OT: Poll - Interesting that 1/2 of CT residents want to move away

[Marat]

I'm a bit surprised by this result. Is it because of the weather or jobs?

http://www.vox.com/2014/4/30/5668588/illinois-connecticut-maryland-gallup-interstate-migration-rates

 

[GemParty]

Business is good. Tough state for older folks based on harsh weather & cost of living.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I'm a bit surprised by this result. Is it because of the weather or jobs?

http://www.vox.com/2014/4/30/5668588/illinois-connecticut-maryland-gallup-interstate-migration-rates

Grass-is-greener crowd. If I would have to guess, most of those people are just looking at their property tax and income tax bills and doing some comparisons. But what is often overlooked in that calculation is what you are getting - there are some "better" places to live, but by and large Connecticut provides its citizens a clean, safe place to live where education, arts and history are important, within a stones throw of great beaches, skiing and world-class cities.

 

[Deepster]

As I've gotten older (46), I hate the winters. I hate the cold. I hate the wet bitter springs.

I hate Hartford. In travelling to most of the major US cities over my career, Hartford is undoubtedly in the bottom quarter of places to go. Cities like Milwaukee or Cleveland or Indianapolis that might not jump to the front of your list are light years better than Hartford. The Sound is a septic system and the CT shore is disgusting. The people are, generally speaking, rude and unfriendly (and that goes for a great deal of the tri-state area).

I mean, what's to like?

 

[WestHartHusk]

As I've gotten older (46), I hate the winters. I hate the cold. I hate the wet bitter springs.

I hate Hartford. In travelling to most of the major US cities over my career, Hartford is undoubtedly in the bottom quarter of places to go. Cities like Milwaukee or Cleveland or Indianapolis that might not jump to the front of your list are light years better than Hartford. The Sound is a septic system and the CT shore is disgusting. The people are, generally speaking, rude and unfriendly (and that goes for a great deal of the tri-state area).

I mean, what's to like?

So you are a glass halffull type huh?

 

[PhilG]

Grass-is-greener crowd. If I would have to guess, most of those people are just looking at their property tax and income tax bills and doing some comparisons. But what is often overlooked in that calculation is what you are getting - there are some "better" places to live, but by and large Connecticut provides its citizens a clean, safe place to live where education, arts and history are important, within a stones throw of great beaches, skiing and world-class cities.

What great beaches are you referring to that are a stones throw away in CT? Assume you mean those small RI beaches.

 

[HuskyHoosier]

I've lived in CT most of my life, spent 2 years in the Midwest, and can't wait to go back. A lot of it has to do with cost of living combined with quality of life. In the northeast, yes you get paid more. However, you work twice as hard, and after the higher taxes and housing values you are not that much better off financially even with the higher salary. I'd rather be in a similar financial net position in the Midwest and be allowed to dedicate much more time to watching my kids grow.

You get some great suburban communities in the midwest as well, with many top-notch universities so there is plenty to do, with good school systems, and did I mention lower taxes?

 

[boba]

It's all a matter of perspective. I intensely dislike NYC, to the point I want the frau to go take a position Doha just so I can get out of here. I don't mind the weather, I would live in Bozeman, Billings, or Kalispell MT given the chance (not many dev bio labs up there) I just dislike the people and the vibe that they present. I left CT in 1990 and swore I would never cross the front range of the Rockies ever again. Can't wait to leave this "world class city." Conversely our colleague in Berlin dislikes living there and wants to return to NYC. I joke that when I visit California, I will commit a non-violent felony because being imprisoned in Soledad is better than freedom in Manhattan.
So it's a matter of what you like and what you are comfortable with doing. Many Americans stay within 100 miles of their last childhood home, somewhere near 90% stay within 500 miles. The idea that we are an intensely geographically mobile society is false, we are as mobile as the trees in the front yard.

 

[Yonick]

When we complain about cold winters and wet damp springs, just think of all the tornados in the Midwest, south, and southwest. The droughts in Texas, and droughts, Santa Anna winds, mudslides, smog, and earthquakes in CA. Then I suppose we can tolerate winters in CT that are milder than winters in the entire Midwest and north central part of the country.

 

[sledog]

Seems to correlate well to taxes. In NJ, the Dems actually envisioned this, and passed a r/e exit tax so the door hits you in the on the way out.

 

[Deepster]

So you are a glass halffull type huh?

Like I said....what's to like?

Here's a question I like to ask people when talking about this. If you had a business associate coming to Hartford for a week for work, what would you tell him that he HAD to go and do or see? Assume he had a rental car and was sort of adventurous.

 

[ffg53]

I'm a bit surprised by this result. Is it because of the weather or jobs?

http://www.vox.com/2014/4/30/5668588/illinois-connecticut-maryland-gallup-interstate-migration-rates

I like living in Connecticut and I'm not from here. We were fortunate to get a good deal on our house in the mid-90s so we don't pay higher housing than we would most anywhere else nowadays. My town has decent property taxes, so that's not so much an issue. a 90-minute train ride to NYC and a 2.5 hour drive to Boston, plus the Adirondacks, Vermont and Maine are easily driveable.

I grew up near Rochester, NY so to me the winters here are mild. Snow removal could stand improvement here.

What I do miss is the friendliness and midwestern vibe of western New York State. Except for parts of Vermont and Maine, New Englanders are by and large a surly bunch.

I lived in Charleston, SC for nearly a decade. It's a beautiful city and the people are great. Unless you're a lawyer or an engineer for Westvaco or Alumax, et. al. you're not going to make much money there, though. And the summer heat/humidity is BRUTAL. I also like a real autumn and you don't get that south of NC unless you're in the mountains.

 

[nomar]

As long as Kevin Ollie isn't in that half, we're cool.

 

[Yonick]

Like I said....what's to like?

Here's a question I like to ask people when talking about this. If you had a business associate coming to Hartford for a week for work, what would you tell him that he HAD to go and do or see? Assume he had a rental car and was sort of adventurous.

Go to W. Hartford, Avon, Farmington, and Glastonbury. Hey, Detroit, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and many other Midwestern cities are dumps but the suburbs aren't. Hartford is no different.

 

[WestHartHusk]

Like I said....what's to like?

Here's a question I like to ask people when talking about this. If you had a business associate coming to Hartford for a week for work, what would you tell him that he HAD to go and do or see? Assume he had a rental car and was sort of adventurous.

I said Connecticut, not Hartford. I agree that Hartford is not amazing, but you can still point them to the Wadsworth which is alright (oldest museum) and Elizabeth Park is beautiful when the roses are in bloom. Half Door for the best Irish beer special anywhere in the country. West Hartford is fine for a meal and a walk. And Old Wethersfield for a drink / ice cream. But if they were willing to leave Hartford...

I would point them to New Haven generally (food, arts, theater, Yale, museums, pizza, burgers).
Some of the vineyards in the state are quite scenic (Goveaiu, Sunset Meadow, Sharpe Hill, Stonington).
Northwest Hills are awesome for a hike, and Sleeping Giant has a cool vantage poing (New Haven, Long Island Sound, Long Island).
Southeast Connecticut if they are into maritime history (Intrepid, Mystic - eventually a Coast Guard museum).
And anywhere on the shore for seafood (Stonington, Niantic, Madison, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Branford, etc... all have great seafood places), or a boat excursion (Thimbles - this is seal season).

Conversely, there are plenty of places with less (I have been to them). And of course there are places with more to offer. It is a matter of preference, but I can't imagine living somewhere where a change of scenery was like 1500 miles away like middle-America.

Now if someone comes with a job offer in Seattle, I'm outta here .

 

[SubbaBub]

As I've gotten older (46), I hate the winters. I hate the cold. I hate the wet bitter springs.

I hate Hartford. In travelling to most of the major US cities over my career, Hartford is undoubtedly in the bottom quarter of places to go. Cities like Milwaukee or Cleveland or Indianapolis that might not jump to the front of your list are light years better than Hartford. The Sound is a septic system and the CT shore is disgusting. The people are, generally speaking, rude and unfriendly (and that goes for a great deal of the tri-state area).

I mean, what's to like?

You're not wrong, but visiting is different from living. I would expect half of people would rather live elsewhere no matter where you took the poll.

I'd like to live in Hawaii, but that's not a reflection on what a tremendous place CT is to grow up and raise a family. I've also traveled and live in a number of areas.

Other than the weather, this is the best place for me. You can be both away from and close to the hustle and bustle almost minute by minute.

Sure, there are touristy postcard spots out west, but if there is nothing 20 miles outside my home, that's too much of a hassle. Or like in Florida, the unbearable humidity and the crazies it seems to attract.

Nope, lack of natural disasters, high standard of living, good education system, some greenery, some culture, a lot of sports/outdoor activites, all close by...CT is just fine with me.

 

[Deepster]

I said Connecticut, not Hartford. I agree that Hartford is not amazing, but you can still point them to the Wadsworth which is alright (oldest museum) and Elizabeth Park is beautiful when the roses are in bloom. Half Door for the best Irish beer special anywhere in the country. West Hartford is fine for a meal and a walk. And Old Wethersfield for a drink / ice cream. But if they were willing to leave Hartford...

I would point them to New Haven generally (food, arts, the lawer, Yale, museums, pizza, burgers).
Some of the vineyards in the state are quite scenic (Goveaiu, Sunset Meadow, Sharpe Hill, Stonington).
Northwest Hills are awesome for a hike, and Sleeping Giant has a cool vantage poing (New Haven, Long Island Sound, Long Island).
Southeast Connecticut if they are into maritime history (Intrepid, Mystic - eventually a Coast Guard museum).
And anywhere on the shore for seafood (Stonington, Niantic, Madison, Old Saybrook, Westbrook, Branford, etc... all have great seafood places), or a boat excursion (Thimbles - this is seal season).

Conversely, there are plenty of places with less (I have been to them). And of course there are places with more to offer. It is a matter of preference, but I can't imagine living somewhere where a change of scenery was like 1500 miles away like middle-America.

Now if someone comes with a job offer in Seattle, I'm outta here .

So, the 3rd suggestion you make is a generic Irish bar. The 4th thing is going for a walk. The 5th thing is an ice cream. Wow. And that's IF they left Hartford and drove 15 minutes. Great sales pitch.

 

[UconnU]

I moved to Bluffton, SC 2 years ago. After my whole family moved south. My grandparents live on Hilton Head, My mother and father live in Jacksonville Beach, my best friend lives in Greensboro, my uncle lives in columbia. None of us took a pay cut. My cost of living is 2/3 of what it was in CT, my income is higher than what it was in CT, in one of the fastest growing counties in the country I had businesses fighting over my labor. The weather is obviously far better. My quality of life has dramatically improved. I have friends with degrees bussing tables back in CT. I don't understand why anyone my age stays there or even affords to live there, a lot of them are still living with their parents at 28-29. With that said Ct will always be home and im still there 2-3 times a year.

 

[Excalibur]

Go to W. Hartford, Avon, Farmington, and Glastonbury. Hey, Detroit, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and many other Midwestern cities are dumps but the suburbs aren't. Hartford is no different.

Hartford is a distant third-best city in its own state. But the state still has a lot to offer despite continued mismanagement.

To sum it up, I'll just paste my post from this thread --



Why stay in CT?

1) In my line of work, I can make a New York City salary without paying New York prices. Yes, housing in the South would be 30% cheaper, but I'd take a 30% discount in salary to do the same thing there. If the time comes that I can't find a job here, I'll reconsider.

2) Real public schools. I know enough people who have either taught in or otherwise dealt with public schools in places like NC to know I want no part of them. You won't find better public schools than in suburban New England.

3) I'm not living more than 50 miles from salt water. End of story. I like to fish, particularly from shore in salt water. CT has one of the most diverse fisheries around, and the surf fishing capital of the world is a boat ride away. Southeastern CT, while lacking beaches, has a very underrated scenic shoreline.

4) Better, more diverse cuisine. I love barbecue, but I can make it just as well on my deck -- it isn't f^cking rocket science, and yes, you can use a smoker in the winter. Tough to make a decent pizza on your own, though. If it was easy, there would be good pizza in the South. I do admit to having my barbecue sauce shipped in from Alabama, though.

5) Winter sucks, but having skiing close by is important. I do get a bit jealous come February, but that's normally long gone come May when it's 75 and sunny here and 95 and oppressively humid there.

6) Fall in New England. Warm days with cool nights, the striped bass run, unmatched scenery.

7) I like my iced tea unsweetened, with lemon.

8) The false magnanimity of southerners. Up here, we're up front about being vindictive SOBs -- we don't hide it behind some fake charm.



So to sum up --

Reasons to move South:
Lower cost of living, more jobs.
Better weather 3 months out of the year
Better looking college girls

Reasons to stay:
Just about everything else by which I would measure quality of life.

Who knows, maybe the economic situation will deteriorate to the point that I won't have a choice. If that happens, so be it, but it won't be permanent.

 

[Yonick]

So, the 3rd suggestion you make is a generic Irish bar. The 4th thing is going for a walk. The 5th thing is an ice cream. Wow. And that's IF they left Hartford and drove 15 minutes. Great sales pitch.

CT's strength is in it's suburbs. Hartford, just like Albany, Syracuse, Worcester, Springfield, N. Bedford/Fall River etc have seen their better days. Only NYC & Boston are desirable Northeastern cities (N. Jersey through Maine)
CT's burbs IMHO, are as good as anywhere.

 

[SubbaBub]

Hartford is a distant third-best city in its own state. But the state still has a lot to offer despite continued mismanagement.

To sum it up, I'll just paste my post from this thread --

Why stay in CT?

1) In my line of work, I can make a New York City salary without paying New York prices. Yes, housing in the South would be 30% cheaper, but I'd take a 30% discount in salary to do the same thing there. If the time comes that I can't find a job here, I'll reconsider.

2) Real public schools. I know enough people who have either taught in or otherwise dealt with public schools in places like NC to know I want no part of them. You won't find better public schools than in suburban New England.

3) I'm not living more than 50 miles from salt water. End of story. I like to fish, particularly from shore in salt water. CT has one of the most diverse fisheries around, and the surf fishing capital of the world is a boat ride away. Southeastern CT, while lacking beaches, has a very underrated scenic shoreline.

4) Better, more diverse cuisine. I love barbecue, but I can make it just as well on my deck -- it isn't f^cking rocket science, and yes, you can use a smoker in the winter. Tough to make a decent pizza on your own, though. If it was easy, there would be good pizza in the South. I do admit to having my barbecue sauce shipped in from Alabama, though.

5) Winter sucks, but having skiing close by is important. I do get a bit jealous come February, but that's normally long gone come May when it's 75 and sunny here and 95 and oppressively humid there.

6) Fall in New England. Warm days with cool nights, the striped bass run, unmatched scenery.

7) I like my iced tea unsweetened, with lemon.

8) The false magnanimity of southerners. Up here, we're up front about being vindictive SOBs -- we don't hide it behind some fake charm.

So to sum up --

Reasons to move South:
Lower cost of living, more jobs.
Better weather 3 months out of the year
Better looking college girls

Reasons to stay:
Just about everything else by which I would measure quality of life.

Who knows, maybe the economic situation will deteriorate to the point that I won't have a choice. If that happens, so be it, but it won't be permanent.

Nailed it. Kicking myself for not mentioning the pizza and the abomination that is "sweet tea"

 

[NJHusky]

So to sum up --

Reasons to move South:
Lower cost of living, more jobs.
Better weather 3 months out of the year
Better looking college girls

Reasons to stay:
Just about everything else by which I would measure quality of life.

Who knows, maybe the economic situation will deteriorate to the point that I won't have a choice. If that happens, so be it, but it won't be permanent.

EX...I think you nailed it...with one additional point...I stay because my and my wife's family are all within a 2 hr drive..

As I get older and family transitions...I will be gone..out West... because of taxes. If property and income taxes were reasonable...would not consider leaving because you have 4 seasons, skiing, beach, culture....but I can rent a house in Breckenridge for 6 months for 60% of my yearly NJ property taxes--let alone mortgage & income tax! Visit cities for work for my culture.

Southern hospitality...a mile wide and an inch deep

 

[JaYnYcE]

Like I said....what's to like?

Here's a question I like to ask people when talking about this. If you had a business associate coming to Hartford for a week for work, what would you tell him that he HAD to go and do or see? Assume he had a rental car and was sort of adventurous.

Wings over West Hartford!!!!

 

[Ricker]

House for sale right now in Glastonbury to make NH home and be a snow bird a couple months per year. Tax savings alone are irresistible. 35mills in Glastonbury, 8 mills in my town in NH. I have owned in NH since 1997 and can say that most services are better too. Need to go to DMV to register a car or boat, in and out in 5 minutes. Need to discuss a permit for something, just drop by. Gas .25 to .40 per gallon cheaper, sales tax $0, income tax on wages, pensions, social security $0. Cost of booze - cheaper. Something happening in town - get an email. Beach 3 steps from the door, boat 5 steps, season memberships for golf with carts, unlimited driving range, 3 courses, $2000, mountain views, lake views. Need to drive someplace - no traffic tie ups. Glastonbury is nice but I'd rather spend the extra $20000 to $30000 on good living rather than town and state taxes. If you can afford to leave you can't afford to stay.

 

[EricLA]

Now if someone comes with a job offer in Seattle, I'm outta here .

How about San Diego?! LOL. That's how I made my way out here. 2 of my brother's followed me from CT as well over the years...