[krem1234]

Hi - I'm interested in buying a house in New Britain, and was just looking for some opinions regarding the area of New Britain the house is in. It's about 2 miles south of CCSU, you can type "belden st and east st, new britain ct" into Google maps to see the exact area. The neighborhood looked really nice, but speaking from experience I know that doesn't necessarily mean much. I've lived in Connecticut for a few years, but never in New Britain and don't really know much about the city. I've read previous posts, and mainly it seems that the area to the west is pretty bad (downtown New Britain), but haven't really read anything about this particular area.

Thanks, Dave

[MikefromCT]

Hi Dave,

You're right that NB does have some really nice areas, over by CCSU. But as someone who knows the city pretty well, I can tell you that area isn't very desireable.
Certainly not the worst areas of the city, but if you have a choice it's best to look elsewhere in NB. Were you not able to find anything closer to the campus? Area by CCSU and Stanley Park/Golf Course is really nice and safe, as long as you're north of Allen Street. This is the northeast part of town.

[krem1234]

Hi - Thanks - Haven't really looked near CCSU yet - I've seen a number of lower-cost houses in the area I mentioned which is the main reason I was looking in that area (plus, the neighborhood didn't scare me off). When you say this area isn't very desirable, do you mean I'd have to worry about crime (house/car getting broken in to, robberies)? Or other issues?

Thanks

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by krem1234

Hi - Thanks - Haven't really looked near CCSU yet - I've seen a number of lower-cost houses in the area I mentioned which is the main reason I was looking in that area (plus, the neighborhood didn't scare me off). When you say this area isn't very desirable, do you mean I'd have to worry about crime (house/car getting broken in to, robberies)? Or other issues?

Thanks

I probably should've clarified. I don't find that area scary either, though I know of areas in NB further away that are. It's just that it wouldn't be my first preference either. Especially if I wanted to be closer to CCSU. When I think of the nice areas in NB I think of the larger houses by Stanley golfcourse or on Corbin Ave by Walnut Hill Park (in the SW part of town.)

I said undesireable b/c where you're looking is part of NB's East Side, which overall is not nice. But the streets you mention aren't bad. Its more working class and you're a few blocks away from other streets that aren't so hot, but I haven't heard a whole lot about crime here recnetly - lately the that's been happening elsewhere over by the Mount Pleasant projects and byTremont Street, both of which are in areas further away. So I guess it's a matter of taste - if you don't have any bad vibes it might be worth pursuing. You may want to check w/the police dept to find out if there's been any crime reported over there.

[KEVIN_224]

If coming to New Britain, stay away from anything which says Winter, North or Oak Streets. Basically including NewBrite Plaza and the area immediately north of said plaza. Arch Street isn't the greatest, especially getting closer to downtown. The southern end of Arch, in fact, was changed to Kimball Drive a few years ago, as that last section is/was vastly different in terms of traffic and the types of properties.

P.S. I can't really speak for Belden Street, as I'm really never in that part of the city.

[Lincolnian]

Originally Posted by RockNRollRocks

Just saw a newspaper saying an apartment bldg had 6 cases of arson in last year on ellington rd.
some residents had to jump out of their windows from 2nd or 3rd floor, & had to go to the hospital.
A cop there put 12 year old boy in a headlock,
in boy's own home, & town is being sued by boy's mom.
that is Police Brutality.
I hear there are a lot of hostile, evil people in that town from friends who live near that town.
I have talked to folks who grew up there who said
they would never set foot in East Hartford again,
because it is not very safe or friendly anymore.

There are many nice areas in New Britain. The streets off of Eddy Glover are very quiet and have very convenient to CCSU, shopping and the highways.

Most areas of East Hartford are quiet neighborhoods offering a variety of housing options to multiple income levels and tastes.

The biggest negatives of both New Britain and East Hartford is the public schools. Not because they don't have some great teachers and students but because they have a disproportionate number of students who are being brought up at our near the poverty level. The income-related difficulties, programs, and number of students requiring special services are much greater than those in more affluent communities.

If you don't have children or send your children to private schools these issues are less of a problem.

[parentologist]

We own a couple of rental buildings in New Britain, including in that awful area near NewBrite plaza, and are often looking at properties in New Britain. If you need a cheap place to live, buying in New Britain can fit the bill. There are areas that are very dangerous, with shootings reported a few times a year. There are areas that are less so. There are areas that are beautiful, near Walnut Hill park and near the reservoir. In any area, you may have cars broken into, or even have a home invasion. If I didn't need to send a kid to school, and were in college or professional school, and were male, I would consider buying a two family home in New Britain, and renting out one unit to pay the mortgage, then plan on keeping it as a rental building later on when I move to another town to raise a family. The specific area that you are speaking of is not the worst in New Britain, but it's not great, either. You cannot expect that property values in New Britain will go up - there is nothing to drive an increase. The schools are filled with underclass kids with tremendous needs, so those who can afford to live elsewhere choose to do so for the sake of their children. But if you have a locked garage, and are street smart, and the property makes excellent financial sense right now, not as an investment, but as cheap living for right now, I would consider buying there, as long as you realize that you may be keeping it as a rental property for a long time to come, and don't expect that you'll ever be able to sell at a profit. Keep in mind that most of the housing stock there is pre WWII, some of it pre WWI, and some 19th century. Are you handy? Can you fix stuff yourself? An old building can get very expensive to repair, if you don't know how to do it yourself. The only time that you'll be able to sell at a profit there is if the housing market is so high that people who want to own are priced out of all the surrounding towns. Many of the people who live in New Britain will never be homeowners. They will always be tenants, for many reasons. Most people who can manage their money well enough to qualify to buy a home, will choose to buy elsewhere. So there just isn't much demand for people to buy houses there, except at rock bottom prices.

If you are going to live in the home you buy there, you should keep an eye on the hud and fannie mae websites. Often, foreclosed homes come up that are available for the first fifteen days only to owner-occupants. Occasionally, these can be a very good deal.

[JayCT]

Not worth anything but the OP for this has not posted on this board in 2 1/2 years. He seems to be long gone from Connecticut now. Thanks for the new posts anyway. JayCT, Moderator