[cfreiman]

Hello,

I'm considering a move to West Hartford and I'm looking for a small, charming older home -- a 1920s 2- or 3-bedroom bungalo with a front porch is my ideal. I'm okay with paying a premium price for a highly desirable area -- a vibrant area that is relatively safe, where there are lots of professionals, and older homes that are well cared-for and maintained...where people of all ages are out jogging, and walking babies and dogs...a real sense of community. If I can walk or bike to a neighborhood coffee shop that's icing on the cake.

Any suggestions of particular streets where I might focus my search?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[JayCT]

I wouold say anything within a mile of the center of town (Farmington Avenue at Main Street) would be good. There are many streets in this area that fit your description. you will pay a little more for homes in this are though. Jay

[AmyBergquist]

Near the Center would work. The area was developed in the 1920s-1940s and most homes will have the character you're looking for. Sizes range from 1200 square feet up to 2000+ square feet. Pricing will run you $275K-$400K+ depending on the size, updates, proximity to the actual Center, size of lot. Bungalows are not that common here. You're most likely to find a colonial or cape style home. The streets you would look in around the Center would be bounded by (loosely) Trout Brook, Fern, Park Road/Sedgwick and Ridgewood.

You may also want to look near Elizabeth Park. Those houses were built in the early 1900s too. Most are on the larger side though, 2000+ square feet. That may be too large based on what you've mentioned.

[anon860]

Living within a half mile of the town center is best if you are looking for "vibrant." More than that and you're not so likely to walk down there as much.

Outside that area, you are pretty much in faceless urban sprawl that lacks any sense of community whatsoever - though the diehard suburbanites that make up 95% of posters on these threads will disagree

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by anon860

Living within a half mile of the town center is best if you are looking for "vibrant." More than that and you're not so likely to walk down there as much.

Outside that area, you are pretty much in faceless urban sprawl that lacks any sense of community whatsoever - though the diehard suburbanites that make up 95% of posters on these threads will disagree

I guess I'll take the bait. Anyone who calls West Hartford outside of the center "urban sprawl"...let alone "faceless"...likely doesn't know the town too well...or has reached their conclusion based on driving past West Farms mall.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by rajmelk

I guess I'll take the bait. Anyone who calls West Hartford outside of the center "urban sprawl"...let alone "faceless"...likely doesn't know the town too well...or has reached their conclusion based on driving past West Farms mall.

I agree. Not everyone can live within a half mile of the center. If so west Hartford would look like Manhattan and who wants that. Yuck! Give me a nice suburban town over the big crowded city any day. Jay

[anon860]

West Hartford is a diverse area - maybe I wasn't generous or specific enough about my comment. There are some nicer, walkable sections outside the half mile radius, but a lot of that area lacks the sense of community you would find in a traditional neighborhood development.

In other words, it's not just the area around WestFarms that is completely auto-centric: most of the town is.

As far as JayCT's comment, it's kind of odd to compare Manhattan to West Hartford, much less to any place in Connecticut. There is a happy medium of walkability and sense of community. In other words, if you are looking for "walking babies, jogging, sense of community," and you are used to the traditional neighborhoods such as those in Brooklyn, Boston, European cities, etc., I think that you will be disappointed by most communities in Connecticut including much of West Hartford.

There is a reason why prices are at an enormous premium within truly walkable areas, such as the center of West Hartford or the East Rock section of New Haven. It's because so many people prefer to live in them.

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by anon860

West Hartford is a diverse area - maybe I wasn't generous or specific enough about my comment. There are some nicer, walkable sections outside the half mile radius, but a lot of that area lacks the sense of community you would find in a traditional neighborhood development.

In other words, it's not just the area around WestFarms that is completely auto-centric: most of the town is.

Not necessarily. Most of WH is laid out in a street grid pattern, so it's very walkable. I agree that the West Farms nabe doesn't really have alot to walk to and you need a car to get most places, but the neighborhoods even here are still walkable (and Wolcott Park/elementary are in walking distance for some). Go east a little ways you're in Elmwood which has plenty to walk to. Same thing with the Park Road area - they might be as upscale as the center of town, but they're developing into areas people can travel to on foot, each acting as a central business district.

I really wouldn't compare living here to a big city like Manhattan. They both share a few similarities (i.e, street grid patterns, densely populated neighborhoods, racial and religious diversity, good nightlife, etc) but that's where it ends. Comparing a suburb of 65,000 to a city of 8 million is comparing apples to oranges.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by anon860

West Hartford is a diverse area - maybe I wasn't generous or specific enough about my comment. There are some nicer, walkable sections outside the half mile radius, but a lot of that area lacks the sense of community you would find in a traditional neighborhood development.

In other words, it's not just the area around WestFarms that is completely auto-centric: most of the town is.

As far as JayCT's comment, it's kind of odd to compare Manhattan to West Hartford, much less to any place in Connecticut. There is a happy medium of walkability and sense of community. In other words, if you are looking for "walking babies, jogging, sense of community," and you are used to the traditional neighborhoods such as those in Brooklyn, Boston, European cities, etc., I think that you will be disappointed by most communities in Connecticut including much of West Hartford.

There is a reason why prices are at an enormous premium within truly walkable areas, such as the center of West Hartford or the East Rock section of New Haven. It's because so many people prefer to live in them.

I was not comparing West Hartford to Manhattan. I was responding to your comment that only the center of West Hartford was walkable and the rest of the town is faceless urban sprawl. Tell that to the people that live in Elmwood or Bishop's Corner or Park Road or even along Farmington Avenue out past Mountain Road. They can walk to a lot of things (stores, restaurants, entertainment, etc.)and have very nice homes. You make it sound like everyone should live within a half mile of the center which is just not realistic or really desirable to most people. Jay

[anon860]

JayCT: Sure, as I said above, I wasn't generous enough. But facts are facts. Mountain Road and Fern Street in West Hartford has a "street smart" walkscore of 16 out of 100. Shops and businesses are nearly 2 miles away. That's quite car dependent and sorry if I am bursting anyone's bubble, but surveys prove that many if not most Americans no longer want to live that way.