Ep. 074 - A Tale of 10 Cities: James Goes Back to Connecticut

Weighing the Pros and Cons of Living in Connecticut After Visiting 10 Charming Towns

After traveling over the past year visiting small towns across America, James and Denise have narrowed their search to the great state of Connecticut. Its beauty and charm are undeniable after James’ recent visit to over 10 different towns and cities in the Constitution State. From Guilford to Newtown and Brookfield, Connecticut offers beautiful waterfront access, autumn foliage, farmer’s markets, trails, history and more – all within reach of major metro areas. What’s not to love?

In this blog, we’ll break down James’ travels across Connecticut to showcase all it has to offer for those considering a move there. We’ll also examine some of the drawbacks and realities of living in CT that need to be weighed when deciding if it’s the right fit.

The Allure of Connecticut’s Small Towns

James starts by recounting his time spent in South Windsor, located just 10-15 miles outside of Hartford. He found it to be pleasant yet suburban, comparing it to having a Panera and Target on every corner. Next was James’ visit to Candlewood Lake, nestled between idyllic towns like New Fairfield, Brookfield and New Milford. Each offered autumn charm with changing leaves and farmer’s markets, plus trails, fishing, and history tracing back to Native Americans.

Of all the towns, James proclaimed his favorite to be Brookfield with its 16,000 residents providing just enough small town feel without being too sleepy. The lifestyle is clearly geared towards families looking for access to nature, boating on Candlewood Lake, and enjoying community events on the charming town green.

So what exactly makes Connecticut stand out over other potential hometowns for James and Denise? Proximity and access. Many of these beautiful towns James explored are within reach of major cities (just 55 miles to NYC!), while maintaining acres of trees, rivers and historical charm. The couple also favors homes with 2,500+ square footage on 1-2 acre lots, preferably in the $400K-$700K range. James discovered several options fitting the bill in towns like New Milford and Brookfield.

Other Highlights and Considerations Around Living in CT

Beyond features of the homes and towns themselves, James and Denise also enjoy digging into topics like crime rates, school systems, outdoor recreation and general quality of life. For them, low poverty rates and access to nature are hugely important. James highlighted notable features like National bike trails passing through Newtown and over 120 miles of hiking trails in nearby Pootatuck State Forest.

As frequent critics of America’s gun laws and culture, the couple also weighed in on considerations around gun ownership and accessibility in Connecticut...especially given the painful history of the Sandy Hook tragedy. It sparked an important debate around balancing gun accessibility with mental health support and preventing future violent attacks. While views differ greatly in this arena, it’s a significant issue for any family determining where to put down roots.

Lastly, James explored the dating scene in Connecticut which predictably led to entertaining debate around the pros and cons of dating apps! Let’s just say James and Denise have very different preferences when it comes to making IRL connections vs. swiping left or right. But they both agreed today’s youth could seriously use some help building interpersonal skills to find companionship beyond their phone screens!

The Bottom Line on Connecticut Living

After all was said and done, James walked away with an ever greater fondness for what Connecticut has to offer. In his view, it remains firmly atop their list of hometown options after visiting Florida, Wisconsin, Oregon, Wyoming and more over the past year.

Like anywhere, Connecticut certainly has its disadvantages too. The cold weather may be a turnoff for some looking to escape harsh winters. And there are definite contrasts between the lively metropolitan areas vs. the sleepy, small town feels even within the same state. Home prices and taxes also trend higher than other regions on the Skip Town tour.

But at the end of the day, the natural beauty, village charm, access to cities and range of home options checks nearly all the boxes for James and Denise. Would they fit right in with the locals sporting “Come and Take It” 2nd amendment tee shirts? Perhaps not. But for this couple looking to put down roots in a small town to call home, Connecticut remains a top contender.

5. 10 Fun Facts About Connecticut:

1. Connecticut is home to the first public library in the U.S., established in 1731.

2. The first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, was launched in Groton, CT in 1954.

3. The Frisbee flying disc was invented in Connecticut by Yale students in the 1950s.

4. Mystic Pizza in Mystic inspired the hit 1988 movie of the same name starring Julia Roberts.

5. Basketball was invented in 1891 at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts by James Naismith who was born and raised in Connecticut.

6. The lollipop was invented in New Haven, CT by George Smith who trademarked the name in 1931.

7. The first American pizza with clams was created in 1925 by Frank Pepe at his famous pizzeria in New Haven.

8. The first telephone book was issued in February 1878 in New Haven, which only included 50 names.

9. Yale’s residential college system served as the model for Hogwarts’ houses in the Harry Potter series. J.K. Rowling’s husband worked at Yale when she was developing the books.

10. The Erector Set was created and manufactured in New Haven by Alfred Carlton starting in 1913, which popularized the construction toy.

6. 10 Real Estate and Lifestyle Facts About Western Connecticut:

1. The median listing price for homes is $339,000 in Danbury, $420,000 in Newtown and $599,900 in Brookfield as of November 2022. 

2. Top employers and industries around Danbury include technology, aerospace, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Several large corporations are headquarters there.

3. Western Connecticut near Candlewood Lake is within commuting distance to New York City, about a 55 mile drive. This brings higher home prices but access to more job options.  

4. The Candlewood Lake area is known for world-class fishing (trout, bass, perch, etc), boating, swimming in the summer and ice skating in winter months.

5. Low poverty rates around 7-9% in towns like Brookfield, New Milford and Newtown indicate general economic health and opportunities. 

6. Newtown scored an exceptional 10/10 on Niche’s scale rating public school district quality. 80-90% of students test as proficient in core subjects. 

7. The violent crime rate is markedly low across Western Connecticut at just 2.5 per 1,000 residents on average. Danbury is slightly higher at 4 per 1,000. 

8. 120+ miles of trails span through woodsy parks like Pootatuck State Forest providing plenty of hiking and mountain biking options.

9. Colonial history and charm abound with many locations playing a role in the Revolutionary War and Underground Railroad.

10. New England autumn is spectacular around Candlewood Lake with peak foliage spanning September to November depending on the weather.