The little things in CT

Submitted by DreadnoughtPoo t3_11allw7 in Connecticut

So other than people like me coming new to CT, what are the little things that are daily annoyances/intracacies that one should understand about CT living?

For example - here in CA it would be things like having to ask for a straw/napkins/condiments in certain counties at drive through restaurants (cannot be automatically given); $0.10 charges for each bag used at grocery stores; California Redemption Value (CRV) charges for bottles/cans at purchase; all gas powered lawn equipment will be banned for sale starting Jan 1, 2024, etc.

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DeskFan203 t1_j9thsar wrote

Your car will take a beating with the salt used on the roads.

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mmblondie16 t1_j9vu5lg wrote

I literally had to get the bottom frame of my car redone due to corrosion. I guess the type of car I have is known for that, but it’s also from the salt. Lesson learned- do, in fact get frequent car washes in the winter and pay the extra for the salt removal. $5k later 🙃

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memeaggedon t1_j9uyda7 wrote

Ya why the fuck did they put salt down this year when it snowed 2 times. So annoying

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Chemical_Ad7629 t1_j9v9qrq wrote

Salt isn’t for snow, it’s for ice. You don’t need snow for ice, we have had rain and freezing rain.

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gregra193 t1_j9st87a wrote

Walmart has no bags— no paper or plastic. Single use plastic bags are banned. Places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s have free paper bags.

Stop and Shop has gone a little heavy on inflation— seek out other grocery stores.

Bottle deposit is $0.05, increasing to $0.10 on 1/1/24. The bottles should be sorted between glass, cans, and plastic. Redemption centers take all bottles, stores only take brands they sell.

There is an annual car tax, you’ll get a bill in the mail. Don’t be fooled by the low cost to register a car— more costs are coming.

We don’t have tolls. If you’ll be driving more in NY, get a NY EZ Pass to save on bridge tolls. If driving more in MA, get a MA EZ Pass.

Choose a competitive supplier for electricity. Check EnergizeCT for details after you get your first electric bill.

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Limp_Stress4254 t1_j9ucht2 wrote

I bought a 12 pack of grape sodas at stop and shop and it was $10!! Crazy

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gregra193 t1_j9udmrh wrote

Just checked, Walmart is $7.88 for 12p Grape Fanta. They probably have Great Value brand but don’t list it online.

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littleA1xo t1_j9xfwbt wrote

stop and shop prices have gotten insane… soda was the first thing I noticed had got up a ton

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coastal_girl14 t1_j9xj0c1 wrote

S&S essentially costs the same as WFs now. Don't know about Shoprite or Big Y. I do know in Ffld County S&S better up their game (produce has been sucking wind) because Shop Rite is renovating (Canton store is my only reference for a reno'ed Shop Rite and it's really nice), Stews Leonards has a better selection, Wegmans is building a store, and TJs is much cheaper.

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Impossible_Watch7154 t1_j9szm7u wrote

The weather here is actually moderate this far north (41 degrees N) this is due to the proximity to the rapidly warming nearby Atlantic.

It can still get cold here for longer periods then in most of California.

Avoid Stop & Shop for grocery shopping- they are ridiculously over priced on many items.

There is less conspicuous consumption here then in the most populous parts of California. Although down on Connecticut's 'Gold coast' (Southwestern panhandle area) & parts of Fairfield county A level of snobbery is not pleasant to deal with sometimes.

All grocery stores and most retail charge 10 cents for a paper bag- there is no plastic. Walmart has decided in CT to make costumers bring their own bagging. (there is no option to buy a bag)

Grocery stores sell beer- that's it for now. They are trying to change this law for you to buy wine. Liquor can only be purchased in a 'package store' or other larger place like 'Total Wine'.

Marijuana dispensaries are opening throughout the state-so if you care to partake- it is easily available in the larger cities and towns. Prices are high.

Traffic here will be less congested than the heavier populated parts of CA- but can be frustrating at times. Many towns have archaic road patterns- that have existed back to the17th century.

Beware of ticks- in our rapidly warming climate they are a distinct menace- and can cause serious health problems. Take high precaution wondering into woods and grassy areas with out protection.

We have abundant wild life here despite being a heavily urbanized state- there are many bears, raccoons, skunks, foxes, deer, wild turkey, ground hogs- and two species of venomous snake- the eastern timber rattler and copperhead- both in a few isolated areas of the state.

The state is heavily forested- now is the stick season- so the only green you see are from evergreens. In summer the temperate deciduous forest covers the states hills and mountains. The greenness is beautiful. Autumns are still magical despite a changing climate.

Our shoreline (or coast) is more populated west of New Haven with some very 'toney' suburbs. East of New Haven there are smaller charming New England towns and pleasant beaches up to the Rhode Island state line.

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dubauoo t1_j9twpps wrote

Yup what a come back. At one point in time CT forests were almost all gone due to clear cut for pastures and crops. Now over 68% of the state of CT is forested. Thanks to forward thinking citizens.

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TheSecretAgenda t1_j9ue7tw wrote

Thanks to our shitty rocky soil, most farms were abandoned.

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dubauoo t1_j9uerdg wrote

Glacier till, up and down the coast. But the CT river valley has some fine soil. It was and is still used to grow finishing tobacco !

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TheSecretAgenda t1_j9ujqfy wrote

They built houses, office buildings and strip malls on that.

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dubauoo t1_j9vm8cp wrote

“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot”

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woodstove7 t1_j9v2tvr wrote

Annoyances? Focus on them and that’s all you’ll see. I love Connecticut. Grocery stores are well stocked. The infrastructure is better than I’ve seen in other states- some roads suck but mostly pretty good. Gas stations abound. EV charging is improving. Regional differences aside most towns have a real good pizza joint. Most areas have a good local brewery. You don’t need to drive far to get a nice hiking area if you look. Focus on the positives and you’ll see more of them. I wouldn’t recommend focusing on the negative.

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DreadnoughtPoo OP t1_j9v33wc wrote

Totally agreed. I was more using my example of a n00b moving there as an annoyance being self depreciating and focusing on these things and intricacies of CT living.

Thanks!

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woodstove7 t1_j9v3qsh wrote

Welcome to CT. Hope you have a safe move. The only thing I can think of is the liquor store is kind of frequently referred to as the packy- short for package store. It throws some people off if they hadn’t heard it before.

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DreadnoughtPoo OP t1_j9vusi5 wrote

Thanks!

My father's from Dorchester, and even in CA has called liquor stores Packy's my entire life.

I got weird looks in school out here.

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DeconstructionistWax t1_j9t86p1 wrote

I like CT, but the roads and sidewalks are awful. The roads a terribly designed (left exits, lanes ending right before a turn/exit that direction forcing everyone to merge over right before). The stoplights are also terribly coordinated if even linked at all. Sidewalks seem to be nonexistent outside of core areas

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thesbaine t1_j9tfz51 wrote

>roads and sidewalks are awful

This is entirely dependent on what town you live in. Towns with higher quality tax bases are going to have better town roads/sidewalks, while towns with lower quality tax bases are going to have worse.

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Chemical_Ad7629 t1_j9vabfj wrote

Not half as bad as Mass. I hate driving through Westfield, their traffic engineers had to have been on drugs.

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FinnbarMcBride t1_j9v6x1y wrote

What surprises a lot of people who move here is the lack of county government. CT just has State and town government

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beaveristired t1_j9w1yrf wrote

Yes! This was going to be my comment. It throws people for a loop.

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littleA1xo t1_j9xg16l wrote

I work in real estate law and out of state firms have such a hard time understanding this one

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AlphabetSoupAllDay t1_j9tnmd1 wrote

Moved back from OR to CT recently. Biggest issues for me so far: — Deer ticks are out Year-round (especially this year due to warm winter). My dog has protection via Lyme vaccine and flea/tick medication but no Lyme protection for me. I can’t freely enjoy the outdoors in the same way I could in OR. — Mosquitoes and gnats are heavy in Summer months (much less buggy in OR and CA based on my experience) — Mentioned before: lack of sidewalks. It sucks to not be able to take long walks right outside my home or any place. Sidewalks vary and are not continuous. — Property taxes on house and vehicles can be crippling depending on what area you live. Though houses appear to be more affordable based on purchase price, check town tax rate to make sure you understand total monthly payments. Compared to OR, it is staggeringly high.

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chucklehound t1_j9uxgyl wrote

Also moved here from OR last year. Between taxes and energy costs, it feels massively more expensive to live here. But at least we're not on fire!

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glacialerratical t1_j9ucmjm wrote

There's a vaccine trial for Lyme going on right now. There were ads all over my FB and reddit a few months ago. Pfizer, I think. They may still be accepting volunteers if you're interested in that kind of thing.

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Calm-Ad8987 t1_j9wfjo0 wrote

The ticks!! Omg they have no bounds. I can't say the mosquitoes are anywhere near as terrible here (I'm sure this depends if you live swamp adjacent or not) as they were in parts of Oregon (looking at you mazama campground,) but those weee gnats & flies that like to fly directly into eyes here drive me nutso. I will say the spiders are much more reasonably sized here than they were in the PNW & not as flea ridden here it seems as the pnw

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LloydChristmas666666 t1_j9uzycc wrote

There’s good people in hartford and new britain. The surrounding suburbs are too scared to look people in the eye and say hello.

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Psychological-Dog112 t1_j9vfldo wrote

Gets really dark during winter. . . Get ready to be blinded by high beams non-stop.

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[deleted] t1_j9sqb39 wrote

I believe we share most of those things with CA. I can’t think of any inconveniences unique to CT, but I’m also not a home/business owner. I suspect they have more grievances than someone like me.

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Chemical_Ad7629 t1_j9va237 wrote

It’s really inconvenient trying to decide which pizza joint to order from. When my family gets together we end up having to order from multiple places cause everyone has their favorite.

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[deleted] t1_j9vaqgd wrote

You must live by the coast, then. We don’t have that issue in central CT.

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[deleted] t1_j9vex0v wrote

I live on the coast, I fucking hate all the pizza here. Can't stand how flaccid and tasteless it all is, I genuinely prefer store bought boxed pizza. Or Domino's.

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Arkris_21 t1_j9vp3wf wrote

Bruh the lack of quick access to things, modern conveniences, over-staturation of mid Italian food, roads that haven't been updated for modern cars, electric/ gas companies almost charging double the national rate. What id give for more modern out here.

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QuantGeek t1_j9tm6mo wrote

In the absence of major league pro sports teams, parents live vicariously through their kids' competitions. Pee wee soccer and little league baseball are absolutely cut throat. You've got parents who work at Pratt or Sikorsky building wind tunnels so their Cub Scout can win the Pinewood Derby. And don't get me started about college admissions -- parents will rub it in your face if their offspring gets accepted to an Ivy. Only in CT do you get "Your son got an 800 on the Math SAT? Why didn't you force him to go to MIT?"

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StevieMac97 t1_j9u5933 wrote

I work at Pratt. We're not all like that. My daughter's a 17 year old pot head. 🤭

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tuss11agee t1_j9utt01 wrote

This is a stereotype. Sure, there are nuts. But there are nuts everywhere. Youth sports problems are not a CT thing, they are an everywhere thing.

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QuantGeek t1_j9vkol9 wrote

Not all stereotype. I have personally experienced some of what I wrote.

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tuss11agee t1_j9vz923 wrote

That’s not how stereotypes work. Just because you experienced something doesn’t mean it’s always like that or is the norm.

“I saw a black person commit a crime” turns into “black people are criminals” using your logic. You are stereotyping, and stereotypes should be called out. If you want to share experiences, then share them. But don’t label massive amounts of people while doing it.

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QuantGeek t1_j9wxpu9 wrote

Stereotypes are widely used oversimplifications. It is not a simplification if I accurately write about something I experienced. So I am sharing MY experience. Some minor points were generalized to obscure my identity.

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tuss11agee t1_j9uuifj wrote

Compared to CA - Places aren’t connected by freeways / 4 lane or 6 lane state roads. Sure, to get across the state or between cities, you use the highway system. But largely, travel tends to be on 2 lane town/city roads that, as my cousin from NC once told me, feel like “tree tunnels”.

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Psychological_Buy385 t1_j9w497l wrote

Time for the people commenting to all state their towns or cities. Go.

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itsNurf t1_j9vam5v wrote

Left Lane is for Passing.

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SixToesLeftFoot t1_j9vbwy7 wrote

But it’s not. Only on two lane roads (Merritt, for example). Three or more lanes in the same direction all lanes are travel lanes.

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itsNurf t1_j9vixo4 wrote

But it is... it's literally the law

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SixToesLeftFoot t1_j9vjave wrote

But its not the law. The law states the opposite.

CGS 14-230(a)(4)

(a) Upon all highways, each vehicle, other than a vehicle described in subsection (c) of this section, shall be driven upon the right, except …. (4) on a highway divided into three or more marked lanes for traffic

If it’s three or more lanes, then that falls under exception.

Three lanes or more, they are all travel lanes.

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itsNurf t1_j9vkp3n wrote

Sec. 14-230. Driving in right-hand lane. (a) Upon all highways, each vehicle, other than a vehicle described in subsection (c) of this section, shall be driven upon the right, except (1) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, (2) when overtaking and passing pedestrians, parked vehicles, animals or obstructions on the right side of the highway,

Literally says driven in the right unless passing. I'm not going to continue this convo. I know the state police are pulling people over for traveling in the left lane who are not passing. I've literally witnessed this numerous times on the merrit and 95

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locke0479 t1_j9w6mwu wrote

But you stopped short of #4 which is what the other person is sharing. And I have to ask, how do you know what the reason is for pulling them over? Like you can make an assumption but unless you were in the car with them, how would you know why they were pulled over? Feels more likely it was speeding.

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SixToesLeftFoot t1_j9vndm3 wrote

You (conveniently) stopped short of the part (b) exception of subsection (4). The part where it states.

except …. (4) on a highway divided into three or more marked lanes for traffic.

I'll put the whole thing here. you know, for the, um, other people that might not find it on their own.

CT Gen Stat § 14-230 (2012)

(a) Upon all highways, each vehicle, other than a vehicle described in subsection (c) of this section, shall be driven upon the right, except (1) when overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, (2) when overtaking and passing pedestrians, parked vehicles, animals or obstructions on the right side of the highway, (3) when the right side of a highway is closed to traffic while under construction or repair, (4) on a highway divided into three or more marked lanes for traffic, or (5) on a highway designated and signposted for one-way tr

​

AND, I'll toss in subsection (C) (which is the only ones not listed above) in case someone believes that its them.

(c) Any vehicle which exceeds the maximum width limitations specified in subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of section 14-262 and operates on an interstate highway with a special permit issued by the Commissioner of Transportation under the provisions of section 14-270, shall be driven in the extreme right lane of such highway, except (1) when such special permit authorizes operation in a traffic lane other than the extreme right lane, (2) when overtaking and passing parked vehicles, animals or obstructions on the right side of such highway, (3) when the right side of such highway is closed to traffic while under construction or repair, or (4) at such locations where access to or egress from such highway is provided on the left.

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Pancrat t1_j9vmmni wrote

If you want to have a good time, gonna have to involve drinking.

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DreadnoughtPoo OP t1_j9vtfxx wrote

I'm a 43 years old married father of 3.

What's a good time?

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PaulterJ t1_j9w25wa wrote

That's sounds like a great time to me!

Also 43 & have 2

We have alot of great fishing if that's your thing.

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STODracula t1_j9x09m1 wrote

Going to GameCraft arcade after the kids are asleep if you live close to it.

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LoveIsLove75 t1_j9wra0z wrote

No real Chinese food. The food up here is for the “chicken and broccoli” crowd. Having to drive to Queens when I have a hankering is annoying.

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bunkerbash t1_j9wuz5l wrote

Get yourself some very good dehumidifiers because the summer humidity will fuck you up. We live at the top of a hill and have no issues with leaks or flooding and still have to rub humidifiers in our basement and garage to keep the mold at bay.

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friedchicken_2020 t1_j9wzsi8 wrote

It depends on what part of CT you live in. Someone in Bridgeport is going to have a much different experience than I would in the quiet corner.

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EuphoricPop3232 t1_j9xckj9 wrote

I just moved back to CT after living in Cali for 8 years myself! They are very different states but I think CT is so beautiful.

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Environmental_Log344 t1_j9ybmuz wrote

The food in CT is not consistently as fresh as CA, esp veg. We have seasonal fruit and veg but in winter everything is from elsewhere. Our food in general is heavier and we have more overweight people, lol, since the weather makes us want to hibernate. And everywhere in CT, people talk about the weather non-stop, no matter if it's hot or cold, and obsessively watch the weather to comment about it.

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Few-Information7570 t1_j9ypoy9 wrote

Car tax maybe. Otherwise the East and West coast probably have the same ish laws.

The best I’ve heard the difference in people described is that a Californian will be very nice if you have a flat tire but will not help. A north-easterner will curse you out for being a moron while changing said flat tire.

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saddamwh0sane t1_j9wnnqf wrote

Ca ppl fit in great with the uptight snobs in ct, also leave your sense of humor

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alienwarezftw t1_j9vqn3l wrote

The examples you gave is why im getting tf out of the west coast so tired of the green intitatives that still allow companies to do whatever they want and affect normal citizens more. Advice on best states to move on east coasts that don't have backward policies and will not ban gas which is so stupid.

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Sneaky-er t1_j9t6pmn wrote

Here in Connecticut you will pay more than in CA if you are a homeowner.

Here you must include heating cost (not in CA).

Your home will need to be power washed, painted, unkept every few years due to wear tear from seasonal changes.

Food is more expensive - I pay 1.50 for cilantro. Back home .50.

Different food demographics hot dogs reign supreme out east.

No CA franchises such as Jack in the Box, Carls Jr, Del taco, In & Out, Bakers, mom n pop burger shops - most burger joints ask here - how would you like your beef patty - rare, med rare, well done? Monster sized home made burgers.

Know the name of your rolls.

Don’t believe the weather men/women on TV - LIES!!!!

More crybabies out here painting a picture of crimes ridden Bridgeport when in fact is low poverty but safe and filled with many good hole in the walls.

If you can’t stand CA policies in capping gas emissions you may want to try Texas because Connecticut and California are not to far off in environmental friendly state policies.

Here in Connecticut you pay more for your vehicle. Pay for yearly registration, smog, and yearly tax on your vehicle based on its worth.

In Connecticut we pay additional cost not thought about in CA and adds up. It’s worth it IMO for living a magical forest, full of good nature people, less populated state.

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CaptainSolo80 t1_j9tz3w7 wrote

There was literally a shooting outside a night club in Bridgeport last month. In college my friends houses got broken into all the time, and they are ranked 3rd in the state for violent crime per population size in the state.

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uuuge t1_j9volmm wrote

I just paid almost $60 for a stapler and some AAA batteries from a local hardware store. CT is fucked.

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werd2828 t1_j9srlag wrote

High taxes

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Impossible_Watch7154 t1_j9sypkc wrote

we have a high quality of life and great local services on those high taxes- try living in a state with low state/local taxes- what do you get in return?

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jules13131382 t1_j9t1qkd wrote

CT is very segregated. People of color live in poverty with crime riddled neighborhoods. I can’t imagine what the children growing up in those areas are going through.

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Impossible_Watch7154 t1_j9t9t43 wrote

CT has one of the lowest rates of infant mortality. Children growing up in CT who are poor have the highest access to high quality health care

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jules13131382 t1_j9ylf2p wrote

White people want them to remain poor and segregated away from white people. It’s a weird gilded cage.

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Impossible_Watch7154 t1_ja3r703 wrote

lots of white people shafted by the New Gilded age of today- just like blacks and others.

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welcomebackjelly t1_j9u8rq6 wrote

It’s economic segregation not racial segregation. Go to a poorer state and all the colors live together because every neighborhood is affordable. I wouldn’t really call this a CT issue, I’d call it a byproduct of a wealthy state

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Dolamite9000 t1_j9tcx2v wrote

2nd this. I grew up here and it’s the kind of place where there might be only one or two families of color in an entire town. It’s a bit weird compared to other places.

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jules13131382 t1_j9tqyu3 wrote

I always get downvoted for commenting on what people of color face in this state. But thanks for your comment acknowledging this truth.

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Dolamite9000 t1_j9tzu7k wrote

You’re welcome. I think it’s something CT will have to contend with at some point. Even Boston is better in this regard and that’s got a lot of segregated spaces too.

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