Meriden – An Outsiders Point of View
Has anyone been to Downtown Meriden lately? So much is going on in town that is not very big! Yet, all I’ve ever heard about Meriden, CT is that you don’t want to live there. I moved here from North Carolina (I know, I must be crazy!) about 6 years ago and had to find a place to live in a place I had only ever been to once. I was working out of Farmington, CT and wanted to stay close by. Moving from NC, the price of a one bedroom apartment up here nearly gave me a heart attack. I looked in Middletown, Hartford, and Farmington. When I asked my future coworkers where was the best place, most said stay away from Hartford. So I crossed that one off my list. Then I found a great one bedroom apartment in a town called Meriden that was actually affordable! I hadn’t considered Meriden yet (and didn’t really know where it was) so I started looking around. I found some great places! Did I find some bad ones too, certainly. But you find those in any town. As I asked around, everyone only had one thing to say – STAY AWAY FROM MERIDEN. Not knowing the area, I heeded their advice and got an overpriced apartment in Middletown. Fast forward 1 year and it was time to start the hunt again. This time, I knew the area a little better. I’d been hiking in Hubbard Park, attended the Daffodil Festival, eaten pizza from Little Rendezvous and a Steamed Cheeseburger from Ted’s. To me, moving to Meriden was a no brainer, so I packed up and moved near the mall. I never once felt scared, like I lived in a bad neighborhood, or even a bad town for that matter! In fact, the longer I lived in Meriden, the more I loved it. Now, 6 years into my journey in CT, my husband and I had decided to purchase a house in Meriden. And of course, those crazy critics come out and tell us all of the reasons not to buy a house in Meriden. “The Schools are horrible” and “it’s not a great town to raise a family” were two we heard most often. But how bad can it be? My husband was born and raised in Meriden, attended Meriden Schools, and he turned out great! So we started researching what’s happening in Meriden. Money is being spent on the schools – and not just to add some new paint and spit shine. No, they are creating innovative and beautiful places for the children in this town to learn and have fun while doing it! And that’s more than most of the surrounding towns are doing! So, as for the schools, we put a check in the pro column. The other thing we heard a few times was “Meriden is just a dirty, beat up town”. But anyone who drives through the downtown and surrounding areas or who has been to Hubbard park to enjoy the hiking or the amazing Christmas Lights that are put up every year, has to know that neither of those things are true. Does the town have things that need changing? It definitely does. I’m not saying it’s perfect. But it’s also not a dump as some people think! The new Green downtown, along with the new train station are going to breathe life back in to the once bustling downtown. The Mayor and City Council members are all committed to making Meriden a great place to live! They have worked hard and gotten us to where we are today and are continuing to make it better!
I know you’re wondering if my husband and I bought that house in Meriden. The answer is YES! We bought a house where we can walk our kids to school (when we have them!) and have the best neighbors who genuinely care about us. I walk to Aresco’s Market whenever I need groceries, and guess what….I don’t feel the least bit unsafe. We went to Hubbard Park to see the lights this year – probably more than two adults should! We can’t wait for the Daffodil Festival in April and for the hiking trails to open up in the spring. I know we are just two people – but this is our Meriden. It’s the city that we love and will continue to love as we build our life here. I am excited to see what’s in store for this place, it’s only going to get better! So let’s start talking about the good parts of Meriden and change how people see our town!
