New Britain, CT

New Britain’s “Hardware City” nickname reflects the manufacturing economy that shaped it during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Broad Street neighborhood, also called Little Poland, has supported Polish businesses and families since 1890. New Britain was settled in 1687 and recorded 74,135 residents in 2020. Walnut Hill Park, developed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, and downtown New Britain are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Central Connecticut State University traces its later names through Teachers College of Connecticut in 1933, Central Connecticut State College in 1959, and its present university name adopted in 1983. Downtown is the southern terminus of the CTfastrak bus rapid-transit line.