[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by Gracehappens

Thanks for the comments, especially Parentologist . . . I do not wish to reside in Western MA. Longmeadow is an ultra suburban town of 15,000 with a small handful of shops and restaurants. West Hartford is a small city of 65,000. As I stated in my op, want to get away from a small town. Looking for a vibrant, walkable downtown area, more culture, arts, etc. Very much enjoy Midtown, Beacon Hill, even East Side of Providence, but don't want to live in those areas with an elementary schooler. Even though there is a thread from the Spring about WH schools and one from last year, it's great to hear from others about schools, neighborhoods, the general vibe of the area, and pros and cons of living there!

I think you're on the right track in looking at WH then. Agree with Parentologist's comments. I'll add that there is a small perceptual edge for schools which feed into Hall HS vs. Conard...but again, I think that is related not to the educational quality but rather the student demographics.

In terms of cons (at least from our perspective)--old housing stock (meaning that your yearly maintenance costs will be high...including heating oil) unless you live in one of the condo complexes, and natural gas as a utility is not available everywhere (including in our neighborhood). In addition to the dining/cultural options in WH itself, you will be very close to downtown & west end of Hartford for even more options.