[ConfusingRotary]

As I mentioned in another thread, I'm starting at ESPN shortly. We're coming from Southeastern PA, which we absolutely love. Right now we live in Sellersville, which is a bit "out there" by SEPA standards. It's a commuting nightmare, really (1.5hrs+ one way, if I were to work in Philly).

The problem that we've been running into here in CT is that the housing stock is significantly older and more run-down than what is in SEPA. We looked in West Hartford, Farmington, Bristol, and Hartford's west end, but we just haven't found anything like what we're currently in.

Does anyone know of comparable towns in CT to Doylestown, Newtown, New Hope, or Media [all in PA]? If you're unfamiliar, they're definitely more expensive towns with a ton of old homes (not post-war homes, I'm talking 18th/19th century type) mixed with newer construction. They all have walkable downtown sections (some very small, some relatively large for the town size), but most importantly they're not run down! -- walkable downtown is not a necessity, just a nice-to-have.

West Hartford seems really nice, but what we saw for rent was so close to the hartford city line and just wasn't worth the money they were asking (not to mention somewhat crumbly).

I'd like to keep my commute to ESPN as short as possible, however I'm willing to go up to 40 minutes if the town is right. Keep in mind we have family in Pennsylvania, so we'd prefer Western CT to Eastern.

Other details: we have 2 kids (3 and almost 2) and a medium sized lab mix. I would prefer somewhere quiet with easy access to parks/hiking. Am I asking too much?

[KH02]

Originally Posted by marchawg

West Hartford seems really nice, but what we saw for rent was so close to the hartford city line and just wasn't worth the money they were asking (not to mention somewhat crumbly).

Perhaps in your opinion it wasn't worth the money but rents here in CT are much higher then in Pennsylvania and the market determines what a rental home would rent for . I'm not familiar with the towns in PA that you spoke of but the only town within an easy commute to Bristol with a good sized walkable downtown is West Hartford. You will have to spend 1600 - 2500 a month for a single family home rental there. The cheaper ones generally are close to the Hartford line, true, but it is what it is.

Good Luck in your search!! Just because the homes aren't as new as you are used to does not mean you may not learn to love a home here in CT. What does your home have that the homes here do not? Could you expand on that so we can help more??

[nico7]

I'm not familiar with the places you've named in SEPA, but I would suggest looking into Cheshire and Wallingford to the south of Bristol. Maybe Farmington and Simsbury to the north. Glastonbury would be another good bet, but the commute might be too much of a hassle.

[JayCT]

As noted, Cheshire and Wallingford may be more to your liking. Also check Burlington and Canton to the north of Bristol. These are towns with a mix of newer and some historical homes. Not exactly like New Hope but still pretty nice. Jay

[kidyankee764]

CT is generally a lot more expensive than PA, so your money will not go as far.

Since you prefer western CT, check out Cheshire, Middlebury, maybe even Farmington. West Hartford, however, is probably closest to what you're looking for.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

CT is generally a lot more expensive than PA, so your money will not go as far.

Not necessarily true. The towns the OP are mentioning are in Bucks County which is one of the pricier parts of PA. I think that home prices are comparable to central CT, it is just that the towns are generally older downtown with new construction further out.

The OP found West Hartford to be too "old" but I think they mean too dense and mature. Again I think Canton and Burlington are closest to what they are looking for. They are semi-rural towns with newer housing and are not far from the small town center they are also looking for. In Canton that would be Collinsville which is very charming and has a number of small stores. Burlington is not far from Collinsville either and is also near Unionville in Farmington. They might even like other Farmington River Valley towns like Avon, Simsbury and Granby. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Not necessarily true. The towns the OP are mentioning are in Bucks County which is one of the pricier parts of PA. I think that home prices are comparable to central CT

I know Bucks County well. If you mean solely home prices, then sure. Towns in Bucks County are similar to Southington-ish in price. But OP should get ready to be slammed in taxes. Cost of living in PA (taxes, utilities) is lower. Friends of ours from Bucks County nearly fell off their stool when we told them what we pay in taxes here.

Burlington is very rural IMO with no real town center, so I don't think I'd recommend it for the OP. Canton is not a bad suggestion, neither is Avon if they can afford it.

Anyway, it's hard to recommend towns if the OP didn't state a price range.

[psu98]

Hi marchawg - we're moving from Doylestown/New Hope area this spring and have just started to house hunt online with our broker. Love the area here too but we are very excited about moving to CT and exploring what looks like another beautiful historic state - we have heard great things and that there are many similarities in landscape, culture, etc. Hubs will be working in Fairfield however, so we are looking in Fairfield and Trumbull vs. towns closer to Bristol. We are a little nervous though b/c there isn't a whole lot in our price range on the market right now (500k-600k). Our realtor sent us some listings over the weekend that were less than impressive with the exception of two! We are praying more inventory comes on in March/April and are using February/March to really drive through the towns on weekends and get a sense of the different neighborhoods - our first trip up will be at the end of Feb. I know we will love the area and learn to love a new house in time, but we too are a little nervous at the lack of inventory right now. Hopefully, this is just indicative of CT being a little more seasonal than even here in D-town. Here there always seems to be movement throughout the year, and the newer housing stock is plentiful due to all the recently constructed neighborhoods turning over. We notice the older housing stock is not as plentiful even here in PA - fewer of those homes turn over as frequently, and there are less to choose from. Hang in there and good luck with the towns mentioned above!

[mels]

Real estate is very seasonal here. In spring you will see many more homes come on the market. Also, all of the snow we have had may have slowed down new listings further. Why bother listing your house now when many people have inaccessible driveways and walkways, ice damming in their gutters, etc.

[CrissCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I know Bucks County well. If you mean solely home prices, then sure. Towns in Bucks County are similar to Southington-ish in price. But OP should get ready to be slammed in taxes. Cost of living in PA (taxes, utilities) is lower. Friends of ours from Bucks County nearly fell off their stool when we told them what we pay in taxes here.

Burlington is very rural IMO with no real town center, so I don't think I'd recommend it for the OP. Canton is not a bad suggestion, neither is Avon if they can afford it.

Anyway, it's hard to recommend towns if the OP didn't state a price range.

Burlington isn't really that rural. There are many actual neighborhoods with lots of kids just like you would find in the suburbs, we just have a lot more space. Depending on where in Burlington you live you may be near Farmington, Bristol, Canton or Torrington. There is a town center, with a CVS, Cumberland Farms, Dunkin Donuts, Subway, local hardware store, and smaller retaurants and businesses. It isn't really walkable like West Hartford but there is a good sense of community. Sessions Woods is great for hiking/nature. Many people in Burlington work at ESPN. You really get a lot of house for the money in Burlington and taxes are not bad compared to other surrounding towns.