[gahr1family]

Thanks for the information. I apologize that I did not realize there is not a location referred to as northern Hartford, the company my husband will be working for relayed this specific term to us. We are looking for a traditional type home with a little bit of breathing room. Ideally this house would have a 1 acre lot (trees always a plus) and a little running room for our children and golden retriever. My professional background as a residential designer and home stager makes it a little easier for us to look at any home regardless of aesthetic issues. What we are really hoping to find is a neighborhood that will offer character and older or older-looking homes. We really prefer to not be in a cookie-cutter subdivision but perhaps a little older neighborhood with mature trees. Children in the neighborhood would be awesome as my kiddos are 8 and 12. We are looking at a budget of $800k max. Any neighborhood suggestions in the above mentioned areas would be greatly appreciated. My hubby drives 80 miles one way to work and I drive 62 miles to work each way now so, we would be more than willing to look at options a little further out that would offer a more quiet and quaint town feeling. I really appreciate everyone's time and insight!

[kidyankee764]

If you like older neighborhoods with mature trees, I would suggest you look into West Hartford. Here is a beautiful traditional home in what looks like a nice neighborhood: 73 Mohawk Dr, West Hartford, CT 06117 is For Sale - Zillow

[gahr1family]

Great house kidyankee764..gorgeous! My only concern about West Hartford is it seems many people on this forum are steering me away from that area and directing us to other areas. What are your thoughts on West Hartford relative to the surrounding areas?

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by gahr1family

Great house kidyankee764..gorgeous! My only concern about West Hartford is it seems many people on this forum are steering me away from that area and directing us to other areas. What are your thoughts on West Hartford relative to the surrounding areas?

I think most people are steering you away because it tends to be a more liberal town as compared to other towns in the area. In my opinion, this is correct but it would not steer me away from living somewhere, because wherever you live, you will deal with people in all towns in the area.

The fact that someone claimed West Hartford to be "high crime" is ludicrous. It is an extremely safe suburb with a crime index well below the national average. It does border Hartford and of course there is some spill over, but nothing that would raise an eyebrow. It is more diverse than the other communities mentioned, which tend to be above 90% white.

You should definitely check out all towns in the area. West Hartford, Avon, Simsbury, Farmington and perhaps Canton. In the last four towns, you will get a home on more land.

[NewJeffCT]

You'll find many homes you like in Avon & Simsbury.

Also, most people on here will consider anything grouping 3-4 homes built at the same time by the same builder to be a "cookie cutter" subdivision, forgetting that outside of the Northeast, many subdivisions are sometimes many hundreds of homes, if not well over a thousand homes. (I looked in Richmond, VA maybe 9-10 years back, and a realtor took me through subdivisions of 300-500 homes, or more, some of which were so big they had their own schools...)

I know there are a lot of nice individual homes around Hollister Drive in Avon and some of the streets off of there. Some are older, while others are fairly new. As long as you stay off of the longer roads in town (Lovely Street, Huckleberry Hill Rd, Old Farms Rd, W. Avon Rd, Country Club Rd, and a few others), you'll find a lot of good family-oriented neighborhoods.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

I looked in Richmond, VA maybe 9-10 years back

Wow, you looked at homes in lots of areas in the past. Los Angeles, Houston, Richmond.

[NewJeffCT]

How about this one in Avon:

102 Highridge Rd, Avon, CT 06001 is For Sale - Zillow

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Wow, you looked at homes in lots of areas in the past. Los Angeles, Houston, Richmond.

Yes, I have. I've also looked in Tampa, Columbus, GA (ugh!), Columbus, OH and Madison, WI. I've worked in insurance for 20+ years, so I've acquired some skills that are not as common outside of the Northeast. (I've also looked at places in NYC, the Boston area and north Jersey, too, but those are not "huge" relocations)

(Columbus, GA reminded me of East Hartford - one big tower dominates the city - the Aflac Tower in Columbus, and that Founders Plaza in East Hartford)

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

If you like older neighborhoods with mature trees, I would suggest you look into West Hartford. Here is a beautiful traditional home in what looks like a nice neighborhood: 73 Mohawk Dr, West Hartford, CT 06117 is For Sale - Zillow

That's my neighborhood . Fully agree!

To the OP: Whoever is steering you away from WH is offbase. It is a wonderful, diverse community (yes, politically also).

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

How about this one in Avon:

102 Highridge Rd, Avon, CT 06001 is For Sale - Zillow

Very gaudy. Ugly kitchen, and whats with the mirror fireplace? Not at all traditional, IMO, which the OP is looking for.