[ingoldtr]

My boyfriend is transferring to UCONN and we will be relocating from Virginia Beach, VA. We are in our late 20s and looking for any insight on where to start looking to live. What are the closest towns near UCONN that would be reasonable for commuting to campus, but also a decent area with restaurants, shopping, parks, etc.? Any recommendations are appreciated!

Thanks!
TI

[Mr_250]

Originally Posted by ingoldtr

My boyfriend is transferring to UCONN and we will be relocating from Virginia Beach, VA. We are in our late 20s and looking for any insight on where to start looking to live. What are the closest towns near UCONN that would be reasonable for commuting to campus, but also a decent area with restaurants, shopping, parks, etc.? Any recommendations are appreciated!

Thanks!
TI

If I were you I would look at this new project that they are building/built. Storrs Center - Mansfield, CT Main Street Neighborhood

It meets your requirements without the commute. The only town that is within commuting distance would be Vernon or Manchester.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by ingoldtr

My boyfriend is transferring to UCONN and we will be relocating from Virginia Beach, VA. We are in our late 20s and looking for any insight on where to start looking to live. What are the closest towns near UCONN that would be reasonable for commuting to campus, but also a decent area with restaurants, shopping, parks, etc.? Any recommendations are appreciated!

Thanks!
TI

Welcome. I assume you mean UConn's main campus in Storrs, not one of the branches (Hartford, Waterbury, Stamford or Groton). UConn is located in the small town of Mansfield. There are some apartments there but there is not a lot of shopping or entertainment there. They just built the new Storrs Center which has a number of shops and restaurants but if that is not enough, you will have to travel about 30 minutes to be closer to Hartford for more. Many students will rent places in either Vernon or Manchester. These are more suburban type communities with a larger number of stores and restaurants. Manchester is home to the Buckland Hills retail district which has a large mall and most of the major retail stores you could want or need. There are a lot of apartments in both of these towns. It is just a matter of personal preference which would suit you best. Jay

[ingoldtr]

Originally Posted by Mr_250

If I were you I would look at this new project that they are building/built. Storrs Center - Mansfield, CT Main Street Neighborhood

It meets your requirements without the commute. The only town that is within commuting distance would be Vernon or Manchester.

This is great, thank you!

[ingoldtr]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Welcome. I assume you mean UConn's main campus in Storrs, not one of the branches (Hartford, Waterbury, Stamford or Groton). UConn is located in the small town of Mansfield. There are some apartments there but there is not a lot of shopping or entertainment there. They just built the new Storrs Center which has a number of shops and restaurants but if that is not enough, you will have to travel about 30 minutes to be closer to Hartford for more. Many students will rent places in either Vernon or Manchester. These are more suburban type communities with a larger number of stores and restaurants. Manchester is home to the Buckland Hills retail district which has a large mall and most of the major retail stores you could want or need. There are a lot of apartments in both of these towns. It is just a matter of personal preference which would suit you best. Jay

this is great, thank you!

[NewJeffCT]

Congrats on your move. You're moving from a large city (population 450,000 or so) in a large area (500 square miles) to the rural environs of Storrs, CT.

Most of the towns in Connecticut are very small area-wise (10 to 30 square miles), so living in a place like Tolland or Vernon would give you a 10-15-20 minute commute to Storrs, but also give you quick and easy access to Manchester and South Windsor, which is home to one of the biggest retail/shopping areas in the state - Buckland Hills Mall, The Shoppes at Evergreen Walk and all the surrounding stores and restaurants (Big Box stores, chain restaurants, etc). Additionally, Vernon and Tolland are not a bad drive to Glastonbury and the more trendy restaurants there.

You could even try Manchester itself, but then you'd have a bit longer commute to Storrs - 20-30 minutes.

[JayCT]

I will say that Storrs Center is pretty nice. It is a small mixed use development that opened a couple of years ago with small shops and restaurants, a large supermarket and a number of nice apartments. They built it as a small village center so it is very walkable and is not far from the main campus, just across Route 195. I understand that the apartments are very nice but a bit expensive. Jay

[ingoldtr]

It definitely looks like a good option. I will check it out.

thanks again!

[Stylo]

Storrs Center is really your only choice without having a commute. West Hartford is your best bet outside of that, has tons of restaurants, shopping, bars, street life, but is a 40 minute commute. If you go at rush hour, it could be longer going through Hartford.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Storrs Center is really your only choice without having a commute. West Hartford is your best bet outside of that, has tons of restaurants, shopping, bars, street life, but is a 40 minute commute. If you go at rush hour, it could be longer going through Hartford.

Why wouldn't Manchester or Glastonbury be options if they were looking for a decent area with restaurants, shopping, parks, etc.? Much shorter commute and they don't have to worry about going through Hartford at rush hour.