[ercoast]

Considering a move to Colchester. Looking for any and all info regarding the town. Particularly, would it be a good fit for family (2 young kids)? Schools? Access to amenities (coffee shop, restaurant, shopping nearby?)

Thanks.

[ercoast]

Never mind. Figured out how to search the existing postings for info on Colchester. Oops.

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by ercoast

Considering a move to Colchester. Looking for any and all info regarding the town. Particularly, would it be a good fit for family (2 young kids)? Schools? Access to amenities (coffee shop, restaurant, shopping nearby?)

Thanks.

Colchester is a great place to live for a family. Schools are very good- the High School- the Beacon Academy has an excellent reputation.

Shopping in town is basic- but has a Starbucks, and some fine restaurants that offer great food- Nu Nu's Bistro, Harry's Place (an institution for decades) & Plum Tomato, among other places. The town center Green is most pleasant. There is also a modern Cinema of several screens.

A large Super Stop & Shop is in town, A specialty Food market, CVS, Dunkin Donuts, MC Donald's and a large mall in Waterford- about 15 miles away.

[JayCT]

A lot of families have settled in Colchester so it would be a good place to live. As Skytrekker indicated, it has basic shopping but for major stuff you will have to travel. The schools in Colchester are good but the class sizes are a bit larger than I prefer (over 20 students per class). The link below should give you more information:

http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/d...07/dist016.pdf

I hope this helps, Jay

[MuttMommy]

I recently relocated to Colchester from another part of the state. While I don't have kids in the school system, I can speak to amenities. Within town, you have a few restaurants, 2 grocery stores, Starbucks, Blockbuster, fast food places, etc. One thing I like about Colchester is that there is a real town center, with a library, shops, etc all around a green. You're close to Gay City Park and also about 25 minutes to Glastonbury & Waterford. If you have pets, a real plus is John Gagnon's Pet Resort within town and they have grooming, day care, boarding, training etc.

A few things drive me nuts - there isn't a Target all that nearby. With kids, you need a place to buy things like diapers, clothes, etc. and an hour round trip is too long for me. Also, I have to drive 45 minutes to my bank. If you're commuting to Hartford, then be aware that Rt 2 often has accidents in the winter and it's a 2 lane highway with exits spaced far apart so expect delays. Lastly, the local movie theatre doesn't take credit cards - you have to bring cash which boggles my mind.

It's quiet here, people are really friendly, neighbors invite other neighbors over, people at stores remember you and chat with you.