The Vibe: An Eclectic Mix
Nestled in the middle of everything on the East Coast,
Connecticut is one of the coolest states in the country. Much of the culture in the local area tends to pull from huge massive nearby metropolitans like New York and Boston, making this state a melting pot of commuters and long-time residents whose families have called the Nutmeg State home for generations.
Local Flavor: Never A Dull Moment
The fourth most densely populated state in the country, there are plenty of people in Connecticut to support very active communities all around the state. Annual events and festivals go on throughout the entire year, with the summer season being the busiest thanks to colder winter months that tend to keep residents inside.
A couple of the most popular local events include the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz, the largest free jazz event in New England known for attracting over 50,000 fans each year, as well as the New Haven St. Patrick’s Day Parade and celebrations in New Haven, bringing more than a million people to the city for a full day of festivities.
Cuisine: I’ll Take A Piece Of Apizza, Please
Known for dishes like apizza, shad (a type of herring), and meaty grinder sandwiches, there’s plenty of awesome food in the Nutmeg State.
Apizza, for the uninitiated, is a popular style of pizza found in the New Haven area that’s topped with oregano, tomato sauce, and grated pecorino romano, along with optional extra toppings, before being coal-fired. The most popular variety around here is the “white clam pie,” topped with chopped garlic, olive oil, littleneck clams, and plenty of extra cheese, sans the red sauce.
Connecticut is also heavily influenced by the big city life of the surrounding East Coast region, as tons of unique new age restaurants have also been popping up around the state in recent decades serving high quality food, making it easy to find a tasty place to dine in this in the Nutmeg State.
Nightlife: You’ll Make Bar Buddies In No Time
Residents in Connecticut’s big cities tend to live by a “work hard, play hard” mantra, meaning there’s always something going on after hours around here.
You’ll find the best nightlife in the places like New Haven, Bridgeport, and Stamford, each with their own downtown area filled with great places to head after a long day of work.
Plus, for big events like New Year’s Eve, places like New York and Boston are easily assessable by a short commute, opening up an entirely new world of possibilities for the residents of the Nutmeg State.
Weather: Waiting Out These Cold Winters Is Worth It
Home to four complete seasons, summers in Connecticut are warm and humid with average temperatures around 70 degrees, while the winter months tend to drop down to an average near freezing. Springs brings with it the perfect amount of rain to send everything into bloom and fall transforms the foliage around this state into some of the most beautiful in the entire country.
There’s really not too much to complain about when it comes to the climate in the Nutmeg State, as long as you don’t mind things getting a little chilly and are comfortable driving with some snow on the roads.
Safety & Crime: It Depends On Where You’re At
The Connecticut crime numbers are a little tricky to understand. The statewide average of only 2,237 criminal acts per 100,000 residents technically makes this area one of the safety places in the country to live, as the national average is 3,099 reported acts per 100,000 people.
However, certain places around the state are known for being much more dangerous, including New Haven, with 5,883 criminal acts per 100,000 residents and Hartford with 5,210.
It’s also important to mention that crime rates in both of these cities have been dropping at a 6-8 percent rate annually, making Connecticut a safer place to be by the year.
Commute: You’ll Get Used To It… Eventually
Many residents will admit that a downside to living in Connecticut is the driving. There’s tons of deer to dodge, tons of people in a rush, and with a population density that’s so high, there’s a good amount of traffic during rush hour.
Most people in this state will spend an average of 25 minute each way every day during their commute on the roads. However, commuters choose to take advantage of the Metro-North New Haven line, which runs from New Haven to New York, making it easy to get to a job daily, even though it might be in another city.
Cost Of Living: A Few Wealthy Cities Skew The Data
Connecticut scores a 129 on the cost of living scale (the average in America is 100), meaning things are quite a bit pricier in the Nutmeg State. This number can be a bit misleading though, as several very wealthy areas tend to inflate Connecticut’s overall averages, with places like Stamford scoring a very high 163. Other places are much more affordable, as cities like Hartford score a 114 and Bridgeport scores a 120 on the same aforementioned scale.
Another reason the cost of living tends to be so high statewide is due to the expensive housing market, with the median home price across Connecticut at $286,000, more than $100,000 above the national average. However, the varying levels of wealth in this state can skew this number as well, as places like Bridgeport are much more affordable with the average home costing $178,300.
Sports: These Days, It’s Huskies All The Way
Once home to the Hartford Whalers, Connecticut is now home to no professional sports teams leaving residents of the Nutmeg State to cheer for squads found in New York City and Boston. However, at the college level, this state has plenty to brag about.
Home to the dominating UConn Huskies basketball teams, both the men and women of this athletic programs win national championships on a regular basis. If someone’s sporting fan gear in this state, there’s a good chance it will be their blue and white.
Nature: This East Coast State Isn’t Just Cityscapes
Despite being one of the most crowded states in the country, Connecticut still has its fair share of attractions that will give you plenty of fresh air. Aside from having almost 100 miles of coastline filled with beaches and seaports, Connecticut is also home to places like Bear Mountain with an elevation of 2323 feet and tons of great hiking, the Roaring Brook Falls in Cheshire with an 80 water drop, and Merritt Parkway, a great way to take in all of the fall foliage without even leaving your car.
If you take a few steps out of the hustle and bustle in Connecticut, you’ll be surrounded by natural beauty in every direction.
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