[CLTKing]

Every where I look, I hear that Connecticut is nice. That people are the nicest in the nation, that the standard of living is high and income is above US average. Beatiful foliage during autumn, culture, close to NYC, etc. Is it all true?

[Aibutiej]

I don't know if I would say that the people are the nicest in the nation, although most people I have met are nice. And yes, the income is above average, but keep in mind that so are expenses. But I would totally agree that the foliage during autumn is amazing.

[brasscitybluenwhite]

connecticut people are definately NOT the nicest people in the world, but that's only my opinion. One has to fit in and be accepted by the majority in order to love it here. The people here will not respect you for face value if you appear different to them.

And it is true about the income, but you have to recognize that there is a HUGGGEE gap between the rich and the poor here. Gotta move to the right places.

[KH02]

Nicest people... NO. Close to NYC...really depends on where in CT you live.
But the closer you are to NYC well, your budget better be over 500K to buy anything..
Fall folliage is pretty but it's not the only state where you can get that, and in my opinion the winter STINKS!!!
Culture?? Not sure what you mean by that. But honestly you can really only get culture in the cities around here as the suburbs have very little.
Even then if you LOVE cultures and such, I would name CT as number 1 for that.

[aroundthecorner059]

CT is a very nice place to call home. As someone mentioned, there is a very large gap between wealth and poverty with very, very few blue collar towns. The wealthy are mostly white and live in rural/suburban enclaves while the poor are mostly inner-city minorities. The state is the most segregated of all states, in my own opinion.

The schools in most towns are way better than average. We moved here from Atlanta's most desirable suburb and found that the students here are lightyears ahead of what we were used to (even better than MA schools).

As for the people ... for such a small state, the people here can be somewhat elitist. They are set in their ways and I have found most stereotypes to be true. Their sense of humor here is a little dry, and to some, it seems as if it's a sin to laugh and have a good time! It is a very interesting state, nontheless.

If you are considering a move here and don't mind folks not going out of their way for you, then by all means it is a wonderful place to call home. But do know that it is very cut-throat here where every man is for themselves.

[jjbradleynyc]

CT is a wonderful quality of life on the whole, I think, as compared to most of the United States. It all really boils down to what interests a person has, what makes them happy, their personal situations, etc., as to whether or not they'll be happy anywhere. But, with that being said, CT continues to surprise me with how wonderful life can be here.
In reference to the "niceness" of people, I've met some amazing people here. I have yet to meet nasty ones, but I'm sure they are here--I just haven't ran into them...yet! Most people are quite reserved at first here, on the whole, but tend to be very giving and volunteer and/or do charitable work often. There is a real community spirit in CT (I live in Stamford), and people are really involved with the "goings-on" and activities--social and in government--that are happening.
Most people here are more educated than in other states (just a fact), making the income higher. Cost of living is quite higher too, than a lot of states, but it all depends on which state the comparison is made to.
Regarding culture, Fairfield County is absolutely more cultured than most areas of the United States. CT on the whole? I'm not really confident to say yes or no, but as for Fairfield County, culture is more "rounded" here, and people tend to be well-versed in a lot of different aspects: history, arts, theater, travel, education, politics, sports, etc. Community theater is HUGE here and looms large over the area.
The proximity to NYC for Fairfield County is a huge factor in it being wealthy, educated, culturally-heeled, and a great overall quality of life.
As to the autumn colors, they are simply fantastic! But what makes this area unique in regards to weather is the 4 distinct seasons. There is a spring/summer/fall/winter definite distinction. Great place to live!

[weesy68]

We moved here in September from NYC. I have to say that it is a wonderful place to live. The people on the whole are welcoming, warm, and considerate. Good manners seem to prevail, especially on the roads, which still astounds me after driving in NYC for the past fifteen years. The fall foliage was amazing, I'm sure it is in other NW states also. In terms of culture, there is certainly plenty available in Fairfield county if you are looking for it. By train it is 90 minutes to GCT from Stratford (where we now live), by car I can reach the Bronx in 40 minutes on a good day, but it can also take two hours on a Friday evening, it's all about the timing.

All in all, I'd have to say that yes, most of what you heard is true.

[brasscitybluenwhite]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

Regarding culture, Fairfield County is absolutely more cultured than most areas of the United States.

what do you mean by this?

[seymourct]

All I can say is try living here. Once you get used to our version of laid back style, you will probably like it.

We in CT have been called reserved, but I think we are really more reticent about being intrusively sociable; we are sociable ~ sure definitely , but we do not want to take it to the point of being annoyingly gregarious. Now we've all met those annoyingly gregarious folks, the busy bodies, the ones who give you the 3rd degree inquisition on your first hello, the ones that feel compelled to fill in all the silences with too much information about themselves, etc. etc. If you like that stuff, then CT is not for you...

but if you like having your privacy respected, if you like having conversations go pleasantly if you bother to start one, if you like the seasons, if you like having plays and symphonies, and bars, and bands, and just options available, if you like having choices betweens burbs & cities, woods vs shore vs farms, country road commutes vs highways ... then CT is for you.

[formermainer13]

I recently moved to CT after growing up in Maine and many years in Wisconsin and I have found the state much nicer than I would have expected. I moved here for work after not having spent much time in the area and have been impressed. I live west of Hartford and the proximity to fly fishing, kayaking, skiing, hiking, bike trails and work is a nice combination. You wouldn't expect it being in a dense state, but I'm far closer to decent hiking outside of Hartford than I ever was in Wisconsin.

In regards to the people, I find them to be friendly. My neighborhood is active and friendly, with people always stopping by and saying hi.

I will second the concerns about picking the right place to live - I've seen how much CT varies - if you pick the right town, you'll be happy.