New Britain, CT

New Britain, Connecticut

Introduction to New Britain, Connecticut

The city of New Britain, located at the geographic center of Connecticut, is part of Hartford County. Considered a suburb of Hartford by some, New Britain lies only about 9 miles southwest of the Connecticut state capital. Serviced by U.S. Route 6 and Connecticut State Highways 9 and 72, the city is afforded direct access to Interstate Highways I-84 and I-91 and is about two hours away from both Boston and New York. New Britain is home to Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) and Charter Oak State College.

Incorporated as a city in 1871, New Britain saw its industrial identity defined in the late 19th century when Frederick Stanley incorporated The Stanley Works and was soon followed by Corbin Locks and other major manufacturers. By the early 20th century, New Britain became known as the "Hardware City", having become America's largest hardware manufacturing center. Still the home of the Stanley Works, New Britain today retains its economic focus on manufacturing but supplements it with an eye towards technology.

New Britain Attractions

The New Britain Museum of American Art, founded in 1903, carries the distinction as the first museum of strictly American art in the country. Its large catalogue of American works of art is housed in the comfortable spaces of a 1907 residence. The New Britain Youth Museum, founded in 1956, encourages children and their families to learn Connecticut history and explore aspects of state and world cultures. The New Britain Industrial Museum chronicles the development of New Britain industry and houses a collection of its products, such as tools, ball bearings, kitchen appliances, and architectural hardware dating back to 1812. The Copernican Observatory and Planetarium at CCSU offers a variety of shows themed around planets, stars, constellations, and other astronomical topics.

New Britain is also home to a variety of creative, performing and visual arts. Some examples of these are:

• New Britain Chorale
• Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra
• New Britain Symphony Orchestra
• Black Box Theatre at CCSU
• Hole in the Wall Theater
• Repertory Theatre of New Britain
• Greater New Britain Opera Association
• Thaddeus L. Torp Theatre at CCSU

Sports fans in New Britain can treat themselves to quality professional baseball. The city is home to the New Britain Rock Cats, a Minor League Baseball Double-A team affiliated with the Minnesota Twins. The Rock Cats play their Eastern League games at the friendly confines of the Willow Brook Park Sports Complex. Only minutes away is the city of Hartford, home to hockey's Hartford Wolf Pack, an American Hockey League (AHL) team affiliated with the National Hockey League's New York Rangers. Baseball fanatics can find even more of their sport by traveling a half-hour south to New Haven, home of the New Haven Cutters, an independent team in the Can-Am (Canadian-American Association of Pro Baseball) League. New Haven is also home to Yale University and the Yale Bulldogs athletic teams.

High Points

New Britain strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Connecticut):

Category	Trophy
Racial Diversity (vs. State)	Top 3%
Affordability of Rents (vs. State)	Top 18%

Comparative Profile of New Britain, CT

Comparing New Britain to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Connecticut (State):

Ratings range from (lowest) to (highest).

The People

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Racial Diversity
Senior Citizens
Female Share of the Population
Children Under 5 Years Old
Well-Paid Single Men
Age of the Population
Male Share of the Population

Families

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Average Household Size
Portion of People Married

Wealth

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
People in Middle Class or Better
People Above Poverty
College Educated Adults
Median Family Income

Commute & Sprawl

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Short Commute Times
Public Transportation Use
Walking and Biking to Work
Working at Home

Housing

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
People Living Alone
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals
Affordability of Rents
Seasonal and Vacation Housing
Affordability of Property Taxes
Housing Recently Built

Crime

Characteristic	Compared to Peers	Compared to State
Low Property Crime
Low Violent Crime

New Britain Almanac

New Britain Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

• Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
• Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

New Britain Population (2000)

(From 2000 Census, as reported by individuals)

Political Contributions (2004)

Money donated by New Britain residents to parties and candidates for the 2004 elections.

by Political Party

by Presidential Candidate

Nearby Cities and Towns

New Britain Hospitals

HOSPITAL OF CENTRAL CONNECTICUT, THE
(Voluntary non-profit - Other)
100 GRAND STREET
(860) 224-5011
Emergency Service: Yes

New Britain High Schools (2004)

NEW BRITAIN HIGH SCHOOL
110 MILL ST.
860-225-6351
Title I eligible, not participating.
Serves 2,969 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 16.3

E. C. GOODWIN V-T SCHOOL
735 SLATER RD.
860-827-7736
A Vocational School
A Title I school.
Serves 671 students.
Student/teacher ratio: 8.6

HOMEBOUND
272 MAIN STREET
860-827-2200
A Non-traditional School
Serves 15 students.

New Britain Colleges

Click school name for a detailed profile.

Central Connecticut State University

Charter Oak State College

Lincoln Tech

(List of All Connecticut Colleges)

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