A new position will mean less travel (I'll be lucky to make elite on an airline at all next year) and moving to BDL.

I've got two kids - 2 1/2 and 3 months, a stay-at-home-wife and my office will be about 2 miles from BDL.

Does anyone have some advice or thoughts to share?

There are a lot of very nice suburbs in the Hartford area. A lot of it depends, obviously, on what you can afford and how long of a commute you'd like. Wethersfield is quite cute.

I can't really think of a bad town between Hartford and Springfield. Because of tax simplicity, I would stay in Connecticut. I don't know if you need any specific ammenities, but most towns are your regular suburbs. Enfield is the northern Connecticut mall metropolis.

I know this is FlyerTalk, but i'm going to mention the following anyway. If you plan to go to NYC often, there is direct Amtrak rail service which has stops in Windor Locks and Windsor (and Hartford and Springfield). Also that line is supposed to get commuter rail service in the coming years. Traffic isn't too bad in the area, except I-91 Southbound in the morning, and I-91 Northbound in the evening can both be hellish.

My suggestion would be to live east, west, or south of BDL. If you live north be sure your commute doesn't utilize I-91 if you work 9-5. Route 75 should be ok to go from Suffield to BDL.

I like West Hartford, particularly the parts near the Hartford Golf Club. It's an easy, backroads shot up to Bradley via Bloomfield. Plus, West Hartford has an active town center that is more village than mall.

Wethersfield is also nice as mentioned above, and more quiet and traditional in the center, by Wethersfield Cove.

Hartford has basically one attractive neighborhood (the West End, abutting West Hartford), and is worth considering if another move is likely before junior high school -- the primary school in Hartford's West End, Noah Webster, is a (positive) exception to the rest of the city schools.

Housing is affordable by East Coast standards, but prepare for steep property taxes. For $750,000 you will get a mansion. For $350,000 you will get a full-sized suburban home.

Are you a Brewers fan? CT is hot property. Cromwell, for example, is safely Yankee territory but parts of Hartford call themselves RS fans. So what will it be? :p

Are you a Brewers fan? CT is hot property. Cromwell, for example, is safely Yankee territory but parts of Hartford call themselves RS fans.

Hartford is right on the Yankees/ Red Sox fault line. Generally, the western and southern suburbs are more Yankees-oriented; the eastern and northern suburbs more Red Sox-oriented.

The dividing line heads west-northwest from Hartford, then veers north. Many towns in Litchfield County are Yankee country. But western MA and Vermont, even right to the NY state border are Red Sox territory.

Hartford is right on the Yankees/ Red Sox fault line. Generally, the western and southern suburbs are more Yankees-oriented; the eastern and northern suburbs more Red Sox-oriented.

The dividing line heads west-northwest from Hartford, then veers north. Many towns in Litchfield County are Yankee country. But western MA and Vermont, even right to the NY state border are Red Sox territory.

an interesting NYT article (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/18/sports/baseball/18fans.html?ei=5088&en=6f3f651e40bd2179&ex=1313553600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all) on the subject, which I am sure Analise will say is biased because the New York Times is a partial owner of the Red Sox.

an interesting NYT article (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/18/sports/baseball/18fans.html?ei=5088&en=6f3f651e40bd2179&ex=1313553600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=all) on the subject, which I am sure Analise will say is biased because the New York Times is a partial owner of the Red Sox.I'm sure I said it already. The article was from August and I remember it well. :p

Thank you so much for the information so far. Right now there are houses in Vernon and Somers that we might make offers on.

I'm not a big baseball fan, but I'm looking forward to seeing a game in Boston.

Having known many people from the Somers area, it is a nice small town that had a good school system. I hear in recent years it's had some issues, but I'm they will take care of those and it will be all peachy in due time. I think you'd enjoy Somers, right next to Enfield and the malls, and right across the border from MA for cheaper gas ;)

Also only 20-25 minutes to BDL on the back roads for when you do need to catch a flight.

I was just visiting my college roommate who moved back to Ellington from Dallas and was amazed at all the development in the Buckland area. They're in a great area as it's very rural/New Englandish.

I once asked my sister in law where she'd live if given the choice and she told me South Windsor as it was the 1/2 way point between her dad and my family. There's been some nice development there as of late and it's wicked convenient to BDL.

However, I never thought I could live on "that" side of the river....:D

I'm not a big baseball fan, but I'm looking forward to seeing a game in Boston.Unless you know someone, that game might just be college baseball. :p Fenway only has 36,000 seats.

I'm not a big baseball fan, but I'm looking forward to seeing a game in Boston.

Unless you know someone, that game might just be college baseball. :p Fenway only has 36,000 seats.

But you could always just stroll on down to Yankee Stadium 'cause there are lots of empty seats available there, of course, unless you want to see the Red Sox play there and then it will be sold out. :D

And just to get back on topic, I always liked the town of Suffield but that maybe a little too close to the airport.

Somers, Ellington, & Tolland are very nice New England towns with easy back-roads access to Windsor Locks.

I live down in the Manchester area which is great because I take 384 to 291 which means I miss most of the traffic on the 84/91 interchange. Some nice small towns in that vicinity would be Glastonbury, Hebron, Bolton, Coventry which will dump you onto 384.

Yes - I'm a proud East-of-the-River Red Sox Fan!! :cool:

Good Luck!

But you could always just stroll on down to Yankee Stadium 'cause there are lots of empty seats available there, of course, unless you want to see the Red Sox play there and then it will be sold out. :DWhat team had the most tickets sold last year and probably this year? The Yankees. :p And the team still makes it possible for people to see games. ^

Take it to the baseball threads boys and girls... let's try and keep this one on-topic.

(Not that I particularly care, but Randy has asked us collectively to be more considerate about off-topic posts)

Avon is a nice town that would only be a 30 min commute to BDL. I have some friends who have just moved there and it seems like a good place to raise a family.

Make it back on occasion for Summerfest...and hope you don't go into Lazer 103 withdrawal. That took me a few...

Thanks for all the post. I ended up buying a house in Vernon, CT.

I should be moving the last week in February.

Ah yes, home of Rein's NY Deli. Very popular place (bus tours from NYC stop there).

Be sure and get to Shady Glen in Manchester for a cheeseburger and ice cream (it's a ice cream parlor type place....like an old fashioned Friendly's). They do this thing with the cheese that's really cool.

Welcome to CT!
New Haven is the Red Sox-Yankee line ;)
Let's all go to Wosta and see a kancert at the Centrum. :D
Vernon is nice. You have a big mall called Buckland Hills not too far away.
Great BBQ joint, can't remember the name right now.
PM me if you have any questions.
Little Taste of Texas. 19 Oakland Rd South Windsor, CT 06074

Too bad I found this late, grew up in the southern BDL flight path in Windsor. Loved growing up there and never thought I'd go back to live, but after enough years in the south I'll take New England again.

Speaking of Hartford area.

Does anyone know what areas are good for some night liffe activities such as clubs, bars and restaurants?

I remember West Hartford has a few places. Is there anything else around worth noting?

West Hartford center has lots of restaurants: Grants, Bricco, an Afghan place, Max's Oyster Bar, Arugula, Barcelona, etc.

Downtown Hartford has several restaurants and clubs, near Allyn and Ann Streets -- more down-at-heel than West Hartford center, but a younger crowd.

The museum, the Wadsworth Athenaeum, also in downtown Hartford, is worth a visit. Also, the CT historical society in Hartford's West End. The Mark Twain house, the Bushnell (theater complex), the State Capitol.

Nearby (one hour west) is Litchfield, which is a nice town to visit. And a few miles past Litchfield is the Mayflower Inn in Washington, Connecticut. In the other direction, there is a remarkably large casino near Norwich, named Mohegan Sun.

Speaking of Hartford area.

Does anyone know what areas are good for some night liffe activities such as clubs, bars and restaurants?

I remember West Hartford has a few places. Is there anything else around worth noting?

They roll up the sidewalks in Hartford at 7 pm.