Connecticut and Massachusetts - Are they very similar? (Boston, Framingham: how much, college)

[Swan_Cove]

Greetings!

I'm a lifelong resident of Connecticut and our family is considering a move to Massachusetts (for work in Framingham area).

My perception of people from MA (generally speaking, of course!) is that they are friendlier than those in Connecticut...

Just curious, are there any popular stereotypes of people from Connecticut (stereotypes we might have to overcome or be mindful of). Would someone from Connecticut notice any significant differences living in MA, or are MA and CT very similar?

Any thoughts/feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[btownboss4]

CT isnt New England
CT=NY
Rich snob, but in Metrowest, not a problem

[seeriously]

I agree. I grew up discounting CT as a New England state. Half the state works in NYC and they root for the wrong teams. Just can't warm up to it.

[TAM88]

CT is no different than Mass in my mind. The only area where I get the NY feeling is the very Southwest tip. A lot of people I know from CT get annoyed when people consider it to be an extension of NY. I have family that live near Waterbury, they and their friends all like Boston teams.

I went to college in CT and it did not feel any different. I actually lived with a couple of guys from CT post college in Boston and they loved it and it did not feel different for them. Both states are very similar. Just like RI is very similar to both CT and Mass.

[massnative71]

I thought CT was split about 50/50 (the border being somewhere near Hartford) with the west belonging to NY (majority Yankees/Giants fans) and the east belonging to N.E. (majority Sox/Pats fans). So I guess it depends which side of CT you are coming from as to how much different it will be.

[KaoCT]

Originally Posted by ipoetry

I agree. I grew up discounting CT as a New England state. Half the state works in NYC and they root for the wrong teams. Just can't warm up to it.

"Half" is a bit of an exaggeration, unless you're referring to Fairfield County only, then you're probably right.

[Swan_Cove]

Thank you all for the feedback! We're on the shoreline and I definitely understand (now that I think about it) why some say CT is an extension of NYC -- the closer to Fairfield county, the more New Yorky it feels to me. But then in the the Northeast parts of CT, definitely more of a New England feel.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

[Bob Lanata]

Swan Cove, I have some farmiliarity with CT as my sister lives in Newtowne and I travel throughout your state once a month for work. If you are from the shoreline, you will be in for a shock as far as how crowded the Framingham area is. To my knowledge,it is still pretty safe, but definately alot more traffic and people than you are used to. Simular to Hartford and the area. One recomendation is to live outside Framingham and travel. Our transit system covers a vast area. Good luck and hope the area is good to you

[ogre]

Agree with posts above that the main stereotypes or culture clashes between the two states in general would be the differences in sports loyalties, the general idea that CT isn't "really New England" (though people vary in whether they view the whole state that way or think of the "non-New England" part as being more the NYC exurbs), and the notion that there are a lot of rich snobs in CT (and again, people vary in the degree to which they tend to take that view of the whole state, or more particular areas like Fairfield County). In general people here don't seem to talk much about CT. I don't get the impression that CT is looked down on or frequently viewed with hostility or anything like that. Don't be surprised if you encounter one of those stereotypes occasionally, but I wouldn't be concerned about being accepted of not just because you've moved here from CT.

Your biggest adjustment may center around the difference between the local area you're moving from and the one you're moving to. In addition to Bob Lanata's observation that the Metro West suburbs of Boston are somewhat of a crowded area compared to the quieter parts of CT, you're likely to find that there is a different feel about an area that is somewhat inland than you're used to, very close to the coast. Even though any part of the Boston metro area is fairly close to beaches in the sense of not being hours away, details such as subtleties in architecture, the abundance of seafood restaurants, the presence of tourists in downtown areas, and the general nautical feel of many CT Shoreline towns are features that are absent when you get as far from the immediate coast as Metro West.

[FCMA]

To many a MA eye, CT has the feel of no "there" there. It's the ambiguous space you need to pass through to reach NYC from Boston. It's probably the same way NYC feels about New Jersey - the ambiguous space between it and Philly.

That ambiguity manifests itself in the sports-team divide too. It's the dividing space of metropolitan/regional loyalties between New England and New York.

It's interesting that while it has the highest percapita income of any state, and so has a reputation for being wealthy, its urban areas are some of the poorest and rundown in New England, in Bridgeport, Waterbury, and certain sections of New Haven and much of Hartford. Its city that closest resembles a major metro would be Hartford I guess (quite recently known among America's fastest-shrinking, white flighty cities; a smaller, cuter version of Detroit or Pittsburgh), and since none of its cities are exactly thriving and super-inviting as tourist destinations, metro Boston folks honestly just don't know much about Connecticut, besides wasting money at the casinos!

In between, there are beautiful rural areas that abut and rival the Berkshires for scenery, and very nice coastal areas, with small and fascinating towns, and the even more fascinating but pretty groady New London.

You'd probably notice that overall metropolitan Boston is much more crowded than most areas in CT. People? Mostly the same - a little provincial, often outwardly cold, very hardworking, yet friendly if you can ever figure out how to get to know them. Just be ready for the sports teams comments!