[basehead617]

Harwinton is a rural quiet town commutable to new Britain (30-40 minutes) and it is very affordable. There are mostly old colonial homes and farm properties there. They also share a good school system with Burlington. Check it out.

[lfgirl85]

You've all been really helpful. Thanks! I guess we're going to start making a list and make a few weekend trips up there before we make our final decision. At least now we have some ideas where to start looking.

[JViello]

The town you want IMHO is Middlefield. It feels like you are a million miles from nowhere, but is sandwiched in a suburban area. You'll see farm fields, lakes etc but be 20 minutes to New Britain and 10 to Middletown. Durham is also a very good alternative...a very close second.

If you are willing to drive a little bit more...probably what you have now, Burlington and Higganum are also good options.

[whereshome]

I just want to say that I have lived in both CT and Lancaster Co. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the similarities between the areas. CT is surprisingly rural. I was very surprised by that when I first moved there. The cost of living difference is big. We moved from CT to Lancaster Co and all our bills went down significantly. I would be more concerned with the financial aspect of the move than being able to find a place you will enjoy living.

[lfgirl85]

The cost of living is a big concern. Our taxes here are fairly low, although we have no city services, no street lights ( we are in the boonies after all ), no police dept, no trash pick-up and only a volunteer fire dept. It was alot to get used to after living in Philly but we really like the quiet. The cost of housing in the areas that have been suggested is almost double for a home comparable to what we have now but the new job offer is more than what we make now too. I know gas is more up there and I imagine I'll be paying more groceries and utilities. I'm hoping with the pay increase we can maintain our standard of living. We don't have new cars or other debt and we don't really go out to dinner often so we'll just have to run the numbers.

[basehead617]

Originally Posted by lfgirl85

The cost of living is a big concern. Our taxes here are fairly low, although we have no city services, no street lights ( we are in the boonies after all ), no police dept, no trash pick-up and only a volunteer fire dept. It was alot to get used to after living in Philly but we really like the quiet. The cost of housing in the areas that have been suggested is almost double for a home comparable to what we have now but the new job offer is more than what we make now too. I know gas is more up there and I imagine I'll be paying more groceries and utilities. I'm hoping with the pay increase we can maintain our standard of living. We don't have new cars or other debt and we don't really go out to dinner often so we'll just have to run the numbers.

There are many rural towns including several of the ones mentioned, that have very low property taxes. Some of these towns are very cheap for Connecticut, but I don't know how they compare to Lancaster.

A few of the towns mentioned like Bethany are rural but fairly expensive. I'd look further north in the state..

[willow wind]

You're going to find no street lights, no sidewalks, no trash pick up, no police dept. ( instead a resident state trooper) , a volunteer fire dept. and wells & septic systems in many, but not all, of the towns suggested to you. But taxes may be much higher nevertheless.

Food won't be much different, utility costs will likely be higher. But you may be able to cut the latter by using a wood or pellet stove as an assist.

[nep321]

There are many rural options, but dont expect a short commute to New Britain. Your husband must be willing to commute up to 45+ minutes if you wish to live in a comparably rural area. With that said, I would recommend Haddam, East Haddam, Killingworth, and even Lyme, which are within 45 min of New Britain. In the other direction, I would recommend Harwinton

[JayCT]

While I agree with the others that there are a lot of options for you here in Connecticut, I don't know that I agree with some of the suggestions of locations being made. As I understand it you want a more rural area with homes on larger properties. Berlin, Newington, Plainville, Farmington are very suburban type towns with smaller lots. Bethany is not really near New Britain. I would recommend looking more to the northwest of New Britain. Burlington, Canton, Harwinton, New Hartford are more like what you are looking for. As for your 19 year old, it sounds like they are going to be unhappy no matter where you go. Base your decision in what is best for you in the long term, not what will make them happy. This might just be the incentive they need to become independent. Jay

[RogerAnthony]

A lot of suggestions have been thrown out there, but I'd say that Harwinton should stand out above all others in terms of rural-ness and price within a reasonable distance to New Britain.

http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...rice-na-250000