[CrissCT]

Originally Posted by topaz3335

Poway has one of the best PE programs in the state as well as music offered at the Middle School level, and Spanish and French courses staring as early as 7th grade.

My kids were in Poway Unified School district up until this past school year. PE in elementary school is taught by the regular teacher, there are no PE teachers. Here in CT, my children have a real PE teacher, are taught Spanish starting in 3rd grade, have school year music lessons (starting in Kindergarten) and instrumental music starting in 4th grade, and art taught by a real art teacher not parents.

Poway is a good school district academically and in that respect they didn't have a problem adjusting to schools here but it does not compare to what is offered in CT by even an average school.

[njguy]

Originally Posted by JViello

Really? Funny. Hartford has more sunny days per year then Miami Florida. Who'd a thunk it?

Maybe you are confusing Southern New England with upstate NY or Northern New England.

I agree with you.

LOL! I'm always reading from many posters here say about the cold and gray winters.
I guess me living right across from NYC in New Jersey there must be a forcefield of some kind to the CT border which isn't all that far from me as to give us many sunny days here in the dead of winter.

[jetter01]

Schools are as good as the parents who send their kids to the district. Many of CT's districts have incredible parental involvement, which helps the students, teachers and districts provide a supportive surrounding for education to take place.

I went to high school out of state and while my school was good, we never had opportunities like the kids here (multiple languages offered by middle school, progressive curriculum - not to be confused with liberal curriculum). Public schools here seem to be a step ahead of most areas.

That's why the cost of living is pretty high here. The smaller towns are very desirable. Overall, CT is a well-balanced place to raise a family. NJ, MA and the Hudson Valley region are also great places to raise a family, but are expensive too!

[njguy]

Originally Posted by itscolduphere

Spend a week at a lovely B&B in the Farmington Valley, drive through the hills of Litchfield County, and while you're here, look at what CT has to offer in the way of both excellent public schools and numerous private school options. Then go spend a week in So. Cal. and compare.

There IS no comparison IMO.

[torringtonCTbychoice]

I will pitch for CT but know I have family and friends who prefer So CA.

I believe both CT or CA will meet your top 4 criterias - it all depends which area you end up in. I'm confident that your kids will be fine educationally because you sound like engaged parents - which is the key. Did you consider spending less on the housing and sending the kids to private schools, which we have tons in CT?

There are just a couple of quality of life issues I would like to point out about CT, which could be the tipping points:

1) Climate - CT enjoys the four season in equal lengths but more importantly, we don't seem to be hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes, wild fires (due to the Santa Ana winds, which also makes So CA landscape look brown), landslides, tornadoes, etc. We don't get bitter cold windy days nor any lake effect snow (and any snow accumulation usually melt within days) . We do get hot and humid days in the summer but our heat waves are measured in days, not weeks. I just hope these comments doesn't catch the attention of the weather gods

2) Manageable traffic congestions - we don't have huge, multi lane highways or as they call it in CA - freeways. Two hours commutes is the exception NOT the rule unless you plan to work in NYC. We also have some lovely scenic 4 lane highways with lots of foliage.

Good luck with your search of a new home state!

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by torringtonCTbychoice

2) Manageable traffic congestions

Fairfield County traffic on I-95 and the Merritt is nasty.

[loveautumn]

IMO, no matter how educated and smart your kids are, in SoCal the culture is so dumbed down that they will be influenced by it.

[jacaranda]

With regards to your question, I live in So.Cal and would advise you to move to Connecticut instead with all my heart. Disregarding any personal experiences or biases I may have, I strongly urge anyone who may show any interest in moving here against such a mistake. Economically, socially, and for reasons of health and well-being I cannot recommend living here. There are always aspects about a place that make it impossible to write down or allude to, having said that let me just say that the day to day experience here in So.Cal does not lend itself for a decent, QUIET, law-abiding family. I have never lived in CT so I can make no assurances about it, but can only heartily recommend against any move to So.Cal. The weather just isn't worth it.

[thepinksquid]

Originally Posted by jacaranda

With regards to your question, I live in So.Cal and would advise you to move to Connecticut instead with all my heart. Disregarding any personal experiences or biases I may have, I strongly urge anyone who may show any interest in moving here against such a mistake. Economically, socially, and for reasons of health and well-being I cannot recommend living here. There are always aspects about a place that make it impossible to write down or allude to, having said that let me just say that the day to day experience here in So.Cal does not lend itself for a decent, QUIET, law-abiding family. I have never lived in CT so I can make no assurances about it, but can only heartily recommend against any move to So.Cal. The weather just isn't worth it.

Totally just curious.. what part of Southern California do you live in? Sorry you've had such a crappy experience. I hope you find somewhere you enjoy better.

[esmith143]

Originally Posted by wavehunter007

and that's one of the things that's so sad about Southern CA today...it has changed alot in 30 years. I went out there as a kid 25 years ago, and when I go out there now...I don't recognize it anymore. Except for a few extremely expensive areas...I could not imagine raising a family it that environment.

I am much more suited to winters in CA than in the Tri-State area (although I do think people make it stink – it’s not Minnesota here), but the problems with job losses, foreclosures, gangs, crime, traffic, schools, and just stress from what I hear…kind of negates the mild winter part. Too bad, because southern CA could have been a choice for me too.

Okay.

There are job losses and foreclosures, I'll give you that. There are job losses and foreclosures in CT, too - California has more foreclosures for now, but that's all temporary.

Gangs and crime ... I went and pulled up FBI crime statistics for 2007. According to them, Poway has lower property crime rate than every city with population >50,000 in Connecticut except Greenwich. San Diego's murder rate is one fifth of Hartford and half that of Bridgeport. There were more robberies in Stamford in 2007 (population: 120K) than in Irvine (population: 200K) or Santa Clarita (population: 170K).

LA traffic sucks. Outside LA, it's not that bad. Especially compared with NYC.

Stress ... Southern California is one of the most laid back places in the county. When I think "stress", first thing that comes to mind is New England, not Southern California. Far more angry, sad and stressed people in the northeast. Has something to do with bitter cold and depressing gray falls/winters, I think.