Well, Zircon, maybe, and even then very, very well hidden

diamond on a dung heap

What do Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven and Waterbury have in common? They’re each “hidden gems” according to Zillow. Uh-huh.

Zillow reports that four of the Top 10 most sought-after cities in the U.S. are located here in the Nutmeg State. The city of Stamford ranks third, followed by Bridgeport at fifth, New Haven at eighth and Waterbury taking ninth place. They join Manchester, New Hampshire, which was the No. 1 most popular city for real estate searches in the Northeast market for the second year running.

“In another year of higher mortgage rates, areas of affordability and opportunity were center stage in 2024,” said Skylar Olsen, Zillow’s chief economist in a news release. “With the rise of hybrid work models, more people are discovering hidden gem cities they might have previously overlooked when daily commutes were the norm.”

I understand that these cities are affordable, but there’s a reason for that, and to describe them as “hidden gems” is to stretch the meaning of that term beyond what even a realtor would dare try. Manchester, New Hampshire, No.1 on Zillow’s list, a prized jewel? With a third of its population subsisting below the poverty line, and an open air fentanyl market and shooting gallery that attracts New Hampshire’s and Maine’s finest citizens, the Queen City may be slightly more alluring than, say, Waterbury or Bridgeport, but it wouldn’t be my choice for the title of No. 1 city in America; I might prefer LA’s Watts, or even Detroit, thank you.