[Mwatki1]

Thank everyone for their comments. How is the Rocky Hills area and Schools. FYI the school that my daughter goes to now, is about 12 percent minority, which she is comfortable with that.
We DO NOT want to live in the inner city, because we are more "country Folk".

[kidyankee764]

Rocky Hill is your average CT suburb. Nothing great about it, but nothing bad either. Schools are good. I don't think it will be very diverse though.

Again, I suggest West Hartford. It's diverse, very nice and a great place to raise a family. Taxes are high though.

[Arm&Hammer]

Originally Posted by parentologist

Bloomfield schools are not diverse. They are overwhelmingly African American, and have very poor test scores. New Britain schools are not diverse - they are largely Hispanic, some African American. Not many white children in the public schools there. West Hartford IS liberal, not surprisingly has the largest Jewish community in Connecticut. There are gay families here, also interracial and interreligious marriages, and a lot of first generation immigrant families. There is tolerance - a live and let live community, with great town services and facilities, and high property taxes. But if you want a good public high school without subjecting your daughter to racial isolation, West Hartford is your best bet.

I strongly disagree because I went to New Britain High School and ended in 2008... I knew Assyrians, Yemenis, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Peruvian, Jews, Filipinos, Chinese, Jamaicans, Somalians, Sudanese, African American which I knew few who had some Native American mix, Polish, Italians/Sicilians, and some others... and everyone got along pretty well. I also want to say I have meant students from other country that went to my high school.

So I really disagree what you are saying, sir. My school did seems to show more hispanics and Polish than blacks (it is hard to say seems to balance out) if you saw the whole picture, but enough to be known of other groups that stand out a lot. There were different types of groups as well, there goth, hipster, and yes church groups and all sorts of people.

Though E.C. Goodwin Technical High School would be more interested than New Britain high school unless you want to be in the high school football team.

Also to the pastor, the new britain high school dose have Bible study club, as well.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Mwatki1

Thank everyone for their comments. How is the Rocky Hills area and Schools. FYI the school that my daughter goes to now, is about 12 percent minority, which she is comfortable with that.
We DO NOT want to live in the inner city, because we are more "country Folk".

Yeah, but the thing is the real country/rural towns in that area have NO diversity. That's how it is in CT. I'm thinking New Hartford, Collinsville, Canton, Litchfield, Marlborough, Hebron. Absolutely no diversity and we're talking 95%+ white.

West Hartford is not inner city by any stretch. It is suburban with a very attractive small-city-like downtown. Plenty of parks and green space, and rural getaways nearby within minutes. I highly recommend it, or I recommend forgoing diversity for one of the more rural towns if that's the environment you want. You can't have diversity and rural in this area.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Mwatki1

Thank everyone for their comments. How is the Rocky Hills area and Schools. FYI the school that my daughter goes to now, is about 12 percent minority, which she is comfortable with that.
We DO NOT want to live in the inner city, because we are more "country Folk".

Rocky Hill schools are good, performing at about the state average on the Connecticut Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance Tests. The students there are about 13% Asian, 6% Hispanic, 4% Black and 77% White. The link below will give you informaiton on all schools in Connecticut.

State Department of Education - CEDaR

The town itself is nice but it is very suburban in character with a lot of subdivision type neighborhoods and condos/apartments. I would not call Rocky Hill rural at all. I can't say that Rocky Hill has any real character. There are some older homes down by the river but they are not really well restored or showcased. The town has shown little imagination in its zoning tending to encourage subdivisions, apartment/condo complexes, strip centers and office parks with large fields of parking.

An interesting old factory on the Connecticut River is slated to be torn down and replaced by another riverside park. That factory could have been turned into an interesting mix of housing, restaurants and shops but the town did not want that. The old Ames Department Store offices have sat empty for year right in the middle of what could be an interesting town center. The town has done little ot encourage its redevelopment so it just sits there empty. There really is nothing wrong with Rocky Hill. I lived there for a while and would live there again. Jay

[MikefromCT]

Just a thought, but how about Newington or Wethersfield? Both are inner suburbs like West hartford, so they're a bit more densely-populated and diverse (if not to the same extent.) Both have about 30,000 and both have good schools and they're not all-white, homoginized suburbs. Each have some walkable, grid street neighborhoods and Main Street centers.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Just a thought, but how about Newington or Wethersfield? Both are inner suburbs like West hartford, so they're a bit more densely-populated and diverse (if not to the same extent.) Both have about 30,000 and both have good schools and they're not all-white, homoginized suburbs. Each have some walkable, grid street neighborhoods and Main Street centers.

Good suggestions. both are great towns too. I really do love Old Wethersfield. So many charming old homes. Jay

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Good suggestions. both are great towns too. I really do love Old Wethersfield. So many charming old homes. Jay

I love that area. Couple of weeks ago I was at a fundraiser for the Irish American Home Society and they held it at a pub in OW. Driving through there it looked like a postcard - really nice, classic New England feel.

Personally I like Newington better (more walkable neighborhoods, better downtown area), but IMO Wethersfield has more charm and character. Newington looks alot like Elmwood - lots of postwar, suburban neighborhoods with modest houses, and Wethersfield seems like it's retained more of its small-town feel even though it's grown. Both of these areas have held up well unlike other 'burbs.

[Mwatki1]

Thanks for the advice. I believe we would be best served in areas like Rocky Hill or towns like that. We actually live in a sub-division now in Evansville, IN.
Are there any apartment suggestions that anyone would have for the Rocky Hill area; it would be greatly appreciated.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Mwatki1

Are there any apartment suggestions that anyone would have for the Rocky Hill area; it would be greatly appreciated.

I checked the apartment ratings site and Stepney Place, Rockwood Manor and Greenfield Village get good reports. They have 2 bedroom apts, but if you need 3 bedrooms, you might look at houses for rent, or expand your search to Wethersfield or Cromwell.