Connecticut 3

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.