[NY2CT]

We've been house hunting in Avon, Simsbury, Glastonbury, Farmington and West Hartford (and a little in Canton as well). We haven't seen anything we love and nothing great has come on the market recently. We want to be relatively close to Hartford, which is where we both work. Since I often travel all over the state for my job, it would be nice to have easy access to highways.

We're considering branching out a little and looking at other towns. Does anyone know anything about Portland? What kind of town is it? How does it compare to the towns where we're currently looking? What is the commute/traffic like (I'd be taking Route 9 to I-84)? Does anyone have any experience with the schools (we plan to have kids soon)?

Are there any other towns you'd recommend which are comparable to the towns where we're looking? Thank you for your help.

[JayCT]

There is a reason that the homes are priced higher in the towns you have been considering. While a nice small town, Portland is not in the same class as those other towns you are considering. The other towns mentioned are upscale suburbs. Portland is a small town across the river from Middletown. It has some very nice neighborhoods and a couple of great golf courses.

Schools in Portland perform above the state averages on the Connecticut Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance tests. Class sizes are reasonable (around 20 students per class). You can read additional information on the schools in Portland on the Connecticut State Department of Education website below:

Strategic School Profiles by District

I should note though that Portland does not have great access to highways. To get to it you must cross the Aragoni Bridge to Route 9 in Middletown which can be difficult during peak traffic periods. Portland only offers limited shopping in town so you may have to travel to do shopping. Also note, that while the schools in Portland perform well, they do not perform as well as the other towns you mention which are among the best in the state.

If you would like alternatives to the towns you mentioned, consider Marlborough, Hebron, Granby and Burlington. Jay

[skytrekker]

As Jay correctly pointed out- Portland has a weird transportation dilemma, to all parts of the state-despite its central location- this problem stems from patterns of settlement in CT and a physical geographic issue.

[ShadowGod]

The thing is, CT is small so there are so many towns "close to Hartford" that you could consider. How about Middletown, Middlefield, or Cromwell? Stay west of the CT river and the commute is easier.

[sun]

I think that Portland is a nice quiet town with a lot of available land and a large state forest, and it's not too far from Glastonbury and East Hartford. And commuting on Route 9 north to I-84 isn't all that bad either since it would mostly involve traveling against the major traffic.
If you wouldn't mind a relatively larger town closer to I-84, then Cromwell or Berlin (consisting of East Berlin & Kensington) might be other options to consider.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by sun

I think that Portland is a nice quiet town with a lot of available land and a large state forest, and it's not too far from Glastonbury and East Hartford. And commuting on Route 9 north to I-84 isn't all that bad either since it would mostly involve traveling against the major traffic.
If you wouldn't mind a relatively larger town closer to I-84, then Cromwell or Berlin (consisting of East Berlin & Kensington) might be other options to consider.

The problem with commuting to/from Portland is not Route 9 north, it is getting across the Connecticut River and onto Route 9 through Middletown. The Aragoni Bridge connects Protland with the northend of downtown Middletown. There is a lot of traffic there and a number of traffic signals to get through. It can be difficult. Also in the evening there are backups on Route 9 at the traffic signals as well. While not impossible to get through, it is pretty difficult. JMHO Jay