Moving to Connecticut on Friday

[McBoog]

I'll check out Elizabeth Park area.

 

I won't be commuting into Hartford, so I'll be missing that traffic.

 

Thanks jetsfan!

 

I grew up in West Hartford, CT until I was almost 13. The time frame (spanning decades) is too long ago to remember, but my childhood friend is still there and we are still close.

 

My first encounter with any real harsh reality was in Elizibeth Park. I was riding my bike that I got for my birthday three days earlier and got jumped by a gang of 6 or 7 kids. They pushed me around pretty good (I was only 10) then slugged me in the stomach and stole my bike.

 

I did learn to iceskate on the pond in the park though and the spring flowers were amazing! My gramdma used to love that place in the spring and she and I would go there together to feed the ducks often. We used to love to go to the "Seven Seas", a fun restraunt, but who knows if it is still there.

 

I do know that the TAXES are CRAZY in that state, some of the highest in the country, so I hope you got a raise to go there to offset the higher COL. As is much of New England now, it is very liberal and elitist, so I hope you are comfortable with that type of social mindset.

 

If you have enough $, Renbrook School is a wonderful, private school on Avon Mountain. Many fond memories there!

 

The fall in New England is magical (assuming you like every shade of red/yellow/orange/brown there is)!

 

OH! And learn LaCross

[Sturphy]

I grew up in West Hartford, CT until I was almost 13. The time frame (spanning decades) is too long ago to remember, but my childhood friend is still there and we are still close.

 

My first encounter with any real harsh reality was in Elizibeth Park. I was riding my bike that I got for my birthday three days earlier and got jumped by a gang of 6 or 7 kids. They pushed me around pretty good (I was only 10) then slugged me in the stomach and stole my bike.

 

I did learn to iceskate on the pond in the park though and the spring flowers were amazing! My gramdma used to love that place in the spring and she and I would go there together to feed the ducks often. We used to love to go to the "Seven Seas", a fun restraunt, but who knows if it is still there.

 

I do know that the TAXES are CRAZY in that state, some of the highest in the country, so I hope you got a raise to go there to offset the higher COL. As is much of New England now, it is very liberal and elitist, so I hope you are comfortable with that type of social mindset.

 

If you have enough $, Renbrook School is a wonderful, private school on Avon Mountain. Many fond memories there!

 

The fall in New England is magical (assuming you like every shade of red/yellow/orange/brown there is)!

 

OH! And learn LaCross

Thanks for sharing McBoog.

 

ETA: The COL (in the Hartford area at least) actually comes down for me coming from L.A.

Edited April 14, 2008 by Sturphy

[Chargerz]

OR LOS ANGELES.

That's right! Stay in Connecticut! Do NOT move to L.A. It's in California where there are earthquakes and brush fires. It also gets hot here. You wouldn't like the weather. We also have alot of Raider fans (gasp), even in L.A. and San Diego!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PatsFanCT]

Welcome Sturphy!

 

Don't listen to the naysayers. There's good and bad everywhere. Personally, I love it here and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

[McBoog]

Thanks for sharing McBoog.

 

ETA: The COL (in the Hartford area at least) actually comes down for me coming from L.A.

 

Wow! Another SoCal coming to the NorthEast. I came from San Diego to the D.C. area in Nov 2006. It is a big difference. A few things we have noticed:

 

- Everything feels backward and old. Not true, but there is an "old" feeling to the infrastructure.

- Ciggarette butts pile up everywhere

- Almost everyone doesn't think they are important, they KNOW they are

- Though it doesn't feel as "fake", it certainly is not "real" either.

- The programs for kids sports seem to be better organized and accessible.

 

We like it here well enough and don't have plans or real desire to go back to SoCal, but we also know that the East/Northeast is not for us forever either! There is no rush to leave, but it just doesn't feel permanent either. Some of that may have to do with the D.C. area, but the whole Northeast is pretty much the same in the hussle and bussle game.

 

I taught in LA for a few years in my late 20's, and the traffic here is just as bad. Sounds like you have a better situation!

 

Godspeed and I hope you find peace and happiness in your new home!

[AtomicCEO]

As is much of New England now, it is very liberal and elitist, so I hope you are comfortable with that type of social mindset.

 

[Sturphy]

Welcome Sturphy!

 

Don't listen to the naysayers. There's good and bad everywhere. Personally, I love it here and wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Thanks!

 

You are correct, there's good and bad everywhere.

[Sturphy]

Wow! Another SoCal coming to the NorthEast. I came from San Diego to the D.C. area in Nov 2006. It is a big difference. A few things we have noticed:

 

- Everything feels backward and old. Not true, but there is an "old" feeling to the infrastructure.

- Ciggarette butts pile up everywhere

- Almost everyone doesn't think they are important, they KNOW they are

- Though it doesn't feel as "fake", it certainly is not "real" either.

- The programs for kids sports seem to be better organized and accessible.

 

We like it here well enough and don't have plans or real desire to go back to SoCal, but we also know that the East/Northeast is not for us forever either! There is no rush to leave, but it just doesn't feel permanent either. Some of that may have to do with the D.C. area, but the whole Northeast is pretty much the same in the hussle and bussle game.

 

I taught in LA for a few years in my late 20's, and the traffic here is just as bad. Sounds like you have a better situation!

 

Godspeed and I hope you find peace and happiness in your new home!

Very kind of you McBoog, thanks for the insight.

[Skilly]

Welcome Sturphy. I live in Groton, and also left California to come out here--been here about 4 years now. Connecticut isn't that bad a place--it just takes some getting used to, that's all. The real estate prices and taxes are comparable to what you are used to, so that shouldn't come as much of a shock. For me, the hardest thing to get used to was the locals. Putting it simply, they are cranky and always in a hurry.

Please be careful on the roads up here! Can't stress that enough. Guaranteed that you will be tailgated, honked at, and flipped off while driving within your first week here. Don't sweat it--it just comes with the territory. Looks like you are moving to a nice area, too. If you have kids, CT has some fine youth hockey organizations. I know AVON in particular has a program.

 

Good luck on your move.

[Kid Cid]

Welcome Sturphy. I live in Groton, and also left California to come out here--been here about 4 years now. Connecticut isn't that bad a place--it just takes some getting used to, that's all. The real estate prices and taxes are comparable to what you are used to, so that shouldn't come as much of a shock. For me, the hardest thing to get used to was the locals. Putting it simply, they are cranky and always in a hurry.

Please be careful on the roads up here! Can't stress that enough. Guaranteed that you will be tailgated, honked at, and flipped off while driving within your first week here. Don't sweat it--it just comes with the territory. Looks like you are moving to a nice area, too. If you have kids, CT has some fine youth hockey organizations. I know AVON in particular has a program.

 

Good luck on your move.

Good info on the poeple and the roads up there. Oddly enough Groton is almost a different world yet strangely similar from the one you're moving to Sturphy. I'm of course, highly biased in my opinions having grown up in Killingly and my wife coming from New London. I find most of southern New England an unpleasant mix of big city hustle and bustle and small town stubbornness. That being said, there are some nice things about New England and CT. Avon/Farmington is a nice area, certainly less backward than other areas of the state. The Berkshires are just a hop, skip and a jump away from you and they can be quite magical in teh fall and pretty much wonderful the rest of the year. There are wonderful little things tucked away for you and the family to explore, things like the Goodspeed Opera House if you want to catch a broadway play in a VERY old time and quaint venue or Gillette's Castle. You're only a couple hours ride from a couple of nice ski areas in VT (Stratton comes to mind) as well as some not so bad beaches if that's your thing. Also, don't freak out the first time you see the giant cross on top of the mountain overlooking Waterbury.

 

And Skilly, if you aren't stationed in Groton, I can't believe you voluntarily went there.

Edited April 14, 2008 by Kid Cid

[Sturphy]

Welcome Sturphy. I live in Groton, and also left California to come out here--been here about 4 years now. Connecticut isn't that bad a place--it just takes some getting used to, that's all. The real estate prices and taxes are comparable to what you are used to, so that shouldn't come as much of a shock. For me, the hardest thing to get used to was the locals. Putting it simply, they are cranky and always in a hurry.

Please be careful on the roads up here! Can't stress that enough. Guaranteed that you will be tailgated, honked at, and flipped off while driving within your first week here. Don't sweat it--it just comes with the territory. Looks like you are moving to a nice area, too. If you have kids, CT has some fine youth hockey organizations. I know AVON in particular has a program.

 

Good luck on your move.

Funny, an in-law gave me a pep-talk about CT drivers. Everywhere I've lived they had the "worst" drivers. This will be my 8th home state.

 

Thanks Skilly!

[Sturphy]

Good info on the poeple and the roads up there. Oddly enough Groton is almost a different world yet strangely similar from the one you're moving to Sturphy. I'm of course, highly biased in my opinions having grown up in Killingly and my wife coming from New London. I find most of southern New England an unpleasant mix of big city hustle and bustle and small town stubbornness. That being said, there are some nice things about New England and CT. Avon/Farmington is a nice area, certainly less backward than other areas of the state. The Berkshires are just a hop, skip and a jump away from you and they can be quite magical in teh fall and pretty much wonderful the rest of the year. There are wonderful little things tucked away for you and the family to explore, things like the Goodspeed Opera House if you want to catch a broadway play in a VERY old time and quaint venue or Gillette's Castle. You're only a couple hours ride from a couple of nice ski areas in VT (Stratton comes to mind) as well as some not so bad beaches if that's your thing. Also, don't freak out the first time you see the giant cross on top of the mountain overlooking Waterbury.

 

And Skilly, if you aren't stationed in Groton, I can't believe you voluntarily went there.

Looking forward to that kind of stuff.

 

Thanks!

[AtomicCEO]

Guaranteed that you will be tailgated, honked at, and flipped off while driving within your first week here. Don't sweat it--it just comes with the territory.

 

Rob's Guide to New England Driving:

 

• Don't drive slow.

• Don't drive slow in the left lane.

• Don't drive slow on a highway entrance ramp, or you will get passed in the breakdown lane. It's dangerous to merge at the speed limit.

• If you see a cop, get right and slow down fast so that the guy who's behind you wanting to go just a little faster is the one who gets pulled over, because the speeding tickets are expensive and speed traps are everywhere.

• If you're going to change lanes, just f'ing do it. If you sit there with your blinker on looking for a handout, you're just as likely to get run off the road. CT Drivers smell fear.

• If you come to a complete stop at a stop sign or a right-on-red you will probably get rear ended.

• If you're not tailgaiting the guy in front of you, the person behind you will tailgate you closer to make up for it. We're on a schedule here.

 

Edited April 14, 2008 by AtomicCEO

[Sturphy]

Rob's Guide to New England Driving:

 

• Don't drive slow.

• Don't drive slow in the left lane.

• Don't drive slow on a highway entrance ramp, or you will get passed in the breakdown lane. It's dangerous to merge at the speed limit.

• If you see a cop, get right and slow down fast so that the guy who's behind you wanting to go just a little faster is the one who gets pulled over, because the speeding tickets are expensive and speed traps are everywhere.

• If you're going to change lanes, just f'ing do it. If you sit there with your blinker on looking for a handout, you're just as likely to get run off the road. CT Drivers smell fear.

• If you come to a complete stop at a stop sign or a right-on-red you will probably get rear ended.

• If you're not tailgaiting the guy in front of you, the person behind you will tailgate you closer to make up for it. We're on a schedule here.

 

Quality. I propose that we enforce these rules in all 50 states.

 

Of course, there's the fine line between not driving slow, and being surrounded by speed traps.

[jaxfactor]

Look at the bright side. You're a hell of alot closer to Maine lobster. mmmmmmmmmmm!

[PatsFanCT]

Rob's Guide to New England Driving:

 

• Don't drive slow.

• Don't drive slow in the left lane.

• Don't drive slow on a highway entrance ramp, or you will get passed in the breakdown lane. It's dangerous to merge at the speed limit.

• If you see a cop, get right and slow down fast so that the guy who's behind you wanting to go just a little faster is the one who gets pulled over, because the speeding tickets are expensive and speed traps are everywhere.

• If you're going to change lanes, just f'ing do it. If you sit there with your blinker on looking for a handout, you're just as likely to get run off the road. CT Drivers smell fear.

• If you come to a complete stop at a stop sign or a right-on-red you will probably get rear ended.

• If you're not tailgaiting the guy in front of you, the person behind you will tailgate you closer to make up for it. We're on a schedule here.

 

 

Spot on. And here I thought every state was like that. Maybe I need to chill out a little when I drive.

 

Except in the morning, when I'm on my way to work. Because I'm going to be late, and it seems I always get behind that one mother ###### that leaves enough room in front of him for every car in the center lane to move in front, making him leave more space for a another car to move in, and before you know it, I'm fourteen ####### cars back from where I could have been if I had just passed that ####### when I had the chance, before the rig cut me off from the right lane.

 

And also, on my way home from work, because that's when you get all the slow moving cell phone jackasses who change their pace like a mouse in a maze while calling home to make sure dinner will be on the table when they get there, because God knows, there's really a chance it wont be. And because talking on a phone and driving at is illegal, they are always on the lookout for cops, which makes them swerve like a drunk between lanes and everyone in every lane in front of you is doing the same thing and driving the exact same speed limit, so you can't pass. You can see plenty of daylight ahead. You just can't get there. Those are the ######'# I'd like to drive off the highway, into a river, or a canal, whichever is worse.

 

And then of course on weekends, or non-traffic times when I get behind the #######, or the Ambulance that's only doing 80 in the fast lane.

 

But every other time, I promise I will relax and chill out so I don't give my state a bad rep. Why can't everyone in Connecticut just drive like me.

[Sturphy]

talking on a phone and driving is illegal

Have people been getting tickets?

 

So it's bluetooth in the car, eh?

[untateve]

my experience of driving in New England (primarily boston) is that you have to be defensively aggressive. For example, here in Florida, you put on the blinker and generally wait for someone to let you in. In Boston, when you put on your blinker to change lanes, you are essentially telling the car behind too make room because here you come.

 

I remember after I had been in boston a couple of years I was visiting my brother in Florida. While I was driving, he was putting a hole in the car floor while hitting the imaginary brake. I didn't know what his problem was. He looked scared and asked why I was driving like such an ass-hole. I realized I was driving "New England" style.

[Sturphy]

my experience of driving in New England (primarily boston) is that you have to be defensively aggressive. For example, here in Florida, you put on the blinker and generally wait for someone to let you in. In Boston, when you put on your blinker to change lanes, you are essentially telling the car behind too make room because here you come.

 

I remember after I had been in boston a couple of years I was visiting my brother in Florida. While I was driving, he was putting a hole in the car floor while hitting the imaginary brake. I didn't know what his problem was. He looked scared and asked why I was driving like such an ass-hole. I realized I was driving "New England" style.

One thing that has already freaked me out was a couple lights that I came to where I was making a left-hand turn, and when my light turned red... the oncoming light was still green, apparently, because traffic was still coming. It's weird sitting in an intersection on a red light, and waiting for oncoming traffic to get a red light too.

 

I'm really not sure I understand the point of that?

 

Also, I noticed that in the area I'm about to call home, they only have traffic lights suspended above in the intersection, none on a post at the side of the road. So, if you pull up to where the line is, or where it says "wait here", you have to crane yer neck to see the light above you. I learned quick to stop a little earlier.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Sturphy

[PatsFanCT]

Have people been getting tickets?

 

So it's bluetooth in the car, eh?

 

I don't know anybody who actually got a ticket, but I know plenty that should have.

[Sturphy]

I don't know anybody who actually got a ticket, but I know plenty that should have.

[Kid Cid]

One thing that has already freaked me out was a couple lights that I came to where I was making a left-hand turn, and when my light turned red... the oncoming light was still green, apparently, because traffic was still coming. It's weird sitting in an intersection on a red light, and waiting for oncoming traffic to get a red light too.

 

I'm really not sure I understand the point of that?

 

Also, I noticed that in the area I'm about to call home, they only have traffic lights suspended above in the intersection, none on a post at the side of the road. So, if you pull up to where the line is, or where it says "wait here", you have to crane yer neck to see the light above you. I learned quick to stop a little earlier.

It's called a stop bar. make sure you can see it on the ground in front of your car or you won't be able to see the light. Oh and about turn signals. They just give away your next move. Don't bother.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Kid Cid

[Big John]

One thing that has already freaked me out was a couple lights that I came to where I was making a left-hand turn, and when my light turned red... the oncoming light was still green, apparently, because traffic was still coming. It's weird sitting in an intersection on a red light, and waiting for oncoming traffic to get a red light too.

Does the oncoming traffic have a left-turn arrow for this? Some states still engage the protected left-turn stage after/end of the green phase ("lag arrow") rather than the usual beforehand ("lead arrow").

[AtomicCEO]

Of course, there's the fine line between not driving slow, and being surrounded by speed traps.

 

Yes, this is the essential irony of speeding in New England. The speed limit is usually 55, everyone drives 80, and the cops set up speed traps everywhere and hand out tickets to anyone driving over 70. There is no way to avoid it. You will get speeding tickets. Consider it a state tax on drivers.

 

In Boston, when you put on your blinker to change lanes, you are essentially telling the car behind too make room because here you come.

 

In my exerience, if you put on a blinker, anyone who sees it will say "Not today, Chachi", and close the gap to block you out. Never signal until you are already moving into the other lane. This is a NASCAR race with staggered starts and stops, and anytime anyone gets in front of you, you lose points. If you tell somewhere where you are about to go, you are taking away your advantage of surprise.

[McBoog]

Yes, this is the essential irony of speeding in New England. The speed limit is usually 55, everyone drives 80, and the cops set up speed traps everywhere and hand out tickets to anyone driving over 70. There is no way to avoid it. You will get speeding tickets. Consider it a state tax on drivers.

 

 

 

In my exerience, if you put on a blinker, anyone who sees it will say "Not today, Chachi", and close the gap to block you out. Never signal until you are already moving into the other lane. This is a NASCAR race with staggered starts and stops, and anytime anyone gets in front of you, you lose points. If you tell somewhere where you are about to go, you are taking away your advantage of surprise.

 

 

I think this has spread everywhere!

 

I actually think that when I "drive nice" I put myself in more danger because it freaks other people out and they are not expecting someone to cut others some slack. It seems like half the time when you are cool to folks, you don't get a "thanx" wave or they end up driving 15 MPH below the speed limit.