Bucolic Simsbury, a Realtor’s dream
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Simsbury's bucolic nature has made the town a residential real estate hotbed. Find out how the town leverages assets like the Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge (shown right) to attract residents.
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A house for sale on Westledge Road in West Simsbury. Asking price: $699,900.
The Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge over the Farmington River in Simsbury is lined with flower baskets and boxes maintained by volunteers.
The Simsbury Public Library is an area favorite and includes a 3D printer.
PHOTO | Contributed
Simsbury Farms in West Simsbury is spread over 235 acres and offers myriad recreational opportunities, including golf, tennis, swimming, skating, fitness trail and more.
Convenience, charm, natural beauty, recreation and school quality are among factors making West Simsbury and Simsbury at large an attractive place to live, according to local real estate and government officials reacting to a report ranking West Simsbury among the 50 hottest ZIP codes in the nation.
The Realtor.com report scored the 06092 zip code, encompassing West Simsbury, 43rd hottest for residential real estate based on the time it takes properties to sell and how frequently homes are viewed. Communities on the list have healthy housing dynamics, strong local employment and neighborhood “it factors,” the report said.
Homes in West Simsbury typically stay on the market for only 33 days and sell for an average price of $375,000, the report said.
Local realty experts say there are plenty of “it” factors in the town of Simsbury, which includes West Simsbury, Tariffville and Weatogue. Many people who grew up in the town and left for college or work often return to raise their families.
“You really can't go wrong here,” said Joan McDermott, sales manager of the Simsbury William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage and Insurance office and a 31-year resident of the town.
McDermott said the report on West Simsbury is “a little skewed” because she thinks just about anyplace in town is attractive to residents.
“Each part of Simsbury, each ZIP Code has its own special flavor to offer, and I don't think you can really separate them,” she said.
West Simsbury might be slightly more rural, but other parts of town are, too, she said. A strong school system also makes Simsbury attractive, McDermott said, adding that she put five children through the system and through college.
In terms of marketing, the town itself doesn't need to do much. There are plenty of third-party sources that tout Simsbury's positive attributes. Money magazine ranked Simsbury No. 9 on its 2015 list of “Best Places to Live in America.” NerdWallet ranked it the best city in Connecticut for young families. Niche ranked Simsbury High School fifth best in the state and the school district sixth.
The Simsbury Public Library gets high marks and its features include a 3D printer. Other attractions include the Simsbury Performing Arts Center at Simsbury Meadows, Old Drake Hill Flower Bridge, and the Farmington Canal Heritage and Farmington River trails, which can be explored on borrowed bikes through the Simsbury Free Bike program. The town also has top restaurants. In West Simsbury, there's Simsbury Farms with its golf, tennis, swimming and skating rink, Flamig Farm education and entertainment complex, and Tulmeadow Farm for ice cream, among other farm foods.
Kris Barnett, a Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England Properties in Simsbury and vice chairman of the Simsbury Economic Development Commission, said West Simsbury's geographic location is a major selling point.
It has “great commutability to places like Hartford or ESPN or West Hartford, because it's on the south end of town and it's close to Route 44,” Barnett said.
“It's a bucolic setting,” but still an easy commute to nearby towns “and it's close to shopping,” she said.
Barnett said Simsbury offers outstanding quality of life because town government has worked hard to thoughtfully plan commercial, retail and residential development.
“Because it's very thoughtful planning you maintain the character of the town while still growing,” Barnett said. “Our natural beauty draws people here, but it's that balance between maintaining a reasonable property tax level, quality of life, and education.”
Maura Hammick, sales manager for Coldwell Banker in Simsbury and Granby, said she would have a hard time delineating one area from another in Simsbury. She cited the bucolic settings, sense of privacy combined with community, rolling hills and the attractive Simsbury Farms area.
Sandy Fine, leader of the Simsbury office for Berkshire Hathaway, said schools and convenience to surrounding towns help drive Simsbury's attraction.
“It's a great community, it's a friendly community and it's growing,” Fine said, noting Simsbury's abundance of well-built homes on tree-lined streets.
“You get that sense of that beautiful New England feel, and yet you're close to Avon, you're close to West Hartford, you're close to Bloomfield, you're close to the airport,” she said. “So it really is sort of the best of both worlds. It's got that country feel, and yet it's urban and suburban.”
William Raveis' McDermott said she mainly came to Simsbury in 1984 for its schools and small-town feel. The town has grown since then, “yet it still has the small-town feel,” she said.
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