Decades ago, the Connecticut River was so polluted cities like Hartford, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, built freeways along its banks. People just preferred not to look at it.
Now, a riverfront property can be worth millions, and rents in communities all along the river are pricing people out.
This summer, reporter Ben James rode his bike the full length of the Connecticut — from the Canadian border to Long Island Sound. In the third part of a his series, Ben brings us stories of people drawn to the river, even when they can no longer afford to live there.
“Life on the Connecticut” was made possible through a partnership between NEPM, NHPR, Vermont Public and the New England News Collaborative.