Maker’s Manifesto:
Did You Know Edition
How is it that there is so much to know about such a little state? It’s all part of the package of being small and mighty.
A Life Like No Other
There’s no place like home, and it’s easy to make yours here. Our schools are always among the top in the nation. Our communities are ranked among the safest in the country every year. In fact, we’re home to America’s safest city: Ridgefield. Looking for a nice trek? Connecticut is the nation’s #1 state for hiking — and you can find a state park within 15 minutes of anywhere in the state.
FOODIE CAPITAL OF NEW ENGLAND?!
Everyone knows we have the best pizza in America. But did you know our oysters are also some of the best on the east coast? Did you hear about our three James Beard award finalists, or our 38 restaurants honored for their outstanding wine collections in 2023? Food is our forte, and CT just may be the most robust culinary capital hiding in plain sight.
The Most Welcoming State in America
Connecticut is shaped by our values in action. We support working and middle-class families by passing the biggest personal income tax cut in state history…BTW, it was bipartisan; we support immigrants and refugees by finding them jobs, schools, and communities to call home; we support women by keeping their reproductive choices between them and their doctors; and we support the LGBTQIA+ community by strengthening their rights to adopt and start a family. It’s all in a day’s work.
Choppers, Subs, and Jet Engines…Oh My
Our manufacturers create high-tech machines that keep America safe while also keeping people smiling and having fun. Frisbees and wiffleballs were invented in Connecticut, PEZ is headquartered here, and our manufacturers help make golf balls that go the distance, much like our state.
Biotech Boom
While Connecticut’s history of medical advancements — like the first artificial heart pump, first insulin infusion pump, and Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine — have saved lives and kept people healthy and happy for decades, breakthroughs in biotech are reshaping New Haven. With innovation incubators and private investments revitalizing downtown, a new generation of innovators and makers are calling this shoreline city home.
Broadway’s Stage Right
Lin Manuel Miranda — yes, Alexander Hamilton himself — wrote his first Tony awards winning musical, In the Heights, in Connecticut while attending Wesleyan University. He developed the show while at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Music Theater Conference. Other Broadway smash hits were created here, like Annie and Oklahoma, and we attract world-class acts to our stunningly beautiful theaters around the state. What a way to spend a night on the town!
Grab Your Popcorn
Beyond Hollywood blockbusters like Indiana Jones and indie darlings like Mystic Pizza, our entertainment industry produces well known TV with the likes of WWE and ESPN. Plus, Connecticut produces tons of romance, comedy, and family flicks on the Hallmark Channel. Now that calls for some extra butter, please!