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

[Excalibur]

Those people tearing me down must have deleted their posts, since you were the only one to reply to it, but ok.

Why do you think the food scene in Connecticut is so great? We agree on the pizza, but what else makes it so great to you? (honest question)[/quote]

Did you go back and read the original thread?

As for the food -- the variety of different types of cuisine that are done well is what makes it great. While that's not unusual in large cities like Dallas or Atlanta, it is in smaller cities.

 

[HuskyHawk]

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.

My folks live nearby, close to Beaufort. Nice area down there.

 

[Excalibur]

You are right, but, only in the summer months. Winter isn't too fascinating up there.

Great city to visit. To live? Not sure, but Maine has been hemorrhaging young people for longer that CT has . . .

At least they had the common sense to not build a highway between the city and the water.

 

[Jerry1714]

Those people tearing me down must have deleted their posts, since you were the only one to reply to it, but ok.

Why do you think the food scene in Connecticut is so great? We agree on the pizza, but what else makes it so great to you? (honest question)

Did you go back and read the original thread?

As for the food -- the variety of different types of cuisine that are done well is what makes it great. While that's not unusual in large cities like Dallas or Atlanta, it is in smaller cities.[/quote]
Really disagree with that unsupported generalization, but I guess well just have to agree to disagree.

 

[Palatine]

Connecticut consistently rates very high in quality of life. Forbes Magazine has them listed as the #2 state in the union for quality of life.

Connecticut's problems are caused by high taxes, high energy prices, crazy regulations and generally everything you get from a liberal legislature.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Grew up in Manchester, lived in KC area (and Lawrence for law school) and then in Silicon Valley. Now outside Boston in Franklin, MA. There is no perfect place. But what I see on the list in the poll is that the places that overregulate the population are where people want to leave. CT is high, MA is high, RI is high, but NH is not. So it isn't the weather, because it is worse in NH. It's being left alone. Illinois is pretty awful in that regard, as is NJ, NY, CA. CA would be much higher if it didn't offset the misery of high prices, high taxes and regulation with spectacular weather and geography.

I didn't love California, because I missed the passion of New England people, the UConn fans, Red Sox - Yankees and the cost of living in the Bay Area was much worse than even metro Boston or Fairfield Cty. KC was actually really great, but I was single and my friends were married...it was time for a move. Now my job is too good to leave, my wife's family is close and I have a fantastic neighborhood. That last part is huge.

 

[Adios]

The depth of history in New England is mind-blowing. It was essentially the beginning of the British empire. I'm fine with spending my whole life here and being buried here. I don't get bored here. I really enjoy it here. Born here and stayed in-state my whole life.

 

[Adios]

Connecticut consistently rates very high in quality of life. Forbes Magazine has them listed as the #2 state in the union for quality of life.

Connecticut's problems are caused by high taxes, high energy prices, crazy regulations and generally everything you get from a liberal legislature.

Yes, pricing out the middle class is what liberals do. Are you duck_cking stupid?

 

[Palatine]

Yes, pricing out the middle class is what liberals do. Are you duck_cking stupid?

It's the economy stupid. The liberal legislature has driven out all the jobs.

And you're very naive if you don't think that Democrats love the rich as much as the Republicans. The only place they can get money after they take care of the limousine liberals is the middle class.

 

[Adios]

It's the economy stupid. The liberal legislature has driven out all the jobs.

And you're very naive if you don't think that Democrats love the rich as much as the Republicans. The only place they can get money after they take care of the limousine liberals is the middle class.

Naaaaw. For the rich, by the rich. Political party means nothing to me. But it sure means something to dumb people like you.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

It's the economy stupid. The liberal legislature has driven out all the jobs.

And you're very naive if you don't think that Democrats love the rich as much as the Republicans. The only place they can get money after they take care of the limousine liberals is the middle class.

I think you clearly win the prize for most recycled a.m. radio talking points that, when parsed, are absolutely devoid of meaning. This whole thread should be in the cesspool, though.

 

[mcs333]

The top 8 states that people want to leave are all liberal states with high taxes, high regulations, high union participation, high debt and mainly run by liberal democrats. If you can't see the trend your blind.

 

[UconnU]

The top 8 states that people want to leave are all liberal states with high taxes, high regulations, high union participation, high debt and mainly run by liberal democrats. If you can't see the trend your blind.

Like I said my whole family were 3rd, 4 and 5th generation Ct residents; we all live in the south east now. The taxes, cost of living and overall economy drove all of us out within the last 5-6 years. An entire family.

 

[Excalibur]

It was inevitable that this would devolve into a political discussion. The business migration south is predictable. CT has a lot of inherent disadvantages in attracting and keeping businesses (lack of space, old infrastructure, legacy costs). Incredibly, instead of doing things to mitigate these disadvantages, we enact policies that exacerbate the problem.

 

[whaler11]

If I go to the top floor of the building I work in I can see the hospital I was born in.... so I'm a Connecticut guy.

The main problem here is winter sucks.

If you are retired you can't stay. It makes zero sense.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

The top 8 states that people want to leave are all liberal states with high taxes, high regulations, high union participation, high debt and mainly run by liberal democrats. If you can't see the trend your blind.

Haha. Simpleton.

 

[WestHartHusk]

The top 8 states that people want to leave are all liberal states with high taxes, high regulations, high union participation, high debt and mainly run by liberal democrats. If you can't see the trend your blind.

What each of those states also has is a minority of conservative voters that think they are entitled to more than they receive, don't recognize how they benefit from the services they are provided and are stoked to madness by conservative media.

And I can point to just as many conservative states that are completely mismanaged. Florida's flood insurance program will be wildly inadequate the next time a storm hits, Alabama has had high profile municipal bankruptcy that does not get publicized like Detroit, all of the southeast is degrading its environment at incredible rates (a cost which will eventually be born by someone) and even everyone's favorite state, Texas, has a quarter of a trillion in debt. I would also add that the bottom 10 states with regard to education, health and lifespan are predominately conservative.

 

[husky91]

The Midwest is a wasteland other than Chicagoland and Traverse City. I hate CT and would love to leave this place, but have to have a job and be willing to make a change, and in many cases leave family.

I surprised the results weren't higher for people wanting to leave.

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?

 

[Geno-ista]

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.

Thank God for Global Warming- imagine how cold these past few winters would have been? Or this spring?????

 

[August_West]

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?

Truth. I mean, , I have to Go to Grand Rapids Michigan next week. I like it better than Hartford, and that is pretty sad.

I rue the day my wife made us plant our roots back here. I grew up in CT (Farmington Valley) and I went to Uconn right out of high school and quickly decided both college and CT werent from me (I got my degree, took me over a decade total, but I digress)... Since then I have live in L.A., San Francisco (Marin County),Santa Cruz, New York City and Boulder, Co.

There is so much more out there than CT. And I actually LIKE CT. I like where I live on the shoreline, I really like the school system my daughter is in. It can be a pretty area. But I LOVED those other places I lived all for different reasons.

 

[August_West]

You are the one pigeon-holing me into Hartford. Please tell me what is "must see" in Milwaukee, since that is on your list.

Pizza Shuttle. They have the best Chicken Tenders in Milwaukee!

 

[Jerry1714]

Truth. I mean, , I have to Go to Grand Rapids Michigan next week. I like it better than Hartford, and that is pretty sad.

I rue the day my wife made us plant our roots back here. I grew up in CT (Farmington Valley) and I went to Uconn right out of high school and quickly decided both college and CT werent from me (I got my degree, took me over a decade total, but I digress)... Since then I have live in L.A., San Francisco (Marin County),Santa Cruz, New York City and Boulder, Co.

There is so much more out there than CT. And I actually LIKE CT. I like where I live on the shoreline, I really like the school system my daughter is in. It can be a pretty area. But I LOVED those other places I lived all for different reasons.

Great post.

For people who have never lived anywhere but CT they think CT is a great place, but almost everyone in this thread who has moved out and lived in other parts of the country agree they have no desire to go back. There is a reason for this.

 

[Geno-ista]

For what it's worth, I own a small biz. One daughter in Tulsa Ok, the other near Greenville SC, Clemson. One in Ok married last yr, other in a month. I'm selling our hm in Ct, going to buy the same home in SoCar for half the price. More important than the price, prop taxes annually will be $8-9000 less, and utility costs would be $800+ less per month. I will travel back and forth twice a month, and save approx $20k annually. Warmer weather, people are genuinely nicer in general. Will keep a small apt at my office. Really looking forward to being around more like minded people too. I'm in the minority of every political and social issue up here. Even getting into Nascar! Love the Huskies though!

 

[August_West]

Great post. For people who have never lived anywhere but CT they think CT is a great place, but almost everyone in this thread who has moved out and lived in other parts of the country agree they have no desire to go back. There is a reason for this.

Yeah the reason is money. It's just ludicrous here. The taxes, the cost of houses, groceries, gasoline..... Etc.....

I mean I KNOW expensive. I lived in Marin County and NYC ( east village). CT is right up there with them in what it costs to live.

The problem is that it is almost all of the costs of those 2 places I mentioned and almost none of the benefits you get from living there. It's worth it to struggle in NYC and SF ( for me and how I like to live at least) . CT not so much.

 

[david]

It all depends on what's important to you. CT is expensive and the economy is not growing. However for those people that can get good, high-paying jobs, CT ranks at the top or near the top in education and health and has near the lowest poverty rates and crime. CT and New England in general is a great place to raise your kids.

Obviously if you're young you might want to live in a city that has more excitement. If you're old you want to move somewhere warm and cheap. But there are a lot of people that want to have a family and don't want to move anywhere else.