Close enough with room to breathe
Known for its rural setting, local restaurants and excellent schools, South Glastonbury is close enough to Hartford and local social outlets without losing its small-town charm. Located 12 miles south of the city on the Connecticut River, the neighborhood offers rolling hills and fruit farms, a variety of historic and contemporary homes, and plenty to see and do. “People who want to live close to nature and don’t want to travel 45 minutes to Whole Foods find South Glastonbury very appealing,” says Realtor Jacek Mikolajczyk with Berkshire Hathway HS New England Properties. “The neighborhood attracts young professionals who work in Hartford,” he says. “Here, they’re surrounded by nature and only 15 minutes from downtown.”
Abundant shopping on Main
Sayulita, one of several restaurants on Main Street in the South Glastonbury Shopping District, features creative Mexican dishes in a beautifully maintained historic home. Cotton Hollow Kitchen down the street serves upscale American fare, such as seasonal entrees and salads, and Harpo’s Bakery and Café has prepared sweet and savory baked goods daily since 1992. For essentials, Brookside Market is a small grocer located on Main Street that offers a daily menu of prepared foods in addition to groceries. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are 4 miles north on Main in a shopping area with dozens of restaurants and stores, including River Bend Bookshop, voted Best Bookstore in a 2023 Hartford Courant Readers' Poll.
Festivals, markets and more
The site for many outdoor activities, Riverfront Park hosts the annual Glastonbury Apple Harvest and Music Festival in October. The festival brings together amusement rides, over 30 musical acts on three stages and a vendor village with food options for a three-day weekend attended by thousands. Two other popular events are the Glastonbury Farmers Market from June to September and the “On the Green” Fine Art and Craft Show in September, both held on Hubbard Green south of Riverfront Park.
A mix of ages and styles
Homes on the market in South Glastonbury tend to be scarce, not without a reason. "As soon as something shows up on the market, it sells within days,” Mikolajczyk says. “The rural location and proximity to downtown are so desirable. Most older, historic homes have been renovated, and there are many newer homes.” Speaking of which, the median year that homes were built in South Glastonbury is 1986, so buyers might see 1800s colonials mixed in with Cape Cods, ranch-style homes, raised ranches and large contemporaries. Many feature perennial gardens, mature plantings and trees that provide privacy to each property. Fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, spacious two-car garages and extra workspaces, such as barns, are common features of this mostly rural community. Homes here list for between $300,000 and $1.3 million, depending on condition and size, leaving room for many budgets. Two and three-bedroom condos are also available starting at $375,000.
Straight-A schools
One of South Glastonbury's top selling points is its educational system. Niche awarded all public schools serving the community an A. These include Hopewell School, a K-5 elementary; Smith Middle; and Glastonbury High, which distinguished itself with an A-plus. Smith Middle students routinely win awards and recognitions for their academic and athletic talent, and Glastonbury High offers career-minded students professional centers and labs that support their interest in STEAM, reading and writing, world languages and more.
Country clubs and country living
The Glastonbury Country Club, founded in 1965, is a center of life for many residents, featuring an 18-hole course, a ballroom for weddings and other events, tennis courts and a 25-meter swimming pool. Not far away, the Crystal Ridge Winery is open for tastings year-round and offers incredible views of the South Glastonbury hills. To the north, Belltown Hill Orchards, one of Connecticut’s oldest and largest family-owned and -operated farms, allows visitors to pick apples from mid-June to late October. Plus, for a good dose of nature, residents have close access to Cotton Hollow Preserve, which allows fishing, and Great Pond Preserve, which features several hiking trails.
Commuting to Hartford
The CT Transit 95 bus leaves from the Glastonbury Town Hall on its way into Hartford. Route 17 (Main Street) and Route 2 (Veterans of Foreign Wars Highway) connect Glastonbury to the city, too, about 12 miles north. The Hartford-Brainard Airport is a 15-mile drive, and residents can catch an Amtrak train at Hartford’s Union Station, about the same distance. While motorists use Route 3 to cross the Connecticut River to get onto I-91 to New Haven, the Rocky Hill-Glastonbury Ferry is the oldest continuously operated service of its kind in the United States, taking motorists across the river on Route 160.
River and creek flooding
Because South Glastonbury sits along the Connecticut River and is marbled by its tributaries, areas near the water are prone to flooding. As recently as 2023, weekend rains pushed the river to near or above flood stage, washing out roadways and damaging marinas and local crops. Flood insurance may be needed as a precaution in some areas.
Photography Contributed By
Ed Messenger
