So I'm Moving to Connecticut...

Pearl Jam Braves Fan · August 2016

Hello all! I'll start by saying that I've been visiting these boards for years but I don't really post much. With that said, I know that this is a good place to come for good advice and honest feedback.

My fiance, her daughter, and I currently live in Atlanta. My fiance works in retail and was recently offered a District Manager position in Connecticut, which we accepted. This move will get us closer to our families, and it is a step in the right direction for her career. Right now the plan is for us to move towards the end of November.

Aside from driving through Connecticut a couple of times neither one of us are very familiar with the state. I'm hoping some of you may be able to recommend a good area to live in? Based on the location of her stores, we're thinking somewhere towards the middle of the state may be best. We're looking for an area with the obvious - affordable housing, good schools, low crime, etc. etc. I'll also be looking for a job, so any advice on that front would be helpful too! I have over 10 years of security management experience, primarily in a retail and hospitality setting, but am open to trying something new. If any of you are hiring let me know! I'm on LinkedIn and can PM you a link to my profile. If nothing else it would be nice to meet some fellow Pearl Jam fans in the area.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

BSully · August 2016

I hope that you get some good info on here...New Hampshire is the closest that I have been, so I am no help...

BCBA · August 2016

Edit, wrong thread

MayDay10 · August 2016

I lived in CT for a stretch. Was not for me. Good luck.

dankind · August 2016

My wife's family lives in Glastonbury. I know that it has good schools, and it seems to be nice enough when we visit -- for Connecticut, that is.

Empty Glass · August 2016

Worst drivers in the northeast

dankind · August 2016

Empty Glass said:
Worst drivers in the northeast

Tied with Pennsylvania.

Empty Glass · August 2016

dankind said:

Empty Glass said:
Worst drivers in the northeast
Tied with Pennsylvania.

No

dankind · August 2016

Empty Glass said:

dankind said:

Empty Glass said:
Worst drivers in the northeast
Tied with Pennsylvania.
No

You're in denial.

New Jersey and Massachusetts are tied for second.

PillowPants · August 2016

@Grandmas Jam - help him out grandma

RKCNDY · August 2016

PillowPants said:
@Grandmas Jam - help him out grandma

where the fuck have you been?

Pearl Jam Braves Fan · August 2016

Empty Glass said:
Worst drivers in the northeast

Hopefully 2 years in Atlanta and 6 years in Florida have me prepared for this...

mca47 · August 2016

I used to travel there a lot. Hartford sucks and Danbury/Ridgefield area sucks. I'm sure it all doesn't suck though...

SmallestOceans · September 2016

Southington is a real nice area about 25 minutes south of Hartford.

whispering hands · September 2016

dankind said:

Empty Glass said:
Worst drivers in the northeast
Tied with Pennsylvania.

Try Colorado Springs, Co! ( I know it's not the north east.. But good God above.... These people can NOT drive!! Lol)

whispering hands · September 2016

P.s. Good luck with your move!

dankind · September 2016

Where is your wife's job mainly going to be located? As district manager, I understand that she'll likely need to drive around a bit from time to time to check on different stores under her watch, but will she have a main store/office where she'll spend most of her days?

Connecticut is small, but as folks have mentioned (including yours truly), due to the awful drivers in the Constitution State, commuting there can be a nightmare. So you might want to make the drive as short and stress-free as possible for her.

(BTW: I'm originally from Florida. Connecticut drivers are much worse.)

Pearl Jam Braves Fan · September 2016

dankind said:
Where is your wife's job mainly going to be located? As district manager, I understand that she'll likely need to drive around a bit from time to time to check on different stores under her watch, but will she have a main store/office where she'll spend most of her days?

Connecticut is small, but as folks have mentioned (including yours truly), due to the awful drivers in the Constitution State, commuting there can be a nightmare. So you might want to make the drive as short and stress-free as possible for her.

(BTW: I'm originally from Florida. Connecticut drivers are much worse.)

The person she's replacing uses a store in Meriden as her home store, so she's thinking she may do the same (she'll have some say in what store she chooses). She'll also have stores in Holyoke MA, Enfield, Manchester, Waterbury, Milford, Mashantucket, Trumbull, Stamford, and Danbury. We've been told that the person she's replacing does spend a lot of time on the road in traffic, so we're thinking central CT would be best. We have basically ruled out Hartford due to some feedback from her family and some research we've done online. I didn't think drivers could get much worse than in Florida until I moved to Atlanta, then I thought nope this is the worst. Sounds like that won't be the case! Thanks for your feedback!

Dr. Delight · September 2016

Stay away from the 95 area.....worst traffic ever. Oh and be prepared to pay out the ass for gas if you do.

Black Diamond · September 2016

dankind said:
Where is your wife's job mainly going to be located? As district manager, I understand that she'll likely need to drive around a bit from time to time to check on different stores under her watch, but will she have a main store/office where she'll spend most of her days?

Connecticut is small, but as folks have mentioned (including yours truly), due to the awful drivers in the Constitution State, commuting there can be a nightmare. So you might want to make the drive as short and stress-free as possible for her.

(BTW: I'm originally from Florida. Connecticut drivers are much worse.)

Having now lived in the north east and Florida... Florida wins.
Florida... King of the awful drivers.. Not even close... Get your license at 16 and never lose it... Grandma and Grandpa scare the bejeebus out of me.

MayDay10 · September 2016

lol, I was trying to be nice, but looking at the other posts, I guess I can unload.

Connecticut sucks balls. It is the worst state in the country.

Worst, as mentioned is the traffic and the drivers. I have lived in New Jersey, NY, Pennsylvania, and driven amongst Massholes a lot... Nobody compares with the shittiness of CT driver. They are clueless and dangerous. To further compound the issue, the roadway system design is completely fucked. For a Northeast State/climate, nobody has a clue how to drive in winter weather. One time a dusting started coming down when I was on 95 and almost instantly, 3 cars spun out around me like a cartoon. They also seem to think they can take their time and "salt" roads with sand which gets all over everything. You get wealthy housewives driving $80K SUVs who think they are indestructible.

Everything is humorously expensive in Connecticut. Go out to eat, get gas, groceries, you name it. It will be taken out of your ass. Cost of living is awful. Stop and Shop sucks too.

People are awful (most, I did meet good folks). They either 'think' they are from NYC or Boston, yet are in some sort of purgatory in Connecticut nobody seems to escape from. Most people are extremely materialistic to a point where I started to find humor in all my interactions. I notices circles of friends seem to be created and dissolved all the time, as elsewhere I have lived, there are 'lifetime' friends.

Then right around Christmas every year, you get a nice "bill" in the mail from the State, asking you for hundreds of dollars for tax for your vehicle(s). That is if you can manage to register in CT. It took me (no lie) 14 long and frustrating trips to the DMV (including 1 ejection) to change over.

I was going to walk away from my job to go somewhere else with nothing (but then an opportunity arose).

dankind · September 2016

Pearl Jam Braves Fan said:

dankind said:
Where is your wife's job mainly going to be located? As district manager, I understand that she'll likely need to drive around a bit from time to time to check on different stores under her watch, but will she have a main store/office where she'll spend most of her days?

Connecticut is small, but as folks have mentioned (including yours truly), due to the awful drivers in the Constitution State, commuting there can be a nightmare. So you might want to make the drive as short and stress-free as possible for her.

(BTW: I'm originally from Florida. Connecticut drivers are much worse.)
The person she's replacing uses a store in Meriden as her home store, so she's thinking she may do the same (she'll have some say in what store she chooses). She'll also have stores in Holyoke MA, Enfield, Manchester, Waterbury, Milford, Mashantucket, Trumbull, Stamford, and Danbury. We've been told that the person she's replacing does spend a lot of time on the road in traffic, so we're thinking central CT would be best. We have basically ruled out Hartford due to some feedback from her family and some research we've done online. I didn't think drivers could get much worse than in Florida until I moved to Atlanta, then I thought nope this is the worst. Sounds like that won't be the case! Thanks for your feedback!

If she chose Manchester as her home store, my recommendation for Glastonbury would work well. Again, great schools and nice little town. If she chooses Meriden, however, I'd back SmallestOceans' recommendation of Southington, which also has good schools.

Any town with good schools is going to be a little pricier than those without, so you might not get to pick your first choice of town based on affordability and fun activities once you research the schools. This happened to me constantly when I was moving from Brooklyn to Massachusetts. I'd see a really nice and affordable house in a walkable town with awesome restaurants, bars and shops and then check out the schools and be back to square one. Damn kids run everything!

ed243421 · September 2016

The middle "c" is silent

SmallestOceans · September 2016

Connecticut is f'n awesome!!

Get_Right · September 2016

I grew up in West Hartford and it was a great place to grow up.
Close to NYC and Boston. Reasonable drive to Vermont, reasonable drive to the shore.
And a LOT of good shows come to Hartford.
Connecticut will seem expensive compared to Atlanta. You will get a lot less for your money. But it is not as bad as parts of New York or New Jersey.
In the Hartford area, you will want to consider West Hartford, Avon, Simsbury, and Glastonbury. All of those towns have good schools.
These are also the most expensive towns. Avoid downstate, especially farfield county $$$$$.
There are plenty of nice towns with decent schools-just do a little homework.
Yes the traffic can be crazy during rush hour and 84 (west of Chesire), 91 and 95 seem to always be busy, but it is nowhere near as bad as Boston, New York or New Jersey. And I would guess it will seem much better than Atlanta.
Most important-your wife will need an all wheel drive vehicle if she plans on getting around November through February. It snows in CT. Some winters it snows a LOT.
And sorry, but the worst drivers can be found in New Jersey. On the garden state parkway, route 46, and the turnpike.
Good luck!

So I'm Moving to Connecticut...

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