Moustang

I have an interesting dilemma here. The company I've been working for during the past 14 years is closing it's Texas offices which puts me out of a job. However, they've offered me the opportunity to move up to their US headquarters and take over their IT department there.


The problem is their US headquarters are located in Stamford, Connecticut, and I'm a bred, born, and raised Native Texan who has never lived anywhere else. While I've done a LOT of traveling in my time, (been to every state west of the Mississippi and south of the Mason-Dixon line, and 4 foreign countries) I've never been in the Northeast.


So, can anyone familiar with the area give me a little run-down of what it's like up there. A bit of info on the laws (I know my 30 round magazines for my M1 Carbine may be illegal), the climate (I hear they have this strange white stuff they call "snow"), the people (friendly, jerks, reactions to mixed-race couples, etc...) school systems, etc...


I'm trying to get a feel of what I would be in for while I entertain this offer.

ford20

Stamford isn't really that bad of a city and the people can be friendly and you are going to get the same mix of Jerks/Friendly that you would throughout the country I would imagine. I haven't really noticed or heard of people having issues with mixed-race couples like you further down south. Maybe not like it is in Texas, but Deep South style reactions I don't think you would find in CT especially in Stamford. There is more of a younger population that you can find in Stamford which has a great nightlife so if you are interested in that kind of stuff there is always plenty to do there. It is the biggest city in Fairfield County so it attracts a lot of the youth at night. I have more to write but I have a bunch of deliveries to make in the Stamford area so I will come back when I have time. Dmichaels I think lives in that area as well so he may know more about the specifics and such.

Moustang

Actually I find more racial division up north. In the north people seem to live in more segregated enclaves, not mixed together. A town or area is all white, or all black, or all hispanic, or all asian, there's very little blending between them. They live in their own segregated enclaves and people stick with their own. You may not have some of the outright racism that the Deep South has been known for, but it's anything but an integrated society.

Where I live in the Dallas area you find virtually none of that. There is a huge amount of racial diversity, and there are no clear enclaves or segregated areas. Where I live, the neighbor to the left of me is a Middle Eastern Muslim, the one to the right of me is Vietnamese. There are two African American families on my street and one that lives directly behind me, one house over. On any given day I hear at least 4 different languages spoken, and see store signs in English, Spanish, and a wide variety of Asian languages.

So people think nothing of it when they see me and my Korean wife together. In fact tonight my brother in law and his wife are in town and we're apparently going to be going out for Texas barbecue and Korean Karaoke, at the same place.


I'm approaching 50, so hanging out with a bunch of drunk college kids isn't exactly my idea of a good time. However, I'm sure having access to a bunch of rich college boys would be a dream come true for my teenage daughter.

What's the area around it like? I'm used to living 20 miles from my job. Wouldn't mind a bit of a commute if I could find a nice area. Of course that brings up the question of road conditions in the winter, something which I'm not used to worrying about.



Look forward to hearing it. The more I can find out the better. Just general BS info is worth tons to me right now.

Never thought I would be making such a potentially life changing decision, but the offer I was given is just almost too good to pass up. Retain my seniority in the company, take over the IT department, and around quadruple my current pay. But it also means taking me, my wife, and my daughter away from all our friends and family and everything we've ever known. It's a huge, life changing decision and that's hard to make when I know virtually nothing about where I would be moving to.


And I'll finally be able to answer that life long question of which is worse, a northern winter or Texas tornado season.

Mustang Freak

There are several CT TMS members here hopefully they'll reach out to you. Good luck with the move and the northeast ain't all that bad as you may think.

2k7gtcs

I think of you move New England you have to worship Tom Brady on Sundays and sometimes Monday's and Thursday's.

Moustang

Oh I already know it's going to be every bit as bad as I think.


When I got the offer the first thing I did was check their gun laws. Not property values, not school systems, not crime rates, none of that, it was to check the gun laws. And sure enough, I'm going to have to sell off about half my guns before I move, and I'll probably have to hire a moving company to move my stuff with my remaining guns carefully hidden inside to get them through New York.


It seems no one in that part of the country wants me to have these:





Too scary looking I guess. But they'll let me keep my M1 Carbine which can fire rounds just as fast and fires the much more dangerous .308 round.





So my guns that fire the top round are banned, but I'm allowed to keep the gun that shoots the bottom round. Go figure.


These are what I call "Feel good laws". They don't actually serve any useful purpose, but they make gullible people feel good. Hey, we banned one type gun, never mind the more lethal one is still legal.


Oh, but my M1 Carbine would be banned if I changed the stock to one with a thumbhole, because we all know that a thumbhole stock makes the gun much more dangerous, right?


Legal:



Illegal:



Anyone that thinks that makes sense shouldn't be allowed to vote.







It will never happen. I'm born and raised in Dallas and I don't care about the Cowboys, moving to the New England area isn't going to make me care about the Patriots.


I am going to miss the Texas tradition of Friday Night High School Football though. I haven't checked but I doubt the Stamford high school football stadium is anything like ours...







We take our high school football very seriously here.

scott6809

In Bill we trust.

Go Jimmy Garoppolo!

2k7gtcs

Mustang Freak

The 308 is a hunting round that's why it's allowed! Duh...

=HYPERDRIVE=

Here is a good site that shows race by color on a map, its gives you a good idea on where and what population of people live in a given area.
http://demographics.coopercenter.org/DotMap/index.html
Mostly white, bigger cities like Hartford ,New Heaven, New London,Waterbury have the biggest population of blacks and mostly Puerto Ricans, not saying that every location of those cities suck but these will have their "ghetto, not a place I would like to walk by while white" other then that its mostly nice typical New England towns.

As in with weather and seasons, I'm originally from Poland so I was used to 4 seasons, cant give a good idea on how much different it will feel for you.
Roads are not the greatest, for the past 5 years the condition of roads kind of went down, and CT has pretty high taxes compared to the rest of nation. You pay a car tax once a year based on a mill rate, and the newer and more expensive the car the more you pay, so a guy with a 1995 truck will pay way less, its all BS really. With each year the car gets older you pay less.

Its a small state so everything is really close by in relation to huge state like Texas, so anywhere you would live your close and a short drive to the beach and see the ocean, drive to Farmington river or Litchfield county for some trout fishing, or general any fishing, so many lakes ,streams and rivers its a good location to be a fisherman.

In the fall season you can take a drive on route 44, and specially Route 7 that goes along NY state line, towards Kent Falls State park, one of the best scenic trips to drive and watch the beautiful fall foliage and forest covered hills. Fall is one of my favorite times to take the car out and drive, its cooler outside but the scenic places and some hot coffee make for a great feeling experience.

Winter storing car sucks, but what can you do, Im not driving in that salt sh-t.
Unless you wont store your car then it shouldn't be a problem, but its almost 4-5 months without a fun car so it kind of gets to you, but over the years I dont think much of it, just got to get some good activities to do over winter time specially weekends.

No idea on gun laws, I dont keep up with any of that, tho always push the idea of getting a gun every year, dont have money, and if I do I rather buy some other fun stuff.

Mickstang

Moustang, I'm not understanding the concept of using .308 ammo in an M1 Carbine, but....

(1) Your BBQ will generally be of the porkish variety, and occasionally some brisket. Hot links, not so much.

(2) Shiner Bock will be a lot harder to find.

"General BS info" is sorta my specialty, but I felt like these two tidbits were especially pertinent. But take the job anyway; you'll be able to afford a decent winter beater, at any rate.

denlem

And that's a problem?


People at that corner of Connecticut tend to go for the NY teams.

Rog13GTCS

Moustang, Nice gun collection. Do you have a relative you could leave your AR's with? If the Dems get in power in the Nov election they are going to push the 'assault weapons ban'. You might later regret selling them.

Mustang Freak

Of course Yuengling beer is now available!

kcoTiger

Will never leave the state of Texas, ever. There are enough opportunities here in this state to keep me employed and I don't have to live under laws I consider borderline unconstitutional.

AlsCobra

It would have to be a family decision. Don't let the salary thing make the decision for you. Texas is a really big state with endless opportunity. Connecticut is a nice place but is the salary increase worth relocating everything? Also thinking cost of living and real estate prices may be a big difference. Also couldn't drag my kids away from everything they know.

Jost

Ct. is not a bad place to live. Like others said , not much different than anyplace else. I live in Danbury, about 1 hour North of Stamford , western Fairfield County. I think we are as racially, ethnically, and economically diverse as can be in the Northeast. My neighborhood is like yours, some of everything/everyone. Winters can be detrimental to the car hobby, but you can use your Mustang from April to Nov. most years. Can't help you with the guns but others have been able to help there. Good luck! and if you make the move welcome to Ct.

kcoTiger

Yep, pretty much.

So, how badly is miles going to **** up Fournette's 3rd year? I'm betting he doesn't win the Heisman this year either, and they lose to bama a sixth straight time.

PJRManagement

I lived in NY/CT until I was 35. I lived in Stamford for six years. Great (suburban) city, great location, good schools. One hour from Manhattan. Close drive to some charming beaches (small, but nice). Great boating on Long Island Sound (if you're into that). I loved Spring, Summer, & Fall. But I really grew to hate winter, which sometimes lasted until April, ugh. That's why we live in the southwest now. The real estate might be expensive now, and, as others have mentioned, that annoying 'Personal Property Tax' on autos and boats. Gun laws are pretty strict, so you will have issues regarding that, for sure. Traffic can be bad on Merritt (15) and I-95.

TripleBlack14

Not to mention all those liberals!!!!!