DOG-FRIENDLY PARKS IN NEW BRITAIN, CT

Connecticut's 'Hardware City' earned its nickname from Stanley Works and other tool manufacturers that once employed thousands. Today this diverse city of 73,000 struggles with post-industrial decline, though its compact downtown and older neighborhoods retain character. New England weather brings humid summers in the 80s and snowy winters averaging 45 inches annually. The city sits in central Connecticut between Hartford and Waterbury, surrounded by similar working-class communities. Polish and Puerto Rican populations create cultural diversity unusual for Connecticut. Spring brings late-arriving warmth, often not until May, while fall colors peak in October.