Looking for a certain type of walkable city or suburb (Hartford: housing, default)

[zeniablue]

I live in a rural town but want to move to a suburb or city in Middlesex or Hartford County.

I initially thought that only West Hartford was an option for me, but I rediscovered Glastonbury recently. I like that there are residential areas with sidewalks that lead right to parks and to commercial districts. And--furthermore--people are actually walking on these streets with their children and pets!

I moved from the metro Boston region, which has very walkable cities and suburbs. I've noticed people in some cities in CT are seemingly dead set against walking on the sidewalks in these cities. Please let me know both what those towns are (so I can avoid them) and what other towns might be out there where walking is a part of the town culture and is done by families on a regular basis.

I appreciate your help.

[JayCT]

I agree that West hartford seems to be the most "walkable" town in the greater Hartford area but there are others. Manchester, East Hartford, Wethersfield (love Old Wethersfield) and Windsor all have walkable neighborhoods as well.

In Middlesex County there are less because it is a less developed area and more spread out. Middletown has a wonderful downtown area with many neighborhoods nearby to walk from/to. Also, possible are Portland, East Hampton, Haddam, East Haddam, Chester, Deep River, Essex and Old Saybrook. Some of these towns are very small and have only a few streets that are walkable, but they are there.

As for Glastonbury, I believe it is becoming more "walkable". Recent developments in the Center have increased street activity over the years and there are several neighborhoods nearby that you can walk to/from. The town has a very active program to build new sidewalks and the Town Council is currently debating whether to increase it even further. They are also reviewing plans to improve pedestrian safety in the center and create sort of a walking district on Hebron Avenue between New London Turnpike and Main Street. glastonbury is a great town with a lot to offer so if you like you should consider it. There really are a wide range of housing options particularly around the center. Hope this helps, Jay

[zeniablue]

Thank you Jay, that is very helpful.

I've been trying to figure out if Glastonbury has an all day kindergarten or half day kindergarten. Does anyone know?

Also, have homes--relatively--held their value in the town?

[JayCT]

Glastonbury schools only have half-day kindergarten. There are however a number of programs available for the rest of the day but they will cost you.

As for home values, Glastonbury has not seen the loss of value other towns have. Homes are still selling here well here. Not crazy like a couple of years ago but they are selling. Glastonbury is one of the most desirable towns in the Hartford region primarily because of its schools (they are excellent) and convenient access to highways, so a lot of families are interested in moving here. This does mean that you will pay a little more for a comparable home than you would in another town but to mee it is worth it. Let me know if you have any other questions about the town. Jay

[zeniablue]

Thanks again JayCT,

Can you recommend some websites to check out to learn more about Glastonbury and/or some areas to check out in town?

I am interested to know what kind of recreation programs there are for kids, etc.

[JayCT]

Zeniablue - Glastonbury has a lot of recreational programs for kids. The Parks & Rec runs all sorts of activities. There is also a lot of great sports programs including baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer. There is a great indoor soccer center and a great in-line skating center in town that both offer a lot of activites year-round. Also the Glastonbury Family YMCA offers a lot of programs. I'll post some of the links I have to these activities. What are you looking for in particular? There are so many kids in town that pretty much everything is available. Jay

Welcome to Glastonbury, CT

Glastonbury Parks and Recreation

Glastonbury Little League

CTYFL Connecticut Youth Football and Cheerleading League

Glastonbury Basketball Association (GBA) - News

Oakwood Soccer

http://www.zrink.com/

Glastonbury Family YMCA

[JayCT]

Forgot to reply to your first question. The bast place to learn about Glastonbury is on the town website which is posted above. It is a pretty big town area wise (60 square miles). Where to live would depend on what you like and don't like and your price range and what you expect to get for your money. There are no bad areas in town.

The center of town sort of surrounds the intersection of Main Street and Hebron Avenue with commercial development along Main and Hebron and in a few of the surrounding streets like Welles Street and New London Turnpike. North Glastonbury (generally north of Hebron Avenue and west of Bell Street is the most affordable and diverse. South Glastonbury is a somewhat charming small village and is more pricey and less diversified. It is mostly single family homes and outside of the village the homes are on larger lots. East Glastonbury is a little more rural in character with a very small shopping center and a gas station. Other nice neighborhoods include Buttonball and Apple Hill. I would look at home listings on Realtor.com to get an idea of what you can afford. Jay