[jacksback]

I have a job opportunity in Hartford so my wife and I are checking out the real estate there and I have a few questions. West Hartford, Glastonbury and a few other towns were recommended, as was the West End of Hartford or downtown. We need a bigger house for our college kids and recent grads to come home to and grandchildren down the road.
1. Is the West End safe?
2. Why are the home prices cheaper than the suburbs? My wife likes this listing on Kenyon Street. 262 Kenyon St, Hartford, CT 06105 | MLS #G10096414 | Zillow

3. Is Kenyon Street a good street?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Hartford and the surrounding towns?

[Mike 75]

The West End is safe by Hartford standards, but there are occasional property/quality of life crimes in the area. You are less likely to have these issues in West Hartford or Glastonbury or in any of the other suburbs.

Kenyon Street is fine so long as you're north of Farmington Ave., and the further north you go the nicer it gets. Prices are cheaper b/c property taxes are through the roof in Hartford.

If you like the West End, you should also look in West Hartford, which abuts the West End. I've lived in both places and would pick WH over WE, but that's just me. Its worth checking them both out.

[HumpDay]

Originally Posted by jacksback

I have a job opportunity in Hartford so my wife and I are checking out the real estate there and I have a few questions. West Hartford, Glastonbury and a few other towns were recommended, as was the West End of Hartford or downtown. We need a bigger house for our college kids and recent grads to come home to and grandchildren down the road.
1. Is the West End safe?
2. Why are the home prices cheaper than the suburbs? My wife likes this listing on Kenyon Street. 262 Kenyon St, Hartford, CT 06105 | MLS #G10096414 | Zillow

3. Is Kenyon Street a good street?
4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Hartford and the surrounding towns?

Welcome to Connecticut.

West Hartford and Glastonbury are one of the most desirable towns/cities in the Greater Hartford area. Crime is low and schools are fantastic. Avon, Simsbury, and Suffield are all great towns as well and are located in the outer suburbs that have a lot of property.

1. The West End is pretty safe. I live in the West End and it's a decent area. It's not as great as it used to be though. There are some beautiful large older homes by Prospect Ave in the West End.

2. Prices are cheaper in Hartford simply because it can't beat or compete with the higher quality of life in bordering towns and cities. Schools in Hartford are complete trash and it's a city filled with crime ridden neighborhoods (which are mostly in the north end) and poverty. The West End and Downtown are the only exception. Downtown has gotten big over the past 5 years with many large construction projects underway. A lot of young professionals are now starting to live in downtown Hartford.

3. I live right by Kenyon Street. It's not bad at all and you're close to St Francis Hospital which is a great hospital. Terry Rd and Scarborough St has a bunch of large mansions which is directly north of Kenyon St. From this point I'd avoid looking for homes north and east from this neighborhood.

4. As bad as it sounds, disadvantages overway advantages when it comes to living in Hartford. The mill rate is much higher in Hartford than bordering towns and cities.

[NewJeffCT]

The link doesn't seem to work for me?

The west end of Hartford is typically safe. The lower property values are because the Hartford schools suck and the West Hartford schools are generally very good to excellent.

Most of the suburbs around Hartford are nice towns with good schools. However, since your kids are in college, schools are not as important, except for resale.

Depending on your budget, I would also look in Newington, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, South Windsor, Farmington, Avon, Southington or Manchester and avoid Bloomfield and East Hartford. (Glastonbury and West Hartford are also very nice towns, so you can look there as well)

Hartford is very small in terms of square mileage, so even towns as far south as Cromwell and Middletown are relatively short commutes (less than 30 minutes from Middletown and 20 minutes from Cromwell)

Oh - and, welcome to Connecticut.

[parentologist]

I lived in all sorts of crime ridden slums when i was a student. I grew up in NYC in the 60s and 70s when crime there was very bad. So this is not coming from a sheltered suburbanite. Trust me, you do not want to live in hartford, even the west end. Only if you like living on the border of high crime areas should you look there. Not to mention that hartford's government is apparently corrupt, with extremely high property taxes that just never seem to be enough to solve the city's financial woes.

Will you be working? If so, where? Desired commute time? What is your budget? I understand you want a big house. You don't need good schools, right?

[jacksback]

I'll be working downtown, budget is 600K would like 5 bedrooms and schools aren't a factor.

[ayoskillz]

Move out to Farmington or even middletown is pretty nice. Still within 30mins of downtown. 600k will get you a nice house in a nice area but i wouldnt buy in hartford unless you want to be closer to the city life. If you do westhart is really nice

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by parentologist

I lived in all sorts of crime ridden slums when i was a student. I grew up in NYC in the 60s and 70s when crime there was very bad. So this is not coming from a sheltered suburbanite. Trust me, you do not want to live in hartford, even the west end. Only if you like living on the border of high crime areas should you look there. Not to mention that hartford's government is apparently corrupt, with extremely high property taxes that just never seem to be enough to solve the city's financial woes.

Will you be working? If so, where? Desired commute time? What is your budget? I understand you want a big house. You don't need good schools, right?

This.

[AMSS]

It comes down to whether you want city living or not. You don't have kids in schools which makes a huge difference. I've lived in some crappy areas too and am alive and unharmed. We are in a city daily for one of my kids' schooling. It's not near the same crime rate as Hartford, but it still has made me wonder if city life being dangerous is overblown. Here's an article I read by someone who moved to Hartford from West Hartford after his divorce.

https://thebillfold.com/are-the-subu...44e#.oyvvdsc72

[AmyBergquist]

I've lived in the West End for almost 12 years now. It's a great community. If you want more of an urban feel, the West End should work for you. Gridded street patterns and sidewalks everywhere make it very walkable, there is a nice neighborhood park (Elizabeth Park), and great restaurants on Farmington Avenue. Easy highway access and access to the major east/west streets make it simple to get around.

We relocated here from Virginia and fell in love with our house and the neighborhood. If we had purchased somewhere else we would have moved by now because we were able to buy a house we could grow into. You'll get more house for your money in Hartford when compared to suburban towns. Taxes are about equal to the suburbs even though our mill rate is substantially higher because of an assessment ratio offset which is granted by the state.

Kenyon is a popular street. We have a listing there now and have many friends who live on the street. The neighborhood is very social and you can choose to be as social as you'd like (neighborhood monthly happy hours, many volunteer committees, etc.), or not.

Welcome to the area!