I’ll be headed to CT in early March for a job in New Haven. I’ve skimmed the sub for best guidance, but looking for overall living recommendations!
For a time I’ll be rooming with a friend in Bristol and commuting, but ultimately what are some good areas I should look for housing? I’d prefer a smaller community outside of NH-proper.
What are you favorite grocery stores? Restaurants? Hangouts, bars, venues? Running/hiking? If you’ve got any recommendation for anything, I’d love to hear it!
A lot will depend on your budget, rental housing is quite expensive in CT, and certainly on the shore. Smaller communities in CT also have a LOT less rental housing than our cities. When you say smaller, it doesn't clarify if you mean more rural, suburban, or village- CT has them all within driving distance of New Haven, but housing availability will vary. When you get here, take a lot drives around to get a feel for what appeals to you! There's hiking, beaches, train to NYC, all kinds of stuff to do. Avoid Waterbury and honestly get out of Bristol quick too, one reason is that it's 45-60 min stressful commute to new haven. For some reason out of staters are always moving to bristol and it's such a dreary little city. Also I-95 in CT is one of the most congested highways in the country, so maybe also consider living where you don't need to commute on it every day, or where you can take the train!
Can I ask why you say to stay away from Waterbury? I too am moving to Connecticut from Oklahoma (Stillwater) and am looking for housing.
Dude from Waterbury here. It's an OK place to live but not an exciting place to live. Suffered greatly from the loss of manufacturing jobs and never properly recovered. There's a pervasive rundown feel to the city. It's the kind of place you want to move out of, not into.
But housing is considerably cheaper for it, even in areas that are not so rundown. There has been considerable improvement over the years, but all too recent and modest to break the bad rap the city's gotten over the years. Also, there are tons of genuinely good people here, which might not be obvious to someone just reading the news or driving through. It's a poor city, it's not a bad city (though it does have sketchy neighborhoods).
If you don't have a good reason to be in Waterbury, then look elsewhere would be my advice. Where to go depends on your personal tastes and budget. I happen to think New Haven is the most interesting and exciting place in all of CT by miles. It's like Connecticut's own version of Cambridge (just without the benefit and/or hassle of an enormous gigantic economic engine like Boston right next door).
You just want to avoid the sketchier neighborhoods if you go there, and be prepared to pay a premium for the safer, nicer areas, like East Rock and Wooster Square, or share an apartment with roommates, which seems to be a popular thing to do there. Hamden just North of East Rock is also a pretty nice area, just a bit quieter and also a bit cheaper than East Rock, but with a super easy commute if you have to drive into the city.
Sounds like a fair assessment of Waterbury. Also, it would be a heinous commute into NH.
Do NOT move to Waterbury. Hands down worst of our cities and it’s not close.
There’s very little reason to live in Waterbury other than it being cheap.
High crime, and gang activity. Anywhere except Waterbury, Bridgeport, East and Downtown Hartford, and some parts of Downtown New Haven are safe.
Mostly run down, not a particularly nice place, and no Eskimo Joes for the likely OSU grad.
Former OSU employee moving to Yale.
I was just curious about Waterbury as a few of my new coworkers have told me to avoid “Dirty-Water” without much more of an explanation.
Waterbury is a city. I don't go to without my gun. That's why he said stay away from there.
Honestly East Rock, Wooster Square, and Westville are great neighborhoods and don’t feel all that “big” city like. They are fairly low key and quiet.
Suburb wise, I’d look at Milford and Branford.
Many of your other questions about preferred spots have been covered many times and can be found by searching.
New Haven is a great town. I'm not sure why everyone's telling you to only consider the most expensive neighborhoods and suburbs. If you're single and young you will find good people living all over the city. There's also alot of slum lords, so beware. That's probably the worst aspect of renting. And rent is not cheap anywhere around here . East rock is getting really expensive these days. Wooster square is great, but also pricey. Spot of areas are sprawling. Edgewood and West river are probably the most affordable and right between downtown and westville. There's parts of westville and beaver hills near southern where there are affordable apartments and houses as well. alot of little neighborhoods all over the city worth looking into. It depends on what you're going for, can adapt to, and afford.
>New Haven is a great town. I'm not sure why everyone's telling you to only consider the most expensive neighborhoods and suburbs. If you're single and young you will find good people living all over the city. There's also alot of slum lords, so beware.
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Personally, I am intolerant of posts about how loud/safe the city is. All cities are loud. All cities have crime. To expect otherwise is unrealistic. We don't know OP, so it's easiest and safest to suggest areas that have the least problems, and also happen to be the most expensive.
Welcome you’ll love New Haven. It’s a very youthful town it’s a town. Not a huge city. Living outside it you need a car not much in walking distance. Hamden there is spring glen which has Best Video a non profit performing space cafe and yes last of video stores also in hamden is Whitneyville area and Books & Company is a great cafe and used book store. Irish pub across st. In New Haven great pockets of places to live. East rock is a fab neighborhood but pricey if you want to live on your own. There is Wooster Square , Westville and Fairhaven. Atticus market on Orange st and Nicas on Orange st are great hangouts. Also on state st is Marjolaine ( French pastries) Chestnut Fine Food makes the best homemade breads, rolled oats cereal and prepared foods. There is Yale Art Gallery and British Art Museum but galleries also, theaters, music venues like cafe nine and firehouse 12 and the palace. A fun place to explore.
Looks like the British art museum is closing for some renovations this month.
Yea forgot
All good info. I've heard that Fair Haven has sketchy areas that you want to avoid though. I'm not the best person to comment on that, but FYI, I guess.
average 1 bedroom apartment in West Haven is$1395 a month (Feb 2023) New Haven will be higher. Hamden will be $1900. East Haven is $1500.
Middletown - $1520- a longer commute, not for someone coming from OK. Middletown is a fun city on the Connecticut river. Great food, bars- Wesleyan Univ is in town.
No you can find places in Hamden for 1200 to 1500
thanks- for this info
Consider the Shoreline - Guilford to Old Saybrook. There are trains to NH and the towns are pretty nice. Dont know your budget though.
Quinnipiac historic district along the Quinnipiac river is up and coming. Where the new oyster bar is
If you enjoy hiking and looking to meet people, there are several Meet Up groups that focus on hiking. Great way to explore with people who might know the trails and get to meet people. As for living, first you need to decide what is important to you. Shoreline? Rural? Hi density housing? We have it all within a few miles of downtown New Haven.
I would definitely recommend Wooster Square for a small community feel. It’s definitely pricey in Wooster Proper but you will find some affordable rent prices outside of it like on William St, Saint Johns St. I live within NH proper and somewhat dread it as a late 20’s person- noisy, busy, lots of college students depending on which street you live on and if you don’t mind those things
I moved from New Haven , where I was born, to Wallingford and have to say I love it here. Its centrally located in the state, only 20 minutes away from New Haven. Almost midway to Bristol and your friends. It has a quaint small town feel yet teeming with amenities. Three major supermarkets and three smaller, locally owned grocery stores. Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Walmart. The cheapest electric rates in the state due to our municipally owned electric division.
Check out East Rock Brewing Company if you like beer!
Annex / east haven is very under rated it’s quite but it’s 10-20 minutes from decent hiking but easily Uber able to downtown. What are you into?
Thanks for all of your input! To answer a couple questions and provide a little more info, I’ll be moving my family of 4 out there so we’ve been looking more into towns within 20-30 minutes - in rural OK, that’s about what I’m accustomed to already anyway. Places we’ve scoped out so far have been based on in our budget and good school districts.
yakayaka456 t1_j878z2v wrote
Welcome! I moved from OK to New Haven around 5 years ago. New Haven’s a great town, is there a reason why you don’t want to live in NH Proper? I felt it was a good “transition city” and not a huge shock coming from the south. East rock, Wooster Square, and Westville are the great neighborhoods to be in. I think some other good towns you could consider are milford, Woodbridge, hamden, guilford, and these seem to be more “family” towns than to someone who is young and single (if that’s you). I can’t speak to the community aspects of those towns, but I’ve spent some time in each and have found charm in all of them. You would definitely need a car if you were to live outside of New Haven. For nearby hiking theres of course east rock, west rock and sleeping giant. Popular beaches are Hammonasset state park in Madison or Silver Sands in Milford. New Haven has a ton of entertainment at College St Music hall / Westville Music Bowl if that’s your thing. Food and drink are really great, but honestly too many to list!