[jbenton]

Can anyone tell me more about Prospect...quality of life, school system, safety, good for a young family with children starting school soon?

Thanks!

[ctcoldplay11]

Prospect is a beautiful, rural little town! The quality of life is unmatchable in the area; the population of the town is around 9,000, which means it is small. However, amenities in the area are far from small. Prospect borders the city of Waterbury, in which you will find almost anything you need in regards to shopping. However, the city nearby does nothing to dissuade Prospect's rural charm.

The town is very, very safe! Barely any crime, yet Prospect has its own police department (rare for a small town), which makes crime even more minute. The schools are very good, there are schools directly in the town from grades K-8. However, the town shares a highschool with the town of Beacon Falls (Woodland Regional), and students from Prospect must make the travel to BF (which can be a downside). However, I highly recommend Prospect, I think you have to visit it just to take in its beauty!

Hope this helps...

[JViello]

As someone who grew up half their life in the town, who's mother grew up in the town and who's grandparents settled there in their middle age...I think I have a pretty good handle on the place.

Prospect when I was a child was great. Small farm town. It's never been the typical CT "colonial" settlement like Old Wethersfield or Guilford etc.

It was a farm town, plain and simple.

Since my childhood, the town has changed. I may be a bit biased, but I don't think it's the same. The Prospect I knew was tied to Waterbury and Naugatuck. (More Waterbury)When those cities declined - it too kind of stagnated.

The new growth in town IMO is more subdivision bedroom community folks who work in New Haven etc.

It's still a small town but for *me* it's lost a lot of it's charm and simple farm town atmosphere. I wouldn't hate having to live there again, but I know it's not the same place I grew up in.

The school system has Beacon Falls travel in up to 8th grade. It used to bus to Wolcott for highschool and that made for a messy split just before highschool. Now that the same kids stay together K-12 it's nice.

You also have a bit of a micro climate up there. It can be raining in Waterbury and snowing at the four corners. (That would be the center of town also known as "uptown" at the town hall. Four Corners is simply old New England speak for a major intersection - RT 68 and 69 in this case)

Short answer:

Good town, not a "posh" colonial town, easy commute to most places, good schools.

[jbenton]

Thanks for the feedback!

[RebeccaLeigh]

My family has lived in Prospect for the last 50 years I've been there for the last 12. While prospect can be nice, it has a lot of bad sides to. There is very little crime which is good. However if you have children i would not recommend it. The schools are very into cliques,starting young. If children do not dress a certain way or have not been there since kindergarten it can be bad. And honestly the schools are not that great.
I

[RebeccaLeigh]

When I switched from southington ti Prospect it was like repeating a grade. And a lot of people in Prospect will be nice to your face and then talk about you behind your back, and I'm talking about the ADULTS. If you are looking for a safe town with still some community and more to do, I would reccomend Cheshire, it borders Prospect, is a little bigger, but has low crime and great schools. It is a much better town to live in.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by RebeccaLeigh

My family has lived in Prospect for the last 50 years I've been there for the last 12. While prospect can be nice, it has a lot of bad sides to. There is very little crime which is good. However if you have children i would not recommend it. The schools are very into cliques,starting young. If children do not dress a certain way or have not been there since kindergarten it can be bad. And honestly the schools are not that great.
I

Originally Posted by RebeccaLeigh

When I switched from southington ti Prospect it was like repeating a grade. And a lot of people in Prospect will be nice to your face and then talk about you behind your back, and I'm talking about the ADULTS. If you are looking for a safe town with still some community and more to do, I would reccomend Cheshire, it borders Prospect, is a little bigger, but has low crime and great schools. It is a much better town to live in.

Hmm, call me whatever but these posts just smell fishy.

Maybe things have changed "that bad" but I've never, ever experienced any of that in Prospect and I did go through all their schools.

I don't think it's paradise, but neither is Cheshire for that matter.

[RebeccaLeigh]

I'm not sure what you mean by fishy, but i have only been out of the schools for about five years. I have first hand experience of watching the gossiping. And you won't experience it to your face, you really have to live here. The schools are what they are and they are not that great. You also have no options near by for private. The high school is a 1/2 hour away, and already to small. I live in prospect and have for many years,and i never said cheshire was perfect,but you have more options. Prospect is not what it used to be, my family has been here for over 50 years. and I border cheshire and spend a great deal of time in cheshire and it is the better option.

[JViello]

Yea, I grew up there too. Same with my family.

Didn't see what you did. I had lots of friends and good times. We were not the richest folks, but who cares. Sounds like you transferred in from another town. Perhaps that was some of your perceived problem.

Or maybe I just don't get into the "gossiping" that you knew was going on but never saw "to your face". Sorry.

[RebeccaLeigh]

I moved when I was 9, The schools in prospect are filled with cliques, I have three sisters still in the school system, I had a friends to, there are nice people in Prospect and you can have fun, but there really is not that much to do in prospect unless you play sports. All I was tring to say is that Cheshire offers more than Prospect, and still gives you that small town feel. Plus school wise Cheshire has great schools and a lot of options, that do not include having to be bused to a town 20 min. away for high-school