8 Best Small Towns In Connecticut For Retirees

There is one thing so quaint about Connecticut cities. Villages proper out of a Charles Wysocki portray. One can think about how he’d seize one in all Connecticut’s seaside settlements. With the ships within the harbor at full mast, the dock staff and shipbuilders busily toiling away. Perhaps a younger boy catching a fish and an previous sea captain, trying on as just a little path of smoke escapes his pipe. The backdrop of the city with the charisma of its Colonial structure. Billowy clouds on the horizon, and the solar shimmering off the uneven Atlantic. Envisage the autumn with the dense timber ablaze with shade and the stately properties lining the shore.

Thankfully, one would not should think about it. These cities exist and are among the many good spots to spend one’s golden years. Towns with wealthy pure magnificence, deep historical past, tradition, and native points of interest. Additional standards thought-about for the record included components like walkability, affordability, and entry to medical care — all of the issues one wants to think about as they age.

Mystic

Consistently ranked as one of many high retirement cities in Connecticut, this seaside village is bursting with New England allure. The downtown is walkable, and the village is on the prepare route, with fast entry to Boston and New York. Mystic is about 10 miles southeast of New London, and it is stuffed with landmarks just like the Bascule Bridge.

Not solely do the pure beauties of the harbor and seascapes abound, however the village has a wealthy American historical past. First settled in 1654, it served as a protected harbor port for ships throughout many storms and was a serious ship-building hub and maritime vacation spot for hundreds of years. Today, one can go to the Mystic Seaport Museum to expertise that historical past. There can be a top-tier aquarium. The downtown gives a proud foodie scene. From Mystic Pizza, made well-known by Julia Roberts, to Nana’s recent sourdough doughnuts to Sea Swirl’s fried whole-belly clams, make sure to carry one’s starvation!

Simsbury

Located about 10 miles from Hartford, Simsbury is an inland city that lies alongside the Farmington River. Incorporated in 1670, Simsbury was the twenty first city to include in Connecticut. Talcott Mountain State Park has the very best views within the space, particularly from the 165-foot Heublein Tower. One’s eyes will probably be met with rolling hills, dense forests, and picturesque farmlands. The river supplies the chance for fly fishing and canoeing. The downtown has advantageous eating places, similar to Abigail’s Grille and Wine Bar, for all-American eats in a Revolutionary War-era tavern.

Natural magnificence, and strolling and biking paths make Simsbury a extremely fascinating location for retirees. Hartford Hospital (situated roughly 20 minutes away by automobile within the metropolis of Hartford) is among the greatest hospitals within the state, in line with US News and World Report’s Best Hospitals. Hartford Hospital focuses on most cancers, cardiology, and diabetes. Having entry to the very best medical care is crucial to protecting one wholesome, energetic, and benefiting from the retirement years. Stretching a hard and fast revenue is vital, and fortunately, Simsbury’s dwelling costs (between 2017 and 2021) sit at a median median dwelling worth of $315,800, in line with the US Census Bureau.

Madison

In the middle of Connecticut’s Long Island Sound shoreline, Madison is commonly ranked among the many high cities to retire within the state. Located about 20 miles east of New Haven, the city is stuffed with historic properties and superb waterscapes. Hammonasset Beach is a two-mile stretch of water actions like swimming and scuba and land pleasures like summer season tenting, picnicking, mountaineering, and biking. The Meigs Point Nature Center, is one other nice house to expertise the outside and see wildlife. The downtown has boutique retailers, similar to J.R. Julia Booksellers, the place one might spend half a day leisurely looking and studying on this charming brick bookstore or cease for a chew at Café Allegre, situated in a beautiful white inn with a superb Italian menu.

New Haven, which is simply a brief journey away, is dwelling to the highest hospital within the state, Yale Hospital, in line with US News. The downtown isn’t absolutely walkable, in that it is too unfold out to see all of it on foot and requires transportation, however there are numerous sidewalks and paths within the city, which make it pedestrian-friendly. 

New Canaan

The city middle of New Canaan brings everybody collectively, because it hosts the primary purchasing for the world. New Canaan isn’t as costly as a few of the close by coastal cities, nevertheless it’s most likely not for these on a decent price range. The median dwelling worth between 2017 and 2021 was $947,200, in line with the US Census Bureau. New Canaan is named a peaceable neighborhood with good faculties. It’s on the prepare route, and that makes journey straightforward for individuals who commute and people who don’t drive. 

Located about 8 miles from Stamford and solely an hour from New York City, New Canaan is near the main metros by prepare however gives a bit extra elbow room. Historical landmarks embrace The Glass House, which is an architectural trendsetter, and Waveny Park, with its 1912 fort and 300 acres of trails, fields, and ponds. New Canaan is an enthralling city that makes for a superb retirement location for these trying to escape New York and Boston for respiratory room and a slower tempo.

Litchfield

Columnist C.J. Hughes, in a latest New York Times article, described Litchfield this manner, “Being old-fashioned is a point of pride in pastoral Litchfield, where farms sell raw milk, residents traverse their properties on horses, and houses are older than America itself.” Litchfield has been dwelling to a number of notables, together with actor Dustin Hoffman, actor and comic Denis Leary, and the late Marilyn Monroe and her husband (on the time) playwright Arthur Miller.

It’s straightforward to see why this quintessential 18th-century New England city is so standard. It is thought for its rolling hills, tranquil lakes like Bantam Lake, and its historic downtown with its cute retailers and eating places. Peaches N Cream is a scrumptious ice cream store that can fulfill one’s candy tooth. Litchfield is about 30 miles from Hartford, which supplies one entry to the very best hospitals and docs at Hartford Hospital.

Guilford

Located 14 miles east of New Haven is the scenic city of Guilford, which has that previous New England really feel many are searching for. Settled by the Puritans in 1639, Guilford has a extra rural, seaside really feel. Known for its Guilford Green, an nearly 12-acre park with a Civil War memorial on the middle, this park has been ceaselessly voted among the finest within the state. Around the park, one will see conventional buildings from the interval and a white-steepled church. There’s a beautiful tree-lighting occasion yearly through the Christmas season. 

The historic downtown, with its tree-lined streets, mature properties, retailers, and eating places, is sort of a scene out of a film. Bishop’s Orchards Farm Market and Winery has been in operation since 1871 and is as enchanting as a market will get. Many retirees transfer right here from New York for a extra relaxed lifestyle. The city has a par three golf course and different programs in close by cities.

Chester

Chester is a particular city with hanging structure, retailers, artwork galleries, and top-tier eating places. Brushmill by the Waterfall is an enthralling restaurant beside a peaceable waterfall. Founded in 1692, the city lies close to the Connecticut River, and the luxurious forests present a foliage spectacle in autumn. The close by Cockaponset State Forest covers over 17,000 acres, providing ample nature and wildlife to see on foot or by bike.

On Saturday nights within the spring and summer season months, one can take pleasure in concert events within the backyard at Leif Nilsson Spring Street Studio and Gallery. The Goodspeed Opera House can be a fantastic place to take pleasure in music.

Woodbury

The charming, historic city of Woodbury, courting again 350 years, gives all the pieces a retiree may need. Its downtown is legendary for vintage retailers, usually known as the “Antique Capital of Connecticut.” Mill House Antiques showcases a powerful assortment of treasures, complemented by a waterfall and greenhouse on its property. The 1754 House Inn and Restaurant supplies a comfy ambiance and a satisfying menu. Main Street options lush inexperienced areas, tree-lined streets, a neighborhood bandstand, and historic properties from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Woodbury exudes a real hometown vibe, with pleasant residents and a secure full-time inhabitants slightly below 10,000, larger than close by cities. Visitors can take pleasure in wildlife on the Highwire Deer and Animal Farm and discover nature at Flanders Nature Center.

Retire to Connecticut

Leave the large metropolis behind and discover a slower tempo in Connecticut. Each of those cities has one thing particular to supply, from seaside villages to the rolling hills of the nation. Connecticut actually must be on one’s record of retirement places to think about.