Relocating to Hartford with kids

Submitted by Kitchen-Spray-1984 t3_ylg7mk in Hartford

Wife and I (late 30s) are relocating to Hartford area (from a midsize Midwest city) with an infant and toddler in the next few months. I’ll be working in East Hartford and wife is trying to find a nursing job at one of the hospitals in the area. My job is hybrid/flex so based on her probable work location we have decided to look for homes on west side of the river. Our budget is around 500k.

Based on the school ratings, daycares, crime data and 30ish minute commute times, areas we are looking at: Avon, Farmington, Cromwell. Rocky Hills, Berlin, Southington, Newington, Wethersfield, Wallingford, Haddam, Middlefield, Plainville, Cheshire

Areas we are avoiding: East Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, Bristol

In the spirit of Halloween, the best way to describe what we are looking for is a neighborhood where kids can go trick/treating!!! We have family on east coast (mid Atlantic) and have traveled to MA, ME in the New England area but have only drive through CT. Don’t have any friends there either so looking for some help here.

  1. Does the list of areas we are targeting/avoiding seem reasonable?

  2. I am assuming my wife's job will be in Middlesex, Farmington or Hartford so trying to stay on west side of the river. How bad is the commute to Farmington from say Glastonbury?

  3. I notice that property taxes are pretty high but are they stable or have risen recently due to crazy valuations?

  4. Regarding heating, I see a lot of options natural gas, baseboard, oil, etc. Is one better/more efficient than other? Also, what sort of heating bill can I expect for a 3Bd,2000 sqft home in winters?

  5. I see a lot of old homes (75+ years old) on sale. Is there something to look out for in those homes to avoid buying one that ends up needing a lot of work.

Thanks

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Gonzo_Girl0213 t1_iuyn5b5 wrote

Not house related, but I recently started a new RN job at Hartford Hospital and it is FABULOUS. I highly recommend that your wife applies for positions there

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuyr4bh wrote

Good to know you love it!! That is on top of her list (above Middlesex, children's and UConn health). Is there a resource to look up average nursing salaries in the area?

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andherewestand t1_iuz1rd6 wrote

Glassdoor for salary checks.

I also work at Hartford Hospital and absolutely love it. So much that I ended up leaving a federal job to come back. It's the best place I've ever worked.

ETA: I commute from Plainville to Hartford every day. If I get on 84 by 8:35 I'm usually pulling into the parking garage by 8:57.

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LovesRainPT t1_iv0mz17 wrote

Also, a new RN job with the Newington VA just got posted. If she can get into the VA… great pay, vacation time, benefits… and unlike the other hospitals in the area, sick time is separate from vacation time and can be used if a loved one/kids are sick. I know so many coworkers who got screwed out of their vacation time because they had to stay home days/weeks to take care of little ones.

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beaveristired t1_iuyjtni wrote

Property taxes are high in CT in general but a lot of towns just had their assessments done. Property tax assessments are done every 5 years in CT, I believe.

That commute can be tough but if she’s working outside of normal working hours then it shouldn’t be as bad. Farmington is a decent choice because you’re close to the highway, but that part of RT 84 gets very backed up. Avon is 15-20 min from highway but those small side roads get pretty congested during the morning and after school / evening commute which can really increase your commute time. Rocky Hill or Wethersfield would be ideal for a commute to Glastonbury. Haddam might be a little far depending how on where you are in relation to highway.

Of the towns listed, I’d probably concentrate on Westhersfield and Rocky Hill. Glastonbury is another good choice. Cheshire is nice. Cromwell, Berlin, Wallingford, Newington, Southington, Plainville are ok, very suburban, but I think there are better options. Haddam is nice but more rural.

Despite everything I said about commute, I grew up in the Farmington River Valley (Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, Canton) and think it’s ideal fit raising a family. Good mix of community, excellent schools, stuff to do, with open space but not too far from civilization. If you look into that area, don’t sleep on Canton, the village of Collinsville is really cute.

I would also add West Hartford to your list.

Eta: as far as old homes, yes we have a lot of them here. I live in a century home myself, and honestly the construction is super solid and I haven’t had any major issues. Get a good housing inspector, look for someone with experience with old homes (shouldn’t be hard to find). If the home has been maintained and updated, it should be ok. Definitely make sure the septic tank is in good shape if you’re not hooked up to town sewer. I’d also be wary of additions that haven’t been done correctly, and foundation issues.

Edit #2: you might want to post this in the main Connecticut sub if you haven’t already.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzi2ek wrote

Thanks for your input. Is Canton considered part of New Hartford? Is that mostly rural?

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beaveristired t1_iuzqyk2 wrote

No, it’s a separate town. I wouldn’t call it rural. There’s a busy shopping area and the main road through town (Rt 44) is busy. But it doesn’t feel like suburbia, there aren’t a lot of large subdivisions, most people have pretty large lots, woodsy, good amount of protected space. There are a couple small farms, mostly veggies, eggs, honey. I think most of the dairy farmers that were around when I was a kid are gone. But it’s not an agricultural area, at least not anymore. It’s a small town, more rural than Farmington and Avon but less rural than New Hartford. There is a lot of wildlife, especially bears, but also deer, eagles, hawks, fox, etc. Collinsville is the former factory area (old ax and machete factory) with a cute Main Street, dining, a few shops, events like a popular weekly farmer’s market and annual Halloween parade. It’s along the Farmington River, with a neat rail trail and opportunities for canoeing and tubing.

New Hartford is definitely more rural. Lots of state parks and reservoir land. The further west you go on Rt 44, the more woodsy it gets. One of the few regional school districts (CT is very town-oriented, not a lot of regionalization or county government). Most of the schools in CT are good, outside of the cities.

On your list, I’d say some towns are more suburban in feel than Canton / New Hartford, like Cromwell, Berlin, Wallingford, Plainville. Haddam is more rural. Cheshire is similar to Canton. Glastonbury and Wethersfield were agricultural, now similar to Canton. Middlefield is more agricultural, with a major fruit orchard (Durham is another option down that way). West Hartford is more built up, not exactly urban but definitely a larger town with less overall open space. They’re all kinda similar, in that each is a small town with some woods and small farms and a shopping area. But vary in terms of density, proximity to highway, vibe.

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kkaatt7 t1_iuyp8f7 wrote

West Hartford or Glastonbury

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuyrfjv wrote

Thanks!! Which is more painful (traffic wise): Living in Glastonbury and commiting to Hartford or living in west Hartford and commuting to east Hartford?

Also, are there any other areas/towns that we should definitely avoid?

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Garizondyly t1_iuz1obu wrote

I would seriously recommend considering east of the river, a town like south windsor. But anyways, in my opinion, it depends on time of day. But for average, i'd say west hartford to esst hartford feels worse than gbury to east hartford.

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settie t1_iv0gtkk wrote

I think the west hartford/east hartford commute is much more painful than the glastonbury/hartford commute due to driving THROUGH hartford on the highway, as opposed to driving TO hartford and taking the exit.

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kkaatt7 t1_iuz1jjp wrote

I live in Glastonbury work downtown Hartford, you go route 2 there’s a direct exit off to downtown and you get to miss that 84 E traffic. Exit might get backed up a lil during rush hour, but nothing more than a 5 min wait, less than 10 min drive into Hartford. Seeing your higher budget those were the two towns that you can afford and are desirable (restaurants, schools, housing) Farmington is good, (Avon, simsbury, granby) are further out from Farmington and it’s kinda like a one way in one way out situation getting in through back roads. Lived in collinsville next to Avon and it’s a hippie town super cute tho

I would avoid, and just my personal opinion I grew up here after moving from a big city (east Hartford, Vernon, middletown, rocky hill, new Britain, Berlin, wethersfield) there are good parts of every town I just wouldn’t live there personally and you have kids and want that suburban neighborhood.

Also prices are insane right now too, if you are able too I would look to rent a house then wait for prices to go down. Rentals are also super slim pickings maybe harder to get than buying a house. But you can get the feel for the areas you’d like.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzldto wrote

The prices seem to be plateauing right now I think

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Ronw1993 t1_iv0qlii wrote

Inventory is super low right now, and pricing is kind of wonky: I have a friend who is a realtor in the area and he describes it as follows. 50% houses are over-priced in an effort to cash in and are staying on the market, 25% are fairly priced and go quickly for asking or above, and 25% are homeowners not really interested in selling but testing the waters so price is variable. As a result, buyers are all over the map - I toured two houses at the same price point: one had significant signs of basic concern - foundation, code violations, water damage, and the other had none. Both were in equivalent neighborhoods but the first was under contract for a little under asking within 1 month while the second sat for 6 months and underwent two Price reductions. I’ve bought twice in CT in Hartford county and the current market is just…really weird.

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Ronw1993 t1_iv0pmn7 wrote

I appreciated seeing this answer- I moved to Glastonbury 3 months ago, work downtown Hartford and thought it would be a super easy commute. But the Route 2 ‘construction’ (in quotes because it’s not like lanes are shut down) makes it a solid 30+ minute commute during busy hours (7-830 am and 430-6 p.m.). Have you found the same? It’s a guaranteed 15-20 min drive if I WFH until like 9 am or leave work after 6.

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chinisimo t1_iuzeppt wrote

Crossing the river sucks either way. So try to stay on one side.

West Hartford and Glastonbury both have good school systems. But houses in west Hartford are older and more expensive. Taxes are probably close.

Farmington is a nice area. Lower taxes and very good school system. Avon, simsbury, and Farmington are among the best school districts in the Hartford area.

Now that the housing market is so over heated, depends on what you’re looking for, your budget of 500k might not get you much. Maybe check out renting for a year or two when more houses are available and mortgage rate comes down.

So your employer is in East Hartford? Is it Pratt and whitney by any chance?

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2t6bl wrote

Good point. Renting is also on the table. And yes, I'll be working at Pratt.

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2wheelzrollin t1_iv2gxwc wrote

Glastonbury to Hartford is easier IMO. You can take route 3 and head north into Hartford. But coming from WH to EH will mean heavy traffic on 84 during rush hour.

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-PasswordisTaco- t1_iv0tikg wrote

I would also put these 2 towns at the top of your list. West Hartford has a great walkable downtown area and is a bit more developed/urban than Glastonbury. Glastonbury you will be able to get a bigger yard and house for the same price. But both of these towns are more expensive than average because they are desirable with great schools, but if you can afford it then go for it.

Commute from Glastonbury to Hartford is not bad. 10 minutes on route 2 from center of town to downtown Hartford without traffic, but more like 20 during rush hour.

W. Hartford to E. Hartford commute would be a little worse traffic but still doable.

If your wife ends up working in Hartford and you are working in E. Hartford (Pratt & Whitney??) then I’d choose Glastonbury.

I used to live in w. Hartford, now live in Glastonbury. Never lived in South Windsor but that’s next to east Hartford and seems nice too.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2td8v wrote

Is it a reasonable expectation to find a home in Glastonbury with public water, sewer and gas?

Yes, I'll be working at Pratt.

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-PasswordisTaco- t1_iv3nmog wrote

There’s a lot of new housing developments that are probably in your price range that have all that. There’s also some really old ones that might not

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv3ocir wrote

>that are probably in your price range that have all that. T

Can you point me in that direction? Like construction in progress or recent builds?

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guitar1257 t1_iuyyszk wrote

Wethersfield is a very quick and easy commute to East Hartford and is about 20 minutes from 5 different hospitals. It's centrally located to everything but not a major thoroughfare (there is a highway, but it's one side of town near the river) and just about every neighborhood is super walkable. Schools are great.

Nearby, Rocky Hill is much the same, but you can often get a little more house for the money. Both are great options.

As for Glastonbury - getting over the river is easy because of the bridge on route 3, but if you have to go further west it becomes problematic. Getting to New Britain, Farmington (where lots of medical offices and hospitals are) is a pain because you either have to go up via Hartford and on to the other side of the city, or cut through Wethersfield and Newington (lots of stop lights)

Glastonbury is also very large and some parts are not really walkable. It really depends. Much of the town does not have gas or sewer service. Trash is not included in your taxes.

I'd stay west of the river - the Charter Oak Bridge makes getting into East Hartford easy via Wethersfield and route 5/15

Edit: heating bill depends largely on type. Gas is typically cheapest. Our house is well insulated and we pay about $250 a month in the winter.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzkm17 wrote

I have gotten some good recommendations about Wethersfield and Rocky Hill as being central to everything. Is there any area to avoid based on school ratings?

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guitar1257 t1_iv0brrw wrote

No, they’re all good. Some of the elementary schools have higher test scores than others, but that more reflects the slight differences in socioeconomic status of the various neighborhoods. Both towns are fairly racially diverse, with Rocky Hill especially having a decently sized south Asian population. Both have lots of parks, services, shopping, and things to do. Wethersfield has a beautiful historic district. Rocky Hill has some fantastic hiking for such a small town.

You really can’t go wrong.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2u3jt wrote

> You really can’t go wrong

That is great to hear. Ending up in a "wrong" area is what I am/was concerned about.

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guitar1257 t1_iv2vjwm wrote

I think if you stick to those towns, you’ll come look at houses and get a feel for the neighborhood and find one you like. It’s not like there are beautiful neighborhoods in those areas with secretly bad schools.

For what it’s worth, I’m a teacher (though not in either of those towns) and teachers here are well compensated. I would gladly work in either of those school districts. Happy teachers = happy students who feel cared for and are more ready to learn.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv34v21 wrote

> Happy teachers = happy students

Word!!

I feel at ease now knowing that overall it is a good area and not like I have to find a decent place while avoiding a ton of areas!! My wife and I are looking forward to our new England adventure.

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ellemenopeaqu t1_iv0rd76 wrote

Both towns have great schools and even the 'lower ranked' schools are still very good. They elementary schools have a real community feel.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2udlh wrote

> They elementary schools have a real community feel.

Can you elaborate?

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ellemenopeaqu t1_ivfbmy3 wrote

Can only speak from experience at Wethersfield. At least in elementary, there's a lot of parent involvement in the schools, so you see familiar faces (or at least names over email). There are maybe 40 kids per grade (2 classes) so they all know each other too.

If you live within a mile of school (except for kindergarteners) you are supposed to walk/bike to school, so at least at my daughter's school there are a LOT of walkers. You see the same faces every day and walk by each other's houses. I think with so many walkers it helps keep things safe, everyone kind of keeps an eye out for things that could be a danger, even those with older or no kids.

There are a number of school events with great turn out, which mean meeting all the other parents as the kids run around. There is a program called Keane on Kids with extracurriculars - same story. You meet the other parents when you go for pick up.

And there are a lot of town events, so the kids who know each other will spend the time running around having fun, and again, us parents are stuck being social.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iwa2ckk wrote

> there's a lot of parent involvement in the schools

All of that sounds good but can you elaborate on parents involvement in school? I have lived in south and there the parent involvement in school is synonymous with them trying to control what is being taught in schools.

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ellemenopeaqu t1_iwc4wmm wrote

Oh, not at all controlling! It's much more supporting the school & teachers. PTO fundraisers, attending school sponsored events, showing up for meet the teachers & conferences, stuff like that. The teachers ask for kleenex and boxes appear like magic. Room parents coordinate gifts for staff. It's a community centered around the school i guess is better phrasing?

The high school basically axed the dress code this year and while there were some unhappy voices, most of them were people who last had children in the school system 40 years ago. There are a few loons angry about SEL or CRT, but they are generally ignored except on FB.

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MattinglyDineen t1_iuyqc3a wrote

  1. Yes. Those towns are very nice and you are avoiding the urban areas.

  2. From your locations I'm guessing your wife is working at a hospital. Glastonbury is on the east side of the river after you just said you wanted to stay on the west side. She'd have to drive through downtown Hartford every day. If her commute isn't at rush hour that would be fine. If it is it'll be difficult.

  3. Property taxes vary widely by town. For the most part you get what you pay for. West Hartford has sky high taxes but they have a ton of public amenities and programs. Towns with lower taxes typically offer less.

  4. You don't want electric heat. That will be an insanely high bill. I have natural gas heat and it's never been too expensive. I have a 1500 square feet house and my heating bill in the winter is around $200 per month in the winter months, but I also keep my house at 63 degrees when I'm awake, 58 when I am asleep, and 55 when I am not home. If you like it warmer your bill will be higher.

  5. My house is 130 years old and has not needed a lot of work in the 18 years I've been here other than the typical things of new paint, new water heater, new roof, etc. Just make sure you get a thorough inspection. If you are looking at newer homes (built 1980's to early 2000's) east of the river you have to watch out for crumbling foundations.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzl6ks wrote

Thanks for your I put and sorry for the confusion. What I meant to say was that there is a good chance my wife will work on the west side and I'll be in the east side. So, depending on which side we live on, I e person will have a tougher commute!!

The crumbling foundation issue you mentioned, is that confined to the east of river?

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MattinglyDineen t1_iv05l8o wrote

Yes. It’s in the northeast quadrant of the state. Just do a Google search for Connecticut crumbling foundations and you’ll get all sorts of info.

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guitar1257 t1_iv2iqoh wrote

Yea, northeast but even as far west as towns like South Windsor, which is on the river.

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unoudid t1_iuz24im wrote

We moved here from the Midwest 6+ years ago. Wife is in healthcare and works at a major hospital in the area. I work in Glastonbury.

We decided on Wethersfield because it’s a great mix of location, good schools, proximity to work, ease of travel by getting to the highways quickly. We each have short commutes to work based on our location. I would avoid having to travel on 84 everyday for work.

The neighborhoods here in Wethersfield are all very walkable. If you are used to living in a city with a grid layout then it will feel like home. Towns east of the river can have very meandering roads that feel extremely rural.

Edit: one big thing for us when looking at homes and areas were the utilities offered in each town. We wanted city water and sewer, fast internet, ideally natural gas for heating, and central AC. The utilities are under developed in the North East because the towns were built before utilities were a normal part of city planning.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzexyr wrote

I do like its proximity to everything. Also, utilities are a big thing for us as well. I don't want to be stuck with oil in winters!!

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Cutlasss t1_iuz151y wrote

In general, the worst part of the Hartford area is commuting from west of the Connecticut River to east of the river. If you are working in East Hartford, you should look east of the river. There are hospitals in Manchester and Rockville. There are tons of jobs in the medical industry in Glastonbury, Manchester, South Windsor, and Vernon.

I live and work in East Hartford. There isn't a single family home neighborhood in town that I would be unwilling to live in. That said, Manchester is nicer, if you have the budget. South Windsor and Glastonbury have better schools. But less interesting towns.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzfc76 wrote

I'll let my wife know. According to her the hospitals on the west side are better/magnate certified.

Do you mean healthcare industry or medical device industry? I will be in aerospace but I would love to know what other industries exist in that area for non tech engineers.

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Cutlasss t1_iv0f8lp wrote

The hospitals in Hartford itself are much larger. And that probably means more opportunity. The rest of the healthcare is huge numbers of offices for medical specialists. So many small facilities rather than any large one. But most of them are tied into franchises like Hartford Healthcare, Eastern Connecticut Health Network, or Yale.

There are many smaller technical/industrial firms in the area, in many industries. Many of them are subcontractors for larger producers.

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Cutlasss t1_iv0g6wc wrote

I forgot to mention, any commute which uses I-84 to get from Hartford to East Hartford or bad is really the worst commute in the area. But it can get a lot worse. Because they've been trying to figure out how to "fix" it for years now. And once they come up with a plan, and start building it, you'll also have years of construction interruptions on that piece of road.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2vads wrote

Don't know the area but looking at the map, are you saying that commuting from a place like Farmington to EH would be worse than say Rocky Hill to EH even though both commutes require crossing the river?

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Cutlasss t1_iv3cy5m wrote

So if you look at the map, and match that up to the roads numbers.

Avoid I-84. That's the worst of them. That leads to West Hartford, Farmington, Avon, that area. The Founders Bridge is the one from lower downtown Hartford to East Hartford. That means a commute in city streets. Not good. The next bridge south is the Charter Oak Bridge. This is state routes 5 and 15. This is better, if you are coming north on I-91, or from the Newington, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, or points south area. But you can still run into a long delay at the interchange.

Better yet, follow the bridge that used Rt 3 in the southern part of Wethersfield to Glastonbury. Now you have a much better shot into East Hartford, except that once east of the CT River you are on RT2, which is often congested. But the upside is that RT2 has exits pretty much immediately adjacent to P&W entrances. But that opens up Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, and a towns nearby that as options to live in.

Now a lot of this depends on what your's, and your wife's, tolerance for commuting is. Mine is low. So keep that in mind when considering my advice. My current employment had me in an office in West Hartford while living in East Hartford. A distance of almost exactly 10 miles. Almost all of that distance on I-84. A commute that could essentially never be done in under 30 minutes. And 45 was more common. Switching to the East Hartford office for me saved me an hour + a day.

Basically, what I am saying is that the highways around Hartford suck. Make your own decisions. But just be aware of that fact. And the biggest chokepoints are the bridges across the Connecticut River. Which you can see if you look at the map.

The other alternative is to live north of Hartford. The bridge I-291 crosses is probably the easiest bridge to cross in the Hartford area around rush hour. But north of Hartford is also the airport, so you may want to consider if you can tollerate the air traffic noise. Unless you want to go fairly rural, out to say Granby.

West Hartford has a lot to recommend it. It's generally the go to housing location for young professionals who will be working in Hartford. It has more in the way of amenities than any other town nearby. But it is a really aggravating commute to East Hartford. So pick your poison. Farmington city streets have become really congested, anytime I've been up that way recently, for what it's worth.

And, as I say, if they ever do start the rebuilding of I-84 that they've been promising us for a decade or more now, then the people going from West Hartford to East Hartford and vice versa are going to see very bad go to very worse probably for very many years.

East of the river, my personal choice is Manchester. It has the broadest housing options and most amenities. But that's just my choice. And the reason I'm not there now is a family situation I won't bother you with the details of. I've heard people say that the Manchester schools aren't the best. But I can not confirm. East Hartford schools don't rank the best either. You may want to research. There are a lot of magnet schools in the area, and check out Cheney Tech as a high school, if your kids are that age.

Rocky Hill is a little further, but much less aggravating, to East Hartford than West Hartford is. And it's near Middletown, which is having something of a downtown revival.

Driving around Hartford is largely in the chokepoints. And the chokepoints are usually the bridges.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv3o0ag wrote

Thanks for your detailed reply. I read it with the Google map open and it makes perfect sense.

My wife had a friend in CT long time ago and she lived in Middletown so that was our starting point. I might revisit that town. How about Portland?

Regarding the appetite for commute we have had it all. Currently it is 10-20mins for us, before that we had a bad commute that involved a straight road road but over a bridge and at rush hours the travel time would be 2-3X than normal, before that my wife also had a 50mile/60min commute and it was bad!!!

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Cutlasss t1_iv3p9o9 wrote

> How about Portland?

Well, following the easy roads, RT 17 is pretty clear shot. And it is a highway, not a town route. But I have no info on how busy it is. The issue from that direction is that RT 2 gets pretty congested from about the Glastonbury-East Hartford line north of there. But if you get off RT 2 at East Hartford Main St first exit, the main entrance for the main building for P&W is just a block north of there.

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adultdaycare81 t1_iv18yu2 wrote

If you are coming from the Midwest 30-45mins probably isn’t considered a ridiculous commute. In CT it is

This is partially because people in this state where very few things go wrong are just predisposed to complain about anything. Partially because with the traffic it is a little worse than doing it from outside a midwestern city to an office park on the perimeter. But honestly it’s not that bad

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2xjc4 wrote

Got it. Yes it is good to have perspective. My current commute is 10mins but most of my coworkers drive 30mins to come to work.

> where very few things go wrong

Like natural events or something else?

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adultdaycare81 t1_iv34zgp wrote

We are like 48th in crime, natural disasters are rare, public services largely work, access to most things/stores are a short drive etc.

Yet people complain viciously. I have been to towns that are literally dying on the vine, without even a strip mall who complain less. Literally people are prouder of living in flat dusty towns in tornado ally.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv360k7 wrote

Haha got it. I guess every state has its thing people don't like. I have lived in deep south before where if I post in the city sub there would always be a few people shitting on neighborhoods, asking OP to go back, we don't want you here, etc etc. I am pleasantly surprised by the replies I got so far and it has made me all the more excited about the move!!

One thing we want to do is travel with our kids and looking at the map I see a lot of interesting destinations within a 5hour drive. In my current location I can drive 2 hours in either direction and will hit any mid size city.

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adultdaycare81 t1_iv3785r wrote

Plenty of awesome cities within driving distance. I use Hotel Tonight and do that pretty frequently. Decide on that Thursday where we will go. Could be Burlington VT, Boston, Philly, DC. Then ship out Friday after work.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv381qf wrote

Awesome. That sounds fun!! Never heard that site. Is it legit last minute deals or just regular prices masqueraded as deals?

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adultdaycare81 t1_iv39ojv wrote

Used to be true last minute deals. 2018 was great.

Now… ehhh. But they have nice features like being able to search all your favorites for a set date range etc. Several of the other apps have ‘last min” booking ability now

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thriftshopmusketeer t1_iv1i0ii wrote

Throwing my hat into the ring for West Hartford. It's a little pricer than some of the other towns but there's a good number of duplexes, smaller properties, etc. Having grown up here it's an amazing place to raise a family, the center is awesome, and it's got some of the best schools in the country.

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thriftshopmusketeer t1_iv1i88e wrote

There's also Uconn and St Francis in close range of the town--10 minute drive without any highways to maneuver.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2ybsw wrote

I am picking up this theme here that it is better to avoid highways. Do other roads get cleared fast enough in winters?

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thriftshopmusketeer t1_iv2ynlh wrote

The highways in general aren’t too bad, with the exception specifically for 84 & 91 in and around Hartford. That interchange is some foul blasphemy against the dreams of Man.

The roads get cleared at a good pace unless it’s a REAL storm, and those are rare. Honestly, the snow in general is quite anemic these days. We go most of the winter bare. It’s sad.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv353o8 wrote

> We go most of the winter bare. It’s sad.

Really, for some reason I thought CT gets a ton of snow like Boston?

I am coming from a cold Midwest city where it doesn't snow much but temps are frigid through April.

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thriftshopmusketeer t1_iv35gzm wrote

We used to, when I was young. But it lessened, year by year. Nowadays we usually get 1-2 4-8” storms in late winter and only spattered inches beyond that.

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nutmegnellie t1_iv1mwyz wrote

There are some great east of the river towns- driving into Hartford in the morning is so much easier because you have the sun at your back, and the sun at your back in the way home as well. I’ve lived on both sides and currently live in South Windsor - nice family town with good trick or treating!

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2y1sj wrote

> because you have the sun at your back, and the sun at your back in the way home as well.

That is an excellent point. I guess it maybe an unfair question to ask if west side is better than east so maybe I should ask if either I see is worse than the other? Easier to pick between good and bad options vs two good options haha

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nutmegnellie t1_iv3n2l6 wrote

I have lived on both sides. Better restaurants and mall west of the river, but people are much nicer east of the river.

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foxhughes107 t1_ividdcj wrote

There's an old joke about how the people from the east side of the river are 'those people.' The west side has the more affluent areas CT is known for. The east can have more of a country feel. Rhode Island vs New York.

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Everyusernametaken1 t1_iuyvx7n wrote

Marlborough. Lots of people live there that work in East Hartford. _ East of River.. less traffic .. pretty... great schools... only 20 min from Hartford . .. 10 min from Glastonbury . .. 35 ish min to the ocean.... and casino On the bus route to Hartford . .. less congestion with small town feel still.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzkpba wrote

Do houses have gas/sewer there?

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Everyusernametaken1 t1_iv0hg4y wrote

Hmm No gas. Some have sewers near the lake. People are shifting to heat pumps and solar. Low crime. The lake is beautiful too. Hebron is also nice.

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[deleted] t1_iuyz0v1 wrote

[deleted]

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzkb7t wrote

Thanks for your input. Good to know about known foundation issue. I will bring it up to the inspector. How's Collinsville and what sort of commute do you have? Side question: coming from Midwest, do you like CT and surrounding areas?

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99nine99 t1_iuz1da1 wrote

I live in Glastonbury...it's fantastic. My kids are in school and I'm happy to pay my taxes. I bought my house for $500k and pay $12k a year in taxes.

We were out with a group of neighbors, pulling wagons , and going house to house Monday night.

Really great area if you can find a house.

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99nine99 t1_iuz1h20 wrote

Do everything you can to have town water, sewer and natural gas.

Electricity is stupid expensive...plan on putting solar in.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iuzeg6t wrote

That is my concern. The houses I liked didn't check the boxes for town water, sewer or gas.

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99nine99 t1_iv1wbp6 wrote

In my neighborhood when houses hit the market, there will be 20-30 people lined up for the first open house...if the price is reasonable, they sell in a couple weeks.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2vjuo wrote

> there will be 20-30 people lined up for the first open house

I can imagine this happening during historic low rates but are you saying even now this happens?

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99nine99 t1_iv3bjr4 wrote

There are some really desirable neighborhoods where homes don't hit the market that often.

Last weekend there was a 3br/2bth ranch that hit the market. Elderly couple had both passed and the kids were dumping the house. Entire place needs to be gutted...old Formica kitchen, 70s bathrooms, etc.

Listed for $400k and there were a dozen cars outside at 9am Saturday

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cookiecat57 t1_iuzixut wrote

Go for Vernon. It ticks everything on your list. Also, find a place that will be good for solar. Leasing your panels is an affordable option and will save you from the insanity that is Eversource price gouging.

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Stretchmark38 t1_iv0l7cz wrote

I would definitely pick Glastonbury especially to raise a family and be community friendly ❤️ I use to work in Glastonbury and everyone was so welcoming and beautiful 😍 I’m from Enfield CT..

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2wjr6 wrote

I see some homes listed in Glastonbury that have a flood risk rating of 9/10. Is that normal?

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snowphun t1_iv14qsp wrote

As you noticed, property taxes take some getting used to, don't forget that includes vehicles so if you're fond of newer, pricier cars that bill will sting as well. Property taxes are pretty consistent year over year in any given town, depends on the local spending habits.

East of the river offers a lot of options, if you want a great public education for the kids Glastonbury needs to be considered. Much of the more rural towns rely on propane or oil for heat, neither is cheap at the moment. Heat pumps and geothermal require electricity, we're one of the most expensive states for that. Wood stoves and pellets are good options/supplements if you're willing to micromanage your heat source.

Having said all that, if your wife is going to work long term in Farmington, stay in that area. Good luck!

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_iv2x0tf wrote

> if you're fond of newer, pricier cars that bill will sting as well.

Good thing I am an old, boring and drive a 20yo Camry!!

Is there ANY area you would want me to not consider no matter how good of a deal I am getting on the house?

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malcolmfairmount t1_iv200mx wrote

I grew up in Wethersfield and loved it. Went to 2 different elementary schools and they were both great. Only knock is taxes, not super racially diverse. Super quaint, safe.

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HartfordResident t1_iv78fk3 wrote

If you only have to go to East Hartford once in a while, you could also look in the New Haven and Bridgeport areas.

It wouldn't be a bad commute to East Hartford, and you'd be closer to NYC and many more hospitals (Yale-New Haven is the largest hospital).

The climate is more mild on the Sound, and it's more similar to NYC in terms of culture and diversity. If it matters to you, New Haven itself is a boomtown, whereas Hartford is still really sleepy and economically distressed.

If you're staying in the Hartford area I would recommend sticking to towns that are right along I-91 or I-84, since otherwise you'll be in the car a lot.

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[deleted] t1_iv9vuv8 wrote

I grew up in Hartford, moved to the suburbs about 20 years ago. Hartford is very crime ridden, lots of homeless and drug addicted zombies roaming around. I would not live there again if you paid me. Schools are terrible. I was very afraid attending school. I was very accepted in the suburbs .

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[deleted] t1_iv9vyzu wrote

I hope you are very Democratic and liberal or you will not be accepted.

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Kitchen-Spray-1984 OP t1_ivatnbk wrote

I believe in freedom, majority rule and social equality. I hate absolute authority and blind obedience. I'll let you figure out which political party or belief that aligns with.

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[deleted] t1_iv0jeo6 wrote

South Windsor is your best bet and option.

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