It Wasn't My Favorite
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6/11/2008
I lived in West Haven for three years when I was single. Some of the great things about it were easy access to the boardwalk on the Sound (great for writers and artists), art museums in New Haven, and local theatres with professional productions for $10 (last-minute) tickets. It was also close to lots of interesting things to do and see in the Northeast--trains into NYC, close to Boston, Newport, and so on.
The not-so-great things included the crime--while I lived there, I found a razor blade in my tire and my car was stolen. It was also expensive--I was teaching, and, without exception, every other teacher I worked with was either married or still living at home (even into their 40s).
Traffic was a nightmare and stressful, but you kind of get used to it. One thing that was weird to me was that there was a Dunkin' Donuts and a nail salon on almost every block.
While there was a lot of racial diversity, most of the people seemed to be from that general area--there weren't many transplants from other regions. The typical Northeast culture was a constant, too, so while I worked with some very nice people, strangers tended to be more aggressive and hurried than in the Midwest.
I preferred Branford, where I lived for a year (but there is much less commercial access and it's more expensive), and Milford (where I worked) to West Haven.
Janae | Saint Louis, MO