[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

The whole Valley is generally considered a suburb of New Haven but it depends on who you ask. The central location of the Valley really makes it part of 3 metro areas - New Haven, Bridgeport and Waterbury.

Correct. It's only in the last 10 years or so, that the perception of the Valley being something of an extension of FFC has surfaced. And that perception primarily applies only to Shelton.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Correct. It's only in the last 10 years or so, that the perception of the Valley being something of an extension of FFC has surfaced. And that perception primarily applies only to Shelton.

Shelton is part of FFC though. You'd be surprised how many people are moving up to the hilltop areas of Ansonia/Derby from Norwalk/Stamford. The same goes for Seymour/Oxcord - lots of families moving up from Trumbull/Fairfield.

Nearly all of my coworkers in Shelton (I work in one of the towers) live on the hilltop, or if they have a family, live in Seymour/Oxford/Monroe and previously lived in central/lower FFC. It's nice because we often go out for a beer after work on Thursdays and I usually end up driving them home. Four of them live within a mile of each other between Route 34 and Pulaski Hwy (hilltop area).

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Shelton is part of FFC though.

No way! LOL. What i was trying to say is that Shelton was always considered to be "the Valley", before real estate prices skyrocketed. If you took a random poll of people, i'd bet that most would still (incorrectly)identify Shelton as not being in FFC even though it obviously has been for quite a while.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Didn't they film a movie there just before it was torn down?

They did not film the movie there, just used it as the backdrop for the factory that Danny DeVito was going to take over in "Other People's Money". They show some exterior shots of it and Danny says something like "What kind of S***hole is this?" It had really deteriorated toward the end but parts of it were pretty cool architecturally. Almost sad that they tore it all down except for the building used now for the Police station and an old cupola that was saved.

Interestingly if you look at where people in the valley work, New Haven is not one of the top locations. Places like Shelton and Bridgeport and the Valley itself are much higher even in lower valley towns like Derby or Ansonia. Jay

[seymourct]

Originally Posted by JayCT

They did not film the movie there, just used it as the backdrop for the factory ... Almost sad that they tore it all down

From what I've heard, the site was a Superfund site and HAD to be torn down. The land was on the govt watch list for contamination for years even after Stop and Shop built there, I think it may have come off the watch list last year, but am not sure. The wire company that was originally there did some uranium processing in their final years of operation. The last documents I saw on the site said there is one manhole and one storm drain that could not be cleaned fully but that the govt felt that they posed no health threat.

Kerite is still here and still making wire, Housatonic Wire is up for sale along with the lumber yard on the corner. Hopefully some one will see the potential, although I heard the owner of the lumber yard wants over $1 million for 1.4 acres. Tough in this economy.

Yes, Seymour is now mostly a bedroom community for Fairfield County employees doing the commute. It isn't one or 2 streets, it is most of the town that is transforming. However, we still have a huge population of the old factories' retirees that vote down progress 'cause change is scary.

[wavehunter007]

Originally Posted by aroundthecorner059

First Ill inform you that Oxford is not in Fairfield County.

Next, my ''feeble'' attempt just outlines that data and statistics do NOT equal reality. When is the last time you've been to the towns between Waterbury and Bridgeport? Ill outline town by town for you since your obliviousness is evident as you seem to consider data over experience and reality. We'll begin with Beacon Falls, where the town's main factory facility was converted into beautiful luxury apartments called Beacon Mill. Look it up. The days are over when people commuted TO Beacon Falls to work; instead it is now an upper middle class bedroom town of New Haven. Now for Seymour ... that town had two main factories back in the day, one of which was razed to build a now thriving shopping center, the other which was extensively renovated to become the town's new police station. Both Seymour and Beacon Falls are now quickly growing suburbs for people coming up from Fairfield County. Now for Shelton .. that small city had two main factories on the river which are both luxury housing downtown. Ansonia and Derby (basically the heart of the Valley) still have thriving factories - Farrell in Ansonia and another in Derby that I can't think of at this moment. Latex Foam was a thriving business destroyed by fire but prior to this, it was the sole producer of their latex products in North America. That plot of land now houses a shopping center with Target, Bob's, among others. Derby's downtown IS having issues, I'll give you that, but there are plans to raze it and begin anew. This process is being stalled due to issues between the city and the developer, but it's still in the works.Oh yes, and the Riverside Housing Project (Ansonia's only housing project) is to be razed by 2011.

To add, I probably travel the state more than most. I enjoy seeing what my new state has to offer. Landwise, a huge percentage of the state would fall under the affluent category. The rest of the ''crumbling'' cities you mentioned are SOLIDLY middle class. Travel the country and expand your horizons ... you may be surprised at what you see in working class America.

Bottom line says that because a municipality has blue collar, middle class areas does NOT mean they are decaying.

Follow Center Street to Bridgeport Avenue in Shelton, or drive the scenic 188 corridor in Oxford (a Valley town with NO industrial areas) and tell me they're decaying. Take your nose out of that statistics book for a moment and think about what you're suggesting ... which is the area in CT that has been experiencing incredible population growth in recent years is decaying. 100 percent false.

An even more feeble attempt to twist my words and point. You should be in politics…you’d fit right in. Or maybe you have a serious reading/comprehension issue… I would get it checked.

This is what you said I said… “The rest of the ''crumbling'' cities you mentioned are SOLIDLY middle class.

Now go back and read my post: this is what I said…”The fact is, there are several severely decaying industrial districts in the Valley, in New Haven, in Hartford, in Bridgeport, in New London, Hamden, West Haven, Norwich, East Hartford, Waterbury, Torrington, Meriden, Danbury, Norwalk , and countless other areas across Connecticut”.

Did I say they were crumbling cities? Did I say they where/where not/ middle class (or what ever class) No. I simply stated they are many cities/towns with decaying industrial areas in CT.

Next…with an academic background in U/R Planning, I don’t expect you to see things through the same lens that I do…, or to have the ability to see the larger picture. However, your lame trip/list of Beacon Falls, Seymour, Ansonia, Derby..etc telling me of “beautiful luxury apartments”….and “thriving shopping centers with Target and Bobs” is a text-book example of why so many people in this country are so clueless as to how we got into the bucket of blood we’re in.

Those industrial districts….once housed massive industrial plants that produced durable goods and provided high-paying, skilled labor. When a factory with 200 (or 2,000 or 200,000) skilled works who make $25 hr closes, and is replaced with “thriving shopping centers with Target sand Bobs”…those same factory people tend to have trouble taking care of the families on $8.50 hour (and fewer/or no benefits). Of course, someone like you untrained, impressionable, and who knows NOTHING about “data and statistics “ …only sees the suckers eye candy. Someone like you, passes those old industrial areas full of “Walmarts or preppy apartments” and thinks … hey, that factory closed, but they replaced it with nice Pay Less Shoes. You might want to look a little more beyond the “surface “ at things.

And another note…just to keep the “facts” straight over here in the “Real World”

… since the 1990’s Connecticut (along with the RI and the District of Columbia)…where they only states to LOSE POPULATION since 1860. Since 2005 or so, we have not be losing people anymore (I don’t know)…but NOWHERE in Connecticut is “experiencing incredible population growth”. That’s TOTALLY FALSE. CONNECTIT STILL REMIANS ONE OF THE TOP 5…. SLOWEST GROWING STATES IN AMERICA. Go to the US Census page and read it. Perhaps you can argue your point to them that “everything looks good from your vantage point”…no matter what the numbers say.

PS. Your comment “Landwise, a huge percentage of the state would fall under the affluent category” is not only absurd…but totally wrong. Two of the biggest counties in land area is New London and Windham Counties….which are among the poorest regions with the highest crime /drug crime indexs in New England. Go argue with the FBI...tell them their data is "not reality".

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by wavehunter007

Those industrial districts….once housed massive industrial plants that produced durable goods and provided high-paying, skilled labor.

They once did. And it's never coming back. Period.

Originally Posted by wavehunter007

When a factory with 200 (or 2,000 or 200,000) skilled works who make $25 hr closes, and is replaced with “thriving shopping centers with Target sand Bobs”…those same factory people tend to have trouble taking care of the families on $8.50 hour (and fewer/or no benefits).

Absolutely correct. But what's the alternative? Leave the plant empty and decaying waiting for a knight in shining armor to come start it back up? It's better to have something that contributes to the tax rolls and isn't a blight upon the community, than nothing at all. JMHO.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

No way! LOL. What i was trying to say is that Shelton was always considered to be "the Valley", before real estate prices skyrocketed. If you took a random poll of people, i'd bet that most would still (incorrectly)identify Shelton as not being in FFC even though it obviously has been for quite a while.

That's very true. It's pretty funny because it seems like most people in Shelton make it known they're in Fairfield County. They want nothing to do with the Valley, even though Shelton and Derby's downtowns are only separated by a short bridge. LOL

[seymourct]

Apples and Oranges....
geographically Shelton has the river run through it, so it is part of the greater valley.

go by man made/drawn up county lines - Shelton is Ffld county

Shelton's govt. has recognized their part of the geographic region and has joined with a group of towns working to better the geographic valley as a whole. The group is The Valley Council of Govts.
Valley Council of Governments of the Lower Naugatuck Valley in Southwestern Connecticut


"The Valley Council of Governments is responsible for planning and implementing economic and development activities which have a regional impact on the Lower Naugatuck Valley in Southwestern Connecticut. Their activities include the creating of a master plan for the entire region, administering state and federal grants, transportation planning, Brownfields redevelopment, census information and aiding in the overall economic development of the region."

[Seattle's Best 28]

I went to Seymour and the downtown was pretty cool, kinda quirky. I was surprised they didn't have a bagel or sandwich shoppe though. Seymour's downtown, if fixed up a little, would be the closest thing to a Stars Hollow in Connecticut. I have a thing with visiting downtowns in CT because they are common in this state compared to the other 49. Only ones I noticed that represented that movie set were Seymour and West Hartford.

I really like Seymour though. Cute town and nice neighborhoods on top of Mountain Rd.