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Grew up in Cheshire CT..then to NH..then to Colorado. I am assuming I'll be working in downtown Hartford in financial services and really like Simsbury on the whole, but we may want to be on the east side to be closer to family on the Cape/Boston and access to the CT shore (love the ocean). We have 2 kids, 5 and 2 and we love the outdoors (skiing, tennis, hiking/camping/boating..you name it). We're pretty laid overall but do want a cultured town and good schools. I think a mid-sized town is a good fit..20-30K seems to be a good number. I liked the size of Cheshire growing up. The town had all amenities/shops and you could also hop on the RM 125 and get into the woods to ride, ect..great balance then. I'd lean towards a town with lots of hiking and open space, but not at the cost of feeling like we're out of way touch.Simsbury seems to strike that balance well on the west side. Do you think Glastonbury is the most similar to Simsbury on the east side? Thanks!!
Glastonbury is much more built up than Simsbury. But keep in mind that Glastonbury is huge. The north/northwest portion of Glastonbury is fairly commercialized. But as you head east and southeast, the town gets fairly rural. I like Glastonbury better than Simsbury, personally, but the towns are fairly similar. Both have a historic feel to them. But Glastonbury has better access to Hartford, over Simsbury. I think the commute to Simsbury is a bit of a pain.
South Windsor could fit the bill too. It's just over the river on I-291, with easy access to Hartford. It's a beautiful town, not as uppity as Glastonbury or Simsbury, but still very, very nice. I'd live there in a second. It's close to everything: Manchester (and the commercial haven that comes with it), Glastonbury, Hartford, etc. It has an ideal location.
I can't think of many other towns that would appeal to you. Perhaps Tolland or Ellington? But Tolland is pretty rural, with not much to do. You're not far from Manchester, or Hartford, but it's definitely secluded. Ellington is rural as well, with pockets of suburbs. It's charming, though some of the developments up there just seem slapped together. You can't go wrong with any of the aforementioned towns.
As for schools, Glastonbury is the best school district, followed closely by Tolland. Ellington has a solid school district, but nowhere near the quality of Glastonbury or Tolland. But really, you have to search quite extensively for a bad school district in Connecticut. I hope all of this helps you on your decision to move!
It is true that Glastonbury is the most similar to Simsbury, east of the river. Simsbury has a slightly higher population density per square mile (698 vs. 649 as of 2009). Glastonbury is a much bigger town, however, and most of its population is concentrated in the northwestern section of town. Glastonbury has two highways (Routes 2 and 17) and is an easier commute to Hartford. The only problem with Glastonbury is that it borders some mediocre/unimpressive towns, such as East Hartford and Manchester. Simsbury borders more picturesque towns such as Avon, Canton and Granby.
Don't know if being east of river will give you significantly more access to coast, but it's a bit more affordable which is nice. Glastonbury is built up more than Cheshire but still fairly low key. You'd have access to woods and hiking in minutes, yet all the conveniences you need. Hebron, Marlborough etc are nice, but pretty rural.
Area-wise Glastonbury is the largest town in Hartford County (60 square miles). Parts of town do feel more developed than Simsbury but you do get to some pretty rural areas quickly once you leave the center of town. What people don't realize is that there are hundreds of acres of undeveloped land along the Connecticut River (used mostly for crops) and in the southeastern (state forest) and eastern (Manchester watershed property) parts of town so as nep321 noted the overall density of Glastonbury is lower than Simsbury.
There are a number of great farms around town so during the season we have great local produce. The corn and apples here are particularly good. Glastonbury does offer easier access to downtown Hartford and major shopping. Route 2 takes you right into the middle of downtown in minutes even during rush hour. There are also express buses into downtown on weekdays. Manchester's Buckland Hills section is one of the largest shopping districts in the state and is not far. Route 2 also gets you to the shore fairly fast and you can also get to the Cape, northern New England, New York and Boston fairly easily because there are highways (I-84 and I-91) nearby.
The schools in town are excellent. We have had a great experience throughout the years from elementary to high school. The only complaint would be that the high school is too big IMHO with about 2,400 students. I can't say though that this has been much of an issue for us except that with so many kids it is hard to get on the high school sports teams unless you are very good.
As for home prices I actually think Glastonbury is slightly higher than Simsbury. We have family in Simsbury that has looked to sell and I was a little surprised that their home is not worth more than it was. I am sure it would have been a little higher in Glastonbury.
I will say though that Simsbury does have a little nicer feel to it than Glastonbury. There is something about its isolation that makes you feel a bit more relaxed. Simsbury also is close to skiing at Ski Sundown Mountain which is nice if you are skiers. Simsbury also seems to get more snow in the winter likely because it is at a higher elevation than Glastonbury. If you have any questions, I would be happy to help. Jay
Thanks for all the great info everyone. We are big skiiers and I had thought about that fact Jay...living on the N/NW side of harford would seem to give us more in terms of lake access, skiing, and access to the farmington river. One reason I am focused on Hartford, is that there are so many town/city choices, each with it's own unique properties, and you're still very close to Harford. Time with family is a priority for us, so I don't want to be commuting for 2 hours day. Is an average commute from Simsbury about .45 min each way? Also, do they run buses from Simsbury, or the neighboring towns?
Another question I could not find a quick answer to..can you swim/boat in the CT River if living in say..S windsor? I assume river swimming is not advisable so close to an urban area?
Thanks for all the great info everyone. We are big skiiers and I had thought about that fact Jay...living on the N/NW side of harford would seem to give us more in terms of lake access, skiing, and access to the farmington river.
Meh, there are tons of outdoor recreational opportunities as you exit Hartford in every direction.
As far as skiing, if you're at all serious you're going to Vermont/Mass anyway via 91. The only decent skiing in CT for adults is Mohawk, and even that is extremely limited. Being on the north side of Hartford saves you maybe 10 minutes going to the major resorts in MA/VT, or maybe even makes it a longer drive if you're far away enough from 91. Being in Glastonbury puts you right by 91.
Not really worth making your decision based on that IMHO.
Thanks for all the great info everyone. We are big skiiers and I had thought about that fact Jay...living on the N/NW side of harford would seem to give us more in terms of lake access, skiing, and access to the farmington river. One reason I am focused on Hartford, is that there are so many town/city choices, each with it's own unique properties, and you're still very close to Harford. Time with family is a priority for us, so I don't want to be commuting for 2 hours day. Is an average commute from Simsbury about .45 min each way? Also, do they run buses from Simsbury, or the neighboring towns?
Another question I could not find a quick answer to..can you swim/boat in the CT River if living in say..S windsor? I assume river swimming is not advisable so close to an urban area?
Simsbury is about 15 miles from downtown Hartford. If you drive from Simsbury, the trip would take about 30 to 45 minutes mostly because you are on local streets (there is no highway). The express bus from Avon takes about 35 minutes. I have a relative that takes it and likes it a lot.
Glastonbury is about 6 miles from Hartford. If you drive it is about 15 to 20 minutes during rush hour. The express bus takes about 15 minutes.
I do not really know of any lakes in Simsbury and the Farmington River is not really a swimming river that I know of. It is kind of shallow. Nobody swims in the Connecticut River.
If you want to boat, you might think of living on one of the very nice lakes east of the river. Lake Pocotopaug in East Hampton is very nice and one of the larger lakes in the area. You could also look at Bolton LAke or Coventry Lake too. All of these are east of the river. I do not know many lakes west of the river that are large enough for boating and that are not far from Hartford. Jay
Another question I could not find a quick answer to..can you swim/boat in the CT River if living in say..S windsor? I assume river swimming is not advisable so close to an urban area?
There are a bunch of boat launches around Hartford, not sure if there is one in South Windsor. I have never been on the river for just swimming, but I've waterskiied (down near Portland).
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