Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I might get a job offer from a company in Avon, CT. I am planning in renting a 2BR. Is it better to rent from an apartment complex or a multi-family home? What cities would you recommend? Also, what is the quality of health care in CT? My son has a disability and needs frequent medical visits.
The healthcare in CT in my opinion is better then most of the rest of the US, and we are close to NYC and Boston if you need very large facilities as well.
Avon itself is nice, but there are not many rentals there.
You could look in surrounding towns of Simsbury, Granby and Farmington as they all have good schools and are great family communities though finding complexes in any of them likely wont happen, so you would have to rent something in a multi family or rent a single family house. In those towns it will likely cost you at least 1100 a month of more for a 2 bedroom. If you are looking for something cheaper you may have to branch out a bit further as Avon tends to be surrounded by higher end towns. You could check Craiglist for rentals or sometimes there are rentals on realtor.com for the area as well.
Good Luck!!
If you have a child with health issues, you will be going to CCMC, which also has satellite clinics in Farmington near Uconn. Best pediatrician in the area is in Farmington, near Tunxis golf course, on route 4. Her name is Barbara Ziogas - busy, but once you get in with her, you will get everything you need. She will know all the best specialists in the area, since she trained in this area. As for special ed, if your son needs it, West Hartford is best for preschool and elementary age. I don't know as much about middle school age (haven't gotten there yet.) A friend of mine with a daughter with high-functioning autism is living in Simsbury and is getting a lot of help for her from the public schools there. Factor in the commute over Avon mountain (route 44). It could be a real problem in the wintertime. Best to live west of that if you've got to commute to Avon, unless your son really needs the special ed offered by West Hartford.
I agree that CCMC is the way to go. My son also has had health issues and sees a different pedi, also in Farmington - Dr. Deepa Limaye. She is a Developmental Specialist and is also great about referrals to specialists.
I used to live in Avon in a 2 bedroom that cost $1100 very near to the base of Avon Mountain. But, that was in 2005, so prices may have climbed. I lived in a complex which I thought was nice because it had the added benefit of a community pool. But the trade-off is (slightly) less privacy than a multi-family home.
Most of the towns in the Farmington Valley are nice. Avon, Simsbury & Canton are all good, with strong schools. I would imagine they would all be pretty good about providing Special Ed services (if you need them), but they are smaller than West Hartford. WH just by sheer size may have more in the way of specific specialists. It all depends upon what you want. West Hartford is bigger and has more activity, more going on. The Valley towns are quieter and more private/sleepy depending on your perspective. I'm originally from NYC and I like the Valley but I prefer West Hartford because I personally prefer a little more action. West Hartford schools are also pretty strong, but from what I understand, some of the schools are better than others. So you would want to look more into that.
Luckyduck88, Thank you for the advice. I think West Hartford would be a good place to look for an apartment given my son's medical needs, and the fact I also prefer a city with a bit more people (coming from Orange county) and energy.
If your son will be in 6th grade or above, you can live anywhere. All three middle schools are similarly mixed, okay. Bristow is smaller, is by lottery only, but they often have space for 7th and 8th grade, since some kids decide to go back to their neighborhood middle school so that they can be with their friends from elementary. For elementary, you need to look a little more closely. Smith and Charter Oak have more minority and recent immigrant children, but the town pours more money and resources into them - smaller classes, more support staff - to try to meet the needs of these kids. I knew one family from the wealthiest, most "homogenous" school in town who chose to send their child who was "on the spectrum" to Charter Oak, because she was socially on the outs in the local school. She was much happier at Charter Oak. Point is, you've got to do some research and see where your child would be happiest. If he has significant developmental issues, West Hartford has a wonderful elementary age program where they have a class with 8 special ed kids and 16 regular ed kids, team taught by a special ed teacher and a regular ed teacher. It's perfect for those kids who need more assistance, but benefit from being in the mainstream classroom.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
