Anyone familiar with Meriden, CT?

[Trevor]

It seems like a lot of people here are from or around CT. I may be relocating to work out of Meriden, CT and am looking for areas to consider moving to. I currently live in downtown Buffalo (not really a huge city, but still a city). I will be renting for a year and I have only lived in an apartment complex once in my life and could not stand it. Needs to be some sort of house (upper/lower). I need to live someplace where I have a "third space" within walking distance. Where I live now I can walk to a number of local restaurants, cafes, a few bars, a great park, and a grocery store. When I visited I spent a day driving around New Haven, West Hartford (explored Hartford and it's "downtown" area, but most people said to stay away), Middletown and Hamden. West Hartford seemed to have that 3rd space going, but everybody seems to say stay away from there. Middletown looked nice as well, but on the day I visited it just looked so gloomy... When I went to New Haven I stuck near Yale which was exciting, but that's living university all over again. I ate at Mickey's in Hamden for dinner, New England Emporium in Middletown, Claire's Corner Copia in New Haven, and coffee at Jojo's in Hartford. All were great...except Mickey's, which was just..meh.

It seems like there is a lot of good riding relatively close to all these areas so I'm not too concerned with that (or should I be?), so I'm really just looking for a nice spot to call "home base." Meriden is definitely out of the question and I currently have to commute 30-40 minutes for work now, so I'm used to a drive of that length. Plus I realize I'll never shop at a Wegmans ever again (ugh) and I won't have my coop to walk to anymore. Anybody have any good suggestions as to where to look? Trying to find opinions that are not the recruiters/barista's/bartender's/random people I asked in CT.

Thanks!

-Trevor

[Peter Polack]

I live in Meriden. PM me and I can answer your questions.

What's a "third space"?

[andrew]

I live in Meriden. PM me and I can answer your questions. What's a "third space"?

Not home. Not work. The third place you spend time. A place that is comfortable, familiar, that place "where everybody knows your name" (cliche but accurate).

For me it is the Brick Store Pub. Walking distance from home. Owners are friends. Know the staff. Know I can walk in any time, any day and find a familiar face that will welcome me in.

I liked New Haven as a frequent visitor. My wife did her internship at Yale and I was up there every month. She lived on Orange Street (in the orange house). Everything was walkable. Nice small grocers. Amazing pizza (Modern a few blocks away). I know nothing of the other areas.
Good luck.

Andrew

[Trevor]

I live in Meriden. PM me and I can answer your questions.

What's a "third space"?

Just like Andrew said, third space is the place outside of home and work. Where I live in Buffalo is downtown but it is what they call "the village." Parks, cafes, restaurants all within walking distance, and on one long street. I just want a nice cafe I can walk to to grab coffee and if they serve wine and beer, even better (the cafe near me has 3 taps plus bottles, wine, and liquor). I'd like to be someplace that has something "going on," but not in the college/club sense. A local bike shop here has a great Tuesday Night ride going from May-August. Now they do cross practice every Thursday in the fall. We have some great parks that always have events going on worth walking to.

Also, I'd like to avoid the, "Where is a good place to grab a bite around here?" "Check out the Applebees on Main St."

[Mabouya]

It might sound obvious on this sort of forum, and maybe my life is pretty lame, but other than home and work my "third space" is on my bike.