'True Life: Danbury isn't THAT bad'

Three hundred twenty-five years ago, Danbury, Connecticut was born and the town celebrated its birth last weekend wtih the annual Taste of Danbury, a featuring of specialties from restaurants in the area, concerts,  a parade, and other events, topped with free pieces of birthday cake.

Downtown Danbury, CT.

News of the weekend-long celebration caused me to think about the city in which I have grown up in and have come to realize that there is much that I appreciate and take pride in about the town.

I used to always complain about how much I hated Danbury and how "boring" it is, but over the last year, I have come to realize that I actually am in love with this town. Sure, it's no New York City, but compared to many other towns I have visted, it's not so dull. I'm not solely referring to attractions and places to go like the Danbury Fair Mall; I'm talking about the essence of Danbury: its people.

Downtown Danbury, CT.

Danbury is one of the most diverse towns in the area and this is something that has always been emphasized:

"With a population of approximately 70,000 people, we celebrate the diversity of our community.  Diversity is our strength, particularly because of the 75 different ethnic groups that call Danbury home. This appealing aspect of our population [...] adds to the quality of life in our city" ("Welcome to Danbury").

Such diversity is something that cannot be found anywhere, and growing up in a community like Danbury's is something that sets me apart from a lot of other people who have grown up in less diverse places.

Not until I left to go to school in New Haven last fall did I realized how unique the Danbury community is. Although I did not initially mind the change of scenery, I always felt as though there was something missing. Homesickness was not why I came back to my hometown, but once I decided to move back and do a year at Western Connecticut State University, I realized that growing up in Danbury has had a great influence on who I am.

Ethnicity statistics show that Danbury is significantly more diverse

than neighboring towns such as Bethel.

Not to say that I never plan to leave again, but compared to people from other towns who have left and never returned nor wanted to, my hometown is one that I know I can and would gladly fall back to at the end of the day. I could live in California for five years and love it, but I would always  know and take pride in the fact that I am a Danbury girl at heart.

I was given the opportunity to grow up with people of various backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures, and I fully believe that it has molded me into the open-minded, eclectic person that I am today.

If anyone feels the same way as I do about Danbury, CT, feel free to join the Facebook group: True Life: Danbury isn't THAT bad.

Works Cited

"Bethel Residential & Ethnicity Statistics." National Relocation. Nationalrelocation.com, 2007. Web. 14 Sept. 2010.

 "Danbury Residential & Ethnicity Statistics." National Relocation. Nationalrelocation.com, 2007. Web. 14 Sept. 2010.

"Welcome to Danbury." Danbury Public Schools: Human Resources. Danbury Public Schools, 2009. Web. 14 Sept. 2010.