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Old 07-11-2020, 11:08 PM
 
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Hi all,
I am currently living in California (just outside of Los Angeles), I am looking to relocate to the East Coast. For the purposes of commuting and reasonably priced housing, Bethlehem looks really good. Weather is a non-issue, I'm used to driving, used to having a fair distance from neighbors. I've never lived in a really small town and have some misgivings about being somewhat of a minority. Would being visibly Jewish be a problem? Is this an extremely conservative area (2016 poll results show Trump winning by a significant margin)? Thank you in advance for any thoughts/advice!
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Old 07-11-2020, 11:57 PM
 
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
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Bethlehem, CT is a great town that is mostly rural. It has some great New England charm, but if you are coming from just outside Los Angeles, in might be a bit of an adjustment. Can I ask which town outside of LA, are you coming from? I am very familiar with the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura county because my daughter lives in San Bernardino and I have some business in Ventura.

I actually work part time for the Republican Party, so I am also very familiar as to what areas are liberal and conservative in many states all over the country. As someone who is from Fairfield originally, Litchfield County is probably the most conservative county in all of Connecticut. CT though is in general a liberal state with full of moderate democrats as well as a few big groups with extreme leftists especially in Hartford County. Litchfield County, while being a lot more conservative, I wouldn't say it is far right, and there is still a fair amount of liberals living in that area. Not sure if this is good or bad for you, but if you are Jewish, I don't think you should really have any problems in that area of the state. Litchfield County on the whole, and Bethlehem specifically is very rural in most areas and regardless of your religion, I doubt you'd experience any trouble at all.

My only thing is depending on where you are coming from outside LA, Bethlehem might be a little too rural for you? I assume you live somewhere around La Canada Flintridge area? Because that part is the only area just outside of LA that I know that has a few rural areas unless you are quite a distance, and you mention how you are used to having a fair distance from neighbors.

Anyway, can I ask where are you commuting to for work? Also what is your budget? If you can give us more information of what you are looking for, we can probably help you better!
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Old 07-12-2020, 12:28 AM
 
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Thanks for the reply! La Canada Flintridge is spot on! I lived in the Verdemont area of San Bernardino for a few years, too (I would put that in the vaguely rural department as well, considering my West L.A. roots).

That sounds pretty reasonable, I'm a pretty right leaning democrat, myself. Conservative is totally fine, I just don't want to be surrounded by alt-right types. I've encountered some negative stuff on my various travels, and don't want to put down roots in a town where my ethnic appearance and yarmulke is going to make me a big target.

Commute will be to Hartford, and some occasional business in NYC. Budget is ~400k. I was thinking 2 bedroom/2bathroom house, enough space for a small vegetable garden. Reasonable distance to a decent hospital(you never know) and farmer's market/grocery store. I live alone, but good school districts tend to make good neighbors so I think that would be nice.
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Old 07-12-2020, 12:37 AM
 
Location: Coastal Connecticut
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Bethlehem to Hartford doesn’t really make sense for a commute. That’s 50 minutes with zero traffic, well over an hour at rush hour. Would also be pretty nasty in winter.

I would say it could be worth it, if Bethlehem offered something you couldn’t find closer to Hartford, but it really doesn’t.

Similar towns near Hartford include Canton, New Hartford, Marlborough, Hebron, Durham, East Hampton, East Haddam. You could even go so far as Chester, which is still a lot shorter of a commute than Bethlehem, and a very charming town. You’d also be closer to world class hospitals in these areas.
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Old 07-12-2020, 12:50 AM
 
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Thanks, Stylo. I'm used to a long commute, so it didn't even occur to me that traffic would be an issue, but winter will definitely be an issue. I'll look closer at your list.
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Old 07-12-2020, 01:10 AM
 
Location: Fredericksburg, VA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by OnTheRoadKirby View Post

Commute will be to Hartford, and some occasional business in NYC. Budget is ~400k. I was thinking 2 bedroom/2bathroom house, enough space for a small vegetable garden. Reasonable distance to a decent hospital(you never know) and farmer's market/grocery store. I live alone, but good school districts tend to make good neighbors so I think that would be nice.
If you are commuting to Hartford, I do not recommend Bethlehem, it is really quite far out and as Stylo mentioned, traffic can be a problem. There is also no real direct route from Bethlehem to Hartford, so you might even have to go a little out of your way. Route 6 is slow and has many traffic lights.

I highly recommend looking in: Avon, Farmington, Simsbury, and Canton. Farmington Valley as a whole is a great area that is somewhat upscale with a few rural areas as well as not too far from amenities. Schools are great and you'd likely have great neighbors. Also great towns for a moderate democrat like you.

I also really recommend looking in Glastonbury or Marlborough. Glastonbury is probably the most upscale Hartford suburb and while it is pretty close, it feels like it is far out. The center of town is really pretty with great amenities but South Glastonbury and East Glastonbury are more rural and it might be what you are looking for. Marlborough is a very rural town that is nice with a lot of nature, but you'd have to go to Glastonbury for amenities. Glastonbury does remind me a little of La Canada Flintridge in some ways, and while as I said it is probably the most upscale suburb of Hartford, it does not come anywhere close to La Canada Flintridge though in terms of cost of living and even taxes.

However, if you are doing some occasional business in NYC, Farmington Valley is probably a better option as it is a little closer, and crossing the CT River around Hartford is not always easy with traffic.

You can also look in Rocky Hill as well. That is a very nice town with a few rural parts.
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Old 07-12-2020, 04:48 AM
 
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I agree with what other posters are saying. Something to keep in mind is that people in Connecticut tend not to travel far outside their specific area. In other parts of the country, driving 50 miles might not seem far, but in CT and New England it is. When I lived in CT, I'd say me and all the people I knew would consider about 20+ minutes to be far. Over 45 minutes would be an event you'd tell neighbors about. Over an hour could mean an overnight stay.

As far as people who work in Hartford are concerned, Bethlehem may as well be on another planet. I'm only slightly exaggerating, but what it means is that you'll have a tougher time meeting friends and socializing. People you meet in Hartford probably won't venture out to Bethlehem often. Try to stay within 30 minutes or less of Hartford. There are a lot of rural towns within that range.

And don't underestimate driving in winter. Even if you might not have any problems, it's the other drivers you have to worry about. There are plenty of people in CT who do not know how to safely drive in snow, ice, and even rain, and it messes up everyone else on the roads.
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Old 07-12-2020, 05:02 AM
 
Location: Connecticut
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Bethlehem to Hartford would be pretty insane. I don't see it working in the winter. No one would care what your religion is, but you would probably be known around town as "the guy who wears the Jewish cap" by people who didn't know your name.


If you are going to be working in Hartford and want a rural place with a Jewish community I would recommend Simsbury.
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Old 07-12-2020, 05:08 AM
 
Location: Central CT, sometimes FL and NH.
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I live near Hartford. My friend lives in Bethlehem. I have visited him several times. It’s a min of 1 hr and 15 mins and I’ve gotten stuck in a few tie ups when it ended up closer to 2 hours. I would not recommend it. Traffic ties up in both Waterbury and Hartford.

Granby, Suffield and East Granby are other choices as well as Ellington, Somers and Coventry in addition to the other towns mentioned by others. South Glastonbury could be an easy commute depending on what side of Hartford you would be working.
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Old 07-12-2020, 07:39 AM
 
Location: CT
88 posts, read 120,419 times
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I guess by now you realize Bethlehem (known to us as The Christmas Town) to Hartford is not an easy route. The trouble is that there is no direct route and no major highways between the two locations. Others have offered good alternative towns and cities. Also Bethlehem is mostly single-family living so if you are not looking for that type of lifestyle it would not be a great choice. Avon, Simsbury and Canton would offer more living options.
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