1. Winchester Lofts - know lots of people there, in Science Park
2. Ashmun Flats - I lived there, also in Science Park
3. 500 Blake Street Apartments, Westville Area, had friends there
4. 131-147 Cottage Street Apartments, East Rock, have a friend there.

I'm sure there are lots of other good options too. With your price range, you have options.

Not sure about the details of how they add it to their apps, unfortunately, but some of them have a significant fraction of their dates with folks from NYC (sometimes in New Haven, sometimes in NYC)- at least one is in a long term relationship now and spends every other weekend in NYC with their SO.

I can't speak from firsthand experience, as I moved here with my now fiancee. But we have a number of friends in that age range of multiple sexual orientations who seem to have a fair time dating in the area, though some include NYC in their geographic search region, and handle that in different ways, while others stick to (mostly southern) Connecticut.

I don't know that dating here is much different than dating elsewhere, if unless you include the warping influence of NYC.

Winter here will have nothing on Chicago, but it does generally go below freezing for a week or more at a time, with moderate snowfall. But the city does a pretty good job of keeping the streets clear. And there will also be stretches of winter that are above freezing, even sunny. We have pretty well rounded weather (and seasons) all told.

I love the food. I love the weather. I love being able to easily get to NYC or Boston. I love having a multitude of state forests and parks to go hiking in. I love not having seasonal/frequent natural disasters. (When I was in Houston there was a significant city wide flood at least annually, generally around a different holiday each year I was there, and that's not counting Harvey.) I love Elm City Games downtown, and the community around it.

I'm very happy here, all told.