living in Willimantic

Posted By: Bill Bullock <tvdandy@hotmail.com>
Date: Friday, 3 May 2002, at 12:05 p.m.

Hello out there! I may be moving to Willimantic soon because of a job oportunity at ECSU. I was wondering if anybody can give me any insight about what it is like to live in Willimantic? Are there many things to do? What's the cost of living like, say for a one bedroom apartment? Any help would be very much appreciated 

Posted By: Shemp
Date: Saturday, 4 May 2002, at 10:28 p.m.

In Response To: living in Willimantic (Bill Bullock)

dear tv dandy:

there is not a finer place to live in all the area than the fair hamlet of windham.

try the 'hill area' for apts. ...up above lewiston ave. and the eastern end of sts. like summit and prospect sts. or across the river too -- up mountain st. or south of pleasant st ( the ole state armory on pleasant st near the bridge aint bad and it overlooks the river).

living is less costly than anywhere else in CT and you have the lovely countreyside all around you 10 mins in either direction out of wmtc.

2 univs. too...so lots of educated, brainy folk about.

i grew up in windham, educated there and have much love for the place.

you are an hour to the shore and 2 hours to boston and 3 or so to nyc. hartford is 45 min. away.

good luck

shemp daigneault

semper fi' 55

Posted By: Nancy Simpson <sneghs@mail.com>
Date: Monday, 13 May 2002, at 12:16 p.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (Shemp)

Willimantic is a city like no other. There's nothing like that hometown feeling! You can find a decent place to live for under $600/mo. If you can get an apartment in one of the victorian homes "on the hill", go for it. You'll never want to live anywhere else. Everything is nearby, the people are friendly and the cost of living is very reasonable.

Welcome to your new hometown :)

Nancy 

Posted By: mike <mikemastrianni57@hotmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, 4 June 2002, at 9:53 p.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (Nancy Simpson)

AS A RENTER IN WILLIMANTIC, I AM TRYING MY BEST TO GET OUT OF HERE!! THE DRUGS AND HOOKERS ARE WORSE THAN HARTFORD,NEEDLESS TO SAY THAT A BIG PORTION OF THE PEOPLE ARE DOWN RIGHT RUDE!!! THE ADVICE OF THE "HILL SECTION" IS GOOD ADVICE AND ONE OF VERY FEW NICE AREA'S IN WILLIMANTIC!!!--OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING THEIR DAMNEST TO KEEP UP, AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IS GREAT,OUR HOSPITAL NEEDS SERIOUS HELP IN EMERGENCY SERVICES,THEY ARE SLOW AND CARELESS!!! IF YOU VENTURE HERE FOR A DAY--RIDE AROUND AND LOOK REAL GOOD AT THE BUSINESS DISTRICT AND IT TELLS THE STORY--EVEN THEY ARE MOVING OUT!!!!!!! 

Posted By: William Brainard <wbrainard@juno.com>
Date: Thursday, 6 June 2002, at 8:25 a.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (mike)

Following up on Windham Hospital, Mike. I had a job with the Coventry Streets Dept. when I was going to college. This was 1974 before the advent of Lifestar. My final week of work I was thrown from the rear of a moving truck while holding a steam jennie. I had multiple injuries with a compound fracture of my left humerus; Luckily OSHA had come in the week before and had us wear hardhats. Still I was out for 20 minutes; I remember coming to in the Coventry ambulance "floating" so to speak with no pain and not a care in the world. The emt's were 2 high school classmates and I remember one of them saying to the other to punch it, he's sinking. Then intense pain and blackness till after I reached Windham Hospital. I was in the ER over 7 hours in very serious condition with a concussion and nobody seemed to care. My parents weren't notified till after midnight. My shoulder had swelled at least 3 times its size and I had nothing for pain. It was finally set without anything for pain but had to be later rebroken with hardware inserted. Once admitted, Windham Hospital was wonderful; I was there 13 days back then. Prolly be in and out today! The ER at Windham was abysmal then. I am forever grateful for my bone surgeon, the late Douglas Griswold,MD for saving my arm. My first choice was Dr. George Becker but he was unavailable though he did consult on my case. It took years before the arm was what it is today not to mention the other residual injuries. When I had to have emergency hardware removal from the arm in 1976, it was delayed by WCMH's first nurses strike. While healing from that surgery, I became a volunteer at Windham Hospital and became a patient transportation aide. It was one of the most enriching times of my life and I loved it. Years later when I was home alone with a varicose hemmorhage, I dialed 911 and they got me to Manchester Hospital ER in about 14 minutes. Scared to death wasn't the word for that incident. However, staff there showed me what to do in case of a hemmorhage again, patched me up and I was sent home after about 4 hours. The fee for Manchester's ER visit was something like $56 in the early '90s. Hospitals, interesting aren't they!! 

Posted By: Wendi Clark <thequeenbea2001@hotmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, 25 June 2002, at 8:15 a.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (mike)

Mike, this is for you... I hadn't noticed this post of yours until this morning, so I apologize for the late response. You posted in another thread your thanks to two of Willimantic's Police Officers and I responded there as well. I hope that you had a chance to read it. Unfortunatly in this post you have bashed the 'drugs and hookers' in Willimantic being worse than in Hartford. HHmmmmm... Have you been to Hartford lately? Have you read the newspapers or watched the news on television? I would think that by living on Chapman St. you would be grateful that you DON'T live in Hartford. There are no random shootings in Willimantic, no gangwars, or alot of things that Hartford has, that Willimantic doesn't. I can tell you from my own personal experience, that I lived for a short time on Bedford St. in Hartford, one of the worst known drug area streets, in the mid 90's, and I am grateful I made it out alive!!! I hope and pray Willimantic NEVER becomes like Hartford. The Hartford I experienced anyway... I think of the little Gaston girl who was shot in the face last 4th of July... I think of the man they just finally caught for killing all those girls(hookers)... I think of my friend Leah who was dragged down Maple Ave. in Hartford, and her body parts were scattered along the way... THERE ARE NO SUCH VIOLENT DRUG-RELATED CRIMES as these in Willimantic!!!(Bless you Angela Pedilla)...... And as far as you doing your best to 'get out of here', I would think that BEFORE you move into a neighborhood, you would check it out thoroughly ~ especially having children!!! Have you ever stopped and thought about this ~ 'hookers' who use 'drugs' are people too. They have a problem, a HUGE problem, and maybe, just maybe, need some help. GOD loves them too. HE loved me enough to get me clean and out of Willimantic. HE may not do it in YOUR time, but HE will help those who want it, and I KNOW that each and every one of those women 'hookers' wish they weren't caught out there on drugs. It took me over 25 years of using drugs to get clean. I pray that you and your children are kept safe while you look for another place to dwell, but PLEASE don't bash those less fortunate than you. It's bad karma. We all have choices. Yours was to live on Chapman St. Theirs was to make a poor choice and be where they are. Please go to the North End of Hartford before you throw stones at Willimantic.(so sorry Hartford...)Being in Willimantic saved this woman's life, and I am grateful. I hope that I haven't offended you or anyone else that will read this. I tell it like I see it, especially when I have personal experience with it. Again I hope you read my other post to you, and maybe look at when I posted last year re: closing of the Hotel Hooker. You may get a better understanding of me and my passions with human issues... Thank you for letting me express myself here. ~ Wendi ~

http://www.hometown.aol.com/thequeenbea2001/

Posted By: Ernie <egesner@aol.com>
Date: Thursday, 27 June 2002, at 1:33 a.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (Wendi Clark)

I Left CT and the East Coast for southern California in 1957 after 4 years in the US Air Force. Will be back in the Willy area next week for the first time in several years. Hope to visit old friends and familiar places. I hope that it isn't as bad as some of you folks make it out to be as I'm really looking forward to the trip. 

Posted By: Lenny <harvey2000@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Thursday, 27 June 2002, at 7:04 p.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (Wendi Clark)

He calls them as he see's the, A hooker is a hooker, a junkie is a junkie and a bum is a bum No Political correctness for me. PC is nothing more then a liberals way of looking at the world. I prefer to look at it the way it is and say what I think. You see, I was a junkie living in the bottoms of Willimantic. I pulled my ass out of the gutter, and got my life together. I have been clean and sober for 20 years. I have a college education, just purchased my 3rd house. I get a new truck every 2 years, as does my wife. I did it myself, no help from the government. No social Welfare. Well thats not quite true. The city of willimantic did pay for my initial drug rehab, then they handed me a few bucks and a job. From then on it was up to me. I could continue to be a drain on society, or I could become a productive and successful member of society. I chose the latter. Forgive my conservative slant of life and business, but it is the american way. While the Left would have us PCing the world to death, filing law suits and never taking responsability for our own actions, I choose to take responsability, for all that I do and say. Karma???? Just another hold over from a very bad time, the 60s. 

Posted By: Wendi Clark <thequeenbea2001@hotmail.com>
Date: Thursday, 27 June 2002, at 7:30 p.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (Lenny)

I call them as I see them Lenny... ignorant. PERIOD. I thought you wouldn't be like the rest, but it sure seems like it in your post!!! I have been taught not to forget where I came from, have you with your 3 houses and your college education? You say you were a junkie, but were you really? If you truly were, you wouldn't be looking down your nose out of your new truck window. What's the matter? Didn't like my choice of words when I wrote about KARMA??? What does that word have to do with the 60's? Nothing for me. I was a small child in the 60's, so if you had a bad experience with that word then, oh well. I, who live in the year 2002, use that word often. The American way... Hahahahahaa you make me laugh!!! So I guess the old saying 'once a junkie, always a junkie' applies to you, right? Or are you not gonna take responsibility for that.........the American way. Hahahahahahaaaa. 

Posted By: Lenny <harvey2000@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Thursday, 27 June 2002, at 8:12 p.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (Wendi Clark)

Wendy, so much emotion! Sorry you feel that way. I certainly can't help being a conservative or a realist. Just re-read my post and I think you will see, that while I disagree with most of what you say regarding Political correctness, I Never said I forgot where I came from, nor did I look down my nose at those that are still there. I just have no sympathy for them. Lots of empathy though. As I said, Why sugar coat it, a hooker is a hooker and junkie is a junkie. or addict and protitute, same thing, different words.

All my best

1 post missing

Posted By: Bill Bullock <tvdandy@hotmail.com>
Date: Saturday, 29 June 2002, at 12:47 p.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (Wendi Clark)

Well Gee...None of this venting really had anything to do with my original question, but--ah--thanks for the response. 

Posted By: Lenny <harvey2000@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Sunday, 30 June 2002, at 9:46 a.m.

In Response To: Re: living in Willimantic (Wendi Clark)

Wendi, I have been reading your posts for some time now its too bad that you insist on reacting to, rather then acting on your emotions. everytime somebody says something that you for whatever reason do not agree with, you get emotional. You have not once giving an argument to support what you are saying, instead you resort to personal attacks (name calling) and the old left approach of being disappointed. Also, If you actually knew the definition of anal retentivness, you would not have called me that, since just by my posting style its obvious that I am not that. I do indeed have many strong political views, I also tend to backup my arguments with facts as I see them. I never would get angry with you or anyone else over what you belive, nor would I ever call you names or attack you at a personal level. However, you do seem to do that over and over again with everyone you have a political disagreement with. Wether you like it or not, I come from the same place you come from, the difference is that I have chosen to grow past that, and with gods help and hard work I have been succsessful. I have no idea where you are at today, I can only hope you are healthy and well. As for me, I will never forget where I came from, Its what keeps me from ever having to go back there. I refuse to apologize for being a conservative American, Its who I am. If that makes me a traitor to my past, so be it. I wish you well, I am sorry we conected in such a bad why. But I am not sorry for what I belive in or stand for.

all my best Lenny