Recent comments in /f/Connecticut

gmattheis t1_j9fhriw wrote

if you're going to have a car, middletown, on the cromwell border (north) is a decent reach to hartford, and can be more cost effective than some of the other areas. Middletown is extremely progressive and LBGTQ+ friendly.

if no car, new britain along the fastrak line is a good and convienent way into down town hartford and the surrounding areas.

i've found that in connecticut, most people don't give a shit about your orientation if you are a good neighbor and take care of yourself and be outwardly friendly, but not too invasive.

3

robinredrunner t1_j9fap57 wrote

To second others, I think West Hartford or the west side of Hartford is your best bet. I recently moved my family to WH from the southern US and have found people to be very tolerant towards ethnic diversity and sexuality. The areas near the Center and on the border of WH and Hartford area fairly dense and urban-ish.

I wouldn’t consider anywhere around here to be incredibly diverse except Boston and NYC. That said, WH does have a sizable Asian community and is probably more diverse than the other places you mentioned.

There is no significant crime in any of those places you mentioned except Hartford. Not to say the crime rate is zero, but people in my neighborhood have no problems letting their children walk to school or the Center. We do the same. The west side of Hartford is pretty safe too as far as I can tell but you’ll want to check some stats on that.

One of the best things about here is you can go from being in an urban area to hiking trails in like a 15 minute drive. The rural areas have some interesting terrain and nice water features too. The further you go the more interesting it gets.

Agree with the other comments about CT not being past its prime. This is one of the oldest regions in the US and it is nestled between two world class cities. It makes sense that it is not some kind of boom town and thankfully so. There are political and financial challenges to be sure, but people tend to blow them out of proportion. Problems here are no worse than problems in other parts of the country.

Good luck!

4

MyFianceMadeMeJoin t1_j9fa1og wrote

None of the towns you’re looking at are walkable urban areas. They’re suburban with charming downtowns areas that have limited housing in the commercial sections of town. With that said, they’re all easy commutes it Hartford, safe, at least present as being against racism (these are wealthier predominantly white towns so the reality and the impression don’t align perfectly), and convenient places to live. Hartford is also much safer than it sounds like you’ve concluded. It’s not without its problems, but it’s safer than many of the other major cities in the state and certainly safer than other capital cities in the country. You can safely walk around downtown anytime and even the more crime dense areas during the day without an issue.

4