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We are in our late 20s and are moving to the New Haven area in August. My boyfriend got transferred to a job in Oxford and I currently work for an environmental non profit. We live progressive, social lifestyles in Seattle. I am born and raised in the NW and I am nervous about the big change that CT will have on our current standard of living. Ideally, we would like to live in a town that has a lot of culture, has a mass transportation system, music and other young like-minded people. I would absolutely love to live near a natural food market or an open air market of some sort. We are nervous about losing touch with the things that we love here in Seattle. I am also an avid hiker/birder/gardener and would love to have a good balance of city/country living. Do any CT folks have suggestions for us?! Note: My boyfriend is from Philly and we have been wanting to move to NY....this is as close as we can get for now
We are in our late 20s and are moving to the New Haven area in August. My boyfriend got transferred to a job in Oxford and I currently work for an environmental non profit. We live progressive, social lifestyles in Seattle. I am born and raised in the NW and I am nervous about the big change that CT will have on our current standard of living. Ideally, we would like to live in a town that has a lot of culture, has a mass transportation system, music and other young like-minded people. I would absolutely love to live near a natural food market or an open air market of some sort. We are nervous about losing touch with the things that we love here in Seattle. I am also an avid hiker/birder/gardener and would love to have a good balance of city/country living. Do any CT folks have suggestions for us?! Note: My boyfriend is from Philly and we have been wanting to move to NY....this is as close as we can get for now
You say you are 'progressive' in your attitude and inflections- and somewhat worried about living here.
People are progressive here in attitudes toward issues like gay rights, womens rights, global warming/climate change, animal rights, species protection etc. New Englanders tend to be 'conservative' in their dress, and personal economics. Tradition is important here- accounting to the long history, but its not stifling or regressive.
New Haven a short drive away from Oxford is a very sophisticated city, with Yale University, its wonderful museums, coffee shops, book stores, great restaurants, theater /performing arts and great diversity. Have you chosen on a town to live? Is it Oxford>? Which is a pleasant town, rather though 'Connecticut Suburban'-
Connecticut is a state with much in the way of political activism on a plethora of human rights and environmental issues. It is one of the most 'bluest' of all states.
New York City is a mere hour away- while Boston less then 2.5 hours. Hartford is 30 minutes away- and it offers much as the state capital. And the Connecticut shore- especially east of New Haven is very pleasant.
And if you really like alternative living- spend a weekend in Vermont- very progressive as well.
You will have to adapt to the climate here- summers can become very warm to hot with unpleasant levels of humidity. Winters will be colder then Seattle- but are not too bad. Connecticut is a wonderful state- which has much 'hidden' in its tiny size. The state is overflowing with culture and the arts, and has a sophisticated informed populace.
I would suggest you being close to or in New Haven- it sounds like it has what you are used to in Seattle- And if you want a taste of New York
hop the train for the short trip into the city.
Other towns near New Haven, are Hamden (liberal and diverse) Woodbridge, Orange and Milford.
Last edited by skytrekker; 06-01-2007 at 06:47 PM..
I am sure you will really enjoy the state. New Haven is a really great city- and is considered on of the most 'liberal' cities in the USA-as is Hartford.
Considering your political leanings- you will feel very comfortable here.
I agree that New Haven is probably a good city for you to consider. It's about a 25 minute drive to Oxford, and you don't have to worry much about traffic, as it will be a reverse commute (most people who live in Oxford commute to Shelton, New Haven and Stamford for work).
When you arrive here, you'll notice that CT embraces suburban living, maybe more than any other state in the nation. If you live in New Haven and west toward NYC, you have great public transportation, but only if you live within a mile of the train station (or in New Haven itself). Otherwise, you're going to have to depend on a car to get you where you have to go. There is no public transportation from New Haven to Oxford. The only public transportation near Oxford is Metro-North RR that serves commuters to NYC which is about an hour away.
As for New Haven, it's a city filled with so much culture and diversity that you're sure to love. New Haven has among the best Italian food in the world (aside from Italy, of course!) and you have to try Pepe's pizza. Just be careful though when looking in New Haven. I don't know the neighborhoods that you want to avoid, but the general rule of thumb is that if it's cheap, there's a reason it's cheap. New Haven has a good number of shady areas. My advice is to look around the Yale area, but that can get pricey. New Haven also has great nightlife. I'm in my 20's, so if you have any questions about places to go, feel free to message me. I will tell you that Bar is a fun place, but there are so many other places to choose from.
I would not recommend living in Oxford because it's an expensive community where homes start in the mid $400s. There aren't apartments or condos and families there are generally conservative and like their privacy, similar other towns in SW CT. The small, upscale towns are extremely conservative (more fiscally than socially, however). People here have a "live and let live" mindset. Skytrekker is correct when he says folks in CT dress conservatively, and I will add that you shouldn't be shocked by how reserved people are here. Just don't take it as being rude. People here generally keep to themselves and life may be a bit on the faster side than living in Seattle. The closer you get to NYC, the more "go,go,go" it gets. Another shocker for newbies in CT is the famed wealth gap that we have here. The larger CT cities (like Bridgeport, Hartford, Waterbury and to a lesser degree, New Haven) have a high percentage of poor minorities with poor schools and if you cross the border into neighboring towns, you have million dollar estates with some of the best schools in the country.
Again, feel free to mail me if you have any questions. Good luck with your search.
Great advice! We went out to dinner with a couple of former Yale students the other night and they had a lot of very similar suggestions for us. They said that Pepe's pizza is to die for. I am excited about the Italian food contingent considering it is nonexistent here in Seattle. I may have more questions for you after our visit at the end of June. I just got back from camping with a friend from NY and she definitely clued me into the conservative outter appearances of the East coast crowd. She was relieved with Seattle's laid back attitude about dressing up. It will take some getting used to. Here, you can go to a very nice restaurant, like one of Tom Douglas', in JEANS and a T-SHIRT and no one cares. I was an anthropology major in college; the study of the slight differences is quite intriguing!
I just got back from camping with a friend from NY and she definitely clued me into the conservative outter appearances of the East coast crowd. She was relieved with Seattle's laid back attitude about dressing up. It will take some getting used to. Here, you can go to a very nice restaurant, like one of Tom Douglas', in JEANS and a T-SHIRT and no one cares. I was an anthropology major in college; the study of the slight differences is quite intriguing!
It's changing...s-l-o-w-l-y. I often work with a real estate attorney who shows up at closings in a golf shirt and shorts. It certainly lightens the mood. My manager isn't exactly sold on this concept but I've been known to show up at appointments in shorts. I don't like summer weather!
Also, you've probably researched this already, but the best way to get from New Haven to Oxford is Route 63 to Route 67. My guess is that your boyfriend will be working in Northern Oxford in the industrial park (on the Southbury/Southford line) near Christian Street and the airport. This is among the only commercial area in town.
If you have the time, try to make your way down the Merritt Parkway S through Fairfield County toward NYC. It's noted as among the most scenic and historic routes in the nation. To this day, people still picnic and fish along the busy highway (why they do is beyond me). But it's really beautiful.
And one more thing, stay away from I-95 between New Haven and NY during the rush hours. Once you move here, you'll see why.
As a former student of Anthropology you might be interested in the cultural diversity that CT offers. The third largest population of West Indians in the US can be found in CT. Reggae, Soca, and Calypso artists regularly visit the state, there are many great restaurants serving jerk chicken(oxtail, curry goat, ital, etc..), and several cities have very active West Indian social clubs. CT cities also have some of the densest populations of Hispanics, second only to Miami on the East Coast. South America, Central America, and the Caribbean are very well represented here. You can visit Mexican rodeos in New Haven, Guatemalan rock bands in Stamford, and Brazilian bands often play in Bridgeport. I will also mention Waterbury has close to 10,000 Albanians and New Britain/Hartford has a decent sized Polish population. CT has a lot to offer if you are into learning about other cultures, of course this is never spoken of in the mainstream media for some reason unknown to me.
If you enjoy hiking/camping you should check out Litchfield County in the northwest corner of the state. Here you will find the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. It is great. Kayaking in Long Island Sound is also another nice outdoor activity. Hiking
And just about anywhere in Western/Central CT you have easy access to NYC to enjoy all the great things you can do in the city.
The annual festival of ideas will be going on during the next few weeks in New Haven, maybe you could check that out during your visit. www.artidea.org
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