Considering a move to Glastonbury (Hartford, Niantic: real estate, house, neighborhoods)

ChristieCT · 05-02-2009, 12:26 PM

Due to a job opportunity my husband is taking in the fall, my husband and I are considering moving our family to a town that will be a little bit closer to where he'll be working.

We currently live in East Lyme, CT, and we, overall, quite like this town. It has a great school system, a family-friendly atmosphere, and convenient access to any amenities we might desire.

I've been researching different places that would fall into the comfortable commute zone my husband designated (and since he doesn't mind a bit of a drive, it's given me a lot of options), but I keep coming back to Glastonbury. There's just something about it that I like. Everything I've found indicates that the schools are excellent, even a bit better than the ones here in East Lyme as far as standardized testing performance goes. I visited Glastonbury with a friend and really loved the town, but I recognize that visiting a place is not the same as living in it, so I'm looking for the "insider" perspective.

My question is strictly for those who live in Glastonbury, particularly those who are also raising children there (but all responses from residents are welcome). Do you like living there? Do your kids like it, if you have any?

The biggest question I have is: If you're familiar with the East Lyme area at all, do you think that a move from our current hometown to Glastonbury would be an easy adjustment for our children (ages 14, 11, 8, and 3), as well as for my husband and me, or do you foresee some problems we should consider?

I've already looked into the real estate prices and town statistics via the CERC, so I'm really looking for some insight into the reality of living there.

Though this won't be our sole source of information in making any decisions, it will certainly be a factor. Any and all help you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

heather121 · 05-02-2009, 02:47 PM

Having grown up in East Lyme/Niantic and from what I've heard/seen about Glastonbury, the two towns seem nearly identical, with Glastonbury maybe being slightly more upscale. The only thing Glastonbury is missing compared to EL would be the beach

ChristieCT · 05-02-2009, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heather121

Having grown up in East Lyme/Niantic and from what I've heard/seen about Glastonbury, the two towns seem nearly identical, with Glastonbury maybe being slightly more upscale. The only thing Glastonbury is missing compared to EL would be the beach

Thanks for the input. The good news is that we're not beach people, we almost never go even though it's just a few minutes away (I know, we're crazy!).

Thanks for taking the time to respond. I really do appreciate it!

JayCT · 05-03-2009, 05:45 AM

Would Glastonbury be a reasonable commute for your husband? I live in Glastonbury (15 years now) and have kids in the schools. If you have followed my posts you will see that we are very happy here. The schools are great and there are a lot of activities for kids. We have made some very good friends here and just about everything we need is here or not too far away.

That said, I will tell you that because the town is an upscale suburb there are some snobs here but if you can ignore them (and get your kids to ignore their children), you will be fine. Note that Glastonbury is bigger than East Lyme and has a wider range of people (or more of each type). If you have any specific questions, please let me know. I would be happy to help. Jay

vvolin · 05-03-2009, 06:01 AM

I would like to chime in with what Jay wrote. I am a more recent addition to Glastonbury than Jay is. Not knowing the town, we moved into the most upscale area. After two years, we have no friends in town and our children don't either. The older one, being that she missed the elementary years in Glastonbury, when you find friends in your neighborhood, has yet to be able to find her place among the other girls: they have their childhood friends, apparently, and their doors are shut, just like those of their parents. In addition, if your children don't play soccer, they are really out of luck in Glastonbury. Add to that that some areas of South Glastonbury are very isolated: there isn't a real neighborhood.

My suggestion to you is to look very well into the town social geography and have a good idea of where you can find what you like. The town is very large and living in one neighborhood rather than another makes a big difference.

I'll just add that the town is really pretty: it meets my need to live in an aesthetically pleasing place. It offers many cultural activities and events: what you can not find in town, you'll find in Hartford 15-20 minutes away (which is nothing for me, having always lived in large cities.) There are enough decent restaurants to stay in town for your dining needs. In fewer words, if you like small town living, then Glastonbury is a very good choice. I know, I know..... someone is bound to correct me that Glastonbury isn't really small, but it is all relative, isn't it?

ChristieCT · 05-03-2009, 09:54 AM

Thank you, JayCT and vvolin for the help. I've read a lot of posts (particularly yours JayCT--It's been very informative

) where people and families seem really happy there, but I've also read some posts indicating some issues, such as expense or snobbery.

Some of the issues you raise exist here in East Lyme, too (particularly the snobbery), so that part we are already used to. I'm looking to see if there's anything different in Glastonbury that we'd have trouble adjusting to, that's unfamiliar, and so far, it sounds like East Lyme and Glastonbury are fairly comparable, with East Lyme just being smaller and not quite as close to a significant city.

I really appreciate the recommendation about researching specific neighborhood dynamics because I wouldn't have thought of that. I've just been looking at what's available and whether or not I like the looks of it, but it sounds like some of the neighborhoods there have a greater variation in "personality" than the ones here. So that's a new factor for me to consider. (And exactly the kind of info I'm looking for).

My husband and I are in our early to mid-thirties, and our children range in age from 14 down to almost 4. We're neither super-social nor super-reserved, but somewhere in the middle. So we don't have to make friends in the immediate neighborhood, but we'd like to make some in town, whatever part of town they're from. We will be looking to buy or build a relatively large house because we not only have 4 of our own children, but my college-age sister may be living with us whenever school is not in session, so I know that limits our options. That being said, do those of you who live in Glastonbury have any general neighborhoods in particular you could recommend I look into?

JayCT · 05-04-2009, 07:17 AM

There are many great neighborhoods. It really depends what you want and your price range. If you want to let me know what you have seen that you like, I could tell you a bit about that particular area. You could do this via DM or on this thread. It is up to you. Jay

politricks · 05-06-2009, 07:33 PM

Glastonbury is a wealthy suburban town that has typical suburban issues .....according to the Hartford Courant a large number of high school students use heroin. Bored, spoiled kids recently made a film of themselves destroying things and getting arrested at the mall. Zero diversity, etc...

aroundthecorner059 · 05-06-2009, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by politricks

Glastonbury is a wealthy suburban town that has typical suburban issues .....according to the Hartford Courant a large number of high school students use heroin. Bored, spoiled kids recently made a film of themselves destroying things and getting arrested at the mall. Zero diversity, etc...

Because bored kids made a juvenile video, they must be on heroin? Your obvious ignorance with any ''typical suburban issue'' is bleeding through. What are your credentials that allow you to accurately comment on such issues and, furthermore, let's see some actual numbers.

vvolin · 05-07-2009, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by politricks

Glastonbury is a wealthy suburban town that has typical suburban issues .....according to the Hartford Courant a large number of high school students use heroin. Bored, spoiled kids recently made a film of themselves destroying things and getting arrested at the mall. Zero diversity, etc...

I looked at the past articles of the Hartford Courant and I count not find where they say that there is a large number of students at the GHS who use heroin. Would you be able to find it for me, please?