Located roughly 77 miles northeast of New York City and 33 miles southwest of Hartford is the city of Waterbury. It sits on the Naugatuck River within the center of New Haven County, Connecticut. The population is projected to be around 110,360, making it the 9th biggest city in New England, the 5th largest in Connecticut, and the County's 2nd biggest.
The very first settlement happened during the year 1674 in a region referred to as Town Plot. This area was soon vacated just after the 1675 King Philip's War. The plot was later returned during the year 1677, in a region which was just slightly west of the original settlement. Both of these historic places are marked. Originally Waterbury was referred to as "Mattatock" after the Algonquin word "Matetacoke", which translates to "place without trees". When Waterbury was admitted to the colony of Connecticut on the 15th of May, the year 1686, it was referred to as the city of Waterbury. It was named the city of Waterbury after all of the streams that run into the Naugatuck River. During that time, Waterbury consisted of some regions that would eventually become their own towns, like Watertown, Plymouth, Prospect, Naugatuck, Wolcott, Thomaston, and Middlebury.
Because of its role in the manufacturing of brassware, Waterbury has earned the nickname "Brass City". The city of Waterbury is well-known for its gorgeous watches and clocks. The cities motto, Written in marble above the city hall entrance is "Quid Aere Perennius". Translated, "Quid Aere Perennius" means "What Is More Lasting Than Brass?" Waterbury is renowned for its advanced technology, gorgeous historic architecture and vibrant art.
The economy within Waterbury is mostly centered around manufacturing. Nonetheless, the city of Waterbury has started to stretch into other sectors, like for example warehouse and distribution, chemical research, banking and retail. The head office of Les-Care Kitchens is situated in Waterbury, as is the head office of Webster Financial Corp, American Bank of Connecticut, Hubbard-Hall, QSend Technologies, and an assortment of other firms.
In Waterbury, the largest employment sectors, comprise education and health services, transportation, manufacturing, trade and utilities, government, business and professional services, finance and leisure and hospitality.
There are several places within Waterbury that cater to the cultural and artistic parts of the city. Amongst the attractions that can be found within Waterbury are the Palace Theater, that is a historic landmark dating back to the 1920's. One of the premiere attractions within Waterbury is the Palace Theatre. This historic landmark was built during the year 1920 and has just gone through a $30 million restoration. Another attraction is the Mattatuck Museum. A wide variety of tours are offered, each featuring different aspects of architecture, the art, and Greater Waterbury Region history. The Timexpo Museum offers a very detailed history of the clock and watch industry in Waterbury. A beautiful, picturesque train ride through the Mattatuck State Forest is provided by the Railroad Museum of New England.
There are several attractions located within the nearby cities of Thomaston, Oakville, Middlebury, Naugatuck and Lake Quassapaug, like The Thomaston Opera House, the Railroad Museum of New England, Black Rock State Park, Branchbrook Campground, Clockwork Repertory Theater, Golden Age of Trucking Museum, the Quassy Amusement Park, Hetzel Refuge and Larkin Birdle Trail.