[dinajill]

Hello all,
I'm so pleased I found this forum. I've read a bunch of posts and am impressed with all the good information found here. Thanking you in advance....

I'm originally from Fairfield and am considering moving back to be near family in Southington. I see lots of homes available in Meriden for reasonable prices. Any idea why? I have no idea what Meriden is like. Based on below info, would I like Meriden?

I'm 40, single woman, no kids. If I could prescribe my ideal, it would be:

safe and beautiful, small town
less than 30 minutes from Southington
charm and character, friendly, not pretentious
traffic that's manageable
home prices under $250, preferably built 1920-1940's

It's a lot to ask, I know! Southington's okay but the downtown area's not that great. Want something with a bit more shopping, conveniences, restaurants, etc.

Your suggestions are most welcome!
Thanks
Dina

[glxyman21]

Meriden's home prices are lower due to the "less desireablity" that it has compared to surrounding towns. Usually relfected in things like crime rate, education, and town services. Meriden is a city..so it has a large population (by CT standards) for safe areas look away from the center and more towards the Cheshire/Southington town lines. They're more quieter and residential. Charm, character and friendly...depends on neighborhood in any community. You can find many homes for under $250,000 in Meriden.

Most downtown areas in CT have gone down to give way for more "regional" shopping areas. Southington's on the northern end of rt. 10. Cheshire on the southern end of rt. 10. Berlin on rt. 15, Plainville to rt. 372 etc.

Southington and Cheshire have become quite expensive (not many homes under $250,000) You can consider Plainville (which has shopping) Wolcott( more rural-ish..most residents use waterbury for their shopping needs) Berlin, Or even New Britain near the Southington town line/resevoir has very beautiful residential neighborhoods (though there isn't much in the way of shopping in New Britain).

[Tanager221]

I have lived in Meriden my entire life (45 yrs.) and while I agree that there are less desirable areas, all in all it is not a bad place to live. The east side heading into Middlefield is a beautiful area with Guifrida Park, as is the west side, with Hubbard Park. South Meriden is a little village with a spirit of it's own. There is plenty to do in the city, with parks and the trails on both east and west sides. There is also a very large shopping mall for those who like to shop.

Meriden does have beautiful old homes, many of which are in need of some TLC, but the architecture of these homes is amazing. There are many nice neighborhoods within the city as well. It may not be as peaceful and quaint little towns in Vermont or New Hampshire or even other areas in CT, but I can honestly say that I will never leave Meriden.

[yankee.peddler]

I think Meriden gets a largely undeserved bad rap in this forum (not in this particular thread). While downtown and the areas surrounding it are a bit dicey, the city contains a number of pleasant and safe residential neighborhoods. Like Tanager221 said, there are wonderful recreational opportunities in Meriden -- especially Hubbard Park. Since you do not have kids, you don't have to worry about Meriden public schools, which are generally not on par with neighboring schools in Cheshire and Southington.

Meriden is centrally-located. You're a reasonable drive from Middletown, Hartford, New Haven, Bradley Airport, and the shoreline. Shopping can be done at Meriden Westfield Shoppingtown. However, you're also only about 15 minutes from the Berlin Turnpike and 20-25 minutes from Westfarms Mall. Rush-hour traffic can be heavy on I-84 west of Meriden (between Waterbury and Southington) and on Route 66 east of Meriden (between Middlefield and Middletown). However, I-91 and I-691 usually run well in Meriden's vicinity.

Good Luck!

[dinajill]

Thank you for your comments. It really helps to get insider views!

I'd probably be okay in the outer lying areas of Meriden but I really don't want anything resembling a city feel. I'm looking for old growth trees, established neighborhoods, quaint or trendy downtown shopping area. Not mall shopping!

Maybe I should start a new thread asking for suggestions on areas like this that are close to Southington. I'd love to hear any suggestions.

Thanks!
Dina

[glxyman21]

Meriden's downtown has gone down since the Meriden Sqaure Mall was opened many years ago..so "quaint and trendy" downtown is not the definition of Meriden's...anything close to that would be in West Hartford (about 20 miles from the Southington Area) but expect home prices to be the same as the Cheshire/ Southington towns.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by glxyman21

Meriden's downtown has gone down since the Meriden Sqaure Mall was opened many years ago..so "quaint and trendy" downtown is not the definition of Meriden's...anything close to that would be in West Hartford (about 20 miles from the Southington Area) but expect home prices to be the same as the Cheshire/ Southington towns.

Agreed with all points except the distance from Southington to West Hartford.

It's more like 12 miles via highway. You are there in 15 minutes on 84.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by JViello

Agreed with all points except the distance from Southington to West Hartford.

It's more like 12 miles via highway. You are there in 15 minutes on 84.

I totally agree. Northern Cheshire to downtown Hartford is 24 miles.

[yankee.peddler]

Dina,

Finding a "trendy downtown shopping area" around Cheshire is a bit difficult! As glxyman21 stated, big-box retail stores and malls (for better or for worse) largely dominate the shopping landscape in central Connecticut.

One final suggestion, however. Have you considered Middletown? Although it's incorporated as a city, Middletown has more of a large town feel to it. The downtown area has vastly improved over the past decade (with dining and shopping opportunities) and several residential neighborhoods are close by -- especially around Wesleyan. The only rough spot I would avoid is the north end of Main Street near St. John's Church.

Middletown is close to Southington (via a widened Route 66) and centrally-located in the state. Real estate is less than what you would find in West Hartford Center.

[jlaz]

Wallingford is a nice town as well with some affordable housing under 250