[Kerrykerry]

Hello everyone,

I am graduating from college in a couple weeks and will be relocating from Boston to Hartford in June to start working in Windsor. I've read similar discussions on here about new college grads, and a lot of nice apartment complexes have been suggested, but I'm on a pretty tight budged and cannot afford a place like Hartford 21 or Bushnell Towers, 55 Trumbull on the Park, etc.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for me?
Does anyone know anything about any of the following apartments:
Dutch Point, 137 Wyllys Street Hartford, CT 06106
Park View Towers, 967 Asylum Road, Hartford, CT 06105
Chappelle Gardens, 369 Barbour St, Hartford
Union Place Apartments, 74 Union Pl., Hartford
Boulevard West Apartments, 891 West Blvd, Hartford (west end)

Essentially all I am looking for is a safe place to live where I can park my car and live pretty comfortably. Are there any areas/neighborhoods/cities that I should avoid? What about living in/around Windsor? Any suggestions would be very very helpful!

Thank you!

[swtvictories]

Kerry,

Another recent graduate and I just put down an application on an apartment on South Whitney Street, in the West End (I think). We chose the area because it is primarily residential, quiet, and seems to have many young people living there...when we were touring the place, we ran into 2 fellow college seniors moving into the building next door! It's also around the corner from the Half Door, a bar popular with many UConn Law students. Check out Westside Management, as they list apartments in a building on South Whitney, and other fairly affordable places nearby.

[aliving824]

Hello,

I would put a thumbs down on all the places you mentioned and any apartments in Hartford, CT. I've worked in Hartford for the last 10 years and I know the city very well. Unless you have to live in an urban environment which includes a lot of drugs, prostitution, gangs, poverty, pollution and lots of drama, I would pass on ANYTHING in Hartford.

I lived in Windsor for 20 plus years and it's like night and day compared to Hartford unless you are talking about the Wilson section of the town. Overall, the surrounding towns adjacent to Hartford are the spillage of the city. In the last 20 years, East Hartford, Wethersfield, West Hartford, Bloomfield and a little bit of Windsor, have all worsened as ex-urbanites move their culture and collective conscioness to the suburbs.

I live in Ellington and work in Hartford. Ellington is quiet, safe, no crime, a well educated population and has a lot of farms. If I was going to work in Windsor, I would look for an apartment in the Northern sections. Also take a look into Windsor Locks, Enfield, East Windsor, Suffield, etc. You will not regret living in these areas and the rents may even be cheaper than Hartford.

Hartford is a vey tiny city where most people enjoy the Wadsworth, the Bushnell, etc. but most get back in their car and head back to a safe home when the show it over.

[leoberman]

Forget about the places you listed. Seriously. The only safe area you could probably afford is in the West End near the law school. By 'West End' I mean north of Farmington Ave and west of Girard Ave. Stick to this area and look at Craigslist.

I have a co-worker who is probably in a similar situation to you, fairly young and new to the area. She lives at the Park Place Towers and has generally fair things to say. See here:

Park Place Towers Luxury Rental Apartments Hartford, CT 06106

Good luck in your search. Feel free to pm me with any specific questions as well.

[Kerrykerry]

Thank you all for your responses.

I was wondering if anyone else had any information about the Park Place Towers? It looks really nice on the website, but Apartment Ratings - Apartments for Rent with Ratings and Reviews from Actual Renters has some pretty mixed/negative things to say about it. Would really appreciate some insights into that, and maybe some insights into some good apartment complexes in Enfield, Windsor Locks, Suffield, etc.?

Thank you!

[NY2CT]

I lived in Park Place Towers 5 years ago. I didn't care for it and I've heard it has gotten worse. We had neighbors who smoked (cigarettes and marijuana). The smoke came through the walls and vents. Although we complained many times, management did nothing about it. I know people have a right to smoke in their own apartment, but it's a problem when the smoke fills other apartments. Management never tried to alleviate or fix the problem.

The area isn't great. The guest parking lot is very small and fills up quickly. Cars that parked right outside the complex frequently got broken into. I personally wouldn't recommend living there.

[redbaron]

Working in Windsor you may want to check out Rivers Bend and Williamsburg Apartments in Windsor. I would also check out Manchester, it's an easy commute to Windsor, tons of choices, plus shopping, restaurants etc... Enfield wouldn't be too bad either, I believe Bigelow Commons is a popular choice there.

[ThatsMyStory]

KerryKerry

I am a working professional who also happens to "Live in Hartford". A colleague of mine recently moved into Park Place Towers and she loves it. You may also try places like Manchester, Enfield or even Windsor. Every town has it's downside. Frankly, if you aren't involved with criminal activities you'll be just fine. Park Place Towers is really safe, they actually I.D visitors, your car will be safe in their indoor parking. Be blessed and encouraged. Congratulations on graduating!

[Impoverished Intellect]

Hello, reading all these posts of sheer ignorance, as usual per the middle class and the "uppers" I just had to register even though I really don't have time in my life for posts. Let me EDUCATE you all. I am an extremely intelligent woman with an phi theta kappa/magna *** laude honors junior college degree who has spent my life raising three children on my own in poverty;never owned a vehicle or home and we survived in the system while I struggled to get this degree while in "subsidized" housing. Needless to say if certain parties were responsible this wouldn't have been the case but that is an aside. Usually people on section 8, generally women and children whom are the face of US poverty due to institutionalized bigotry and system designed barriers in place for decades, are in a struggle to even earn enough to survive much less pay full rent. The young person mentioned elsewhere regarding the bilking the system scenario is if not fully fabricated is NOT the majority BUT which any sociology proffessor can attest to AN CONVENIENT ABBERATION for the masses to lessen their guilt of not doing more to solicit their representatives for a decent and living wage for people struggling to get ahead.
I currently have finished raising my three grown children,(ONE OF WHOM I LOST TO ILLNESS LAST YEAR) am still on section eight as there are no decent jobs for my degree except minimum wage crap especially in HARTFORD CT(THE SITUATION FOR HOUSING IS MUCH THE SAME AND I WILL NOW TELL YOU ABOUT THAT AS WELL) and so I remain, still, locked into the system until I can finish my bachelors degree, move to the seat of our govt. to hopefully represent those disenfranchised by the aforementioned system and maybe find a job that pays more than minimum wage in a service industry that breeds continuous apathy and disrespects its empoyees shamelessly. I look forward to that fine day that I no longer need the program that keeps me from being HOMELESS. I barely have enough food or clothing and Thank God for my backbone and intellect which propels me to make it. HOUSING IN HARTFORD UNLESS YOU ARE FILTHY RICH IS HORRENDOUSLY DECREPIT AND mired in a scandalous fillout the app pay 25-50 bucks for it and then discover your credit is too bad to grant you the apt but they shmooze you to think you may have a chance. If a drug dealer had a "job" and "good credit" they would be in the bldng before me and my very bad credit but wonderful social, writing, and social advocacy skills as well as always paying my small portion of rent based on my income or lack thereof. PLEASE IF YOU MOVE TO HARTFORD AVOID MOST OF YOUR MENTIONED ADDRESSES AS THEY ARE SLUMS AND THE BLVD WEST IS A SCAM ORIENTED "NICE MAIN BLDNG" (WHICH I WAS JUST DISCRIMINATED AGAINST FROM BECOMING A TENANT IN AND CONSIDERING CHARGES) AND THEN THERE ARE the rest of their junky properties that one is referred to if their credit is poor thus relegating them to the dust bin of "poor bum" status. I refused to take the "apt" offered me with barred windows in the basement that wouldnt allow me to get out of in case of a fire! This is incredible and when I increase my political affiliations even more so in the future (movin to dc) I will be spending much time investigating such things... IF YOU NEED TO WORK AND ARE SEEKING "CHEAP" HOUSING STAY AWAY FROM HARTFORD CT I think you can see I am well educated in this and other and can back it up with proof. I will be writing books in the future. No we all aren't blessed with the ability to rent at the 21 It is those with and those without as usual good luck peace

Originally Posted by Kerrykerry

Hello everyone,

I am graduating from college in a couple weeks and will be relocating from Boston to Hartford in June to start working in Windsor. I've read similar discussions on here about new college grads, and a lot of nice apartment complexes have been suggested, but I'm on a pretty tight budged and cannot afford a place like Hartford 21 or Bushnell Towers, 55 Trumbull on the Park, etc.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for me?
Does anyone know anything about any of the following apartments:
Dutch Point, 137 Wyllys Street Hartford, CT 06106
Park View Towers, 967 Asylum Road, Hartford, CT 06105
Chappelle Gardens, 369 Barbour St, Hartford
Union Place Apartments, 74 Union Pl., Hartford
Boulevard West Apartments, 891 West Blvd, Hartford (west end)

Essentially all I am looking for is a safe place to live where I can park my car and live pretty comfortably. Are there any areas/neighborhoods/cities that I should avoid? What about living in/around Windsor? Any suggestions would be very very helpful!

Thank you!

[Impoverished Intellect]

This is Impoverished Intellect again. I DO consider environment very important; you may have read certain places were rehabbed BUT remember there is rampant street violence in the "lower class" status neighborhoods thus negating any "niceness", in my estimation, to said re-done buildings. Union place, if you don't mind living over noise/bar kids environment seems nice on net but they require funds and good credit; pretty much like most which is why I want to dismantle the discriminatory bar of credit ratings for housing which is how one is kept segregated by race and class. I have visited Windsor and would recommend that you try a net search for that. Remember the farther away from the city you go is better unless you have big bucks. I have the other barrier called "Transportation" which precludes me from escaping just now. I am trying to find a "decent" place right now as the current landlord doesn't seem to think it is egregious that I have no heat on some twenty degree nights or buckets of rain coming in my bedroom ceiling on my floor but this too will pass; as you see I have a very strong constitution attributable to my deceased grandmother whom was my saving grace in letting me know when little that I was a valuable person. GOBAMA