[Leeds92]

Hi,

I have a job offer in Bristol, and am wondering where is best to look for housing. We would be relocating from South Africa and thus look to rent for a year or two before considering buying. My limited research has me honing in on areas like Farmington, Simsbury, Avon.
What are these areas like in terms of commute to Bristol, schools, price of rental housing?
Any constructive info would be gratefully received.


PJD

[JayCT]

Farmington, Simsbury and Avon are among the nicest suburbs of Hartford. They have excellent schools, parks, shopping and restaurants. You can't go wrong with any of them. The commute from them to Bristol is very easy. you do not even have to get on a highway. Bristol is the home of ESPN. A lot of people at ESPN live in these communities because they are so nice and convenient. Not sure how much rentals go for in these towns, but I would check Craigslist.com for listings. Good luck, Jay

[skytrekker]

South Africa? Wow!

Get ready for opposite seasons and winter.
Affordable housing in Plymouth, Plainville and Southington. (All good towns)
More expensive in Avon, Farmington and Simsbury.

[cocojess]

Hello. Although I am not coming from S.A. I am a little bit in the same boat. My boyfriend just took a job with ESPN and we have to figure out where to live that is both affordable and close to somwhere I may work as well (which has yet to be determined). He has not had much time to look ( I am not there yet) around but ESPN put him up in a place in Farmington. He said it was cute but seemingly not much there. As far as Bristol, it is very country with ESPN plopped down in the middle and the buisnesses that popped up due to the people now around. Personally, I would like to find somewhere that is laid back and earthy, but I was told that "earthy" may be hard to find there. However, I was told that the farther away you get from "the city" like towards the north west part of the state, the cheaper housing is. FYI- most of my info is though word of mouth not personal experience

[mels]

Originally Posted by cocojess

As far as Bristol, it is very country with ESPN plopped down in the middle and the buisnesses that popped up due to the people now around.

Bristol is nowhere near "country," more like an industrial town that has had a hard time making itself into something. Bristol has some decent residential areas, but a chunk of it isn't exactly pretty (i.e. it's dumpy).

The northwest has some very expensive housing (a lot of weekend homes for New Yorkers) as well as some moderately priced areas. What do you mean by "earthy" town? There is a wide variety of towns around, so I am sure one of them is what you are looking for.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by cocojess

Hello. Although I am not coming from S.A. I am a little bit in the same boat. My boyfriend just took a job with ESPN and we have to figure out where to live that is both affordable and close to somwhere I may work as well (which has yet to be determined). He has not had much time to look ( I am not there yet) around but ESPN put him up in a place in Farmington. He said it was cute but seemingly not much there. As far as Bristol, it is very country with ESPN plopped down in the middle and the buisnesses that popped up due to the people now around. Personally, I would like to find somewhere that is laid back and earthy, but I was told that "earthy" may be hard to find there. However, I was told that the farther away you get from "the city" like towards the north west part of the state, the cheaper housing is. FYI- most of my info is though word of mouth not personal experience

Bristol is a small industrial city that fell on hard times in the last 40 years. Many major industrial employers have left. It was bypassed by major highways in the 60's when I-84 was built and a connector to I-84 is just now begining construction. Bristol was "saved" when ESPN was started in the southend of the city in a formerly rural area that was zoned for industrial use. ESPN has exploded with growth in the last 20 years (as most people know) and has really been a boom for the city. The center of Bristol still has issues and is trying to come back but it is not a place most people will want to live.

When you say earthy, most people believe you mean rural and there are many places north and west of Bristol that meet that criteria. On the other hand you indicate that your boyfriend has found that Farmington does not have much there.

I would suggest that you consider either the west end of Hartford or West Hartford. There is a lot to do in this area and you would be near major employment centers in Hartford and Farmington. If you want a less urban area, maybe consider Torrington or Winsted, though employment options could be limited. Hope this helps, Jay

[joshtpa]

I moved from FL to CT and to help the OP, I can tell you that you will very much like West Hartford. The other towns, although very pretty, were pretty much dead to me. West Hartford seems to have a lot going on. I love the tons of restaurants and shopping and everything is within walking distance.

[Leeds92]

Originally Posted by cocojess

Hello. Although I am not coming from S.A. I am a little bit in the same boat. My boyfriend just took a job with ESPN and we have to figure out where to live that is both affordable and close to somwhere I may work as well (which has yet to be determined). He has not had much time to look ( I am not there yet) around but ESPN put him up in a place in Farmington. He said it was cute but seemingly not much there. As far as Bristol, it is very country with ESPN plopped down in the middle and the buisnesses that popped up due to the people now around. Personally, I would like to find somewhere that is laid back and earthy, but I was told that "earthy" may be hard to find there. However, I was told that the farther away you get from "the city" like towards the north west part of the state, the cheaper housing is. FYI- most of my info is though word of mouth not personal experience

My job would also be at ESPN, so I'm interested that they put him up in Farmington. Was this on a short term basis?

[JOHE78]

Out of Avon, Simsbury and Farmington, I would say you'll have the best commute to Bristol from Farmington. All towns boast great school systems and similar rent (much more expensive than say Bristol, Plymouth or Southington as mentioned above). West Hartford is also an option if you're looking for suburban with close proximity to highways and arts/entertainment/culture, etc... It ranks higher in education/school quality but Avon, Simsbury and Farmington are anything but lacking. Definitley check out the town websites to gain more information and make a pro/con list. I would personally steer clear of some of the old-industrial towns unless you wanted to consider private school.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by mels

Bristol is no where near "country," more like an industrial town that has had a hard time making itself into something. Bristol has some decent residential areas, but a chunk of it isn't exactly pretty (i.e. it's dumpy).

The northwest has some very expensive housing (a lot of weekend homes for New Yorkers) as well as some moderately priced areas. What do you mean by "earthy" town? There is a wide variety of towns around, so I am sure one of them is what you are looking for.

If, during their visit, they stayed near Forestville and then proceeded to Farmington via Route 177, they could've missed the whole downtown and Route 6 aspects of Bristol. Their take would be "country" versus "former industrial urbanized area."

This is similar to folks who drive from New York to New Haven via Route 15 versus I-95. The former is going to think that Fairfield County is rural, and the latter is going to think that it's highly developed.