Beautiful country up there, the scenery is magnificent especially in the fall. And there area lot of old churches and older buildings that I love the architecture on. I understand that taxes are high though and there seem to be a lot of rural areas, so I guess no place is perfect.

CT has a lot of great things, but it's got a personality issue. It's unsure if it wants to be New York or Boston. Hartford's got the business, but lacks the citylife. Stamford and Bridgeport are New York's bigger suburbs. New Haven is the only decent city, though it lacks the corporations, but makes up for that with Yale University.

Home of the Psychopathic uptight right wing white man.  The state is ruled predominatly by Marty McGillicuddy shamrock-tatooed parochial pinheads and cousins of cement executives. Corrupticut.

Connecticut, for the most part, is a generic state that could be anywhere. It's not like upper New England at all. The housing is a mixed bag, and the cutesy historic areas are sparse. The rolling green hills remind me of Pennsylvania, but at least they are smart enough here not to have billboards along every highway. The restraint on billboards means less visual pollution and many roads are pleasant to drive. The CT cops are everywhere, probably because there is little crime outside of the depressed areas and the best way to bring in revenue is with speeding tickets. Culturally, there's not that much here compared to other areas. Hartford is the largest urban area, but I'd compare it more to a big town rather than a true city. It's dominated by the insurance industry and is comparable to Wilmington, Del. which is dominated by banking. The downtown area is only about 5 blocks and the surrrounding areas are rather depressed. There is no real diversity. The only areas with a racially mixed population are in the rundown areas of Hartford and towns like Bridgeport and Waterbury. Credit must be given for making natural resources available and the park system in Hartford has done a great job of planning events that are available to everyone. Connecticut is dotted with lakes and state parks. The beaches aren't the greatest, but the ones in the state parks have bath houses and other amenities. The people here are very sporty and enjoy boating, skiing and other outside sports. In the rural areas they can be rather hick as well. There are tons of Harley riders on the roads with the low class mentality that brings. Connecticut has a reputation as a rich and well-educated state, but you couldn't tell it by looking. UConn is the revered public university, but the student body is nearly unanimously young, white and from the surrounding areas. It lacks diversity in age and ethnicity. The people here are friendly enough, but they have a very narrow outlook on the world because of their limited experience.

I live in Ct. and I really do enjoy living here.. I am almost 25 years old and have lived here for my whole life. I like Ct. because their are a lot of things to do and a lot of diversity. Much more diversity than the other New England States and the school systems are amazing. The weather is somewhat stable.. no real natural disasters that you need to worry about..The only thing is that I believe the stereotype of of people being rude is somewhat true. People are very stand offish and can be quite snooty.. not everyone is but I do notice it... Even when I went to Vermont I noticed such a huge difference. People actually opened doors for you and would wave hello to you.. here in Ct. you basically just get the finger.. The cost of living is ridiculously high and for younger people to buy a house is almost impossible.. the towns are extremely expensive to live in and a lot of towns are almost becoming little Beverly Hills towns. But in all I really do enjoy the state because it has beautiful country.. quiet places and also at the same time a lot of things to do.

I have not seen much of the state, as I only been through it for a few hours, and stopped once at a gas station in the northeastern portion of the state after Hartford and before we entered the Boston area. The scenery was pretty and hilly as we entered the state from NY on I-84, and got less intersting as we drove through the state. Traffic was backed up a bit during rush hour in Hartford, but the drivers did not seem as bad as Boston and traffic was not as bad as many other cities in the region. If I have a good reason to come here or am taking a road trip in the Northeast again, I would be happy to see more of Connecticut, but there are many more places I would rather visit.

One of the richest states in the usa,Ct is visually one of the most beautiful places if ever seen. My family lived here about 3 years when I was in High school. We moved here from the east of England where its damp and cool most all the time,and I remember freezing to death the first winter iin Connecticut.  My dad loved living here because his cost of living he got from his job almost doubled! the locals for the most part keep to themselves and to the outsider it may seem like they are being rude and aloof,but really most of the time it;s just an edge they have.

Connecticut, the state I can never spell correctly. If Ive learned anything from living the past 4 years in CT, its that theres good and bad everywhere. I grew up in Michigan, which despite its gloomy economy (and winters), has some exceptionally beautiful areas and friendly people. With that background, Ive had some difficulties with CT. Ill be as honest, and fair, as I can. CT is such a hybrid of things its hard to rate it at all. It is beautiful geographically hills, winding roads, streams, the ocean. There are plenty of things to do and places to see. Its a great jumping off point to explore New England so many places worth seeing no more than a few hours drive. The hiking trails are incredible. Every town has its own character and peculiar charm, something thats missing in the Midwest. Thats what I love about it, and will miss when I leave. Culturally it has a lot of variety. Its a mish-mash of small towns like Chester and cities like New Haven, some ok, others very grimy. Which leads me to what I dislike about it. Its very crowded here (except for the quiet corners and upper interior towns like Colchester). The highways are ridiculous and the drivers are seriously the worst Ive ever seen. Rushed and rude. Not everyone but a lot more people than Michigan. Connecticut people, and Im just being honest, are not friendly overall. There are snobby people, sure, but thats the case everywhere Im afraid. I just mean people on the street you say hello to and they stare back at you blankly. They also seem to have a very dry sense of humor, not off-beat at all. Some are loud but not really interesting. The cost of living is VERY HIGH. The state has one of the largest rich-poor gaps in the country. My fiancée and I have jobs each earning about $45,000/year. Not great but not shameful. Yet all we could afford here is a then-rundown $179,000 ranch house, and thats the best deal we could find. A basic 3-bedroom ranch or Cape Cod will run you anywhere from $215,000-$280,000 depending on where you live. A basic two-story house is in the $300-400K range. Property taxes are high. If you can afford to live here and dont mind the hustle and bustle, its lovely. But for me, Im sick of it. Mostly because of the people. They tend to be very into themselves and feel superior to any place outside of New England. Many travel to Florida, but few have been further west than Pennsylvania. Most of the country is deemed flyover states. So its like its own mini universe. If you love it, you love it. If you hate it, you hate it. I love and hate it. Like I said, theres good and bad everywhere. I dont want to move back to Michigan but I guess I just prefer a slower pace of life without so many arrogant and rude people. The economy is strong here and can withstand more of a recession than most states, but its also a place where regular people have to struggle to find affordable housing.

Connecticut just doesn't interest me as a state that much.  There seems to be a lack of attractions: no real shoreline beaches, no amusement parks, etc.  The scenery is nicer towards the mountains in the northwest part of the state.  All the large cities in CT have seen better days.  It's okay though.

I just spent the weekend in Eastern Connecticut and really enjyed the place. Towns like Old Saybrook, Essex, Mystic and Guilford really capture that vintage and quaint New England charm. In Essex there is a nostalgic 1920's steam train that makes a scenic journey up around Deep River and drops you off at a landing on the Connecticut River for a river cruise which gives one the oppurtunity to take in the gorgeous scenery of rolling green hills and historic landmarks like Gillette Castle & the Goodspeed opera house. Eastern Connecticut has a lot of appeal with the previous stated attractions, a nice shoreline on Long Island sound, Mystic Seaport, and probably the best tribal casinos in the country (Foxwoods & Mohegan Sun). Lots of liitle towns with historic character and lovingly restored old homes.

Other parts of the state are a bit different like Fairfield county which  pretty much resembles the Connecticut steriotype  with wealthy bedroom communities and commuter suburbs like Greenwich, Westport, & Darien. This is where one will find the Stepford wife image.

Yes Connecticut can be quite waspy but it has its grit & grime found in places too making the state more down to earth than one could presume. Cities like Bridgeport & Waterbury have seen better days with industry having left town, kind of a sad sight to see. New Haven is home to Yale so the immediate area surrounding the campus is attractive but most of the city unattractive. Hartford has an impressive skyline for a mid sized city but those unfortunate urban planning decisions of the 1950's & 60's have really taken a lot of charcter away from the city and downtown is pretty much just a financial area with not a whole lot of vitality and the city itself has a pretty bad crime rate. Hartford may come back to life one day as it has an ideal location 2 hours from both Boston & New York and also has some very desirable suburbs.

Throughout the state the landscape has lots of rollling hills. Some of the best scenery in the state is in the northwestern corner known as the "Litchfield Hills". Also in these parts are small towns with vintage New England charm. big rolling hills, covered bridges, tall white steepled churches, antique shops & small family farms are some of the attractions one will find here and this area is spectacular to see in the fall.

Overall I think Connecticut is a good state, its progressive, scenic, mostly educated, proseperous, & historic, all elements that make New England as a whole a great place.

I spent 4.5 years at college in CT.  There are some very beautiful locations in CT and it is especially scenic in fall.  It's nice for a visit, but I don't know if I'd ever aspire to live there.  Too cold in winter and I had a lot of allergies there.  I found Hartford to be a particularly boring town.  Not enough restaurants, shopping, or entertainment.  The alcohol regulations are very frustrating.

Connecticut is okay I guess.  I'm not that impressed at all by cities like Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport.  They don't have any real ocean either since it is all on the long island sound.  Seems to be either very poor or very rich.

This is not so much a rating as much as a query. I am planning to move to the Hartford area from IL: I have always preferred the East Coast in terms of scenery and general mindset. I visited last year and absolutely fell in love with the area, particularly around Farmington and West Hartford:  the rolling hills, the weather, the architecture (unique and not much cookie-cutter crap), as well as the sense of history. And yes, real estate prices: nowhere near as overpriced as where I currently live in the Chicago area--a place where a piddly house less than half an acre can set you back at least a million! Does anyone here know anything about West Hartford, Wethersfield, or Wolcott? What are city services like? Are these places tolerant of minorities?

My Connecticut sophisticated for the most- arts personified, enlightened people, well for the most part. Flaws- yes- but would I live in Tennessee? NO

Connecticut is overcrowded, the traffic is bad even in smaller towns, and the cost of living is too high. It also has some of the most ridiculous alcohol laws. The fact that you can't buy beer after 8:00 pm is ridiculous. I also had a 4th of July barbecue where everyone was limited to one beer because we tried to buy some beer, but found out that they don't sell alcohol on holidays either.

Moved to Connecticut from Virginia about 7 years ago...

I must say where I live along the coast of Connecticut, the climate is pretty mild. There are leaves on the trees about 8 months a year along the Connecticut coast. Snow fall usally turns to rain along the coast of connecticut. Summers are long and hot though.Also, the coast can get hurricanes. Locals told me that a hurricane in 1938 killed hundreds here.

Mary

Saw an interesting article recently that rated how dangerous various states are because of possible natural disasters or crime or whatever. The net-net was that Connecticut was calculated to be the safest place to live in the USA! I just moved south after 30 years there, and it was a great place to raise a family and be part of a vital community IF your family's breadwinner has a lucrative job. Mine worked in NYC so it was very convenient. But the six months a year when there are no leaves on the trees go VERY slowly. And in Fairfield County, the people are very status/money oriented. I don't miss it.

i have lived in connecticut my entire life... it was no choice for me to stay or go. i live in a tiny town in southeastern connecticut. yes mystic is gorgeous, but after a lifetime of summers there, give me a break. and how many saturday nights can i spend at the casinos? it gets old when you live here and that is the only thing to do. everything closes early and there is nothing around here for people of my age (18-25 year olds). me and my friends go to providence as much as we can so we can actually have a good time. at first glance connecticut might be "classy" or "elegant", but you have to see the real connecticut to get the gist of it. all the bad roads and bad neighborhoods. all the rich kids abusing drugs. it is a horrible state. and i go to college in new haven (unable to afford to get out for college) which a kid just got shot in a bad neighborhood. new haven is not shaping up at all. once i graduate i am getting out. better jobs outside this state. better way of life outside this state. too expensive for what connecticut actually gives back to you.

Just a weather word to the wise...

I moved down to southern Connecticut from New Hampshire...summers below Boston are hazy, hot and humid. Connecticut summers are much closer to summers in the mid-Atlatic than New England.

Also, Hurricanes can hit Long Island, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. A storm in the 1930's killed 1,000 people here.

Connecticut is much better then average state-
Comparing it to Florida or California is like comparing apples and oranges. All of New England is a 'nation' and in that nation there are differences. Connecticut is highly urban, compared to New Hampshire, Maine or Vermont. While Boston has more 'action' the people can be stuck up- to say the least, but its funny the natives are more friendly then the newcomers. Providence is a nice small city as well- which offers more nightlife- but it also tends to 'close rather' early. There are to be sure gritty landscapes in CT such as those in Groton or Hartford- however one must look below the grit and seemingly there is much to be found. A low crime rate, good schools, much culture, a pretty shoreline and coast, and affordable housing costs for its location (Fairfield county excluded). There is great diversity as well. Places like New-London/Groton are indeed known as a 'blue collar' area- EB is the reason for that, but go to the New Haven area- many professionals, or the greater Hartford area- again many highly educated professionals- or the Gold Coast- intellectuals abound. The state overall ranks in the top 10 for those at least carrying a B.A degree. If you are looking for a single man or womens mecca- with throbbing non stop excitement- perhaps this state does not offer that.

The people are not so friendly on the surface- but from the years I have been here they warm to you later on, and its not so hard to meet people that will remain your friend for years. No place is perfect. The Boston area which I love- has some of the worst attitude I have ever seen- and is very expensive. While Vermonters are not materialistic and will bend over backwards to help you. Coming back to Connecticut has been wonderful- just compare this state with quality of life issues (crime, education, human rights, worker safety, services for children and the elderly, consumer protection, womens and gay rights, protecting the envirionment) and complain may you will, the state is better then most.
For 'pure pop ratings', MONEY magazine voted 4 towns in Connecticut as among the best to live in nationwide- one was Tolland county-east of Hartford by 20 miles near the so called 'quiet corner' in eastern CT (rated #29) which has housing prices substantially below the national average. Others included New Milford (western part of the state) Colchester, and toney but super high cost Greenwich.

Traffic can be bad along coastal Connecticut (I-95). Just a word to the wise about the climate: Southern Connecticut and Long Island may have a semi nice climate 9 months a year, Hot and humid summers, cold winters and heavy rainfall, but Hurricanes have hit here several times. A storm in the 30's killed 1,000 people in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Long Island.

Connecticut is a BEAUTIFUL state! I remember the gorgeous and scenic rides my friends and I used to take up to the Lime Rock Racetrack. Now i'm stuck in this redneck cesspool otherwise known as Ohio for the past decade, since my wife is from here. You denizens of Connecticut don't know how good you have it, until you move to crapholes like Ohio!!!

Lived here for 32 years. It is either to cold or to humid. To Expensive. Bad roads. Lazy State Employees. The people are rude and there is nothing for children to do. IM moving West

I've lived in eastern CT for around 10 years. I moved from Oregon because I could't find anyone willing to hire me besides McDonalds. The BEST thing about CT is the abundance of jobs. I found a wonderful job here and am now doing my dream job of working from home, and making excellent $. The casinos in this area are ALWAYS hiring, and most of the jobs are very well paying. The downside of living in CT is everything else. The winters are horrible, that cold snap could last for months! The summers are horrible Hot, Humid, Disgusting! There is nothing to do besides go to the casino...There is nothing but Dunkin Donuts and pizza places. The taxes are crazy, the gas price is horrible, everything is crazy expensive! I'm starting to get ready for the move back to Oregon soon...

Have lived here about 8-years now. Lived in Southern Cal before. It was time to move out of Cal, crime, too many people, costs. But I love the ocean. So my choices were few. I live in a seaside town in eastern Connecticut. Its a great place to live. The eastern part of Connecticut is by far the best part of the state. Ramshackle beach cottages, clam shacks, and nice uncrowed beaches. House prices are still reasable in eastern Connecticut. I love the huge waves in Rhode Island (only 15 - min away)! And dont be fooled, the climate of coastal Connecticut and southern Rhode Island is mild. Temps are great 9- months a year, most of the snow turns to rain in eastern Connecticut/Rhode Island. People call Connecticut "New England", but this is not a true New England climate.

Have lived here about 8-years now. Lived in Southern Cal before. It was time to move out of Cal, crime, too many people, costs. But I love the ocean. So my choices were few. I live in a seaside town in eastern Connecticut. Its a great place to live. The eastern part of Connecticut is by far the best part of the state. Ramshackle beach cottages, clam shacks, and nice uncrowed beaches. House prices are still reasable in eastern Connecticut. I love the huge waves in Rhode Island (only 15 - min away)! And dont be fooled, the climate of coastal Connecticut and southern Rhode Island is mild. Temps are great 9- months a year, most of the snow turns to rain in eastern Connecticut/Rhode Island. People call Connecticut "New England", but this is not a true New England climate.

Connecticut is a fine state- that like the rest of New England strongly resembles Europe, compared to regions in the center of the country. There is great culture, sensible people, and despite the dense population lots of open spaces that are near great east coast urban centers, the seacoast, mountains and more.

Since moving to this state decades ago- I have found the people to be reserved but genuine. There is much in the way of amentities for those of all age groups- and a highly intelligent populace that is sophisticated and tolerant. As far as being 'left wing' the people of this small state seem to have had the right idea in 2000 and 2004 when they did not vote for the disastrous policies of Bush and the republican far right. And in the near future there will be more to pay in the economic follies of GW Bush- in any case.. If you want wide open spaces move to Wyoming or Montana- and live with the Zenophobes in those hell holes.

Pretty much eastern urban sprawl, but stay East of New Haven and you're ok. The little towns retain much of the New England charm.

I can't get out of this F**KING state fast enough!!! I am tired of all the bulls**t, high taxes, crime, corruption and the pretentious ultra-left wing liberals.

Gawd, I got out of this hippie hellhole as soon as I could. Best thing I ever did. Do they have ANYTHING to do yet? ....and then there's the corruption which rivals Chicago.

I used to live in MA and went to CT a lot. Some nice small towns in the east part of the state but overall, this state is not very exciting. Hartford is and always will be a DUMP, end of story. People are rude and stuck up here, everything closes early, too expensive etc. Nice to visit in the Fall for the leaf peepers but other than that, not much else, i never would live n CT.

My family moved from East Tennessee to Litchfield Hills Connecticut when I was seven years old. Twenty nine years and three children later, my husband and I now make our home in New Canaan and have no desire to move into something better because it doesn't get any better than this. The rolling hills, winding roads, quaint downtown and white steepled churches presents the quintessential New England atmosphere. The excellent schools, low crime rate, community events, church influence, and friendly neighbors who pitch in together for someone in need and keep watchful eyes on their neighbors children as they do their own creates a wonderful sense of community not that easily found these days. The fact that we are within 10 minutes of Long Island Sound, 45 minutes away from NYC, 1 1/2 hours from the Atlantic, and less than one hour from the Berkshile Hills (Litchfield -north)provides us a plethora of exciting weekend things to do before coming back to our small piece of heaven right here in New Canaan. Other areas of Connecticut have their share of wonderful attributes as well; but as for me, New Canaan and the Fairfield earn the entire state a five.

Connecticut has an envied quality of life that most states can only dream of. 'Ancient' cities and towns, great coastline and countryside, incredibly diverse, with much culture. In the many times I have been here, I have been impressed more and more. to AvalonMan96 I suggest you mature a bit- or better yet move to some hellholes in the deep south or perhaps live in pricey California. CT has a high quality of life- perhaps in the top five states in the country- I think you are too stupid/or young to see that- move to Oklahoma or Wyoming or Indiana- then you will meet 'stupid people'......

As somebody who has lived here their entire life, I have to say that Connecticut is a truly awful place to live. The taxes are insane, as are the gas prices. The state is also very overpriced to live in as well, with overexorbitant prices for a house that should've been demolished long ago. Most of the mid-sized and larger cities are cess-pools with numerous ghettos. The traffic is crazy no matter of what area or road you drive. The newscasters here are very high on this state too, I have no idea why, but I want what they're smoking. The weather here is crappy to, too much snow and cold in the winter, too much heat and humidity during the summer. The cost to own a car here are very high as well. Not only in gas prices, but also the car tax we have to pay year after year (based on falsified car values by the city), as well as high registration costs. Also the annoyance of UConn basketball fanatisism is quite tiring after a while. I live in the central part of the state which is very overcrowded, but the eastern part of the state is pretty nice, aside from the larger cities such as Willimantic and Norwich, and the casinos are a good daytrip, especially Foxwoods. These are CT's only saving graces, but otherwise the state is as lame as it gets. People who rate the state highly must never have lived (or even visited) here and are going on an idealized image of what they think Connecticut is like, when it is the total opposite. Cannot wait to get out of here.

Despite being one of the smallest and most densely populated states in the highly urban northeastern corridor, Connecticut offers forests, charming small towns and villages, and pastoral farm lands that are not far from sophisticated cultural amenities. Look into Putnam in the secluded northeastern corner for antiques and historic homes. Or check out the urban grit of New Haven- for Yale University and great places to eat. Litchfield in the quiet northwestern hills has a neat town center and green with white steeple churches and interesting shops. Mystic seaport and the southeastern coast offer historic sites and fine beaches- especially for a former Californian like myself. So much to do for visiting or living, yet close to everything. A very progressive state, that offers broad minded tolerance for all.

Blah! Blah! Blah! The home of Vince Mcmahon and his evil empire. The only good thing to come out of Connecticut was a band called the Miracle Legion from New Haven.

An under rated and unknown state to those living in the 'hinterlands' of the nation. Much charm and urbane sophistication (which is what one would one expect it to be- being between New York and Boston) Charming towns with greens and churches. Some grit also in Hartford and New Haven- but they are rebuilding and reinventing themselves. Much history. Great towns like Ivoryton and Litchfield. The Connecticut coast from the New York border to about New Haven is highly urbanized- and traffic along I 95 is at times tedious- but the lifestyle is sophisticated and the cultural haunts endless. The Connecticur river valley is also highly urbanized- but again the trip from town to country or shore is short. The eastern part of the state is an antique hunters paradise while being rural and peaceful While the states western hills are home to many entertainers. Costs are high for housing along the shoreline from New Haven to the New York border. There are also nice hills, winding roads with small towns, and some great beaches. Culture and art abounds- and there is great food. An educated work force. I have always enjoyed vacationing and visiting friends and relatives here.

Eastern Connecticut is very nice, it appeals to the image that most poeple have of New England, nice little towns, beautiful landscaps and friendly people. Southwestern CT is another story. It is mostly uppity bankers and corperate executives that work in Manhattan. Stepford was based on SW Connecticut. But there is no denying that it is the most educated, and as a result, richest state in the union.

My god, the traffic. . .that stretch of 95 must exist in hell.

If i could give it a zero i would. I hate it now beacuse act like it is nicer than New Jersey but it is not! New Jersey has a lot more attractions

Hartford is indeed a basket case- but change is slowly coming- and perhaps this old and historic state capital well again prosper- Hartford is surrounded by some very attractive suburbs- some of the best in the northeast- and the quality of life would put many areas of the nation in envy. New Haven is a city also rebuilding- with Yale as a center-this old city is making great strides. Eastern CT is a gem- and is slowly being discovered by Bostonians, New Yorkers and Californians with its small towns,quiet living, culture, wineries and history- its closeness to the sea and mild climate are among its many treasures. This state has issues-like slow job growth, some cities in stress, and at times a climate that is not pleasant-however the plus factors outweigh the negatives- and overall the state offers one of the highest qualities of life in the USA. The concept of old money and pretention is a falacy- for in this state there is wealth-but there also is incredible diversity- from rich and up and coming professionals- to new immigrants and gritty blue collar people of simpe means. Connecticut citizens by in large are a tolerant bunch- be they blue or white collar, old money or new money- or ethnically white, black,Latino or Asian- and tend not to judge quickly.

A state with much to offer- small but with an incredible amount lifestyle choices and with a laid back sophistication, that is not stuffy but inviting. Proximity to New York and Boston- along the great eastern seaboard corridor- offering broad minded tolerance. A beautiful shoreline- with rocky coves and sandy beaches- the eastern shore/coast nearly on the Atantic ocean, with points to the west on the peaceful Long Island sound. Lots of history, dating back to 1614. With many great places to eat- many ethnic cuisines available from Italian to Indian to Thai and more. New Haven and Hartford are rebuilding with new cities rising along riverfronts and harbors. Some great colleges- Yale of course- visit the famous campus in New Haven- and the great Yale Art Gallery. The Arts abound,and Connecticut is a progressive thinking populace, that looks out for the envirionment (very active in climate change)looks out for its elderly, small children, protects and encourages the arts.With rolling green hiils, sandy/rocky beaches before the sound and ocean and a long history. There is Relatively affordable housing (except for parts of Fairfield county- near NYC) Four easy seasons- that bring change and a soft light and color to the eye. And A mild climate for the latitude (offset by the temperate Atlantic ocean nearby) The state has much to offer. Great forests, beaches and state parks, museums of high caliber, and a genuine warm population. Can you find a more pleasant place to live -such as Branford, Kent or Norwich? The shoreline is wonderful- great seafood places, art galleries, and small peaceful communites. The cities? Look to New Haven- rebuilding- Yale, with art and theatre.or Hartford with the oldest public museum in the nation (the Wadsworth) - Visit the USS Nautilus in Groton, or Mystic Seaport and Aquarium. A state that has so much- that is overlooked. Anything but Yuppie (as is the stereotype) But gritty, colorful,quirky, tolerant, old and anything but vanilla.

Hartford is in fact in the process of rebuilding- and despite what some say- it has a prime geographic location - that many other cities would envy. To judge the whole state on the basis of Hartford is without merit. A visit to the shore, the peaceful northeastern 'quiet corner' or the northwest hills would seem to make a rating of 1 rather silly for this old and very distinquished state. Try visiting Yale in New Haven, or perhaps the British Museum of Art. I have spent time in this state- and despite the problems of Hartford and some other cities- it does not rate a One.

Hartford is a hole. The countryside is beautiful but I have never been in a more dead downtown, not to mention depressing. I have to give it a 1 to offset the myopic.

An old state, seemingly emersed in its culture- which dates back 400 years- Connecticut is both gritty and classy, without being stuck up, and it is extremely diverse. There are blue collar people from Bridgeport and Shelton mxing in with the blue bloods of Westport or Avon. There is something for everyone- What is cool is that there is a Broad minded population that refuses to judge. Cities of moderate size, great towns, forests and seahore along with an incredible abundance of arts and culture.

I live here now so I must give it a good rating. Northern CT is pretty with the small mountains. Eastern CT is ok. Southwestern CT is basically a suburb of NYC. Lots of huge, gorgeous homes and beautiful country curvy roads. People drive like a-holes here though. And traffic is almost always horrible-especially on I95, the Merritt, and downtown Stamford. The cost of living is outrageous too (not good like someone else said)...but the pay rate compensates somewhat. Overall, not a bad place...very close proximity to places like NYC, Boston, the shores of Rhode Island...lots of possibilities for day trips or weekend trips.

Doesn't really impress me, all of its cities are either rich yuppie bedroom xommunities for new york, or just lack anything. I guess in the more rural eastern and costal areas it would be nice though.

I was fortunate to visit Norwalk in Conneticut and New Port as well. After visiting New York where people were flat out rude, it was nice to visit a state that was green, peaceful and pretty laid-back and most of all friendly. I would definitely live there if given the chance.

Connecticut is full of great, out-of-the-way places. I've lived in Connecticut for my entire life and enjoy the quiet surprises of Windsor especially the hip feel and food at Centre Coffe Bar and excellent outdoor concerts at Advo/Summerwind. Some local info can be found at http://centrecoffee.com , http://windsorcc.org/wintour.htm and http://www.swind.org/