[JayCT]

Actually, if it was near some condos, then it was probably the Heights. There are no condos anywhere near High Meadow. Actually the condos aren't even that close to the Heights. The Woods are at the bottom of Apple Hill and the Heights are at the top. Anyway, I also wanted to mention that while the town has let the developers cut the trees on the individual lots, they have require a good sized parcel of land be set aside for conservation. You may have notice a section of woods along one of the roads. There is about 14 acres of land for conservation there.

Over at High Meadow, the developer (it is not Toll, they just buy the lots from a local company) donated a large parcel to the town that is adjacent to a 100 acre parcel the town already owns there. The town is working to set aside land with each new development and they have a very active program to purchase properties as they become available ($3 million authorized to property purchases quickly). Jay

[JViello]

ISKA, glad you made it. Good to have you here.

Anyhow, your observations are dead on with how I feel. Compact is a great word. Just by driving some of the backroads, you keep bumping into village after village and all kinds of hidden gems. I suppose this stems from the days when it was a day long trip to go from Manchester to Hartford or Gbury to Manchester. LOL We ended up with a very dense area but not congested.

I also grew up in Waterbury so the surrounding area is/was my stomping ground, and after living and visiting coastal FL and moving back to CT, I have slowly migrated East to settle on the Glastonbury/Manchester/Bolton triangle border living on a 1000' ridge overlooking the CT River Valley and the Hartford Skyline. (Birch Mountain Road Case Mountain area if you are curious)

Woodbury is one of my favorite places too. Unfortunately most of that area has fallen to the FFC commuter rat race crowd and is quickly losing it's charm. Southbury used to be more of a Woodbury believe it or not.

Milford? Eh, flat is a good term for sure. I MUCH prefer the coast East of New Haven. SE CT is in a whole other world in that regard. Spend a lunch on the dock of Abbots Lobster on the Mystic harbor watching the boats go by while you dine "In the rough" and you'll somewhat feel that coastal vibe you have now.

Gbury is a great town. I have family living there and myself am only a mile or so to the border.

Anyhow, if you really like Gbury I think you will like Avon as well. Very very similar feel. Avon has a bit more retail centers on RT44 (Think upscale smallish strip mall kind of thing) but has harder access to DT Hartford vs Gbury and a touch more traffic.

Avon borders Farmington. If you were on RT 10 at all in the center of Farmington you were a mile or so away from Avon proper. Avon also borders West Hartford.

Like I said they are very similar towns, Avon having better access to the NW area and Northern Mountains, and Gbury having better access to the SE coast and CT River valley.

Avon may be a little more "desparate housewives" feeling than Gbury as well.

Hope you get to explore a bit more on the way back and at least get to hit the SE coastal area.

[ronson]

Mystic/Stonington area may fit you bill. Any town East of New haven would do nicely depending on your budget. Most of the adivce you have already recieved is dead on.

[Iska]

This guy lives in Woodbury? Belies the bucolic surface calm of the town.

The Advocate - Senate minority leader charged with threatening conspiracy

[JViello]

Originally Posted by Iska

This guy lives in Woodbury? Belies the bucolic surface calm of the town.

The Advocate - Senate minority leader charged with threatening conspiracy

Hahahaaa! Welcome to CT politics. Anyone "Republican" is painted in a bad light and at times has minor charged trumped up like it's childhood sexual abuse and anyone uber liberal is spotlighted for an interview. That Prague lady is FREAKIN NUTS...

I'm sure some will disagree but it is what it is.

It still doesn't change Woodbury from being a good town and place to live.

[skytrekker]

In some of these towns

you have no idea what goes on below the 'bucolic' sheen.

[OpheliaPoet]

Iska,

I am from the deep south, but moved to CT 8 years ago (9 in Oct). I am used to a laid-back lifestyle and had a very hard time adjusting to the pace of CT. My husband (whom I dearly love!) even makes me crazy. He feels like stillness = wasting time. I have had to make him slow down! He is a fisherman and know how to enjoy nature, but he won't ever take a day off (ok, rarely!). The work ethic is serious, but relaxation for the sake of taking in the day is kind of a rarity (no offense to anyone in CT - I can appreciate the pace, I was just raised in a different one!).

With that said and after reading your initial posting, some places you should consider are Kent, Cornwall, Litchfield, Goshen, which are in the NW and just lovely, smaller towns. They are somewhat isolated but close to beautiful rivers w/great fishing (and LymeRock for racing!). What I miss most about the South is getting in my car and driving for an hour without passing another car. You can do that in NW CT....or in NE CT. My husband and I once stayed in Woodstock at a lovely B&B and fell in love with the town. It's not really close to much, but it's near Sturbridge Mass and the Mass Pike and Pomfret, CT which I've heard is also nice. If you want to be a little closer to civilization, consider Cheshire or Prospect. They are near me in the middle of the state, but a little more upscale and have open spaces, great schools, and nice communities. Cheshire has a fantastic linear trail that goes all the way to Hamden on one side and (I think) Southington (which also has a few really nice areas) on the other. The Quinnipiac River has some beautiful areas with many tributaries and you stand a descent chance of being able to buy a house with some land by the Q River.

Just a few ideas. Check them out. Glastonbury is lovely, but I don't think of Glastonbury when I think of a slower pace.

Good Luck!

[OpheliaPoet]

Originally Posted by JViello

Hahahaaa! Welcome to CT politics. Anyone "Republican" is painted in a bad light and at times has minor charged trumped up like it's childhood sexual abuse and anyone uber liberal is spotlighted for an interview. That Prague lady is FREAKIN NUTS...

I'm sure some will disagree but it is what it is.

It still doesn't change Woodbury from being a good town and place to live.

We Republicans are a small minority in CT, but I think Joe Leiberman can confirm that we're an important one! hehe

Also - CT politicians have had a rough few years...Roland, Ganim, the pervert in Waterbury, etc.

[skytrekker]

Originally Posted by OpheliaPoet

We Republicans are a small minority in CT, but I think Joe Leiberman can confirm that we're an important one! hehe

Also - CT politicians have had a rough few years...Roland, Ganim, the pervert in Waterbury, etc.

Joe Lieberman has to be the worse Connecticut politician ever elected- be they Democrat or Republican- I frankly have no respect for this shallow man.

I think far more highly of the Governor- then Mr. Lieberman.

[Iska]

OpheliaPoet, I appreciate your suggestions. I will be visiting those areas. Right now, I'm a bit more sold on the the area east of Hartford. I'll see what happens after I check out those areas and the Quiet Corner. The state is small enough that a fishing trip to the NW would actually make for a fun day outing. I'm looking forward to a re-visit.