[PuttingDownRoots35]

Hello~

Thank you so much to everyone on this forum. With an upcoming move to CT, I would be lost without it!

We thought we were pretty much settled on Farmington/West Hartford, however we are having a difficult time with Preschools for my 4 year old son. Without a local address, we are limited in what we can do. We plan our move for June/July, which doesnt give us much time to locate a school, most of which have wait list. (My son is currently in public elementary school for a speech delay, but we will no longer qualify once we move. He loves it and I would like for him to adjust by keeping him going.)

We are looking into the Corpus Christi Catholic School in Wethersfield. The tuition seems more doable, but we dont know nearly as much about the area or school. We have missed deadlines and there are waitlist for being a "peer" at the public schools (We are visiting in March.)

For now, can you please comment on Wethersfield/Glastonbury:

School System
Crime
Family Friendliness
Taxes
Shopping

Of course, these are important factors for us. The shopping is, but not as much as the others. I am will to drive a little for shopping if that means I can get my son in a good safe area. We are defintley used to everything being within a 10-15 mintue drive right now.

Again, thank you for input!

[Stylo]

I wouldn't base my entire move on preschools, and there are plenty in the West Hartford area. Unless you are renting temporarily. That said, Wethersfield and Glastonbury are nice towns. They don't have quite the amenities and the walkable center that WH does, but the schools are fine and they are very low crime.

[Lincolnian]

Wethersfield and Glastonbury are different towns as are West Hartford and Farmington. They are all safe places to live with nice homes available.

I wouldn't overly stress about preschools as it really comes down to where you feel comfortable living. You can find quality preschools in or near any of those towns.

[Voice of Reason?]

I live in Wethersfield. When we were house shopping 3 years ago, we looked at the 4 towns you listed.

I know nothing about schools at that level, but generally thay are all considered pretty good.

Crime. interesting thing here is that there is very little crime in any of these towns if you are in the nicer parts. That being Said, West Hartford has the worst area of them all (SE corner of town known as elmwood). and thats funny to think about because its a damn nice town which generally ranks the highest in the area overall. I wouldnt think any of these towns have any crime issues at all


Family Friendliness- All 4 are family friendly. the park near me in wethersfield has a dog park and swimming, a skatepark and all kinds of sports fields. lots of little kinds playing all kinds of things. even bocce and rugby I thought those two were random. anyways, they di adult leagues there too.

It is my understanding that they have the same in Glastonbury. I can only assume that West Hartford and Farmington are simular. I know my boss has her kids involved in all kinds of things in W Hartford.

Taxes
West Hartford is the highest, and thats actually why we chose not to buy there.
Not sure which is next highest, but they are likely simular. Mil rates are public info though. so feel free to look that up. the missing info then is the house value. Wethersfield is very fair I think, and West Hartford assesses high. thats why they have such high taxes.
now that I think more, Glastonbury might be a little lower taxes than Wethersfield.

Shopping
This to me is irrelevent. In greater Hartford, we shop in each town. Wethersfield has plenty of good shopping, but my wipe hops over the bridge to Glastonbury frequently for grocerys and stuff. within 15 minutes as you mention, I can be at West Hartford Center. Downtown Hartford, Glastonbury. Sileas Dene/Berlin turnpike are even closer.

For my money, obviously, I chose wethersfield. its got an excellent community feel. I like that there is easy access to all major job centers in the area with Windsor being the most difficult to access. but thats just because of I-91 traffic through Hartford. Farmington felt too far away. it was a pain to get down rt 6 so that was a drawback. Also getting to Manchester from here for shopping was even harder. At least with Wethersfield you can get to either mall, and all other major shopping areas.

bottom line though all these towns are nice. with strengths and weaknesses. find the house you like... buy it

[Henry10]

Out of the four, parts of Farmington and Glastonbury feel more "rural." For same feel, you could also look into Simsbury and even Avon.

There are parts, albeit small, of West Hartford and Wethersfield where "Hartford element" has penetrated. West Hartford has a much better downtown than W. However, if you love italian cuisine and bakeries, W is closer to Little Italy on Franklin Avenue.

Taxes are lower in Wethersfield.

However, if you choose wisely in these towns, these are great family towns, and things revolve around children's activities.

[Voice of Reason?]

the only "Hartford element" is the shopping center next to the police station in Wethersfield. and those stores are actualy decent. my wife pickes up certain things at that grocery store, and I occasionally go to Rockey ACE Hardware. it does have a sketchy look, but I think that this is not a reflection of that part of town. just the shopping center. and honestly with the old porter and chester space being rennovated, the area is looking much better.

the housing stock right near there is nice. I know people living there. lots of young couples starting out are moving in there. its actually got some great little communities.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by Voice of Reason?

the only "Hartford element" is the shopping center next to the police station in Wethersfield.

True, I think that's the closest shopping center to "Hartford element", even those one that live in South Hartford. The one on Berling Tpke and Jordan Lane seems like "tucked" in the corner.

I agree there are plenty of solid middle-class houses around there. Wethersfield extends five or six blocks north of Jordan Lane, and those apartment buildings are actually in Wethersfield.

Yet, this is probably 5% of the town's area. I lived and got married in Wethersfield (Cove), and I still love the town. It is a great New England town.

[JayCT]

All four of these towns are very nice, safe and good for families. The schools are all good with Glastonbury, Farmington and West Hartford being among the best performing in the area. All of these towns have decent everyday shopping and are not that far from major shopping districts like the Buckland Hills area of Manchester and South Windsor or the West Farms area. I believe taxes in these towns are comparable but look at homes in your price range and do an actual comparison.

That all said, I would say that you should base your home purchase location more on what your commute would be so as to avoid commuting through Hartford during rush hour. In the long run, that is more important. Jay