What's it like living in Hartford?

I am a native New Yorker, now living in Ohio for the past 10 years, and I%26#39;m considering a move back to the East Coast (I miss the water and my family). Due to the seemingly stable economy, I would consider a move to Hartford but I%26#39;ve only really been there once for a day visit.

What is it like living in Hartford (or CT for that matter)? Is it boring? Does living in the shadows of Boston and NYC get annoying? Do people drive down to the beachs of the LI Sound (like New Yorkers drive to Jones Beach)? Is the economy stable/decent job growth?

As you can see, I have hesitation because I want to make sure I make a good move. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

What's it like living in Hartford?

Perhaps you can find some helpful info here:

http://www.ct.gov/ctportal/taxonomy/ct_taxonomy.asp?DLN=27189%26amp;ctportalNav=|27189|%26amp;ctportalPNavCtr=|27377|45121|#45121

Lotta people here (including us) drive to Cape Cod for vacation. About a 3 -4 hr trip depending on where on the Cape you go. So worth it, love it there! :-)

People also go to Misquamicut (Rhode Island) for getaways. Supposed to be nice, we%26#39;ve never been (hooked on the Cape).

Have fun doing your research. And, good luck if you do end up relocating here.

Naomi :-)

What's it like living in Hartford?

Regarding the stability of the economy and job growth, I think it all depends on what industry you%26#39;re in and what job skills you have. We%26#39;ve seen a lot of jobs leave Connecticut in the past few years, and have fought hard to keep others from leaving. At the company where I work, a lot of people have lost their jobs to outsourcing.

As to ';boring';, it depends on what you want in your life. I don%26#39;t mind ';living in the shadows of Boston and NYC'; as I don%26#39;t like NYC and it%26#39;s less than 2 hours to get to Boston when I want to go there. What kinds of things are you looking for to keep your life from being boring? Sports? We no longer have an NHL team - but we do have a minor league team, and they%26#39;re fun. We don%26#39;t have an MLB team, either, but we do have a few minor league teams, and one is close to Hartford. There%26#39;s a WBNA team an hour away, down at one of the two casinos in Connecticut. ';Culture';? Hartford and New Haven both have music and theatre to offer; the Goodspeed Opera House, which is about an hour from Hartford, has been the birthplace of a number of plays and musicals which became famous on Broadway. Museums -- one major one in Hartford, and I believe Yale down in New Haven has some goodies as well.

Might be a good idea to take an extended vacation here if you can, to get a better feel as to whether it would be a good fit for you.

Living in CT is like living anywhere else. It%26#39;s mind over matter and what one makes of it. I have lived here all my life (born in Puerto Rico) and lived in New York for one year and it is a great place to live (for me personally). YES it DOES get annoying living in the shadows of NY or Boston but THAT is the best part of it....you are ONLY two hrs away from these two cities. We do have beaches in CT and it is very easy to get to Long Island Sound. We have Mystic Seaport, Greenwich, New Haven etc...Hartford is going through a MAJOR face lift with new jobs coming in and new apartments being built. We have GREAT NIGHT lifes. We have The Mark Twain House, Harriett Beecher, The Bushnell, The Wadsworth etc...check out www.hartfordct.com and you can get a better idea.

I wouldn%26#39;t say we live in the shadows on Boston or NYC. Boston is Boston, NYC is NYC and Hartford is Hartford. Three different cities and three different states.

I%26#39;m 36 years old and have lived in CT my entire life. Think I%26#39;ve been to NYC once (as a teenager). Really have no interest in going there.

Never been to Boston, would like to visit there one day (no rush though) ;-)

Very happy here in CT.....

Naomi :-)

To the previous person, you are from Newington and have never been to Boston and been to New York once? I truly find that fascinating. Utterly and completely so.

As for the poster%26#39;s question, do you want to live in Hartford or the suburbs, big difference between the 2. I grew up in the suburbs and lived in the city of Hartford after college. The city is a mess, services stink, crime can be bad, your car insurance will double, but the suburbs can be deadly boring. If you are single, you may want to live in the city. As you probably know, insurance dominates in Hartford. Is what industry do you want to work?

Fascinating, why thank you.....

Nothing%26#39;s stopping from visiting either. I have NO desire whatsoever to go into NY. None. Not into shopping, fine dining, museums....

Like I mentioned, I%26#39;d like to visit Boston eventually. Perhaps a long weekend with our kids at some point. But, to be honest, there%26#39;s a lotta other places, ahead of Boston, on my list of places to visit. ;-)

Very content right here thank you very much.

Naomi

People..a FRIENDLY reminder. THIS forum is for friendly and FUN advice. DO NOT get overwhelmed by it as I personally had to report certain issues on the last forum. People tend to get TOO excited and start getting off the main subject. As for ';certain'; people who does not live in THIS state.....STOP criticizing Hartford and come and check it out! We are going through a major renovation and three main points..NO matter what major city you live in...the cost of living, insurance and crime will sometimes be high! NOT just in Hartford!

I lived in and around Hartford all my life. I am more than qualified to speak about Hartford. So please get off your high horse and do NOT tell me about what topics I can and cannot post.

Do you even live in the city, or are you safe in the suburbs telling people how great Hartford is because you go in to watch UConn basketball?

One last thing, I did answer the person%26#39;s question about moving to Hartford and if you read my response I even said that as a single person living in the city can be the best option as the suburbs are boring (grew up in the suburbs, lived in the West End after college until I moved to New York). He should be aware of the issues of living in Hartford, however.

I was just fascinated that someone could live in CT all their life and never have gone to Boston. All I said is that it was fascinating, still is to me.

YES...YES...%26amp; YES! I WORK %26amp; LIVE in Hartford (NOT a suburb) so therefore I am also qualified to answer. In all my years living here I have never feared walking around Hartford. I NOT only work in Downtown Hartford, but on the weekend I come here for entertaintment. It seems that ';certain'; individuals left Hartford with a bitter taste so therefore move ON!

refill