Happy to help! Perhaps it seems strange to see New Haven listed as my first choice, I’ll share why. First, the food scene is incredible, best pizza hands down. Second it has a burgeoning biotech industry anchored by Yale, which compliments already strong Ed/med opportunities. Third it’s coastal so you get the charm that comes with that, and close proximity to decent beaches. Fourth it is a major transit hub, with easy and direct access to NYC and Boston. Fifth, there is a lot of recent press (including several pieces by The NY Times last year) about New Haven’s resurgence, focused around innovation, arts, etc. And New Haven metro is currently quite a bit cheaper than Fairfield county.

Best of luck!

I recently moved (last year) from Hartford to Minneapolis. Grew up in southeast CT, have lived around the northeast for various reasons (Long Island, Providence, western MA). Here are my observations.

Minneapolis/St Paul metro values the actual cities more than any CT metro. The best bet in CT for urban amenities in my opinion is New Haven, or possible Stamford. Hartford is behind those two but making progress. Think public transit, housing, nightlife, pride/attitude. Can’t speak for Bridgeport, Waterbury, etc. Unfortunately a lot of the CT metros favor the suburbs, though I think this is slowly shifting. So know that in CT a lot of things people do in their free time are in small, adjacent towns to the city.

What I’ve realized is that the northeast region is so diverse in recreation which is kind of amazing. Access to NYC and Boston, tons of coastline, large and small mountains for skiing and hiking, unbelievable food scenes. CT does have a little bit of all of this which is a plus. Minneapolis is an excellent city, just with worse weather, and some regional limitations. They make the most out of it for sure though as city life here (in my opinion) is really great and very livable. I’ve found the cost of living to be somewhat similar.

I really miss New England but also like Minneapolis so far. Before moving I would focus on job security. It’s incredibly stressful to have to look once you’ve moved, it’s a recipe for disaster. Hope this helps.

Pizzeria Sassano in Glastonbury. It’s excellent