[KH02]

If you dont mind being a bit more further out you could look into Burlington and Harwinton. Dont know of any christain schools out that way...but they do tend to lean conservative.

[mrgmrg]

None of the truly elite private schools in this area are Christian-affiliated. Both Westminster and Ethel Walker in Simsbury have chapel programs, though, and I think Avon Old Farms might as well. Not sure the Masters School reflects your tolerance, I recall that they recently encourage a gay student to leave the school.

[JayCT]

Welcome. First there is no North Hartford in Connecticut. There is the north end of Hartford and there is a New Hartford but there is no town named North Hartford. Second we would need to know how much you can spend on a home and what you expect to get for your budget. That and more of your likes and dislike, would help us steer you to the right community.

The towns you mention are all very good but somewhat different in Character. West Hartford is the biggest with a population of over 63,000. It is an more mature and semi-dense suburb that has excellent schools, a great town center and a lot for families to do. While considered an affluent and expensive town, West Hartford has a very wide rnage of housing options to consider.

Avon is probably the most affluent and therefore expensive of the towns you mention. It does not have a traditional town center and the homes tend to be on larger and more wooded lots. Still there is a lot of shopping nearby on Route 44, the schools are excellent and there is a lot for a family to do. Avon is located in the Farmington River Valley. Commuting from Avon to Hartford though requires that you go over Avon Mountain which is part of a range of small mountains just west of Hartford. There are no highways to Avon really, just several two lane roads so it can be difficult to comute to and from there. This however gives Avon (and other towns there including Simsbury and Farmington) a quiet feel. Some people love this, some do not.

Similar to Avon in character, Simsbury is also a great town with excellent schools and everythign a family could want. There is a slightly larger range of housing option in Simsbury than in Avon but still it is a great town.

Farmington is slightly more accessible since the mountains mentioned do not go through all of it however Route 4 can be difficult to use for commuting. There are two small town centers (Farmington and Unionville) but they are not very large. The schools are very good and there is a lot to do there. A portion of the regions largest shopping mall (Westfarms) is located in Farmington so shopping is good as well.

Another option you may want to consider is Glastonbury. Located southeast of Hartford, Glastonbury has good access into Hartford on Route 2, plus access to I-91 and I-84 which are not far away. Glastonbury has a wide range of housing options. There are excellent schools and many family activities. There is a small town center with most of your basic shopping needs but major shopping is still not far away in Manchester's Buckland Hills area. Let us know if you have any other questions. Jay

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by mrgmrg

Definitely not West Hartford--it is loud, has high crime compared to the other suburbs you mention, is unfriendly, and is very far from conservative. Avon and Simsbury are more up your alley.

I would agree that West Hartford would not be what the OP is seeking. However, your description of it as being "Loud", "High Crime" and "Unfriendly" indicates a lack of knowledge about the town. IMHO.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by mrgmrg

Definitely not West Hartford--it is loud, has high crime compared to the other suburbs you mention, is unfriendly, and is very far from conservative. Avon and Simsbury are more up your alley.

I do n ot agree with you. Crime in West Hartford is not high and the town has a wide range of people living there, liberal and conservative. It is large and more densely developed than the other towns mentioned but still it is very safe and I know conservative Christians that lived there. The OP should knonw though that West Hartford has a high Jewish population as well. Jay

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by mrgmrg

None of the truly elite private schools in this area are Christian-affiliated. Both Westminster and Ethel Walker in Simsbury have chapel programs, though, and I think Avon Old Farms might as well. Not sure the Masters School reflects your tolerance, I recall that they recently encourage a gay student to leave the school.

A minor correction is that The Masters School is in West Simsbury, but it is near Granby. I think the OP should look at the great public schools as options, and also other towns.

[mrgmrg]

I lived in West Hartford for three years, which is what my opinion on its friendliness is based on. Many of my friends and I would remark on how ill-mannered people there were, for example failing to say "thank you" when you held a door for them. This was noticeable to me even though I've lived in New York and New England for most of my life, both of which are supposedly impolite areas.

You might have noted I said it has high crime "in comparison to other suburbs you mention" (Avon, Simsbury, and Farmington) which I believe is true but invite anyone to prove otherwise. While I was living there there was a violent rape on a main road during the daytime, for example. It is also certainly louder than Avon, Simsbury, or most of Farmington, since it's much more densely populated and heavily trafficked, plus has a nightlife/restaurant scene downtown that the other towns lack. Of course conservative people live there, but it's known for being a liberal community.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by mrgmrg

I lived in West Hartford for three years, which is what my opinion on its friendliness is based on. Many of my friends and I would remark on how ill-mannered people there were, for example failing to say "thank you" when you held a door for them. This was noticeable to me even though I've lived in New York and New England for most of my life, both of which are supposedly impolite areas.

You might have noted I said it has high crime "in comparison to other suburbs you mention" (Avon, Simsbury, and Farmington) which I believe is true but invite anyone to prove otherwise. While I was living there there was a violent rape on a main road during the daytime, for example. It is also certainly louder than Avon, Simsbury, or most of Farmington, since it's much more densely populated and heavily trafficked, plus has a nightlife/restaurant scene downtown that the other towns lack. Of course conservative people live there, but it's known for being a liberal community.

Oh.

[willow wind]

It might be helpful if the OP came back and gave us somewhat an insight on what their budget might be for either buying or renting and what they expect for that budget. It would then be easier to point them toward a town or towns.

In regard to Christian schools. OP should be aware of the tuition structures for any. The Masters School, for example, has a base tuition of $ 39,150 per year per child for the lower grades and $ 37,875 for the middle school. There are options for some sorts of tuition financial aid that might be possible to use.

Hartford Christian Academy in Farmington has a yearly base tuition of $ 4500 for the first child and $ 3900 for the second.

There is also Cornerstone Christian School in Manchester . I don't know the tuition on that one.

Property taxes for single family homes in the region are high compared to the much of the rest of the country as are utility costs. Public schools in the Hartford suburbs are overall very good. There is really no academic reason to have to also be paying for private schools. The OP will just have to figure out their cost of living in this region before making a decision on whether to also pay for private school tuition.

[NewJeffCT]

It's deceptively worded, though. It makes it sound like West Hartford crime is high overall, when it is not. It's just higher compared to the other three towns, which all have extremely low crime rates.

However, I do agree that West Hartford probably is not the best place for a conservative family when compared to Simsbury, Avon or Farmington.