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Do you live in west Gbury, RC-CT? Is that why it takes you less than the 40 minutes suggested by Mels? We are trying to escape from our current congestion and driving situation, so that would make a big difference for us. Thank you for your reply. V
Just something I wanted to pass along. Our "traffic" and "way" here is much much different than you are used too.
Here, you generally find you drive longer distances, but with MUCH less time.
In other words, I used to drive 35 miles each way to my old business - but it took me 30-35 minutes. It took me 45 minutes to drive less than 10 miles in Charlotte and it was a congested hades.
A 30-40 minute drive through the countryside of CT is actually quiet a stress releaver and not a stress enhancer. LOL
I just wanted to pass that along. Don't think clogged highways. Think rolling hills, old colonials, small farms, winding roads and a nice cruise. It's not always the case 100% of the time, but generally that's how it is.
Oh and if anyone tells you the Eastern CT area has bad traffic, they have more than likely never commuted in Altanta, Orlando, Charlotte etc and have NO idea what traffic is. The worst I hit is 10 minutes of traffic in downtown Hartford, and an accident once in a while. Traffic is not a problem in the area you are looking at.
Just something I wanted to pass along. Our "traffic" and "way" here is much much different than you are used too.
I agree completely. I lived in a few different metro areas in the US and the traffic in the Hartford area doesn't even come close. Lower Fairfield County is the only area in CT that I have lived where I found the traffic to be truly terrible.
As for the commute from Gbury, you wouldn't think it but Gbury is pretty large in area. There are quite a few areas that are further out from the highway (South and East Gbury) where it can take you longer to get to a highway. It can be a difference of up to 15 minutes or so depending where in Gbury you live and where you are commuting to.
Also make note that you don't need to travel on the interstate to UConn, but that depends where you live in Gbury. If you live on the eastern side near Hebron for instance, it could be shorter (and certainly more of a relaxed drive) to go down Rt. 94 which runs into Rt. 85 then pick up 66 East towards the Rt. 6 expressway and you have a scenic drive with absolutely no traffic.
Glastonbury is actually the second largest town area-wise in CT. I lived there for 13 years and miss it tremendously. I found it to be the right blend of everything in terms of commute time and amenities. Just a beautiful town with wonderful people and a great place to raise a family and live.
Oh and if anyone tells you the Eastern CT area has bad traffic, they have more than likely never commuted in Altanta, Orlando, Charlotte etc and have NO idea what traffic is.
Or 95 between New Haven and NYC. Busiest stretch of highway in the nation!
Do you live in west Gbury, RC-CT? Is that why it takes you less than the 40 minutes suggested by Mels? We are trying to escape from our current congestion and driving situation, so that would make a big difference for us. Thank you for your reply. V
Sorry for the delay in responding--
I live near the intersection of 94 (hebron avenue) and 83 (manchester road). I think of it as central or north central glastonbury, although the postoffice for eastbury is close by (the town extends quite a bit east of there, though). it's not quite 22 miles door to parking garage, but there's only a few stops lights and the traffic is going the other way.
Mels lives in Marlborough, I think, which is south and east of Glastonbury, but has no real clear easy way to get to UConn. And it's worth noting that Glastonbury is a large town geographically-- from South Glastonbury, near the portland line, you'd probably add 10 minutes or more to the commute, and perhaps go a different route entirely.
It's more about ease of access-- some spots in Glastonbury are easier than others for a commute to Storrs/Mansfield. I see UConn faculty parking placards a lot in Gbury-- my guess is, like us, they were drawn in by the schools, shopping, etc.
Thank you, Mels. 40 minutes of commute for my husband would not go well, since one of the reasons we would be leaving South FLorida is that we can not take driving any longer.... I am afraid Glastonbury would be too far. Where else should we look at for the best possible schools (public or private) and close enough to the city (we are not much into the rural life style). Usually the areas around good univeristies have good schools, but Storrs does not seem like a residential place from what I have seen on the internet. Valeria
I absolutely recommend you buy in Storrs. It is rural, I realize, but to find something more urban or suburban, you'll have a commute. You could move to Willimantic, which is an old industrial town and is having something of a revival. I would look at it. But my understanding is that their schools have struggled--at least compared to some of the other towns you might consider, namely, Storrs. E.O. Smith H.S. is practically on UConn's campus and it is one of the best schools in the state. While Storrs is rural, plans are well-underway for a "town center" that should bring a mix of retail and residential into a nice, walkable area. Moreover, the school is something of a little city unto itself, and if you were to purchase one of the lovely homes on an adjacent street, you might thoroughly enjoy being "on campus." Ask Sam Pickering (English professor); he lives in a house practically next door to a dorm--and can often be seen riding his bike around. He'll give you the skinny.
I grew up in Willimantic which is the city section of the town of Windham. Overall the Windham schools are lacking in the reputation department but that doesn't mean a child in the school system won't get a good education.
One thing the schools in Windham have is diversity. You have kids from Columbia (rural and mainly white) who attend Windham High (about 160 of them) but you also have Windham (more rural) and Willimantic (city) kids who attend as well. Overall the Windham school system has a bad reputation but what they lack in this area is made up with good teachers who care. The statistics don’t look good from a outsiders prospective, however you have plenty of kids going to the Ivy League type schools out of High school.
The middle school is newer having being built around 1998 and has around 1100 kids. The high school is older having opened in 1971 but has plenty of AP classes, great teachers, good athletics and also great mix of ethnicity with about 60% white and 40% Latino.
If you want your child to go to a "well known" school system send them to Mansfield and E.O. Smith. However if you want your child to go to a school where they can interact with different cultures, have good athletics, good teachers, interact with different raises and income levels and the ability to take classes across the street at Eastern Connecticut state university send them to Windham.
Overall the town of Mansfield is mostly rural except for the southern section which is on the Windham border. Retail is mainly found near the Eastbrook mall which has stores like Big Y (supermarket), Applebee’s, and Kohl’s, and about 30 other retailers. Windham/Willimantic has most of the retail you would need for every day life. Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Stop & Shop, Shaw’s (super market), and a New England Main Street that is about to undergo a redevelopment like the area across from UConn.
Willimantic has the most Victorian houses per capita behind San Francisco. You can find a bargain in this area of town on a large single family home. Some of them might need a little love and fixing up, however if this is the kind of house that is of interest you won’t find any in Mansfield or Tolland.
The drive into UConn from Willimantic is about 15 minutes, Hartford around 30, and Providence about 45 to an hour.
The biggest thing that is keeping the area from really taking off is the lack of a highway connection between Rt.6 and I-384. If this ever gets completed I believe Windham/Willimantic would be what it once was years ago.
I have to say when I was at UConn I thoroughly enjoyed driving through Willimantic. It's got a very charming main street and some nice old homes. I'd really like to see it thrive, and I'm sure you could get a fabulous home for very reasonable money.
Willimantic has a great little brewery on Main St, aptly named the Willimantic Brewing Co.
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