[education_important]

We are thinking about moving to Hartford, CT area. We have to choose between two locations: Windsor and West Hartford. Good school is or top priority. Also we heard that housing cost in CT is skyrocketing especially in West Hartford. We are moving from NC. Any insight about housing cost will be helpful. Could you please share info about following 8 points in regards to these two cities?

West Hartford

1. Hosuing cost for 4 bed room , 2. 5 bath housr price.
2. Car insurance on: 2006 Camry and 2005 Honda mini van.
3. Property tax for per 100,000 home value.
4. In general school standard.
5. Best public school [ Middle, highschool ]
6. Crime rate.
7. Future job growth
8. Economy.

Windsor

1. Hosuing cost for 4 bed room , 2. 5 bath housr price.
2. Car insurance on: 2006 Camry and 2005 Honda mini van.
3. Property tax for per 100,000 home value.
4. In general school standard.
5. Best public school [ Middle, highschool ]
6. Crime rate.
7. Future job growth
8. Economy.

[Brent Bell, CRS]

Having lived in West Hartford just a few blocks from Prospect Avenue for over 20 years, this is a very safe part of the world. My children were able to walk to friend's houses after dark. Plenty of people are out walking and jogging.

Real estate is local and crime is local. Look at the Hartford crime more carefully and you will see that the higher crime areas of the city do not border West Hartford. In fact, the West End of Hartford (directly adjacent to West Hartford) is probably one of the safest parts of Hartford.

In my experience, the people most alarmed about different schools or neighborhoods have very little actual experience with those schools/neighborhoods. Take the time to check it out for yourself!

[rupeerosie]

Originally Posted by RxDoctor

i would look farther west myself.. Farmington, Simsbury, Avon.. West Hartford is WAY too close to a crime ridden city like hartford.. Last thing you want is your children making there way anywhere east of prospect ave without a gun in hand.

I have lived in West Hartford for ten years. I have never locked my front door or my car. Once I left my car running in the town center (by accident) and it was still there. My kids play on the streets in the neighbourhood without supervision or fear. The schools are terrific and have an incredibly supportive parent network. Anyone interested in their kids and the schools will meet like minded people easily. There may be some problems right on the border with Hartford and the next few streets over. Very sadly Hartford continues to have problems that West Hartford escapes and even more sadly it does look race related a lot of the time. West Hartford is a much more diverse community than the Farmington Valley towns mentioned above, without some of the inner city problems that Hartford seems to be unable to shake off. I am moving my family in the summer because of a job change and I am more and more aware of how incredibly lucky and easy we have had it for the last ten years. My biggest problem right now is persuading my children that a move isn't going to be the end of the world. I can't stand the attitude of the people on the other side of the Avon "Mountain" who think we live in fear because of our proximity to Hartford - no one I know has a gun or would even think of getting one.
My vintage house goes on the market this spring and anyone moving from New York, California, the DC area, most of Mass, will be completely amazed at how much house you get for the money, in such a great area with such good schools, easy access to a huge array of shops and restaurants, coffee shops, gyms, Whole Foods etc etc etc. I know I won't be able to come close to it where I'm moving.

[brasscupcakes]

OK, I am going to catch hell for this but:

I lived in W Hartford for a while. Very very safe. But I didn't like the vibe -- simultaneously snooty and insecure about being "small-time," compared to NY & Boston.
Also, despite what you've heard about West Hartford Center, they roll up the sidewalks early.
That said, West Hartford is quite pretty and the schools are good.
And hartford itself, if you've ever lived in an urban setting, won't eve strike you as particularly unsafe, and it offers a ton of great ethnic food shopping.
(The A-Dong Asian supermarket's actually in West Hartford -- huge, clean, cheap, oh, how I miss it).
I now live in Branford, and greatly prefer it.It's near the beach and New Haven. Plus, I left NY to move to CT, and love this state, so I like it that people here want to be here.
You definitely get larger houses for your dollar in West Hartford, on bigger lots. I looked at great houses there.
But ... if, like me, you or your kids are a bit on the off-beat side (by CT standards) ...
I'll just say that I got very peculiar looks when I walked my huge mis-shapen mutts (rescues) and drove my beater car in WH... people automatically presumed I was an intruder from some other, less "desirable" neighborhood.
Granted, I had a van at the time, but it's not fun when you're trying to park in your own nabe and everybody's asking whether you're lost, as if you were casing the joint. I'm a short, slight, female -- the opposite of imposing in appearance.
Not that WH didn't also have down to earth types, but I knew met too many others who considered neighborhoods, people, anything beyond WH borders "sketchy."

[brasscupcakes]

btw -- I lived near Prospect in the bottom of a two family house and in all the time I walked around there at night with my two huge mutts (there's nothing else to do there), never once did I ever encounter anybody with a gun or feel threatened.
RXdoctor needs to take a chill pill if he or she thinks that is a bad neighborhood.

[teacherct]

I teach in one of the small towns in the Farmington Valley that has been mentioned. While the schools in towns like Avon, Simsbury and Farmington are excellent, your desire to live someplace where being a single mother would not necessarily be satisfied in these towns--they are relatively homogenous, 2 parent family towns. West Hartford has a mix of people--racially, economically, family structure, etc. What part of town you live in will dictate how much so, however. The Duffy and Northfeldt (sp?) neighborhoods are pretty white, higher income, etc. the Whiting Lane district, where I live, is, in my opinion, the most diverse school district, maybe along with the Wolcott district. Economically, racially, family structure, etc.--kids live in gorgeous homes on Steele Road with parents who work at UTC, are attorneys or doctors and the like, as well as in 2 family houses on South Quaker and apartments on Farmington. There are 2 parent families, single parent families, kids living with grandparents, kids with gay and lesbian single and 2 parent structures--you name it. Whiting Lane also houses the district's autism program, and has a reputation for a culture of building student tolerance and acceptance of differences. If these are your values, I think it's a diamond in the rough in a region marked by a good deal of underground, benevolent racism and lack of appreciation of diversity.

As an educator, I disagree with the perception that you should avoid the Conard High School district. Some of the stronger elementary schools in town are in that district, and Conard is a fabulous high school academically and if you value a diverse environment. We live in the western part of town close to Prospect. I think much of the talk of fear, safety, etc. comes from ignorance, frankly. Having moved here from NYC, I was immediately struck by the general attitude of racial intolerance and fear amongst the mostly white, middle to upper middle class people that I have met and worked with--it's pretty much the norm. If you want to now more about this issue in this region historically, Google Scheff vs. O'Neill. While it is true that some parts of Elmwood are made up of people of lower economic status in the town, it's an affordable area with a neighborhood center with nice restaurants, and accessibility to I84. I would come and check the town out for yourself. In terms of Hartford and schools, that they are generally not fantastic is an understatement. In the West End, Noah Webster Microsociety is a great school, if you were to be interested in that neighborhood. Good luck with your search.