[vickyforever08]

Hi Everyone,

I will be moving to Hartford, CT by end of May 2014 due to my job transfer to Hartford downtown. I am currently in Central Jersey so its only 2-3 hours drive from here but still not commutable. So I am looking to rent a 1BR apartment in one of the Hartford suburbs as I have heard that downtown area is not really safe. I am looking for advise on what towns are good for a couple (we do not have kids and do not plan to have any in near future) to rent a 1BR apartment. I am looking for town which is safe and has some shopping areas, restaurants and theaters etc to enjoy on weekends. I have a car and I am looking for something which will not be more than 10-15 miles drive from Hartford downtown. My budget is around $1000 for 1BR although I can go upto $1100.

Thanks in advance for your help

[JayCT]

I can't believe no one has responded to this. There are a number of towns to consider. First Downtown Hartford is not unsafe. Like any city, it has its issues but it is no more unsafe than any other downtown around the country. Still it is an urban area so if you want a smaller town it would probably not be the best place to live.

That said, I would say you should start looking in West Hartford. It has just about everything you are looking for. I am not sure what you will get for your budget but you still should be able to find something. Other towns you might also want to look at would include Wethersfield, Newington, Rocky Hill, Manchester, Middletown and Vernon. More expensive towns like Glastonbury and Farmington may also have some apartments in your price range but they would be limited. Good luck and welcome to Connecticut. Jay

[vickyforever08]

Thanks for your inputs...appreciate it...

[vickyforever08]

Can you please tell me how good is New Britain? Its around 12 miles from Hartford so in my commute looks fine but I am not sure about the city itself...

thanks in advance....

[SouthernGuy1]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I can't believe no one has responded to this. There are a number of towns to consider. First Downtown Hartford is not unsafe. Like any city, it has its issues but it is no more unsafe than any other downtown around the country. Still it is an urban area so if you want a smaller town it would probably not be the best place to live.

That said, I would say you should start looking in West Hartford. It has just about everything you are looking for. I am not sure what you will get for your budget but you still should be able to find something. Other towns you might also want to look at would include Wethersfield, Newington, Rocky Hill, Manchester, Middletown and Vernon. More expensive towns like Glastonbury and Farmington may also have some apartments in your price range but they would be limited. Good luck and welcome to Connecticut. Jay

Downtown Hartford safe, ever been to Albany Avenue

[wma152]

Originally Posted by vickyforever08

Can you please tell me how good is New Britain? Its around 12 miles from Hartford so in my commute looks fine but I am not sure about the city itself...

thanks in advance....

The question should be how bad is New Britain. LOL. A lot of bad areas, a few decent ones.
With your budget, check the surrounding towns of hartford, you can find a nice place for that amount.

[Mr_250]

Originally Posted by wma152

The question should be how bad is New Britain. LOL. A lot of bad areas, a few decent ones.
With your budget, check the surrounding towns of hartford, you can find a nice place for that amount.

I grew up in New Britain.

In your budget you'll find a lot of rentals in the bad places and not a lot in the good places. I would avoid it as a whole though. The City has taken a nose dive and even the "good" places are being over run by bad people.

Suggestions: Farmington, W. Hartford, Newington and Wethersfield. All good quality towns with a good amount to offer.

[vickyforever08]

thanks everyone ....

[c4charlie]

I would recommend West Hartford. It has such a great downtown, excellent restaurants and more fun than Hartford. Make sure you factor in the commuting cost on living further away and also if you like to go out to eat/fun, you may be traveling as well. The travel expense savings could possibly bump up your rental budget.

Good Luck!

[Danny K]

Well for Hartford, I would first try Glastonbury or Marlborough. They are such great towns and are a little rural although they are kind of expensive, try those first and see what you can afford. Excellent schools and upper class towns. If you want a more rural area, look at Marlborough, otherwise Glastonbury is the place for you.

If your budget is a little low for these towns try West Hartford, Avon, or Farmington. They are not as upper class as Glastonbury or Marlborough, but they are also great towns and have a lot. In fact those towns might be closer to downtown hartford than the more upper class towns I listed. But landscaping is not as good as Glastonbury, and also overall Glastonbury and Marlborough are better towns so look at them first.