[Armyvet1]

Southington has some good options as well. I checked.

[willow wind]

IMO, RT 84 east into Hartford at commuter times is no fun- RT 44 over Avon Mountain is just as bad.

OP- if you did get a job in East Hartford you might do just as well looking east of the CT River for housing.
Ellington, Somers, Stafford, Bolton, Andover, etc. to start.

Or try looking down toward the Waterbury, or Danbury areas for employment.

But you answer your question--- other towns sort of around Torrington to look at could include Plymouth, Canton, Barkhamsted, New Hartford, Harwinton, Wolcott, Watertown.

[in_newengland]

Originally Posted by willow wind

Torrington is considered to be an old, blue collar, former mill type town. It's school system is not highly desirable. There is no strong local employment base which means getting to work for most people is a commute - a long commute. It's kind of "out there". There's enough local shopping for every day things, but to get to a decent mall is a drive.

For what you're looking for, it might be perfect for you. You said something once about some sort of biking or track in the area that interested you. It would be close enough to your family in NY. It is affordable.

A lot that is worth $ 35,000 needs investigating. It might be wetlands, ledge,etc. and cost a small fortune to develop. Maybe it's not buildable. It might need a $20,000 septic system. If it sounds too good to be true, there is usually a reason. Make all due diligence.

If you were to take a job in East Hartford, well a commute from Torrington to East Hartford would be a PITA during commuter hours and during bad weather.

You really should come and spend several days in the area. There is only so much internet chatter can tell you. There's no right and wrong here-just what fits your desires. Come and visit -a few times.

I used to have relatives in Torrington back when it was a nice place to be. There were the factory workers and the engineers and executives of the factories--and there were some very nice areas. There used to be a huge company, The Torrington Company, but when companies like that go out of business an entire town can crumble. On the outskirts Torrington was somewhat rural or semi suburban. There was a nice state park too Burr Pond, with swimming and trails.

I was back there last year and got to drive around a little and the downtown did seem rundown. I kind of felt sorry for the old place. But once out of the downtown area there was open space and it was quite beautiful. If you don't have kids to raise there and you can somehow get a short commute to jobs, then it could be a good fit. Quite possibly the reason for the low prices is the lack of employment in Torrington and there is nothing else nearby. The area is somewhat isolated. It is hilly. Surrounding areas in Litchfield County are drop dead gorgeous.

[Armyvet1]

I'll check out new Hartford, sounds hip. Plymouth sounds New Englander like, I'll check there too

[Armyvet1]

Ellington sounds pretty, and Andover sounds like where the Washington Redskins play in Maryland.

[Armyvet1]

Saw one in New Hartford CT, out the door price 1,015. Last time the house was sold was back in 2003 for 40,000, now they want 180,000 for it.

Good example of how out of control America had become with irresponsible spending, artificial inflation of home prices, greed.

Good news is it's 26.2% less then a few years ago.

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by Armyvet1

Southington has some good options as well. I checked.

We live in Southington. Great town. The senate and house rep for the area are awesome guys. Based on your politics, you would love them. Real straight shooters, much less PC nonsense and are willing to get right to the point. You can tell they are in office because they love their state and want to represent their people, not just to be political scum. They both love shooting as well. You can talk guns with them, you can talk shop with them, you can talk national politics, you can talk about the sewers of Southington, they are just all around approachable dudes. FWIW, both of them were on the Sandy Hook committee and were 2 of only 3 or 4 to vote against the silly laws that recently passed.

We have a few acres near the Berlin/Kensington border and actually have a little range in the backyard (handgun only). We try to be neighborly and not shoot too often though. Anyway, your also close enough to Hartford and New Haven if you want to get dinner and drinks in the city. Your far enough away from the city that you don't have to deal with the undesirables. Plenty of autobody and dealerships around for your work.

I haven't lived here long (year and a half) but if you have any questions you can PM me and I will answer as best I can. Heck, if your in the market next spring you can buy my house

[hvexpatinct]

I like Torrington. It has seen better days for sure, but it is affordable, has some character and is surrounded by a lot of natural beauty. That is the tradeoff of living in Litchfield County vs further down in the valley in Ansonia, Derby, etc.

Watertown is worth a look too. It is also affordable, and more convenient to more things than T-ton, but still has some rural character in parts of town. Many people commute to either Hartford, Shelton/Bridgeport, or Danbury from Watertown

[Sigequinox]

Originally Posted by Armyvet1

Saw one in New Hartford CT, out the door price 1,015. Last time the house was sold was back in 2003 for 40,000, now they want 180,000 for it.

Good example of how out of control America had become with irresponsible spending, artificial inflation of home prices, greed.

Good news is it's 26.2% less then a few years ago.

They probably renovated the entire house. Does it look nice and updated in pics? They probably bought it in a nearly condemned condition and dumped a boat load of money in over the years.

[Armyvet1]

It does look like a nice home, it does have pictures and looked really nice indeed.

All though Torrington sounds a little rough it has most of what I was looking for, affordable New England homes to purchase, close to my dad, our weekend family racing adventurers.

I would say with everything I read and was able to see on youtube, I'm going to decide between Torrington and Southington.