Windsor

The residential neighborhood of West Windsor offers homebuyers a range of living options and places residents close to the airport and shopping centers. It’s Interstate 91, which runs right through the community, that enables residents to travel the Hartford area and beyond with ease. And when they’re staying home, residents have a wide selection of restaurants to try, or they can attend any of the numerous events put on at Northwest Park. Cape Cod and raised ranch-style homes in the south usually sell for between $300,000 and $350,000, while homes in the north go for $350,000 and beyond. There’s a wide selection of homes in West Windsor. "You have high-end homes out in the Poquonock area in the north,” says Katrina Pratt, a Broker with Rainbow Realty who has sold homes in Windsor for over 30 years. “But you really have a diversity of properties that start around $250,000 and go all the way up the millions. And property values tend to hold steady.” Architectural styles are uniform throughout the neighborhood, with houses following raised ranch, Cape Cod and Colonial Revival designs. In the north, more New Traditional homes can be found, many of them taking inspiration from Colonial Revival. Houses in the south sell for between $300,000 and $350,000 while houses in the north are in the range of $350,000 to $500,000. Townhouses and condos can be found scattered throughout the neighborhood, usually near Poquonock. Units start around $100,000 for 700 square feet of space. Poquonock Elementary School and Oliver Ellsworth School serve pre-K through 2nd grade students. Both schools have received A-ratings from Niche, and Niche rates Oliver Ellsworth as Connecticut’s most diverse public elementary school. For grades 3 through 5, students can attend Clover Street School and John F. Kennedy School, both rated B-minus. Students can move on to B-minus-rated Sage Park Middle School and wrap up at Windsor High School. Windsor High has earned a B-plus from Niche and has a very strong outdoor track program, the girls’ team having won 12 championships in their CIAC class over the past 14 years, and the boys’ team, 8 championships. Northwest Park is in the center of northern West Windsor. The park isn’t just great for picnics and hiking, but it also has playgrounds, farm animals, a nature center for learning about Connecticut’s ecology and geology and a museum on the state’s history of tobacco farming. And the fun doesn’t end when winter begins, as the park is open for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. Supermarkets can be found near Interstate 91. Poquonock residents might want to visit the Stop & Shop and Price Chopper while residents nearer to Hartford can go to Price Rite and Geissler’s. More shopping options like Walmart can be found 15 minutes west in Manchester. For a high-end Italian or American meal, locals stop by La Notte Waterside Grille. When the weather’s nice, diners can admire the gorgeous pond from the patio. For Italian cuisine in an atmosphere that’s both upscale and casual, residents can also head over to Tunxis Grill & Pizzeria. The establishment is right by the airport, making the venue great for a final meal before flying out. More eating options can be found downtown. “Windsor has an array of restaurants,” Pratt says. “You can choose whether you want to go for Thai, wings or something else.” CT Transit bus routes 36 and 54 follow Day Hill Road to the business parks on Blue Hills Avenue, while route 34 takes residents living in the Poquonock area right to downtown Hartford. Most subdivisions are unserved, so residents usually prefer driving. Interstate 91 bookends the east side of West Windsor. Bradley International Airport is just north of West Windsor, and even residents living in the neighborhood’s southern end can expect to get there in 15 minutes via I-91. The Friends of Northwest Park organizes various events such as an annual pancake breakfast. Flapjacks are topped with syrup made from the sweet sap of the park’s very own sugar maples. The group also organizes a coffeehouse concert series during the winter where residents can listen to live musical performances at the park’s nature center. Proceeds go to fund educational programs at the park.

Cupped by the junction of I-91 and I-291, the neighborhood of Wilson just north of the Hartford city line is embraced by more than interstates. Neighbors get to know neighbors in this small pocket of suburbia with one main street, several cul-de-sacs and little-to-no traffic. “Wilson is a cute little place where the neighbors aren’t afraid to come over and ask about a house up for sale,” says Ritu Goel, a Realtor with Century 21 AllPoints Realty. “Homes here have a great price point, and neighbors keep an eye out for friends or family members who might want to move in.” Surrounded by parks with the Connecticut River on one side, tree-lined streets, sidewalks and a central commercial district, Wilson is a walkable, suburban community that’s only a short commute to almost anywhere in Hartford, including the downtown, less than 5 miles away. Homes in Wilson range from $185,000 and $400,000, but most are under $300,000. Many are three-bedroom Cape Cods with fireplaces and large backyards or colonials with hardwood floors and up to five bedrooms. “These are great startup homes for first-time homebuyers,” Goel says. “People take pride in their homes and yards here. You always see someone out cutting the grass in the summer.” Because the many residential streets in the neighborhood don’t get through traffic, it’s common to see children in front yards and parents less concerned about letting them roam free. “Child-sized yards without the busy street traffic is important to homeowners,” says Maria Pirulli, a real estate agent with Five Stars Realty and a Hartford native. “So are property taxes. They’re much lower in Wilson than Hartford, yet you’re still only blocks from the city line.” With the Connecticut River bordering the neighborhood, most homes have been built away from it. Yet some properties near Deckers Brook, which crosses Wilson, can see flooding. The schools that serve Wilson are part of the Windsor School District, which received a B-plus from Niche. Students can attend Poquonock Elementary, a PK-2 school that scored an A and offers a low 9-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Clover Street School, a 3-5 elementary, received a B-minus and keeps parents in the loop through weekly newsletters that announce important events, such as band concerts and STEM Carnivals. Sage Park Middle, another B-minus school, has its own weather station run by students, and Windsor High, a B-plus school, features a music tech program where students can showcase their creativity and original songs. Interstates 91 and 291 give commuters fast access to wherever they want to go in the city, Pirulli says. She points out that the Hartford-Brainard Airport is only 7 miles from Wilson, and the Windsor Train Station, where Amtrak and commuter lines to Springfield, Hartford and New Haven stop, is only 3 miles. St. Francis Hospital, the closest medical center, is only 5 miles. For people who prefer public transportation, CT Transit buses run along Windsor Avenue and connect riders to destinations throughout Hartford. Windsor Meadows State Park is an expanse of woods along the Connecticut River, perfect for hiking, boating and fishing. The Bissell Bridge Boat Launch is at the end of the drive into the park. Hikers can also pick up the Bissell Bridge Walkway Trail from the parking lot, which crosses the river next to I-291. The parking lot also gives access to the Windsor River Trail, which runs through the park's southern section and gives hikers access to scenic waterway views. Sharshon Park is nearby where family and friends often gather. The park offers 12 horseshoe courts, a large open-air pavilion, a children’s playground, and a basketball court. The 330 Windsor Avenue Community Center next door features a gymnasium, after-school programs and a teen center. The Wilson Branch of the Windsor Public Library is across the street, and Keney Park, one of the largest public parks in New England, is along the neighborhood’s southern border. It offers meadows and forests, the 18-hole Keney Park Golf Course and cricket fields. Also on the horizon, what is currently a vacant lot between East Barber Street and Drake Street off Windsor Avenue will become the new Wilson Park, a 5-plus-acre green space that will include a new playground, landscaping, a grand lawn, public art and an amphitheater. Only blocks away from most homes, Lilly’s Soul Food serves favorite dishes like fried catfish, meatloaf and mac and cheese. Customers can also order desserts like banana pudding and ice cream at this popular eatery. The Wilson Pizza Palace is housed in an old fast-food building off Windsor Avenue. Behind it is Shun Cheong, a take-out or dine-in Chinese place in the same building as the community center. Kebab House down the street is an Indian restaurant specializing in Tandoori dishes. Desi Bazaar and Halal Food Market are local convenience stores that stock essentials. It's also easy to hop on Windsor Avenue or a CT Transit bus to the Windsor Shops shopping center, less than a mile north, featuring the Price Rite Marketplace of Windsor discount grocery store, a Big Lots and a CVS pharmacy. About three miles north, Windsor’s downtown is packed with restaurants and shops, including Ewe and You Fiber Arts, a charming yarn shop. StefanFarms is a community-supported agriculture (CSA) family farm on the western side of I-91. It offers a farmers market on Thursdays and Saturdays from July to October and on Saturdays in November. During the off-season, customers can order online or buy CSA shares to help support the farm and receive fresh produce weekly. The Town of Windsor also celebrates Juneteenth with film screenings, open mic nights and keynote addresses downtown.

At first glance, Hayden might look like an uneventful New England hamlet, but this Windsor neighborhood has a community life strong enough to keep residents here for a lifetime. “I didn’t think I would stay here, but this community is absolutely amazing,” says Stephanie Stone, longtime resident of Windsor and Realtor with William Raveis boasting 16 years of experience in the business. “Hayden tends to have people who stay there 30 to 40 years because it’s such a great place to live.” Northwest Park, unique shops and restaurants, and the nearby airport and train station make it so. But neighborly support is one of Hayden’s biggest draws, and it might be most evident during the Shad Derby, a multi-weekend event featuring fishing derbies and a ball where the Shad Derby Queen is crowned. Many of the proceeds from the event go to support local charities. “It’s a really fun tradition, and everyone’s here. You never miss a Shad Derby,” Stone says. Houses tend to follow Cape Cod, Colonial Revival and raised ranch-style architecture. Most were built in the 1980s, though it’s not uncommon for 18th century Colonial houses to enter the market. Many parcels are above 10,000 square feet, some spanning an acre or more. This is a bit bigger than what can be found directly across the Farmington River, where lots tend to fall between 7,000 and 10,000 square feet. The proximity to downtown Windsor and the larger size of lots contribute greatly to Hayden’s popularity. “I’ll put a listing up on Friday, send my clients away for a weekend, and by the time they come back, the house is already under contract after getting five or six offers,” Stone says. “The market is banging right now.” Pre-K through second grade students can attend Oliver Ellsworth School before moving up to John F. Kennedy School for third through fifth grade. They can finish up at Sage Middle School and Windsor High School. Oliver Ellsworth School receives an A from Niche while Windsor High is B-plus-rated and John F. Kennedy School and Sage Middle earn B-minus ratings. Students at Windsor High can take classes in 12 career cluster pathways such as architectural and construction; health science; and marketing. Northwest Park can be found in none other than the northwest corner of Windsor. This behemoth of a green space spans nearly 500 acres and features hiking trails, a dog park and a nature center with barn animals. For some green space closer to home, residents can visit Lancaster Park in the north end of Hayden, offering picnic tables, a basketball court and an open field for sports or just running around. When locals are looking for an adrenaline-filled yet safe adventure, they might head over to Tactical Airsoft, which boasts New England’s largest indoor airsoft arena. Residents on the south side of Hayden might head over to Geissler’s Supermarket for shopping, while residents in the north can go to Stop & Shop. The building that the Union Street Tavern operates out of has gone from the town firehouse to the town stomping ground, serving up delicious pub-style burgers with a side of live music on select nights. For a hearty brunch or breakfast, locals might go to Dom’s Broad Street Eatery down the road. From meatloaf omelets to crab cake eggs benedicts, their menu is sure to tantalize locals’ tastebuds. And if they’re in a rush and only have time for the coffee, residents can swing by The Bean @226. Interstate 91 runs along the northwest side of the neighborhood, delivering residents to Hartford and Springfield, Massachusetts in under 20 minutes. Bradley International Airport is about a 15-minute drive away. The Windsor train station is just south of the neighborhood. Lines include Amtrak and the CTrail. “We have a longstanding tradition on the third Saturday of every May called The Shad Derby,” Stone says. “The whole weekend and the weekends leading up are filled with events like a big art show by the Lion’s Club and a Friday night fishing event where kids get donated poles and go fishing in ponds. There’s also ball where they crown a Shad Derby Queen who receives a scholarship.” The town is filled with other events too. “My favorite event is the firetruck parade where emergency personnel do a big parade with decorated fire trucks and even landscaping trucks,” Stone says. “And Santa comes on the last truck, throws candy and takes pictures with the kids.”