Farmington, CT

[samman1994]

Hello everyone,

So there is a strong potential I am be going to UConn, the Farmington campus at UConn health. I see a lot of posts for the Storrs campus, but none for Farmington. Considering it's a smaller city, but close to the Capital (Hartford), there are a few questions I had about the city. 

Price of living? From what I can ascertain, it appears the general region of West Hartford all the way to Avon and Plainsville is on the more expensive side. Hartford itself is relatively cheaper, but not by much. Is a stipend of 30,000 enough to live in a 1-bedroom comfortably there? Hartford is cheaper, but there is also a much higher crime rate there. Are there any surrounding areas that are cheaper but still relatively close to the Campus/Hospital and safe? How about public transportation? I will most likely be using that to get around, and depending on how good the public transportation is, it'll effect how far I'm willing to live.Even though Farmington doesn't have much to do, I'm assuming Hartford should/will. Considering the crime rate however, how is the night life/city life over there? E.G. Can one live in the rurals like plainsville but drive over for the night to Hartford for a night of dancing or clubbing?

Any information regarding that region would be very useful/helpful. Thank you!

[LeeLeeCzechIrish]

On ‎3‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 2:04 AM, samman1994 said:

Hello everyone,

So there is a strong potential I am be going to UConn, the Farmington campus at UConn health. I see a lot of posts for the Storrs campus, but none for Farmington. Considering it's a smaller city, but close to the Capital (Hartford), there are a few questions I had about the city. 

Price of living? From what I can ascertain, it appears the general region of West Hartford all the way to Avon and Plainsville is on the more expensive side. Hartford itself is relatively cheaper, but not by much. Is a stipend of 30,000 enough to live in a 1-bedroom comfortably there? Hartford is cheaper, but there is also a much higher crime rate there. Are there any surrounding areas that are cheaper but still relatively close to the Campus/Hospital and safe? How about public transportation? I will most likely be using that to get around, and depending on how good the public transportation is, it'll effect how far I'm willing to live.Even though Farmington doesn't have much to do, I'm assuming Hartford should/will. Considering the crime rate however, how is the night life/city life over there? E.G. Can one live in the rurals like plainsville but drive over for the night to Hartford for a night of dancing or clubbing?

Any information regarding that region would be very useful/helpful. Thank you!

Farmington is rural but very close to Hartford. I love downtown Hartford, especially right near the Infinity Music Hall, the capitol, Wadsworth Atheneum (actually by the UConn Hartford campus). Lots of bars and restaurants. The walkway along the river is nice as well. West Hartford is a bit more upscale with restaurants and shops. If you could live in capitol area that would be fun! Like any city there are some poorer sections (near Trinity College) but you will quickly learn. I am from CT but an hour from Hartford so I don't know any more than this cursory info! Good luck!

[west_k]

On 3/13/2018 at 2:04 AM, samman1994 said:

Hello everyone,

So there is a strong potential I am be going to UConn, the Farmington campus at UConn health. I see a lot of posts for the Storrs campus, but none for Farmington. Considering it's a smaller city, but close to the Capital (Hartford), there are a few questions I had about the city. 

Price of living? From what I can ascertain, it appears the general region of West Hartford all the way to Avon and Plainsville is on the more expensive side. Hartford itself is relatively cheaper, but not by much. Is a stipend of 30,000 enough to live in a 1-bedroom comfortably there? Hartford is cheaper, but there is also a much higher crime rate there. Are there any surrounding areas that are cheaper but still relatively close to the Campus/Hospital and safe? How about public transportation? I will most likely be using that to get around, and depending on how good the public transportation is, it'll effect how far I'm willing to live.Even though Farmington doesn't have much to do, I'm assuming Hartford should/will. Considering the crime rate however, how is the night life/city life over there? E.G. Can one live in the rurals like plainsville but drive over for the night to Hartford for a night of dancing or clubbing?

Any information regarding that region would be very useful/helpful. Thank you!

Hey there-

Congrats on your acceptance! I lived in CT for 5 years and am pretty familiar with the areas you're talking about. 

The cost of living can be low- it just depends on what you're looking for and what amenities you require. If you're willing to find roommates and not live in the lap of luxury  you can easily find housing for $400.00 a month or so. Utilities are like anywhere else. Now the location is going to depend on the lifestyle you're interested in- Farmington, Avon, and Plainville are suburbs. So they are residential and full of families and old people. There isn't any night life. There also are limited rental options because people don't really rent in those areas. While Hartford has things to do, the crime rate is high, the cost of living is higher (highest mill rate in the state) and no one actually lives in Hartford if they don't have to. You'd probably want to live in West Hartford. This is a really young city with a lot to do (restaurants, bars, etc). You can easily find an affordable apartment that's within walking distance of the downtown area. You can go into Hartford if you want to but most people go out in West Hartford. If you want to go clubbing you'd have to go into Hartford, but that's easy from West Hartford. You can also look at the West End of Hartford, but it won't be as hip or young as West Hartford and will have a higher crime rate. 

As for public transportation: this is NOT CT's strong suit. I would not rely on public transportation in CT. While it exists, it is not well used or maintained. This is very much a state where you need a car. Especially with the weather, you'll want a car to get around and go grocery shopping and getting to/from school. Also there isn't much to do in CT in general without a car. You'd be very limited in what you could enjoy. CT has beaches and mountains, a wine trail, casinos, etc. but none you can access by public transportation. 

If you want more information feel free to PM me- happy to help! 

[samman1994]

11 hours ago, west_k said:

Hey there-

Congrats on your acceptance! I lived in CT for 5 years and am pretty familiar with the areas you're talking about. 

The cost of living can be low- it just depends on what you're looking for and what amenities you require. If you're willing to find roommates and not live in the lap of luxury  you can easily find housing for $400.00 a month or so. Utilities are like anywhere else. Now the location is going to depend on the lifestyle you're interested in- Farmington, Avon, and Plainville are suburbs. So they are residential and full of families and old people. There isn't any night life. There also are limited rental options because people don't really rent in those areas. While Hartford has things to do, the crime rate is high, the cost of living is higher (highest mill rate in the state) and no one actually lives in Hartford if they don't have to. You'd probably want to live in West Hartford. This is a really young city with a lot to do (restaurants, bars, etc). You can easily find an affordable apartment that's within walking distance of the downtown area. You can go into Hartford if you want to but most people go out in West Hartford. If you want to go clubbing you'd have to go into Hartford, but that's easy from West Hartford. You can also look at the West End of Hartford, but it won't be as hip or young as West Hartford and will have a higher crime rate. 

As for public transportation: this is NOT CT's strong suit. I would not rely on public transportation in CT. While it exists, it is not well used or maintained. This is very much a state where you need a car. Especially with the weather, you'll want a car to get around and go grocery shopping and getting to/from school. Also there isn't much to do in CT in general without a car. You'd be very limited in what you could enjoy. CT has beaches and mountains, a wine trail, casinos, etc. but none you can access by public transportation. 

If you want more information feel free to PM me- happy to help! 

I'm a little bit confused, because from everything I've seen, West Hartford appears to be more expensive than Hartford. And I do plan on living by myself. From what I can ascertain, it appears 30k is enough to live on your own, but it will be difficult. So if I can find cheaper rent, then that's a huge plus! I also don't have issues living in suburbs. I actually like the peace and quiet, and could always just drive to the capitol if I needed the action, but would actually prefer to live someplace quiet. However, if there are not places to rent (like apartments), then that could pose a big issue. 

So It also appears I'll have to take my car then. I do plan to travel quiet a bit, from mountains and beaches, to other big cities nearby. Thank you for your input!