[robnel]

My husband and I may be moving to Hartford for a job. I would like info on the best places to live around Hartford, is there train service into Hartford if you live outside the city limits, I have no kids..so schools are not a issue.

[Delaney72]

Depends on what you are looking for. Do you want a small city feel with shopping within walking distance or are you looking to be in the suburbs?

[robnel]

Whatever would be safer. We have lived in the Tampa Bay area, and in a small town north of Knoxville. A little bored with the small town and how far we have to drive for everything. Would probably prefer to be where we can walk to restaurants, entertainment, etc.

Thanks!

[MikefromCT]

Well certain towns have rail service into Hartford if that's of interest (as you mentioned earlier). Both Newington (directly south) and Windsor (directly north) both have an Amtrak station that can take you into Hartford. Both share a border with Hartford, and both are nice, safe, suburban towns (though I find Windsor to have more charm since it's a much older town with more history behind it).

West Hartford is also nice and it's convenient since it's right next door, but it's also more expensive (regardless of whether you own or rent). It's also a bigger town with just over 65,000 people, as opposed to Newington and Windsor which have about 30,000 each. Still, it's very safe and there's lots to do here.

Your budget and what appeals to you will really determine what's best for you. I would suggest Bloomfield since you don't have kids so schools aren't an issue, but certain parts of it are becoming sketchy. And most people here will have nothing but bad things to say about this town. Which is unfortunate because much of it is actually really attractive (like on Route 185 and 189).

[robnel]

Thanks Mike. Windsor sounds interesting. We both love history and old buildings. I guess when we come up next month, we will take all this info into consideration when looking around.

[MikefromCT]

Definitely check out Windsor. But it's not the only place with old charm. Some parts of Farmington (like on Main Street with its beautiful Victorian era mansions and old schools) and West Hartford (which has tons of large Georgian-style houses and Tudor homes) offer this as well.
The area of Windsor that gives it its rich history is in the neighorhood known as Windsor Center. They have a huge town green, with mom and pop storefronts on both sides of the street, and many old, well-kept homes nearby. It's here that the newly restored Amtrak station is.

Where are you moving from if you don't mind my asking?

[kap412]

If you want to be within walking or short driving distance to entertainment I would suggest West Hartford.

[7 Wishes]

If you don't need a train commute (and I don't think Amtrak offers enough service for it to be viable for a daily commute, but maybe I'm wrong.....but they keep talking about possibly having a New Haven-Springfield commuter line), some other towns you might like are Rocky Hill and Wethersfield. Also, to the east of the city, Manchester and Vernon are pretty nice (especially since schools aren't an issue) and tend to have an easier commute in than west of the city.

Good luck!

[AmyBergquist]

If you love history, architecture, and older buildings you may also want to consider Old Wethersfield or the West End of Hartford. Old Wethersfield has a small town center with some shops and restaurants. The West End of Hartford has some good restaurants in walking distance and is close to West Hartford Center which offers more shopping and restaurant options.

[ansky]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Well certain towns have rail service into Hartford if that's of interest (as you mentioned earlier). Both Newington (directly south) and Windsor (directly north) both have an Amtrak station that can take you into Hartford.

There is no train station in Newington. The closest train station to the south of Hartford is in Berlin. But there are only a handful of trains that go through there every day so it's not a viable commuting option.