Once a manufacturing town, now a busy Hartford suburb
Originally settled by the Indigenous Podunk tribe, the area now known as Manchester, Connecticut, was settled by Europeans in the 1600s. The town, formally incorporated in 1823, quickly became a manufacturing hub thanks to the Hockanum River and its offshoots that powered mills producing cotton, wool, silk and other textiles. Although industry in Manchester declined during the Great Depression, Manchester has since redefined itself as a sprawling Hartford suburb with abundant natural space and its own economy powered by the town’s industrial parks and distribution centers like Amazon, Manchester Memorial Hospital and a downtown with 200 locally owned shops and restaurants. As a result, the town has slowly grown to its population today of about 37,000 people less than 10 miles west of Hartford.
Manchester Memorial Hospital Hs Been Serving Community Healthcare Needs Since 1920
East Side residents have easy access to I-384.
Manchester's location along I-84 and 384 makes it a perfect location for distribution centers.
Manchester grew around the Cheney Brother's textile mills, many of which are now apartments.
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Small homes in Central Manchester and more space in the outskirts
The median home price in Manchester is just under $300,000. That’s slightly more expensive than the cities of Hartford and East Hartford, though lower than Connecticut’s average home price of about $410,000. Homes in Manchester are primarily in subdivisions with single-family homes and the occasional duplex. In the Center neighborhood, the layout is slightly denser, with houses laid out in a grid pattern. Cape Cods and cottages built in the first half of the 20th century can be as small as 700 square feet and cost between $200,000 and $300,000. Nelson Foss, Realtor at Coldwell Banker Realty and area native, says that these older, smaller homes originally housed mill workers in Manchester.
Neighborhoods on the outskirts of Manchester, like Buckley District , Keeney and Highland Park tend to have larger homes resting on more spacious lots. These houses typically cost between $350,000 and $650,000 and were built a bit later, in the 1990s or early 2000s. “Homes in Manchester touching Glastonbury or Boston are a little more private, with a bigger yard. They’re not your cookie-cutter houses, so they’re a little more desirable,” Foss says.
Waddell is home to a large number of compact capes on small lots.
West Side homes offer a nice balance of property space and convenient location.
Raised ranches are popular in the suburbs of Waddell.
Wonderful new construction homes can be found in the neigborhood of Martin.
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Manicured gardens at Wickham Park and views from Case Mountain
Although Manchester is a busy suburb, its natural parks offer a rural escape without having to leave the town’s boundaries. Case Mountain Recreation Area covers 10 miles of trails that weave through woods and along creeks and waterfalls. Several of the hiking paths lead to Lookout Mountain, where hikers can take in the sweeping views of the western hills and Hartford’s skyline in the distance. On Manchester’s west side, visitors can explore themed ornamentation and exotic plants at Wickham Park in the Robertson neighborhood. It has 10 manicured gardens, including the Lotus Garden and the Sensory Garden.
In the colder months, people can get active at Flight Adventure Park or Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park. The Lutz Children’s Museum in Martin has interactive history exhibits, kids' art galleries and an injured wildlife center with over 50 live animals. The town also has several venues for exploring local history, including the Old Manchester Museum and Cheney Homestead, the 1700s-era home of clockmaker Timothy Cheney.
The Waterfall at Case Mountain is a popular spot for Highland Park residents.
Wickham Park
Manchester's Center Springs Park features a boardwalk into the center of the pond.
Case Mountain has a lovely pond and miles of trails.
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Shopping, dining and events in downtown Manchester
Manchester's East Side and West Side flank Main Street in downtown Manchester. The area's coffee shops and restaurants provide a place for the community to gather. Residents can snag meal deals and listen to live music while browsing outdoor vendors at Summer Second Saturdays downtown. All year round, they pop into restaurants like Penny’s Place for a sandwich or waffle and Audacity British Style Pub for a cocktail and fish and chips. Urban Lodge Brewing Company is another popular spot to enjoy a beer flight; its spacious outdoor patio has a fire pit, rustic wooden furnishings and greenery. Clothing stores like Natural Selection Vintage and gift stores like Harvest Beads & Silver are also downtown. Manchester's Conservation and Development planning document lists revitalizing the downtown as a top priority, and millions of dollars have already been spent to attract new small businesses, update buildings and plan events.
Manchester has several grocery stores, including BJ’s and Walmart, and more shopping can be done to the north at The Shoppes at Buckland Hills. However, Foss says many people prefer to shop at the newer outdoor mall, The Shops at Evergreen Walk, in South Windsor.
You will find all you need in one place at Walmart in Manchester.
Center residents can take a sushi making class at Urban Lodge Brewing.
Silk City Coffee is a popular place to find caffeine for West Side residents.
Kids of all ages enjoy the Hotwheels theme at Randy's Wooster St Pizza in Center Manchester.
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Manchester Memorial Hospital and more facilities close by
Interstates 84 and 384 both run east-west around downtown Manchester — I-84 to the north and I-384 to the south — and connect with other highways across the state. The interstates also take commuters into downtown Hartford. Locals mostly get around Manchester by car, though CTransit buses service routes to downtown Hartford and around town. New York City is about 120 miles southwest, and Boston is about 95 miles northeast.
Bradley International Airport is 23 miles northwest of Manchester in Windsor Locks. Manchester Memorial Hospital is the town’s largest employer. “All your specialized stuff and best doctors are at Hartford Hospital, St. Francis in Hartford or UConn in Farmington, but a lot of people do go to Manchester because you don’t have to go into the city,” Foss says. Manchester also has industry and offices, including more than 70 businesses at the Manchester Business Park and distribution companies such as Amazon at Winstanley Logistics Center.
Technical Education at the Manchester School District
Manchester School District earns an overall rating of B from Niche. The town has seven elementary schools that funnel into Elizabeth M. Bennet Academy for fifth and sixth grade and Illing Middle School for seventh and eighth. Students often finish their education at Manchester High School, which earns a B-plus from Niche, or Howell Cheney Technical High School, which earns a C-plus from Niche.
Manchester High School currently offers career and technical education courses in career paths such as business and healthcare, and Cheney Tech further focuses on career programs in subjects like carpentry, welding and HVAC. However, Manchester’s Plan of Conversation and Development has identified a goal to expand manufacturing and other career-oriented courses at both high schools and Manchester Community College.
Manchester also has several private schools, including The Cornerstone Christian School, which earns an A from Niche, and East Catholic High School, which earns an A-minus.
Illing Middle School serves students in 7th and 8th grades.
Manchester High School hosts many sporting events.
Howell Cheney Technical High School teaches students in 10 different technologies.
East Catholic High School is a private high school in Manchester, CT.
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Crime rates have trended down
The Manchester Police Department reported a total of 1,892 crimes in the town in 2023, including 1,092 property crimes and 800 violent crimes. That’s about 51 property crimes and 22 violent crimes per 1,000 people. However, 2023 was the first year since 2018 that the Manchester police reported under 2,000 total crimes in the town.
Four seasons with cold winters and unpredictable snow
Manchester has four seasons with cold winters. The amount of snow the area experiences can vary dramatically depending on the year; ice and snowstorms can happen but aren’t predictable. “We’ve been lucky as far as getting hit really bad by snowstorms. I’d say in the last 10 years, we’ve had a mix of a good half a dozen big storms come up that clipped the corner of the state and go up through Massachusetts,” Foss says. Foss also says that Connecticut’s weather patterns have changed over the years. “In the past, it was a given to have snow on Christmas. Now we’re getting more heavy rain,” he says.
The steep hills of Manchester's Center Springs Park are a favorite local sledding spot.
Winter in Verplanck means you will spend time clearing snow.
Kids from Buckley District head to the slopes of Center Springs park whenever it snows.
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