OFB 50 States Project: Connecticut

In The OFB 50 States Project, you the readers spill the beans about your state: the good, the bad, and the delicious. And thus provide “forever place” seekers (like yours truly) a useful resource in their search. We’d love to hear about your state! To be a part of this project, click here to fill out the form!

The Facts

Low State Taxes Ranking:  48Low Cost of Living Ranking:  48 State Economy Ranking:  40

Average Temperatures (Hartford): Winter:  35° Spring:  59° Summer:  84° Fall:  63°

The Nickname

The Short of It

The state of Oregon is brought to you by the following awesome OFB readers:
1) Sarah K.  //  2) Lisa B.   //  3) Roo   //  4) Nick M.

What food best represents Connecticut?

• Grilled cheese! Where else can you find restaurants dedicated to mastering the art of this simple sandwich? ¹
• Hamburgers ²
• Pizza, probably, especially New Haven pizza ³

What song best represents Connecticut?

• What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction ¹
• UConn fight song ²
• Tea Partay ³
• Yankee Doodle ⁴

How does CT refer to a carbonated beverage drink?

• Soda ^{1, 2, 3, 4} 

If you could take a friend to one place in CT, where would it be?

• Mohegan Sun Casino. Best. People. Watching. Ever. ¹
• Apple picking ²
• If the friend is a history lover, through some neighborhoods in Wethersfield, and landmarks in New Haven and Milford. ³
• Harkness State Park ⁴

Harkness Memorial State Park (photo by wolfsavard)

The Long of It

Biggest misconception about Connecticut?

• CT-ers are all rich and snooty. There are many of us who don’t drive a fancy car, have a country club membership, and can’t afford to send our kids to boarding school. ¹
• That it has no identity, sandwiched between Boston and New York City. That everyone is Red Sox fans. That everyone is wealthy.  ²
• That everyone’s rich, white, and in private school. Connecticut is a really diverse state. ³
• It is overly wealthy. ⁴

Best aspect about living in CT?

• I love living near the beach! We are also a short drive from Boston, NYC, and Vermont. ¹
• It has so much to offer. It’s close to several major metropolitan areas but has a quiet, comfy suburban feel. It’s a great place to grow up, and housing is still relatively affordable in most of the state. Hartford is on an upswing, offering theater, good food, and nightlife. There’s the UConn Huskies, and everyone in CT is a diehard fan — I’m pretty sure no other state in the country cares as much about women’s college basketball. Also, insurance capital of the world? ²
• Super close to NYC, Providence, and Boston as well as some really charming little towns. ³
• Proximity to Providence, Boston, NYC and the LI Sound ⁴

Worst aspect about living in CT?

• High taxes and high prices… On everything! ¹
• It doesn’t have its own professional sports team. The areas near the coast are getting prohibitively expensive. There’s also a big wealth discrepancy in many counties. ²
• It’s SO expensive. D:< People move here and they’re completely dumbfounded with the types of taxes our state comes up with and the sheer dollar amount of them. ³
• High taxes on the middle/lower middle class. Gas prices, poor infrastructure. ⁴

Summarize your feelings about Connecticut in five words.

• Everything a family needs ²
• Say goodbye to your money. ;P ³
• Must realize its potential soon ⁴

Our Freaking Take

Johnny lived in Connecticut for six months, and I visited with him a few times when we lived in New York. It’s a beautiful state, and during one of our visits, we stayed in a lake house with views that were downright gorgeous. Everyone we know who grew up in Connecticut loves the state. It seems to have the perfect combination of suburbia while also being close to some major big cities. All of that said, the high taxes and cost of living are a definite consideration. But that’s kind of the name of the game in the Northeast, it seems. If we ever make our way back to that area of the country, Connecticut would be near the top of our list.

How did these answers line up with your perception of Connecticut? Have your thoughts on the state changed after reading this? Could you see it fitting your forever-place bill?