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HartfordResident t1_iwrggfh wrote

Downtown Hartford is a wreck these days. You might consider commuting in from a suburb or a neighborhood like the West End of Hartford. Areas like Blue Back Square are pretty walkable, though they have a clear suburban strip mall type feeling to them, in my opinion. Manchester is one area that's a bit more authentic feeling but it's farther away.

If you want to live in a thriving city/downtown, you might consider living in New Haven and taking the train to Hartford, especially if you'd be able to have a hybrid schedule where you don't have to do the commute all 5 days of every week. There's a nice commuter rail service now. You'd have all weekend and every evenings in a good-sized walkable city, and that might be worth it even if the 35 minute train ride is a drag.

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BusinessCat85 OP t1_iwrh2jo wrote

Dang that's crazy. Trains are foreign to me, I dont know anything about logistics up there. My big fear of having a commute is driving in snow. Im not 100% sure on my schedule, but if it is hybrid there is no reason to live all that close. Thanks for the insight!

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HartfordResident t1_iwrhb23 wrote

A lot of people who work in Hartford live outside the immediate Hartford area, in places like New Haven, the other shoreline towns, Western Massachusetts (Northampton is nice), etc., even towns closer to NYC. The nice thing about New Haven would be the direct train service since it's much more relaxing and cheaper than driving.

If you have to work in Hartford 5 days per week in person though I'd understand why you would want to be close, and would recommend some of the neighborhoods within Hartford itself, but maybe not downtown. It's pretty desolate these days.

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BusinessCat85 OP t1_iwrhpin wrote

Thats blowing my mind about the trains. I rode a train once in my life. Im used to 45 min-hour long commutes. If I dont have to work in office everyday I could do an hour commute no prob. One thing I am used to from Texas is long drives hehe.

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HartfordResident t1_iwrhsx0 wrote

Connecticut has great trains!

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BusinessCat85 OP t1_iwri57k wrote

Im gonna be googling the trains for the rest of the day. I have this vision of taking a train to NYC or Boston for a fun day trip. I cant wait to see all the history and cool stuff. My first stop will be Mark Twain museum!

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HartfordResident t1_iwrjsq8 wrote

Cool. One of the other nice things if you choose to live south of Hartford is being able to take the train to NYC on a lark anytime, to catch shows or just walk and bike around, even just to pop into the city for dinner. The trains from New Haven to NYC run more or less 24/7, sometimes as often as every 15 minutes. Less doable from Hartford because the trains don't run quite as late and you have to switch in New Haven, but you could do weekend trips now and then.

Not sure if you've been to NYC but it's better than all the other large cities in the United States combined.

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BusinessCat85 OP t1_iwrkcif wrote

I havent, I have been walking around with google maps all morning! I had to learn the 5 boroughs. What I want to know.. is where can I get this famous NY pizza I keep hearing about. I have this strong desire to watch the Disney movie Oliver and Company LOL

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HartfordResident t1_iwrklr8 wrote

If you're looking for pizza, you really never have to leave New Haven, but it's fun to walk around Brooklyn and try the different pizza places there that get good reviews too.

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dpistachio t1_iwtatmv wrote

I took the train from Hartford to NYC a few weeks ago. Little tight, only had four or five hours in the city, but absolutely doable. Have fun!

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