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Best Cities 2010: West Hartford, Conn.
There's no shortage of business opportunities and things to do in this small town, our number-nine pick for Best Cities for the Next Decade.
By Jessica L. Anderson, Associate Editor
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, July 2010
Can you define ambitious? The residents of Noah Webster’s hometown can. This once-sleepy suburb of Connecticut’s capital is not content to be merely an idyllic place to live and raise a family (it is, by the way). West Hartford made our list because it is transforming itself from a suburb into a destination -- in this case, a regional destination for shopping and dining.
The majority of West Hartford’s residents work in the area’s biggest sectors -- insurance and financial services -- in nearby towns. But small business is the new game in town, and everyone’s playing. West Hartford’s economy rests largely on professional and health services, from law and accounting firms to satellite offices for Hartford Hospital and St. Francis Hospital. The University of Hartford is the biggest employer.
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Retail makes up the rest of the local economy. Three years ago, the town doubled the size of West Hartford Center by adding a new mixed-use development of upscale retail stores and residences. Called Blue Back Square, in homage to Webster’s Blue-Backed Spelling Book, the square brought a movie theater, a Crate & Barrel, a Whole Foods Market and an REI to the town’s central shopping and dining district.
Parking aplenty means townies and visitors alike can ditch their cars for the day and walk to the bank, the grocery store and the library, or grab a bite to eat and go to a movie. Elmwood Center and Park Road on the south end of town add restaurants and niche businesses, including one of the region’s biggest art-supply stores, a professional-figure-skating retailer and a ’50s-era diner.
Location-wise, the town couldn’t be better situated. The Center is 15 minutes from downtown Hartford, where you can find art museums, the Connecticut Science Center, sports arenas and concert halls, such as the Bushnell Center for Performing Arts. It is two hours from both Boston and New York City. As a blossoming destination in its own right, West Hartford is in talks to bring a hotel to town and grab a stop on the proposed New Haven-Springfield high-speed rail line, which would connect it to Amtrak.
West Hartford continues to steal market share from Hartford on the entertainment front -- “Downtown Hartford is not really where people go anymore,” says town mayor Scott Slifka -- but it’s also focused on retaining the small-town charm that keeps it, well, charming. “Great neighborhoods, a safe community and great schools have been our tradition,” says Slifka.
Community is key, and this is place where you know your neighbors. The outlying suburbs in the Hartford area feature loads of land, big homes and high price tags. But in West Hartford you can get in for under $200,000 on the south end of the city, and the median price is about $300,000. Housing near the Center is the most desirable and ranges from $350,000 to $500,000. Modest colonials dominate the scene, although the east and west ends have their fair share of small estates.
Education is West Hartford’s hallmark, and schools -- both public and private -- are the biggest draw for newcomers to the town. Public schools are top-notch in the state, and Connecticut schools rate among the best in the nation. Nationally known private schools, such as Renbrook and Kingswood-Oxford, call West Hartford home, too. Three colleges in town up the quotient of highly educated residents -- 57% have a bachelor’s degree or higher, versus 36% for the state.
The chief complaint is high taxes, but most figure that great schools and amenities don’t come cheap. In addition to green space at Elizabeth Park and the MDC Reservoir (both ideal spots for walking the trails or a picnic), the town has five swimming pools, an ice rink and two public golf courses, including Rockledge, noted to be one of the top ten in New England.
Reader Comments (10)
Posted by: tom Ribby at 05/26/2010 10:56:58 PM
Most of what you say was true in 1966, when I moved to W.H. with 6 children, except the taxes were not that high compared to other suburbs. It was a great place for me and my family.
Posted by: Stephen Lowe at 05/28/2010 09:34:16 AM
I moved to West Hartford from the Boston suburbs 35 years ago and never looked back. West Hartford is everything the Kiplinger articles says and more. In addition to easy access to nearby cities it's also easy to get to the RI shore beaches in the summer and to Vermont skiing in the winter. Housing prices are literally half those of Boston and New York, so younger families don't start out "house poor". West Hartford center is busy year-round, but is particularly fun in the good weather, when the restaurants open their outdoor dining (one even has a rooftop space with a great view of the action below). Thanks to Kiplinger for busting the myth that this is a sleepy town full of boring insurance execs.
Posted by: Nicholas McKenna at 05/28/2010 08:15:39 PM
I am a 20 year old college student currently living in Boston, MA but having grown up in West Hartford I found this article to be very exciting! However I have a few comments, Small Business is not "the new game in town" as I know several small, honest business owners who were rejected spots in Blue Back Square essentially due to the fact that they were not large corporations. BBS is filled with companies like Crate and Barrel, Au Bon Pain, Borders Books, REI, and my least favorite, The Cheesecake Factory and the ridiculous Six Flags children's hair cutter now if this is Small Business then West Hartford's "top-notch" schools have failed me. West Hartford Center on the other hand is dominated by small businesses and some locally owned larger businesses which suffered once Blue Back opened but have been doing better since. West Hartford was a great town to grow up in and I love coming back to visit but Mayor Scott Slifka's comment Downtown Hartford is not really where people go anymore, was absolutely uncalled for, Hartford's rising poverty and unemployment levels hurt the entire state. He should be ashamed for making such a comment, adding to West Hartford's snobby reputation. Maybe people like YOU don't go to Downtown Hartford, but good, enjoy a mediocre meal at The Olive Garden (oh, but you probably wouldn't venture down to the southern end of town) or The Cheesecake Factory. I'll be at Trinity Restaurant on Zion Street or out for breakfast at Ashley's on Main St. near the corner of Park.
Posted by: Anonymous at 06/03/2010 12:30:02 PM
I disagree with Nicholas McKenna and see nothing wrong with what West Hartford's mayor said. People who live in the greater Hartford area just aren't heading to downtown Hartford in droves on the weekends anymore. As an additional option, they're checking out town centers with great restaurants, bars and shopping in greater numbers than ever before. We no longer have to rely on downtown Hartford as the 'only' place to go to have a good night out on the town. And I think the "downtown Hartford" that Slifka was referring to was very different than heading to obscure places such as Zion Street, etc., which I happen to frequent as well. The mayor was talking about the blocks of bars and restaurants near Pearl street and Union place. This is not something that Mayor Slifka dreamt up in his head in order to promote West Hartford. He is simply sharing an honest and frank observation. I like that about our mayor. The fact that he says it like it is and isn't some machine spewing out phoney PR all the time. You live in Boston now and can't possibly be as tuned in anymore to this community since you no longer reside here. I think your reaction was a bit sensitive and uncalled for. And I also highly disagree with your comment about West Hartford having a snobby reputation. Are you kidding me?? Towns like Simsbury and Avon unfortunately have those reputations but definitely not West Hartford! Look at the average home price in West Hartford. Hardly a place to foster a snobby attitude. It's a pretty accessible and diverse town and I find a lot of the people here to be very down to earth, educated, active members of the community, and most of all creative and open-minded. In fact, my town reminds me a little of Northhampton, MA. Hardly a snobby place! Lastly, I disagree with your comments on small business not being the new game in town. I feel badly for any prospective small business who may have been rejected at various sites in Blue Back Square. However, in order to draw more small businesses to set up shop in this new addition to West Hartford Center and to ensure the longterm success of Blue Back, we absolutely needed a few well-known anchor stores. You may not like Cheesecake Factory, but it is a known fact that when they open a restaurant somewhere, it translates to a very favorable economy for the town they set up shop in. How can you poo poo something that is good for the economy of the town you grew up in? And what small business wouldn't want to open near Cheesecake Factory - even other restaurants?? It's guaranteed foot traffic and exposure to those businesses lucky enough to be nearby. You're only 20 years old and have a lot of growing up to do. I'll bet you'd write a very different comment 10 years from now with a little life experience under your belt. This is a great town with a mayor who has helped elevate West Hartford to an even more successful level than it's ever been before. I adore this town and feel very fortunate to live here!
Posted by: Amanda Eberle at 06/03/2010 01:24:19 PM
I have been working in WHC for the past ten years and couldn't be happier. Its clean and beautiful,and so much to do in such an accessible area. I am one of the fortunate ones who has been able to open a small bussiness (Acure Eco Salon,LLC), in the heart of it all. Only in a forward thinking area would it be possible to have an environmentally friendly hair salon, and have success. To have West Hartford in the top ten for best cities to live in is no surprise to me.
Posted by: Kate at 06/14/2010 05:17:38 PM
...I grew up in the Hartford area and have spent most of my young adult/ adult life socializing, working, eating, and being a part of the West Hartford artistic community. It is an amazingly vibrant, wonderful town. HOWEVER! I too am put off by Mayor Slifka's comment that "nobody goes to downtown Hartford anymore" and then in the SAME ARTICLE West Hartford takes credit for Elizabeth Park which is part of the city of Hartford NOT West Hartford. It is owned and maintained by the CITY OF HARTFORD ( though its address is technically in West Hartford so I suppose thats where the mistake originated. It straddles the city line). Right now I live and work in Hartford and patronize restauarants, businesses and culture centers in both WeHa and Hartford proper. Hartford has a LOT to offer and Mayor Slifka should be ashamed of himself for putting down his neighbor.
Posted by: Anonymous at 07/05/2010 08:06:38 AM
Living out West for 20 years, and returning to home (where I grew up in West Hartford), I was very happy to see the changes in the Center. I think Blue Back Square is a positive addition to the Center. Yes, taxes are very high in West Hartford, but the taxes in Hartford are high, too. Safety and location are the drawing factors for living in West Hartford. When I first moved back to West Hartford, I worked Downtown for UTC. The first thing my boss mentioned to me was how dead Downtown was at night, especially during the week. Then he said if I go out at lunchtime, to avoid certain areas as safety risk. I remembered Downtown years ago to be fun walking around, shopping and eating at many restaurants. To my dismay, the Civic Center (not that name any more), had nothing in it. And, Aetna and other companies have moved to Simsbury so that property taxes are lower. So, even though West Hartford has high taxes, it is now the place to go and have fun (for all ages). Downtown Hartford for the most part has stayed the same over the years, to my dismay. With the exception of the Science Center addition. The critical planning and architectural design in West Hartford Center, should have been taken into account when changing Downtown Hartford years ago. It's sad. Even Providence R.I. did an outstanding refurbishing of their Downtown. Now, with all that's happening with the Hartford Mayor and budget cuts, Hartford will not draw people in. Hopefully for the future of the City, things can turn around.
Posted by: B3 at 07/08/2010 08:54:40 PM
This sounds great. Really. But my big question is: what about diversity? What's the demographic of West Hartford? Is it a nice mix of diverse families? What about the artists' community? Is there one to speak of there? (We're likely moving to CT next year, and I really need to know the real deal.)
Posted by: Jim at 07/14/2010 09:40:52 PM
I grew up in West Hartford, attended its public schools, and visit family there monthly. Co-incidentally, I now live in Washington, DC (3rd on the list). In my opinion, the keys to West Hartford's attractiveness, some of which has been cited in some of the other comments, are the quality of its school system, the relative ease of getting things done (retail, medical); its proximity to beaches, mountains (skiing), New York, Boston; an easy international airport only 25 minutes away from town; the great educational and artistic institutions located in W. Hartford itself, neighboring towns, and in the City of Hartford; a high level of education, sophistication, and family values (in the traditional sense), and a relatively low level of crime (especially in comparison to Washington, DC!) To answer a previous commenter about diversity, West Hartford is certainly becoming more diverse--neighborhoods that were segregated by religion as well as race are now seeing the gradual arrival of blacks, asians, latinos as homeowners (as well as gay men and women). During daytime (retail) hours, there is always a diverse mix of clientele at retail establishments in all sections of the town. The prospective resident of West Hartford should keep in mind the Connecticut motto "Qui transtulit sustinet" -- he who transplants sustains, or, in other words, If you move here, you'll be successful.
Posted by: Sequoyah at 08/15/2010 10:05:19 PM
Los Solidos (and other hispanic gangs)...Pretend all you want, but the CT future is headed downhill; unless the decent American citizens decide to show some backbone and demand accountability.