood, Canton, etc etc.
2. No. Mass towns are not functional for what they are. They are impractical. The roads are often poor quality, limited/no TOD, severe NIMBYism, horrid alcohol licensing laws, big no for me.
3. Just regular food. In CT, its better imho.
4.
5. Sure. But Urban MA suburbs? not so much.
6. No. Suburban Boston compared to SWCT/CCT feels way more New Englandy.
Point is, if you want A quality for a good price, you will not get that in MA. CT, you will.
1. Yes. Yes it is. You can get a house in CT for 500k and pay 15k a year in taxes on in a beautiful suburb like Farmington, Simsbury, Trumbull or Madison.
No way, 15K sounds way too high for 500 market value.
Assume town value of 400K assessed at 70% with a higher 30 mill rate would be in the area of $8500/yr.
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