[WineFoodMusic]

Hello,

I'm newly retired and have lived in Connecticut since 1956. I like the climate. It's fairly moderate. Decent Summers and Winters aren't too bad. Maine is too cold and southern states too hot and humid for my liking. It's just a bit expensive and crowded here near New Haven.

I think the northwest corner is a bit too isolated. I don't want to drive 20 + miles to get to a CVS or WalMart. There are some great low property tax towns there though. That leaves Easter Connecticut. I just don't know all the towns there. So I'm looking for some feedback -- good experiences as well as bad experiences in some of the small towns there.

Any feed back is appreciated ... pictures of town centers - if you have them - would also be helpful.

Thanks

[Lowerdeck]

Are we looking at town commons for nice centers, or downtown areas?

A lot of eastern Connecticut is either rural where you have to go 20 minutes to CVS and Walmart, or old mill towns. Putnam has a nice Main St. area, but not much housing there. Thompson or South Woodstock meanwhile has the housing in the town center, but little for commercial. At least those two aren't brutally isolated compared to other areas (Eastford anyone?)

Killingly (Danielson and Dayville), Plainfield, Griswold (Jewett City) ... all mill towns. These are towns of commercial business, but don't have your charming New England looks.

[WineFoodMusic]

Town commons sounds right. I wouldn't expect to find any so called dowtown areas. Just a small town with a small grocery store, a coffee shop, a bar or liquer store, a gas station, and perhaps a bank office. Just a place where town folks may run into each other. Something that is pleasant as opposed depressed looking.

Not sure the town exists. Towns like Chester, Essex, Niantic, ect.

[Lowerdeck]

Could check out Putnam, see if it fits your liking

[nep321]

Well, eastern CT is generally defined as the area of the state that is east of the CT river. You seem to want a town with lower taxes, less crowding, some convenience and a nice center. I think Stonington or Old Lyme would meet these criteria, as far as coastal towns go. Otherwise, if you don't mind being farther inland, I would recommend Coventry. All of these towns have convenience stores and at least one significant grocery store in the area.

[JayCT]

I would recommend Colchester. It has a nice small downtown set around a Town Green. It also has most shopping needs like a Stop & SHop. Plus it is not far from the shore and the casinos. Jay

[Tetto]

Originally Posted by WineFoodMusic

Town commons sounds right. I wouldn't expect to find any so called dowtown areas. Just a small town with a small grocery store, a coffee shop, a bar or liquer store, a gas station, and perhaps a bank office. Just a place where town folks may run into each other. Something that is pleasant as opposed depressed looking.

Not sure the town exists. Towns like Chester, Essex, Niantic, ect.

I'd take a look at Colchester and Niantic. I'd say Lebanon too, but we're a very rural town with a small center general store and not much else!!

[WineFoodMusic]

Putnam does have a nice small town center. That is on my list.

Mystic is a great little town. I suspect a bit too touristy.

Stonington ... I have never been to the town of Stonington. Homes seem rather pricy in that town, but I should check it out just in case. Speaking of that area, anybody know much about Pawcatuck ?

Colchester is an interesting idea as well. Haven't been there since the late 70s.

Never been to Lebanon. I will put that on my list to check out. Do a WALKSCORE.COM test as well, to see how remote it is.

I'm wondering how picturesque some of these townd are.

[renovating]

Originally Posted by WineFoodMusic

Mystic is a great little town. I suspect a bit too touristy.

Stonington ... I have never been to the town of Stonington.

You have lived in Guilford 56 years and never been to Stonington? Wow! You should check it out. It's worth it!

[WineFoodMusic]

Renovating ... yes ... I have never been to Stonington. It's shamefull. I haven't lived all that time in Guilford though. Grew up in New Haven, worked in Hartford, lived in Souhington, built a house in Chester to raise a family (my lucky ex got the house ), lived in Westbrook a few years, and Guilford the last 12 years.

Part of my interest in Eastern Connecticut is getting a bit further away from the big cities like New York and the Connecticut shoreline cities. The traffic on 95 has gotten out of hand ... it all adds to the fumes and smog drifting east from these various locations.

Somebody mentioned Griswold being an old mill town. Does that mean there are old abondoned factories standing ? Chester used to have an old factory when I moved there. It got torn down and some really nice homes stand there now - close to center of town.