I agree Joan, I would live in those places too - or Ridgefield (although that doesn't qualify as a city does it!)

Anon,
Thanks for the reply.
Maybe you are judging CT a little too harshly based on your experience in Hartford. I have lived in CT all my life, but I can count on one hand the number of times I have been to Hartford.

RE-reading your posts it seems you were bashing CT cities and not all of CT, which is a little more fair than bashing all of CT.

Mo,
You broke the code. I am not bashing all of CT, just the cities. I wish I could afford to live in Farmington...
btw, you need to go to the Farmington Antiques Weekend sometme!

sorry it took me so long anon. I think that some of the negative vibe from this board is starting to rub off on me. There is so much hostility here, that I am beginning to see it even when its not there (and I have only been active on this board for a little while)!

In Hartford, all of the burnt out buildings have been torn down over the past few years. Crime is way down, as well. Hartford also has a symphony orchestra and at least two of Hartford's suburbs have their own symphony orchestras. There is also Hartford Stage. The city has a great economic base and a regional population of about 1 million--you should see the size of some of the homes going up in the suburbs of Avon, Simsbury, and Glastonbury.

To Joan and Mo: Westport, Stamford and Ridgefield are all pretty much suburbs of NYC.

Then I guess I should call myself a New Yorker istead of a Connecticutian (I know I must have spelled that wrong). O don't live in the towns mentioned, but I do live in Fairfield County. While I agree that many people commute to the city from the suburbs, we are still in CT.

Sorry, "I disagree" but Ridgefield is hardly a suburb of NYC.
It's remote, completely buried in thick woodlands, and feels almost rural.
It's one of the first areas beyond Westechester which feels truly remote, and is much more reminiscent of the upper Hudson valley than Westchester.

I believe the term is "Nutmegger"--it's the Nutmeg State (don't ask me why). I, for one, am glad that you folks in Fairfield County live here, even if you commute to NYC. First of all, you tend to vote Republican bringing some moderation to this otherwise liberal state and second you pull the average income of CT way up so that the rest of the world thinks that anyone who lives in CT is loaded--we are consistently ranked #1 or #2 in average income.

And back to Jodi's question...
Best: Burlington, VT., Concord and Portsmouth, NH, Portland, ME, Boston and Providence.

Worst: Any CT city, Springfield, Lawrence, MA, Nashua, NH.

jmho

Ok, ok, a. You are right in that Ridgefield is pretty remote but it is certainly not a city, the subject of this thread and it is in Fairfield County. People commute to NYC from as far away as Pennsylvania because the living close is so darn expensive and I am sure there are a few in Ridgefield that do the same.

I invite anyone that thinks CT is so terrible to try life in Farmington (htfd suburb) or the greenwich area, stamford, trumbull, darien.....if you can't like it there you can't like it anywhere. best houses (along with NJ,parts of NY), schools, shopping, dining, in the US.

Anon, here's my list (cities only, not suburbs):

Burlington, VT
Northampton, MA
Portsmouth, NH

Nashua, NH actually has some pretty nice sections and good cost of living although the downtown is kind of dumpy.

Same goes for Portland, ME--many commute from smaller surrounding towns.

Lowell belongs on your worst list.

Providence has some nice things going for it but it has a way to go.

Boston, if not for the traffic, the liberal government and the cost of living is rich with lots to do.

No offense but I'll pass on the NE. Harsh winters, high property taxes, high cost of living, and traffic out the wazoo to begin with.

Two more worst cities:

Fall River, MA
New Bedford, MA

Gee, sounds like I'm bashing Massachusetts now, doesn't it?

Don't forget Albany/Schnectady/Troy, NY--depressing and cold.

Nashua, NH was twice named Best City in America by Money magazine.

It is clean, has a low crime rate, is close to Boston, the seacoast, and mountains.

Two new high schools, a tremendous rebuild of the highway makes travel easy.

The downtown is far from shabby and is undergoing a wonderful rebirth.

No income or sales taxes, etc...

Sue: You're also missing out on good education, better culture, and an interesting ethnic mix. Plus, not everywhere in the northeast has harsh winters (have we forgotten PA & NJ?), high property taxes, and heavy traffic.

Better culture than where? The NE is a large area. No, I'd rather not live in Pennsylvania or heaven forbid, New Jersey.

Jodi: Come to Philly. You'll find affordable living both in the city and many of its suburbs without the transient population. Many people who live in the city are from the area, and the area is much more affordable then the other NE cities, but with plenty to offer.

Sue, if I had a dollar for every person who said that about Jersey, you'd be shocked. Don't base your opinions on a state based on stereotypes. I see you don't mention where you're from, but you have to admit the culture in the NE is unrivaled.

Lane: you read my mind. Philly is exactly where I am headed. I'm in DC right now and i'm SICK OF IT. I went up to philly this weekend and LOVE IT. It's like a mini manhattan with a lower cost of living.

I'm from NE PA so this is the place for me. What are your favorite things about philadelphia?