[mewith3]

in some of the following areas:

schools (can we include size of graduating class - for example where we are now it's huge so not everyone can participate)

shopping
distance to get to those things the town doesn't have
family things to do
"personality" of the towns
and any thing else that may be helpful

thanks

[KH02]

Both towns are equally as far from malls (shopping) though simsbury may have a few more stores then Granby. They BOTH have grocery stores though.
Central Granby has better highway access then Simsbury using Rte 20 to pick up 91.
Both are well to do towns, i personally prefer Granby as it's a tiny bit more rural and the people seem less stuck up then the ones from simsbury.
Neither school size would be "huge" by any means..so i wouldn't worry about that.
Granby has alot of nice parks to go to and simsbury has the walking trail that runs through it but their isn't TONS of family stuff. Museums, zoos etc are located within the state though.
Both schools are great! Cant go wrong with either.

[Uconn97]

well, i agree mostly with what KH02 posted but, Simsbury will be more populated than Granby (twice as poulated actually) which means that Granby tends to maintain a more rural character. But with that you will have less shopping options. While there isn't a ton of shopping in Simsbury, Route 44 right over in Avon has lots of stores and will be more convenient to Simsbury than to Granby. It will depend on what you want though - a closer drive to shopping (Simsbury) or a town that is more rural/less developed (Granby).

[mewith3]

Originally Posted by Uconn97

well, i agree mostly with what KH02 posted but, Simsbury will be more populated than Granby (twice as poulated actually) which means that Granby tends to maintain a more rural character. But with that you will have less shopping options. While there isn't a ton of shopping in Simsbury, Route 44 right over in Avon has lots of stores and will be more convenient to Simsbury than to Granby. It will depend on what you want though - a closer drive to shopping (Simsbury) or a town that is more rural/less developed (Granby).

A grocery store is nice, but it was stated both have one. Also a store for incidentals - Target type or similar would be nice. Mall type stores aren't too big of concern just don't necessarily want to drive 45 to one if needed.

So the school system is twice the size?

[JayCT]

As others have noted, Granby is a bit more rural in character than Simsbury and is small in population. Both towns have supermarkets but Granby has very limited shopping beyond that. Simsbury has the Route 44 corridor nearby in Avon and Canton which has just about everything you would want. Granby residents have to drive south to Route 44, north to Massachusetts or east to Enfield to do major shopping. Simsbury is a bit more upscale and wealthier than Granby. I have found people in both towns to be very nice but Granby seems to be a bit nicer and more down-to-earth. The schools in Simsbury are excellent, considered to be among the best in the state, but Granby schools are very good too. Here is a link to information on both school systems and schools in both towns for you to review:

Strategic School Profiles by District

Strategic School Profiles by School

Bottom line here is that both towns are wonderful and it is a matter of personal opinion of which would be better for you and your family. Good luck, Jay

[WILWRadio]

Simsbury also has tons of trails in the McLean Game Refuge. It also runs into the southern portion of Granby.

Simsbury has purposely avoided a build up of box stores and corporate entities in order to preserve its New England heritage. While I don't live there right now it is my hometown and I know that most of the old time residents prefer to shop at locally owned or independently owned stores vs. corporate box stores. Andy's Supermarket and Fitzgerald's seems to be competitively priced with the Stop and Shops in Granby and Simsbury. Simsbury Deli is a good place to get a sandwich and Antonios has excellent Greek and Italian food. Antonios, Town Line Pizza and Apollo's all have good pizza.

Enfield has lots of shopping options and it is easily accessible from Granby. If you live in the north part of Granby then a drive to Agawam, MA or West Springfield, MA is also doable if you don't want to drive to the Route 44 strips.

Either school system is excellent and you can't go wrong if you put a student in either one.

Granby politics are not as Conservative as Simsbury though in recent years Simsbury has started to lean Democrat. When I lived there, it along with New Canaan were the last two Republican controlled towns in the state. That has since changed.

[WILWRadio]

I almost forgot to mention that Simsbury also has the International Skating Center of Connecticut. International Skating Center of Connecticut - Home Page Right across the street on Route 10 is the College Highway Shopping Center that has an unusual Chinese Restaurant. The food is good but unusual in that I've never seen the dishes they serve in any other Chinese restaurant.

And I thought of one more item to add. Orkill Farms or Simsbury Farms recreation area as it is now known has a public golf course, swimming and other activities during the warmer months and skating in the colder months.