$305,277Average Value$245Average Price per Sq Ft3Homes For Sale
Walkable convenience outside of Hartford
Center lies in the midst of Manchester in Connecticut, serving as part of the heart of the area and home to a major shopping center, park and hospital within minutes of its residential area. With a pair of streets lined with local and national restaurant chains, this small area provides its residents with convenience in a neighborhood just about two miles wide. “There’s great park access, great highway access and a thriving downtown,” says Scott Hollister, owner and operator of David Wesley Real Estate LLC. “You’ve got great walkability, great trails and a bunch of historic buildings that have been around for hundreds of years. There’s a lot.” To add to the allure of the area, Manchester was designated as a “cultural district” in early 2024 to recognize its vibrant arts scene.
Residential homes along sidewalks
Properties are situated along gridded and interlocking streets in Center, many on long, narrow lots. Cape Cod is the predominant architectural style here, though colonials and ranch homes are also found in the neighborhood. Exteriors vary between siding and brick, and backyard space can allow for installation of a pool or for grilling out during the summer with neighbors. “There’s older colonials and starter ranches,” Hollister says. “There’s a few subdivisions. I’d say it’s a good mixture, there’s a decent mix of two-and three-family houses. The homes are definitely older housing stock, but have a lot of character with the front porches, typically with tall ceilings, hardwood floors and hardwood trim.” Prices usually range between $200,000 and $350,000 for single-family homes, and the typically well-maintained properties mostly date to before 1950.
Manchester's Center neighborhood has a large number of Cape Cods.
Brick colonials can be found in the neighborhood of Center in Manchester.
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A quartet of educational institutions
Enrollment for students can begin a few minutes north of the Center neighborhood at the Bowers School. Rated a B-minus by Niche, it serves kindergarten through fourth grade, while Elisabeth M. Bennett Academy is the site of fifth and sixth grades and scores a C with Niche. Seventh and eighth-grade education can be found at Illing Middle School, given a C-plus, and Manchester High School earns a B grade. It enrolls grades nine through 12 and Niche ranks it as the most diverse public high school statewide, and sports offered to students include baseball, softball and tennis. Convenience is one of the district’s primary aspects, as all four schools are located within a span of just over two miles.
Bowers School has 323 students in K through 4.
Manchester High School is home to 1,700 students in 9th through 12th grade.
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Sports, fishing and nature in the center of Center
Center Springs Park lies close to the middle of the neighborhood, bisected by the flowing Bigelow Brook and with a large pond lying at its western end. Via a long pier, anglers can try their luck at hooking a fish beneath the waters, or residents can stay closer to dry land and hike the trail looping around the park. Visitors can also play disc golf at Center Springs or trek to the northeastern end of the park to relax with the peaceful trickle of a waterfall. “As far as amenities, the Rails-to-Trails is a huge, huge feature,” Hollister says. “It’s probably one of my favorite things. The greenway has some paved sections along the highway, which is really nice. The town has a bunch of recreation fields.” The Cheney Rail Trail snakes vertically through the western half of Center, in part following portions of the South Manchester Railroad, and visitors can expend energy while walking in the footsteps of history. Smaller green spaces, like Center Memorial Park to the south and Trooper Russell A. Bagshaw Memorial Field, are also in the region.
Kidas od all ages enjoy the Hotwheels theme at Randys Wooster St Pizza in Center Manchester.
Restaurants with ties to sports and pop culture
The Manchester Parkade Shopping Center comprises the neighborhood’s northwestern corner, where residents can get a meal at Anthony’s Jamaican, a chocolatey treat at Divine Treasures or groceries at a Stop & Shop supermarket location. Ganymead also sits within the mall, its moniker inspired by the largest moon in the solar system. “As far as eateries, you have a couple great coffee shops in Pinewood and downtown,” Hollister says. “You have Geno Auriemma’s restaurant, which is phenomenal, and my office is basically right next door to that. There’s some smaller pizza shops and there’s the Urban Lodge, which is an awesome brewery on Main Street.” Auriemma is the UConn women’s basketball head coach and an 11-time NCAA champion, and his Café Aura offers Italian fare, wines and more. Close to Café Aura, Randy’s Wooster Street Pizza serves up food in an atmosphere complete with décor themed towards Hot Wheels with diecast models and monster truck tires. Close by, Broad Street offers dining options like Pho 99 and CJ’s Pizza and Giant Grinders, and along Main Street sit the Main Pub, the 360 Juteuse Fruit Bar and more options farther south. “The biggest thing with Main Street is the walkability,” Hollister says. “You have your ice cream shops and you can get dinner or lunch and can go for bike rides.”
Blockbusters, footraces and exercise
Locals can catch the latest blockbusters and movie releases at Parkade Cinemas & Entertainment, fronted by industry-influenced murals like the original six Avengers surrounding an Academy Award. Within, it doesn’t just show films, but also plays host to live comedy and magic acts. Residents can also clamber over challenging walls at the Stone Age Rock Gym, and kids can take part in programs and showcases at the CAST Children’s Theatre. “Mary Cheney Library has outdoor games and music festivals,” Hollister says. “We also have the largest road race on the East Coast outside of the Boston Marathon, and it’s one of the best Thanksgiving Day road races. There’s a lot of history with Main Street.” The Manchester Road Race is held every Thanksgiving Day, and the footrace spanning just under five miles was first held in 1927.
The Mary Cheney Library is home to paintings from Russell Cheney.
Parkade Cinema is a family run theater that has been serving Center since 1966.
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Close to the capital and interstates
The downtown area of state capital Hartford is only about 10 miles west, and a portion of Route 44 makes up the southern boundary of Center and goes beyond Connecticut in both eastern and western directions. Via Route 44, motorists can reach an interchange with Interstate 84 and reach New York, Pennsylvania or Massachusetts from that highway. To the south, Interstate 384 is exclusive to Connecticut and connects Hartford to Bolton. “You can take the 384 to Glastonbury and Hartford relatively fast, or even the back roads to Glastonbury,” Hollister says. “Realistically, you could pretty much get anywhere in Manchester to anything you need.” CT Transit operates buses along many of the neighborhood’s busy streets. Manchester Memorial Hospital is situated in the neighborhood’s central northern region, convenient to residents in need of medical care.
GreatSchools:
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Center Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Center, Manchester sell after 28 days on the market compared to the national average of 55 days. The median sale price for homes in Center, Manchester over the last 12 months is $289,000, consistent with the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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