Where should I live around Hartford, CT?

October 8, 2013 7:04 PM

Please give me and update on what, if anything, is fun and exciting in the suburbs of Hartford.

Hi all,

I am a single, 30 year old woman who picked up from Manhattan and moved to Vermont three years ago. Vermont has gotten a little too quiet, and the fates that are the job markets nowadays have landed me with a new gig in the Hartford burbs, west of the river.

Now, I grew up in Glastonbury so I have a sense of the area. But I left more than a decade ago, when I graduated high school. I also saw a prior thread from 2010 here on the green about where to live in the Hartford area. However, that's three years old and I was hoping for an update.

So hit me: where should I live and what resources are there for me to start building a social life in the area? Clubs I should join, your favorite meet ups, etc.? Introductions to single young thirty something eligible men also accepted. ;)

About me: I love sailing, crossfit and cooking and hope to live in decent proximity to a good coffee shop and a friendly bar I can make my local pub. I'd prefer not to move back to Glastonbury.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

posted by slateyness to Grab Bag (12 answers total)

I haven't lived there but the north eastern area seems like the 'nice' part, but suburbs, the burbs are not urban and not rural.
posted by sammyo at 7:25 PM on October 8, 2013

Native Avonian here. Sounds like you've lucked out with the location of your job: stay to the west of the city and live in West Hartford. There's a small, walkable downtown there with a handful of nice bars, restaurants and coffee shops (I've heard very good things about McLadden's, though I've not had the pleasure of visiting), and you're close but not too close to Hartford for when you want or need bigger city things. Honestly, I wouldn't consider anywhere else if I were moving back to greater Hartford, West Hartford really is the jewel of the area (although Middletown had its charms in my early twenties, it's sort if on the fringe of what i consider the greater Hartford area and has a lot of townies).
posted by charlemangy at 7:45 PM on October 8, 2013

I live in Hartford. We're leaving in November and are really sad about it. You should consider living in Hartford. The city has a lot going on that is worthwhile; art events and weekly free concerts in the summer and curated radio shows and storytelling events. Look for apartments in the West End, but don't rule out downtown or some of the closer neighborhoods like Frog Hollow or Asylum Hill -- by reputation these are "bad" neighborhoods but in reality they are mostly perfectly fine. West Hartford is rather bourgeois and cute in a cookie-cutter way that seems intended to appeal to well-meaning liberals, and it IS appealing at a certain level, but it's unreal in the way that a place suffused with money and white privilege can feel unreal.

Please feel free to memail me with any questions.
posted by gauche at 7:51 PM on October 8, 2013 [3 favorites]

I should add, if you are in this area, come to Night Fall this Saturday evening and get a sense of some of what the arts community is doing. I'll be playing the bass drum (a plastic garbage can) with my marching band, which is leading a march to Night Fall from Trinity College.

Get in touch if you're here and I'll introduce you to some of the folks that make Hartford special to me.
posted by gauche at 7:54 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

I live in Middletown, and have since 2006. I'd recommend it for the highway access, the downtown area, and the diversity. We are pretty down to earth here. You can go to the local bar ad chat with the doctor on your left and the carpenter on your right. We have a decent food scene for a city this size, thanks to Wesleyan. Bars are decent, and most have more personality than what you find on other areas of central CT. I'm not sure how west of Hartford you are working, but Route 9 is a decent commute up to Farmington. Anything more than that and I'd personally reach my commute limit.
(What is a townie, by the way? Am I an OMGtownie?)

I'd live in West Hartford. For the walkability, the downtown area, and the proximity to Hartford (if I worked in Hartford, that is). West Hartford has a lot more money than Middletown, and it shows. That's where the Lululemon is. I compare West Hartford to the area in Central NJ where I grew up... Everyone seems a little more show-offy there. It's fine, but it's a noticeable difference. If you care about Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, move there.

Most young professionals I know tend to live in Manchester, Newington, or Middletown, generally because there are a lot of rentals in these areas. Just wanted to point them out.

To address your interests. Crossfit is going to be great for meeting people. I've been going off and on since 2011. Many of my friends here are through Crossfit. There are some good boxes and some mediocre ones, and there are more popping up every month around here. I'm not a fan of the Crossfit in West Hartford (he runs a few in the area), but he does have quite a following. Just pick a location with a great group of people. There are plenty to choose from.

Just random stuff: There are a lot of cycling groups at the local the bike shops. The Fleet Feet in West Hartford does running groups. If you're working at one of the big insurance companies, join a sports league. I've made friends AND work connections that way. There is a CT ski club if you ski, which will get you discounted tickets and bus trips. There are a ton of hiking clubs, although I haven't done these so I can't tell you who shows up to those.

It's hard to make any other recommendations re: activities without knowing where you will be living, or at least without a good general idea. Feel free to memail me if you want some additional recommendations.
posted by smalls at 9:23 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

I've lived happily in West Hartford since 2005 and agree with Charlemangy. I can add more details tomorrow but choosing between Hartford and West Hartford is like choosing between red wine and a gin & tonic...which one you prefer will totally depend on your taste and the experience you're looking for.
posted by victoriab at 9:32 PM on October 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

I stayed Hartford once on business and thought West Hartford looked really clean and new and nice.
posted by AppleTurnover at 9:45 PM on October 8, 2013

West Hartford Center has everything you need. Another option would be Farmington if you want a smaller town.

If you don't mind a more urban environment, the west side of Hartford might work. (However, I would stay at least two blocks north of Farmington Ave and west of the law school.)
posted by Gringos Without Borders at 9:56 PM on October 8, 2013

I just moved to Hartford (Wend End, though would have picked Downtown if I could have afforded it) and I second gauche. I would not have thought I'd want to live here even a few years ago, the city just seemed dead and empty. But Hartford now seems very different than it did then, not to mention from when I was growing up.

It's hard for me to imagine choosing to live in the suburbs when you have other options, especially without kids, but if I had to, I guess West Hartford is the way to go. My friends who live there seem to like it. I also kind of like Farmington. And if you're willing to have a farther commute, don't rule out something totally different like Collinsville. Please memail me if you have questions, I could talk about CT towns all day!
posted by DestinationUnknown at 5:32 AM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

I second Gauche in pretty much all respects (I also know him). I grew up in Brooklyn and always supposed that a small city like Hartford wouldn't have the action or sophistication to keep my attention, but I have been pleasantly surprised: Hartford is economically and ethnically diverse, has a thriving arts scene that is innovative but accessible, has enough bars and restaurants that I you can get most anything you crave and still have chances to try new things, is very affordable, and is delightfully close to farms, forests, and other country pleasures.

One of the truly nice things about living in a small city is that you can get involved in everything. Without much effort, I've gotten to meet local musicians, artists, filmmakers, and politicians, often over beers. When I wanted to start a marching band, I reached out to a few musical friends, and it all came together easily - and because our band members include local NPR producers, graphic designers, folks who work at a local theater company, folks who work in government and in the private sector, and folks who work at a local university, we're tied in to all sorts of events and resources. If you have an interest or want an event that doesn't seem to be happening, it's easy to organize on your own, and city government and local venues are good about giving support (I have friends who have organized bike races and block parties and live storytelling events quite successfully).

Safety comes up a lot when people mention Hartford, so it's worth talking about: I live in Frog Hollow, which is inarguably the second poorest neighborhood in a very poor city. It does not, however, live up to its reputation (largely among people who don't live in Hartford) for dangerousness. I have a six-year-old and a nine-year-old and I feel just fine letting them run around our block and play with other kids in the neighborhood. I know a lot of my neighbors, and seldom walk around the neighborhood without getting a friendly wave from someone I know.

I think a lot of people make the assumption, probably unconsciously, that poor, mostly minority neighborhoods are unsafe and/or unwelcoming to middle-class people, especially middle-class white people. As a middle-class white person, I can say that this is not at all the case. If you are white and choose to live somewhere in Hartford other than the West End, you might have the novel experience of being very much in the minority. Some people find that uncomfortable. I submit that whether it's uncomfortable or not, it's worth getting used to in exchange for benefits like bars, restaurants, museums, parks, and music venues all within walking distance in a welcoming community.
posted by Presidente de China at 8:00 AM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]

to single young thirty something eligible men also accepted. ;)

Oh I missed this part. I believe they don't exist; it's a state-wide problem, like the achievement gap.
posted by DestinationUnknown at 10:30 AM on October 9, 2013 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you for all of your answers!
posted by slateyness at 8:38 PM on January 8, 2014