[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by mikelizard860

Avon is out of the way and a pain to get anywhere compared to west hartford.

You don't really need to go anywhere outside of Farmington Valley if you don't want to - you have almost all the shopping you need along Route 44, as well as a movie theater and a bunch of restaurants. You have hiking and outdoor stuff along the "rails to trails", Avon Mountain and canoes and kayaks along the Farmington River. Unless you really have an urge to shop frequently at Target (in Torrington or near West Farms Mall) or go to the Cheesecake Factory in Blue Back Square, most of what you need is already there. If they buy the home on New Road, they're 12-13 minutes from Target in Torrington.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by clairemary

thank you for all your points, what I love about the Avon home is the outdoor element for our boys, the peace and tranquility of the location and the privacy.

Are people welcoming in Avon to new families? people really reached out to us here in WH when we first came.

the drive is quite steep, we would need to pay for snow removal, does anyone have an idea how much this costs? just roughly

any other comments are really welcomed, thanks

We found Avon to be very welcoming - there are a lot of people that relocate for work for United Technologies, Aetna, Stanley and other companies that move to & from Avon. (As well as Simsbury, Farmington and West Hartford, too)

[parentologist]

[quote=clairemary;34099805]Really need some opinions please!

I moved from the UK two years ago to West Hartford, (with thanks to people on here helping)!!

We currently rent in WH and need to buy a house and come off our ex pat contract with the company we have looked at several houses but dont like any of them, they are too expensive, need tons of work, too old, not the right school district etc etc.

We found a house today in Avon, on New Road, absoutley perfect in every way for our family, the house is 8 years old, move in ready, perfect. It has beautiful views and complete privacy, with owned access down to the river.

Schools in Avon rank higher than West Hartford - we a have 2nd, & 4th Grader

Our concern:
starting over again when we have just made connections and friends
WH center is a great place to eat out, walk too, convenient
easier access for my husband to commute to Suffield
community spirit
Neighbours!
Sidewalks
CONVENIENCE

I would love to hear your views on both towns
thanks so much![/QUOTE

First of all, do you have to move? Moving in and of itself is a pain in the butt, and expensive. Old maxim: Two moves are as bad as a fire. Fortunately, I've never had a fire, but moving is incredibly stressful. Of course, you already know that.

West Hartford schools rank lower because of the iffy southeast section of town. If you look at the higher ranking elementary schools in WH, pretty much all of the ones that don't draw on the southeast section of town, they rank with the best. As for the high schools, the education available at both Hall and Conard to good students is as good as the best in any public school in the state. So I don't think that you should make the move thinking that Avon schools are better than WH. The issue with WH is that there are some underclass students that drag the scores down, not that the schools aren't good.

There is a lot to be said for not moving the boys from the friends that they've made. It's going to be another adjustment - new school, all new kids. But they are young, and it's usually easier for boys than for girls.

Avon doesn't have a walkable town center. It has "Shoppes" in an outdoor mall. But there are plenty of stores in strip malls along 44. You won't have to drive far for shopping.

Your husband will have to deal with a more difficult commute over Avon mountain, especially in snow, and you will be a lot farther from any highways.

You will have to make new friends again. But your boys are young enough that if you're outgoing, and willing to be a class mother, you'll meet new people easily.

WH has a great sense of community. So many classes offered, lots of ways to connect - libraries, houses of worship, sports and facilities. In addition, there's a large percentage of highly educated, liberal - thinking people. Avon too has an educated population, but it is more of a bedroom commuter suburb.

Kids' friends are the people that they can run outside and play with. They can do that in a neighborhood with sidewalks and smaller lots. They cannot when the houses are on huge lots, with no sidewalks. Then they're dependent upon arranged playdates and being driven.

Avon definitely has an advantage in terms of younger housing stock.

Steep driveway is a killer. Even with plowing, it's still going to be slippery in the winter - for both cars and pedestrians. It's very hard to sell a house with a steep driveway in a snowy area. If you do decide to bid on the New Road Avon house, bargain hard, cause it's gonna be a tough sell when you go to sell it.

If what's most important to you is new construction, and you can't find it in WH, then consider Avon. But if you want stability for the boys, and not to have to make new friends again, I'd stay in WH, preferably in their same elementary school.

Good luck with your decision. At least you know that you're having to choose between two good choices. It will work out either way you choose.

[mikelizard860]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

You don't really need to go anywhere outside of Farmington Valley if you don't want to - you have almost all the shopping you need along Route 44, as well as a movie theater and a bunch of restaurants. You have hiking and outdoor stuff along the "rails to trails", Avon Mountain and canoes and kayaks along the Farmington River. Unless you really have an urge to shop frequently at Target (in Torrington or near West Farms Mall) or go to the Cheesecake Factory in Blue Back Square, most of what you need is already there. If they buy the home on New Road, they're 12-13 minutes from Target in Torrington.

That would be a really boring life if you never wanted to leave avon. Yes it's true if you never want to leave the farmington valley than convenience is not an issue.

[NewJeffCT]

for everyday life, you don't have to leave Farmington Valley. People on here make it seems like you're going to have to drive 30 or 40 minutes from Avon to do your basic grocery shopping or to buy your kid a new pair of jeans when it's not true.

Sure, it may take you 5 or 10 minutes longer to get to Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium from Avon vs West Hartford, but then you'd need to drive that extra 10-15 minutes from West Hartford if one wanted to go tubing on the Farmington River.

[bomgd3]

Avon is physically not a great environment for children (I lived there from 10-12th grade). As someone else mentioned, there are no sidewalks and essentially kids cannot get anywhere without you driving them. It can be fairly isolating. My parents actually live in Buckingham and it is a pretty nice community for kids by Avon standards, but still not great compared to West Hartford.

Although I never attended a West Hartford school, I think everyone will tell you that Avon and West Hartford schools are roughly equivalent although Avon offers slightly fewer opportunities due to its small size. Taxes in West Hartford are crazy high. Avon's natural environment is nicer, the roads are much quieter with more polite drivers.

Really at the end of the day it's down to personal preference, but I certainly wouldn't move just for the children. They will have a harder time getting around in Avon.

[NewJeffCT]

A cousin of mine that did move from WH to Avon actually found just the opposite - because they lived in a subdivision (not Buckingham, though), many of their kid's friends were in the same subdivision, so the kids could walk/bike to their friend's home in the same subdivision as they grew up. (We had moved from a subdivision in Ellington to Buckingham in Avon.)

When they were in West Hartford, they had sidewalks, but the friends of their oldest child were kind of scattered about, so required a parent to drive them to a birthday party or playdate. (the younger children were a newborn and an 18 month old when they moved.) If they had stayed in WH, their neighborhood was more of a mix of older couples/empty nesters, parents with older kids and a few new families, so would have required them to continue driving the kids over the years.

But, that is also dependent upon where you live in each town, too.

[AlyScott94]

I hate to say it, but commuting to Suffield from WH or Avon is nasty. Why not consider Simsbury or Granby? A little more out in the sticks, good schools, great communities, and a decent commute.

That said, I like WH over Avon. Both can be snooty, but WH has more activities and involvement. Avon is solely focused around the schools. Schools are equivalent quality. I wouldn't send my boys to Conard, Hall, or Avon High. Northwest Catholic, Kingswood, would probably be my only choices regardless of towns.