Pat & Wayne Harriman - Wallingford CT Real Estate

CT Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns

This is the second in a four part series highlighting the rating of Connecticut cities and towns by Connecticut Magazine. In our first post, we focused on the largest cities in our state, those with populations of 50,000 or more. To recap, the publication set the following criteria for the rankings: They first sorted the localities into four groups based on population:

• 10,000 – 15,000
• 15,000 – 25,000
• 25,000 – 50,000
• 50,000+ (Towns with populations below 10,000 will be featured in their own rankings in the March 2010 issue; see here for the 2007 rankings)

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

Then the numbers were crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible. In this second part of the series, we’ll be taking a look at the next population segment, between 25,000 and 50,000 residents, and specifically those in our market area:

25,000 - 50,000: Cheshire and Wallingford Represent!

Of the 24 towns in this population group, Cheshire and Wallingford both did very well, ranking 4th and 6th respectively. Cheshire’s strengths lie in its having the lowest crime rate in the category and a strong educational system; however, it’s high cost of living and lack of leisure activities kept it from ranking higher.

Wallingford really didn’t excel in any one area, but was solid in most categories except cost of living. It was buoyed by its low crime rate (#7) and leisure (#8), fueled by its having a newly-remodeled library, 2 golf courses, many good restaurants and also for being the home of Oakdale Theater.

Here’s the full set of rankings for this population segment:

The most startling disparity revealed by the editor’s commentary was the fact that Westport, the #1 town in this population segment, has a median home price of $970,000, which is larger than that of Glastonbury, Cheshire and New Milford combined! Amazing!

Remember, these rankings are not to be considered the last word in what the quality of life is in a particular city/town; however, they are a starting point and can be used as a point of comparison when making a decision about where to live in the state. There are many reasons for liking –or not liking - a specific city or town that transcend any statistical ranking or report, and only you can decide if a place is right for you and your family.

In Part Three of this series, we’ll take a look at the next population size, cities between 15,000 and 25,000 residents. To see these results in their entirety, pick up a copy of Connecticut Magazine’s November issue, on sale now at your favorite store or newsstand.

CT Magazine Rates State Cities and Towns

In the November issue of Connecticut Magazine, the Trumbull-based publication has, for the first time since 2006, provided a look at how various cities and towns rank based on several criteria. They first sorted the localities into four groups based on population:

• 10,000 – 15,000
• 15,000 – 25,000
• 25,000 – 50,000
• 50,000+ (Towns with populations below 10,000 will be featured in their own rankings in the March 2010 issue; see here for the 2007 rankings)

Then, information was collected in the quality-of-life criteria that are most important to residents:

• Schools
• Crime Rate
• Cost of Living
• Local Economy
• Leisure/Cultural Outlets

Then the numbers were crunched and rankings were awarded based on how the towns scored in those criteria, with a “1” being the best score possible.

In this four part series of posts, we’re going to highlight how some towns in our market area fared, as well as the rest of the rankings. So, without an further ado, here’s Part One:

50,000+ : Hamden Hangs In There, Meriden Trails

There were 17 cities on the list in this category, represented by Hamden and Meriden. Hamden did well, placing 7th on the list (but down from 5th in the last rankings) and scoring high in the Crime Rate behind only Fairfield and Greenwich. Hamden did poorest in the area of Leisure/Culture, scoring only 14th out of 17.

Meriden, surprisingly, tied for last place among these 17 cities, doing well in Cost of Living (5th), but finishing last in Leisure/Culture. It was in 12th place for each of the other 3 categories. It is interesting to note that, in the Cost of Living area, the top cities on the list had the highest cost of living, while they scored very well in the other areas. Here’s the chart of results:

Town Education Crime Economy Cost Leisure Total

According to these rankings, it appears that the state’s big cities continue to struggle with low educational scores, elevated crime rates and unstable economies. Hartford finished dead last in all three of those categories, while New Haven, Bridgeport and Waterbury all showed poorly as well. However, these localities also provide some of the state’s best leisure and cultural amenities.

Remember, these rankings are not to be considered the last word in what the quality of life is in a particular city/town; however, they are a starting point and can be used as a point of comparison when making a decision about where to live in the state. There are many reasons for liking –or not liking - a specific city or town that transcend any statistical ranking or report, and only you can decide if a place is right for you and your family.

In Part Two of this series, we’ll take a look at the next population size, cities between 25,000 and 50,000 residents. To see these results in their entirety, pick up a copy of Connecticut Magazine’s November issue, on sale now at your favorite store or newsstand.

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Update

Back in July, we posted the news about a Sonic Drive-In restaurant possibly coming to Wallingford. That news took another step towards reality today with the report that Robert Mesite, owner of the Villa Capri and now-gone Yankee Silversmith restaurants has submitted a site plan for Connecticut's first Sonic Drive-In to be built on the vacant lot where his landmark Yankee Silversmith once stood.

The proposal is for a 1,700 square foot restaurant with no indoor seating (they roller skate the food to your car, remember?) that Mesite hopes will be completed by next spring. Mesite and his family are also reportedly in negotiations to bring franchises to several other locations in the state as well, so even though Wallingford is fairly centrally located in the state, there may be a time when a Sonic is only a few minutes drive away, no matter where you live.

This is great news for all the Sonic fans in the state that have been salivating over the possibility of Sonic coming here, now it seems their wait may be coming to an end. Better get on over to the Sonic web site now and sign up for that Sonic Cruisers membership, Spring is just around the corner, and your first Route 66 upgrade and Cherry Limeade is coming with it!

This Veteran's Day, The Harriman Team would like to take this opportunity to stop a minute and thank all the veterans, past and present, who have helped keep this great country free. As we have said in the past, we have a close connection to the military: I am a Viet Nam veteran, Pat was a military wife, and we have children who either are now or have been in the service. For all our veterans do for us, we owe it to them to take a few moments out of our busy schedules to thank them for what they do for us. The sacrifices they make, the hardships they endure, and the courage they display all entitle them to our respect, esteem and admiration.

Also, our hearts go out to the families who lost loved ones in the recent shootings at Fort Hood, Texas. It's bad enough to lose someone close to you in military combat, but when unfortunate circumstances such as those at Fort Hood happen, they can only serve to draw us closer to the ones left behind, and focus our attention on the trials and tribulations they go through every day. May they take comfort from those whose love and support surrounds them, and may those who lost their lives rest in everlasting peace.

Back in September, we posted here that William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage and Insurance had been nominated by The Commercial Record as the best real estate company in Connecticut. Today, Bill Raveis, President and CEO, proudly announces that the company has, indeed, won that distinction:

This follows closely the recent announcement that the company had also been named the best real estate company in Massachusetts for the second consecutive year. The full results will be published in the October 23rd edition of the Commercial Record.

Congratulations to our management, staff and fellow associates for this great team effort!

[Source: William Raveis Real Estate blog]