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Relocating to CT. DH just got a job in Middletown. Before leaving CT (we have been in MA for four years) we lived in West Hartford. Originally we were considering West Hartford, Farmington, Glastonbury. But there is a part of me that feels like it would be bizarre going back to where we came from, so we ended up expanding our search. (I posted a while back about this and got great suggestions. Thank you!)
We've been looking at rentals and were dismayed to find that CT prices were a good $500-$800 higher than what we've been paying here, for something comparable. Ugh. But we have found one or two houses (probably too good to be true. We're going to look this week) that we are excited about. Except we are not familiar with this part of CT at all! Also looking at Deep River and maybe Madison (I think all those rentals must be seasonal, though)
I know that Cheshire is supposed to have good schools. I looked briefly at "The Patch" but still having a hard time getting a sense of the place. Any input/insight? What do families do in the summer? Are there public pools, or lakes? Is there a community center? Will I need to drive to Middletown for dance classes or gymnastics? Where do people grocery shop? Is everything a HIKE?
Like I said, we'll be driving out to see it, but just don't know what to expect. Thanks in advance!
There's not much in Cheshire. You'd probably do most of your shopping in Hamden or Wallingford, or Milford/Orange for bigger shopping trips.
I'm curious why you didn't mention Branford or Guilford? Both have good schools, convenient to shopping, and, at least in the case of Branford, reasonable rent. To me, it would be a better option than Cheshire for something closer to West Hartford in feel.
Cheshire is a very suburban town with most of the shopping you would need. Major shopping (like for clothing, furniture, etc.) is done in other towns like Meriden, Wallingford, North Haven or Hamden. The schools are very good. You can check the web site below for more information. The town does have a pool and there are a lot of family activites. Check the town's website for more informaiton. Jay
Mkiv808, Branford and Guilford (and even Madison actually) are all a bit further out than we were hoping for dh's commute. If there was an appreciable benefit to living in those towns (which maybe there is - not very familiar with the area) I guess we should put them in the mix. Frankly, we are narrowing down our options based on housing stock and what is available to rent. Maybe we are looking at it backwards and we should pick a town, and just make due in whatever house is available in our price range, since after all, we are renting. The rentals I've seen in Madison, Branford, and Guilford are often vacation rentals from what I can tell. I'm waiting to hear back from a real estate agent so I can figure that piece out.
We currently live very rurally - 1 hr to the nearest Target, to give you an idea. 20 minutes to grocery shop. That part of things is a pain, so a 15 minute hike to Hamden or Meriden seems super convenient. There is benefit to me to have my kids grow up with some acreage (seems like the houses in Cheshire have this)
As a family, we are very much NOT brand conscious nor do we like feeling like we're not keeping up with the Joneses. We prefer to live simply for the most part. So I'm curious about the general attitude of the place.
Jay - thanks for the link and the info. Gives me a little bit of ease. Little bit overwhelming moving with kids in tow bcs I feel like we are choosing their path!
Cheshire has a public pool (assuming everything is fine with it), a great rec department, excellent schools and there are several good gymnastics schools in Cheshire, Southington, Wallingford and Bristol to name a few. As for shopping, last I checked Cheshire had a few grocery stores, Marshall's, small shops, Pier 1, Dunkin Donuts, McDonalds, Dairy Queen, etc. Everything you need should be there. If you're looking for a mall, you're sort of at the epicenter of Waterbury (kind of a drop by mall if you know what you want), Meriden (not sure what they have there - it's been a while) and West Farms (good mall).
I am getting more excited about Cheshire. Except I think the house that we were SUPER excited about is no longer available. So we're kind of back at square one. Since the house was driving this initial interest (as well as the schools, although I hear conflicting things - for example the community comments on greatschools.org) not really sure how to proceed now. Hmmmm...
Keep in mind that the bridge between Portland and Middletown is under construction so expect traffic issues getting across it. Also Portland has minimal shopping so you will have to travel for many things you may want and that will mean crossing a bridge that is under construction. Jay
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