[chanak]

Hello everyone, we would be moving to Hartford, CT in summer. I will be working in Hartford and would appreciate getting some advice on communities around the area. We have a kid and therefore good school districts and safe communities are the most important criteria for us. A friend has suggested West Hartford and Farmington. How are these areas with regard to cost of housing (planning to rent initially a home or townhome, and then buy), schools, crime and commute times to Hartford downtown?

As an alternative, we have also been thinking about staying near New Haven (spouse may be applying to Yale). We have not heard great things about New Haven, but were hoping that there could be nice suburbs within a 10-15 mile driving distance. How bad will the commute be from the New Haven area to Hartford? Is it even doable? Is there a train service?

Thanks so much for your help.

[Radiant]

Both West Hartford and Farmington have good school systems - Both will be pricier for housing then area east or south of Hartford. Some good towns between Hartford and New Haven for less of a commute to consider might be Berlin, Cromwell, Rocky Hill closer to Hartford and Wallingford, North Branford and Cheshire closer to New Haven. All of these towns are fairly close to Rte 91 or the Wilbur Cross Parkway and have decent school systems and wide variety of housing prices. If you prefer to stay closer to Hartford, South Windsor and Glastonbury both have good school systems - South Windsor would be more affordable. I live in Manchester, which is a fairly large town with many different neighborhoods, good elementary/middle schools with racial diversity and a lot of programs that are offered. High School is very big but my oldest daughter did just fine and is currently attending college in Boston. Not sure what your price range is for housing - more affordable towns would be Manchester, Cromwell, Berlin, Rocky Hill, Wallingford (just from what I've seen as I'm also house hunting). Pricier would be Glastonbury, West Hartford, Farmington. Your family interest would also play a big role on where you are looking - rec departments, sports, etc. On another note - there is train service from New Haven to Hartford. Both cities have many great things to do but really would want to live in either one with kids. Hope you've found this helpful!

[skytrekker]

Radiant covered most of the bases

also consider Windsor Locks, East of Hartford; my town of Vernon, nearby Ellington, South Windsor, and Somers.

[chanak]

A couple of additional questions: Are there residential areas (townhomes, apartments) close to the U Conn Med Center in Farmington? and how difficult is a commute from Farmington to Hartford? I have looked at some of the other threads and I see that Farmington valley and the Hartford area are separated by hills and the travel time can be bad.

Thanks again for your help.

[skytrekker]

The commute from the health center to Hartford is via I 84-in fact the Health center is located right near 84- you will not have to worry about traversing Avon Mountain in commuting. There are no hills on I 84 from the health center to Hartford.

The Farmington area has many townhouses and Condo's for sale and rent. The area also has a fair number of apartments.

[JayCT]

Chanak - Welcome to Connecticut. Working in Hartford, you have a lot of options of where to live. West Hartford and Farmington are very nice towns, tow of the icest in the area. The commute into the city can however be difficult. I-84 into the city regularly slows down, but it is not anywhere near as bad as traffic in most major cities in the country.

West Hartford is located immediately west of Hartford and is a slightly more urban type town (lots of beautiful older homes on smaller lots). West Hartford Center is a small but very nice walkable village with a lot of upscale shops and restaurants. There is also the West Farms Mall which straddles the West Hartford/Farmington townline. The schools are considered excellent.

Farmington is a more suburban type communty located west of West Hartford. Nice newer homes on decent sized lots. The town has a couple of small shopping areas (Farmington Center and Unionville) but they are not very walkable. Schools are also considered excellent. Traffic in Farmington can be difficult. Route 4, one of the major roads through the town is very congested during peak hours. And getting into Hartford from Farmington means getting on I-84.

For access into New Haven, there are a number of towns including those mentioned by others here. There is no commuter train service between Hartford and New Haven, though the State is planning to start it in a couple of years. I would also add North Haven to the towns mentioned. It is located drectly north of New Haven, has good schools and is a nice suburban type town.

In choosing a town, I would suggest deciding which is more important being near, New Haven or Hartford and then go from there. Once you decide that, we could give you a better idea of what towns would suit your needs. Good luck. Jay

[sun]

Southington, Plainville, Bristol/Forestville will probably provide the most median type housing options for commuting to both the UConn Health center and Hartford. Newington (medium density) and Berlin/Kensington (lower density) could also provide good potential opportunities. The town of Farmington, the city of West Hartford and other more suburban area towns are simply more expensive.
New Britain has more moderate blue collar housing with some potential away from the inner core of the city, and is also home to Central CT State University. It actually has very good access to both Hartford & UConn, and some good values in scattered neighborhoods. It also has some of the blight problems associated with a higher density urban environment, but has a great hospital and is relatively safe.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by sun

Southington, Plainville, Bristol/Forestville will probably provide the most median type housing options for commuting to both the UConn Health center and Hartford. Newington (medium density) and Berlin/Kensington (lower density) could also provide good potential opportunities. The town of Farmington, the city of West Hartford and other more suburban area towns are simply more expensive.
New Britain has more moderate blue collar housing with some potential away from the inner core of the city, and is also home to Central CT State University. It actually has very good access to both Hartford & UConn, and some good values in scattered neighborhoods. It also has some of the blight problems associated with a higher density urban environment, but has a great hospital and is relatively safe.

Cromwell is another option, too. I would rule out Windsor Locks and points east of Hartford (Vernon, Ellington, South Windsor, and Somers) since this would be a long commute to New Haven.

[westender]

While there are no commuter trains on the Springfield (MA) - Hartford - New Haven rail line, AMTRAK does run a dozen trains per day on this route. There are 2 southbound early trains (6am and 7:45am as I recall). Trains stop at Hartford and then at Berlin, close to New Britain.

The schedule may or may not work, but it is an option to consider, particularly during winter storm season.

[sunshinecities]

Response One and many of the others have mentioned very helpful things. As far as good schools I would say West Hartford. Glastonbury is excellent also - I like Glastonbury- I live on the boarder of it. Yet, West Hartford has more stores and "town" feeling - always something going on there to do. I don't have children, but I know West Hartford is a good town - but expensive. As mentioned, Rocky Hill is nice too. I live in East Hartford and it's ok - but you have to be careful what part of town (avoid near Main Street) - it's fine on the Glastonbury line but I would not suggest the schools here. Without traffic Glastonbury would only be a 10-15 minute ride to Hartford - with of course could vary. As far as towns near New Haven - I'm not too sure. But yes, be careful in parts of New Haven. It's nice right around the college but be careful around the Yale New Haven Hospital esp. at night - would not walk there at night. Hope this helps some.