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Hi and welcome to Connecticut. It sounds like you have done your research. Glastonbury is a great town with many lovely neighborhoods. The section of town near Manchester is generally called East Glastonbury and if you live near or off Manchester Road it would be easy to get into the center of Manchester. That said, Glastonbury itself has a very nice downtown area which I am sure you will like as well.
Glastonbury is one of the more expensive towns in the greater Hartford region. This is primarily because it has excellent schools and families with children are willing to pay more to live for them. You do not say if you have children but if you do not and you are on a tight budget, you might consider other less expensive towns.
As to your comment on the oil, you only have to worry about refilling the tank if you have oil heat. Some sections of Glastonbury have natural gas for heating and it is generally less expensive to have. Also note that unless you have a very large oil tank, you may have to fill it more than once a year.
Anyway, again welcome to our website and let us know if you have any other questions. Jay
JayCT-I am so glad you commented. It might sound weird, but I was hoping you would respond as I have read various forums about CT on city-data and noticed your posts and how you seem to know everything Connecticut. I do have children, three boys: ages 5, 2 1/2, and four months. I have looked into schools, as I currently work in a school district and kinda know what to look for. I was extremely impressed with the schools. On our last visit to CT, we visited various towns: all the way from the Rhode Island coast and Mystic over to Yale University in New Haven and West Hartford (we made some new friends there too who we are still staying in contact with). We had the most amazing seafood in New London while visiting a friend from college and walked around downtown Hartford in Bushnell Park. However, one area my husband drove through on a previous trip and fell in love with was Glastonbury and charming Main Street and Hebron (the most amazing coffee shop resides on the corner). He felt it might be the right fit for our family; however, that will depend primarily on what he will make when he transfers. On the next trip, which is when I attended, he took me straight to Glastonbury from the airport and I instantly fell in love. Nothing like walking those trails along the Connecticut River. All I have to say is Glastonbury seemed like the right fit for my family....Maybe I am overly enthusiastic but I am just so happy to move to what I consider a smaller environment, more community oriented. Having grown up in San Diego, I have seen it go from small city to overpopulated....Plus, maybe I sound crazy, but 75 degrees everyday of the year gets a little monotonous.
We are taking a trip to San Diego in July for a conference and to check out San Diego for a possible move from Connecticut. why do you want to move East?
We are considering move to SD for the weather, the beaches, and the more laid back lifestyle. the cost of homes in SD is a big negative though.
Don't get me wrong, San Diego is nice. Maybe 'cause I grew up there, I am not as smitten. The home prices are somewhat expensive; however, there are some pockets where the prices aren't so bad. The south bay, within five miles of the border, tend to be somewhat pricey because many of the homes are brand new. However, the older side of Chula Vista (west of I-805) is not near as expensive, but not as safe either (I grew up in a church down there). In central San Diego, some less expensive areas that are still close to the coast (within five to ten miles) are Clairemont (where I attended school and grew up), Sierra Mesa, and Mira Mesa (a little further inland). Mission Valley is the center of San Diego and North of downtown about five minutes, but it is very expensive (new townhouses and close to shopping and Charger stadium. My mom has a house there now). Clairemont is probably the closest you can get to the beach without the higher pricetag and it isn't too bad of a neighborhood. It is right above Pacific Beach and right across from La Jolla (where many of the cities millionaires live). It is about a three mile commute to the beach and is right across the freeway from Mission Beach. If you are looking in North County, pretty much anything along the I-5 is super expensive, from La Jolla up through Del Mar to Encinitas and LaCosta and Carlsbad. However, Oceanside (near the military base) tends to be a little less expensive, but not as great of a neighborhood. If you can, steer clear of Vista. My aunt was a sheriff there and there is a lot of gang activity. Along I-78 is Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos, and Escondido. Escondido has its good and bad parts (we currently attend a church there). San Marcos is very nice and is probably similar in price to that of middle class neighborhoods in Connecticut. I used to work at the school district there and the schools are pretty good. Actually, with all the research I have done, I noticed that rental prices are pretty much the same. If you are looking for very inexpensive you could head to east county (about 20-30 miles from beach) to Santee or El Cajon, but be careful and look around. One street could be perfectly fine, but the next could be bad. There are some rough pockets here and there. One thing I like about San Diego is the various activities at one's fingertips. There is so much to do, and much of it doesn't cost hardly anything. If you have any extra down time, try and take a trip to the San Diego Zoo....it is world famous and pretty amazing (In fact, Balboa Park, where it is located and has all the museums, is pretty incredible.).
Another question, in looking at rentals and properties I found what I think is a great website...CTreal.com. Does anyone know of any other resources that would help in my housing search as our moving date moves closer?
Another question, in looking at rentals and properties I found what I think is a great website...CTreal.com. Does anyone know of any other resources that would help in my housing search as our moving date moves closer?
Can I ask? What are "winter tires"? Might sound silly, but I am about to do a google search.
Reminds me never to live in San Diego. LOL (because I love winter). They have "all season" tires which are good for rain/snow/dry roads. I personally cant stand those. I usually get regular tires for 3 seasons of the year and change them to snow tires for the Winter (starting in November). If you're going to live around hills I definetly reommend getting snow tires. Otherwise all season will do
Can I ask? What are "winter tires"? Might sound silly, but I am about to do a google search.
Unless you have a very long commute, most people do not change tires during the winter. Winter tires are designed to give you better traction in the snow but honestly we do not have that much snow that I feel warrants the change. This of course is my opinion and I am fortunate to have a very short commute. The roads here are pretty well maintained during the snow though last year we had some very bad storms and it took a couple of days to recover.
Thank you for the kind words. I am glad to help. I am glad to hear you liked Glastonbury. It is a great town. The schools are excellent and it is very convenient to Hartford and the major shopping and entertainment areas like Buckland Hills. Plus the town itself has just about everything you would need for a family. The other nice thing about Glastonbury is that parts of it are suburban in character and parts are semi-rural. There are still a number of farms around town and the local produce when in season is wonderful. For a really great treat, check out Robb's Farm ice cream on Wassuc Road. The best farm-made ice cream I have ever had. I love it and fortunately for my waistline, it is not that close to where we live. If you like good coffee, check out Daybreak Coffee on Main Street at Hebron Avenue. It is very good.
Hebron is also very nice. It is a lot more rural and does not have the shopping and conveniences that Glastonbury offers. Still it is a stunningly beautiful town with a lot to offer including good schools and a quiet lifestyle. We have friends there that love it. Let me know if you have any other questions. I would be happy to help. Jay
Unless you have a very long commute, most people do not change tires during the winter. Winter tires are designed to give you better traction in the snow but honestly we do not have that much snow that I feel warrants the change. This of course is my opinion and I am fortunate to have a very short commute. The roads here are pretty well maintained during the snow though last year we had some very bad storms and it took a couple of days to recover.
The other nice thing about Glastonbury is that parts of it are suburban in character and parts are semi-rural. There are still a number of farms around town and the local produce when in season is wonderful. For a really great treat, check out Robb's Farm ice cream on Wassuc Road. The best farm-made ice cream I have ever had. I love it and fortunately for my waistline, it is not that close to where we live. If you like good coffee, check out Daybreak Coffee on Main Street at Hebron Avenue. It is very good.
We are probably going to make another trip out there in October so we will have to check out Robb's Farm. On our last visit, and in driving around, we passed by some great little farms. So thanks for the recommendation. LOL, and my comment about Main and Hebron was actually in reference to that coffee shop...I just couldn't remember the name. But, yes, Daybreak Coffee is amazing. We got coffee there on two separate occasions and walked across the street to the little fountain and tables to enjoy the weather and coffee. And regarding commute, my husband will be working in Windsor. It will be much better than the commute he experiences now, an hour plus of driving time one-way. Regarding this last winter, we tried to sell my mom on our move to CT so after we returned from our trip, we bought her a round trip ticket to visit my aunt in Clinton. Unfortunately during her stay, her flight out was delayed due to Sandy and she was stuck at my aunt's for an additional seven days with no power. Great first impression, right? However, she said she still had fun, although she still isn't completely sold on our move since her grandsons will all be so far away.
Sorry I misunderstood. I thought you were talking about a coffee place in the Town of Hebron. I am glad you liked Daybreak though. It was funny several years ago I was talking to a distant relative at a family funeral and they mentioned that they were in Glastonbury several times without us knowing. They did exactly what you did, got coffee and went over to Fountain Green to drink it. They also thought it was great. I think we determined that the last time they were there I had driven by them at the exact same time.
When you come back in the fall, make sure you check on the hours for Robbs before you go. They are family run and their hours are limited. Still it is worth it for their excellent ice cream. Jay
Sorry I misunderstood. I thought you were talking about a coffee place in the Town of Hebron. I am glad you liked Daybreak though. It was funny several years ago I was talking to a distant relative at a family funeral and they mentioned that they were in Glastonbury several times without us knowing. They did exactly what you did, got coffee and went over to Fountain Green to drink it. They also thought it was great. I think we determined that the last time they were there I had driven by them at the exact same time.
When you come back in the fall, make sure you check on the hours for Robbs before you go. They are family run and their hours are limited. Still it is worth it for their excellent ice cream. Jay
I know this is getting off on a tangent...but I was also impressed by Daybreak when I went there recently. Wish we had something like this west of the river. One of the very few places I've seen that offers maple-flavored lattes. You'd think this would be more common in New England, but it isn't...go figure.
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Reminds me never to live in San Diego. LOL (because I love winter). They have "all season" tires which are good for rain/snow/dry roads. I personally cant stand those. I usually get regular tires for 3 seasons of the year and change them to snow tires for the Winter (starting in November). If you're going to live around hills I definetly reommend getting snow tires. Otherwise all season will do
