[trip_sister]

Hi everyone -

I'm pondering a potential move to the Hartford area for work.

Would be working south west of the city, around Farmington/New Britain

My primary concern is where to live.
I'm used to larger cities (Montreal, Toronto) and living in a downtown area where I can walk to everything (music, restaurants, groceries, shopping etc). I love not being tied to a car.
I like culture (opera, ballet, art) and activities like yoga and running. Not into clubbing, but love a good pub and some ethnic/vegetarian food. As a comparison, I like the Plateau/Downtown/NDG areas of Montreal, and the Annex/Danforth/Leslieville areas of Toronto in case anyone is familiar.

I've been browsing through the boards, and it looks like West Hartford, West End, or Downtown Hartford would be good picks. I'm in my early 30s, single, no kids (just a dog) and would lean towards 'cultured young professional', versus 'hipster'.

I'd be looking for at least 1 bedroom, as close to 1000sq ft as possible. With parking. I own back here in Canada, so shifting to being a renter again is a bit of a mental hump to get over - so I'd want to live somewhere nice.

I know that rents are going to be $1k+, but I've been looking at listings and things just look...sad...Are the neighbourhoods and apartments better in person? Less concern over crime/bed bugs/rats/slumlords than message boards may have me thinking?

Any thoughts? Suggestions? Am I on the right track with those areas?

Thanks so much -

[KH02]

You should look in West Hartford. The downtown they have sounds like what you are looking for.

[DawnMTL]

Hi there!

Before we moved to MA, we lived in West Hartford. Before we lived in West Hartford, I lived in Montreal. On Sherbrooke St. in Westmount! So, yeah, I totally understand what you're looking for.

Unfortunately, you're not going to find it in central CT, although West Hartford -- as close to the center of West Hartford as you can afford -- will be the closest you'll find to what you're looking for. It won't be anything remotely like it is in Montreal -- not by a long shot! -- but at least you'll have a few places that you can walk to and some of the things that you want.

Good luck. I realize that it's a tough adjustment, so I hope it works out well for you.

[JayCT]

Montreal is a much bigger city than Hartford so of course it is going to be hard to find a large scale urban neighborhood. I am not sure what you find "sad" about the apartments you see on line here. Thye are similar to apartments almost anywhere in this country. Some of the buildings may be older here but that does not mean they are not nice.

That said, I agree you would probably like West Hartford or Downtown best. West Hartford is a bit more upscale and suburban in character but it still has a nice downtown area wityh great shops and restaurants. Keep in mind though that you will pay more for an apartment there than you would elsewhere. Downtown has nice restaurants but the shopping is weak. Still there are many nice apartments there. I have a couple of coworkers that live there and love it. One grew up in Manhattan and they like that it is an urban area but is accessable (meaning that you do not have to wait hours for a table at a good restaurant). Good luck, Jay

[trip_sister]

Thanks everyone -

I expect it to be a significant departure from what I'm used to - but it's best to approach it with a sense of adventure I think.

In terms of 'sad', I think that some of them don't look very well cared for, or that they're missing personality - just blocky apartment buildings. Others are absolutely gorgeous though - just like any city, a mix.

Thanks again -