West Hartford, Connecticut

:"West Hartford" redirects here. For the unincorporated community in Vermont, see West Hartford, Vermont."Infobox Settlement
official_name = West Hartford, Connecticut
settlement_type = Town
motto = "Where City Style meets Village Charm"


imagesize =
image_caption = West Hartford Center at Farmington Ave. and LaSalle Rd.

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image_blank_emblem = WH Insignia.pngmapsize = 250px
map_caption =


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =
subdivision_type = NECTA
subdivision_name = Hartford
subdivision_type1 = Region
subdivision_name1 = Capitol Region
subdivision_type2 =
subdivision_name2 =
government_type = Council-manager
leader_title = Town manager
leader_name = James Francis
leader_title1 = Town council
leader_name1 = Scott Slifka, Mayor
Art Spada, Deputy Mayor
Shari Cantor
Barbara Carpenter
Charles Coursey
Maureen K. McClay
Mark C. Sinatro
Carolyn Thornberry
Joseph Verrengia
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = 1854
area_land_km2 = 56.9
area_water_km2 = 1.0
area_total_sq_mi = 22.4
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 58.0
population_as_of = 2005
population_total = 61173
population_footnotes = [http://www.census.gov/popest/cities/files/SUB-EST2005_9.csv U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates] ]
population_density_sq_mi = 2781
population_density_km2 = 1074
timezone = Eastern
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = Eastern
utc_offset_DST = -4
area_land_sq_mi = 22.0
area_water_sq_mi = 0.4
elevation_m = 50
elevation_ft = 164
latd = 41 |latm = 46 |lats = 04 |latNS = N
longd = 72 |longm = 45 |longs = 14 |longEW = W
postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 06107, 0611x
region =
website = http://www.west-hartford.com/
area_code = 860
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 09-82590
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0213529
footnotes =

West Hartford is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The town was incorporated in 1854. Prior to that date, the town was a parish of Hartford. West Hartford is accessible by major thoroughfares including Interstate 84 which passes through the mid-southern portion of town and U.S. Route 44 which passes through the town from Hartford to Avon Mountain.

The population was estimated at 61,173 in 2005. The town is primarily an upmarket inner-ring suburb of Hartford. The town has a vibrant downtown called West Hartford Center. This area is centered around Farmington Avenue and South/North Main Street. West Hartford Center has been the community's hub since the late 1600s.

In Money Magazine's 2008 Best Places to Live 2008 ranking, West Hartford placed 76th. [cite news |title=Best Places to Live 2008 – West Hartford |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/snapshots/PL0982660.html |work=CNN Money |publisher=Cable News Network |date=2008 |accessdate=2008-06-27]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 57.9 square kilometers (22.4 sq mi), of which 56.9 km² (22.0 sq mi) is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi² or 1.70%) is water.

The west side of West Hartford is flanked by the Metacomet Ridge, a mountainous traprock ridgeline that stretches from Long Island Sound to nearly the Vermont border. Notable features of the Metacomet Ridge in West Hartford include Talcott Mountain and a number of highland reservoirs belonging to the Metropolitan District, which maintains watershed and recreation resources on the property. The convert|51|mi|adj=on Metacomet Trail traverses the ridge.

West Hartford is adjacent to and west of Hartford, the State capital, and neighbors Bloomfield, Newington, Farmington, and Avon. West Hartford is approximately convert|100|mi southwest of Boston, Massachusetts and 100 miles northeast of New York City. I-84 runs through West Hartford.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 63,589 people, 24,576 households, and 15,925 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,892.6 people per square mile (1,117.0/km²). There were 25,332 housing units at an average density of 1,152.3/mi² (445.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.96% White, 4.78% African American, 0.12% Native American, 4.80% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 2.61% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.27% of the population.

There were 24,576 households out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.2% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 19.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 85.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $61,665, and the median income for a family was $77,865. Males had a median income of $52,450 versus $39,051 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,468. About 2.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.4% of those under the age of 18 and 5.1% ages 65 or older.

Educational Institutions

In 2006 "Money Magazine" ranked West Hartford as the 10th most educated town in the United States, as measured by the percentage of town residents holding graduate or professional degrees. [cite news |title=Best Places to Live– Most educated |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/top25s/educated.html |work=CNN Money |publisher=Cable News Network |date=2006 |accessdate=2007-06-11] "Connecticut Magazine" 2006 rankings put West Hartford Public School education in the top three be among all the cities and towns in Connecticut and for its population class of greater than 50,000 people behind only Greenwich and Fairfield. [cite news |title=Rating the Towns 2006: Population Over 50,000 |url=http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17547448&BRD=2329&PAG=461&dept_id=487245&rfi=6 |work=Connecticut Magazine |date=2006-12-04 |accessdate=2007-06-11]

Public Schools

The town is home to two public high schools, Conard High School and Hall High School, as well as 11 elementary schools and 3 middle schools in the West Hartford Public Schools. The elementary schools are Aiken, Braeburn, Bugbee, Charter Oak, Duffy, Morley, Norfeldt, Smith, Webster Hill, Whiting Lane and Wolcott. The three middle schools are King Philip, Sedgwick, and the newest Bristow Middle School, located where Kingswood-Oxford Middle school was formerly located. The eleven elementary schools are evenly distributed to either King Philip or Sedgwick, and those that enroll at Bristow are chosen by lottery. After middle school students continue onto high school with their same student body. Those at Sedgwick go on to Conard High School, while those at King Philip go to Hall High School, and students at Bristow return to the same school district they were in during elementary school.

The town also hosts many private and parochial schools including most notably the American School for the Deaf, Kingswood-Oxford School, Renbrook School, the Hebrew High School of New England, the Solomon Schechter Day School, and the German School of Connecticut. Recently added was Bristow Middle school located on Highland St.

Private Catholic Schools

* Saint Thomas the Apostle Elementary School
* Saint Timothy Middle School
* Northwest Catholic High School
* Saint Brigid Elementary School

Colleges and Universities

Institutions of higher learning located in town include the following colleges and universities:
*University of Hartford
*Saint Joseph College
*University of Connecticut Greater Hartford Campus

Notable people

In alphabetical order:
*E. Alexander Bergstrom, conservationist
*Manute Bol, NBA player
*Chris Carrabba, singer/songwriter from Dashboard Confessional
*Joyce Cohen, actress
*Larry Collins, actor [imdb name|0172468|Larry Collins]
*John Droney, politician and lawyer
*Dominick Dunne (b. 1925) and John Gregory Dunne, (1932-2003), famous writers, were born in Hartford and grew up in West Hartford.
*John Franklin Enders, Nobel Laureate 1954 for Medicine
*Jared Jordan, Drafted 45th by Los Angeles Clippers in the 2007 NBA Draft.
*Vincent Liff, director [imdb name|0509823|Vincent Liff]
*Edward Lorenz, American mathematician and meteorologist, early pioneer of chaos theory, inventor of the strange attractor notion, and coiner of the term "butterfly effect"
*Joseph Mascolo, American actor and soap opera veteran
*Edward Morley, namesake of Morley Elementary School, scientist best-known for the Michelson–Morley experiment
*Rita Morley, actress [imdb name|0605922|Rita Morley]
*William Thompson Sedgwick, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a key figure in shaping public health in the United States
*John O'Hurley, actor who played Elaine's boss on Seinfeld
*Peter Paige, actor
*Jimmy Shea, gold medalist in the 2002 Winter Olympics
*Cornelius J. Vanderbilt (1830–1882) disowned son of The Commodore, Cornelius Vanderbilt, died shortly after completing his estate (demolished) at West Hill (now part of the town).
*Noah Webster, American lexicographer, textbook author, Bible translator, spelling reformer, writer, and editor
*Korczak Ziolkowski, sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota
*Brian Rosenworcel, hand percussionist/drummer from Guster

Conard graduates

*Jim Shea, class of 1987, 2002 Olympic gold medal winner
*James Naughton, actor, winner of the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical (1990, 1997)
*David Naughton, class of 1969, actor ("An American Werewolf in London")
*Peter Dante, actor
*Jack Sonni, guitarist for Dire Straits (1985–1988)
*Matt Sinatro, class of 1978, Major League Baseball player and coach
*Robert Romanus, actor Fast Times at Ridgemont High, class of 1974
*Marcus Camby, professional basketball player (attended, Graduated From Hartford High School)

Hall graduates

*Roger Sperry, neuropsychologist and Nobel Prize laureate
*Wavy Gravy, peace activist and "official clown" of the Grateful Dead
*Charlie Kaufman, Academy Award-winning screenwriter ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", "Adaptation", "Being John Malkovich")
*David Alan Basche, actor ("United 93", "War of the Worlds")
*Brian Rosenworcel, musician and member of the band Guster
*Michael Schur, writer and producer ("The Office", "Saturday Night Live")
*Brad Mehldau, jazz pianist

Points of interest

* West Hartford Center
* Blue Back Square
* American School for the Deaf
* Bishops Corner
* Elizabeth Park
* Elmwood Center
* Noah Webster House
* Park Road
* [http://www.skatevmsr.com/ Veterans Memorial Ice Skating Rink]
* [http://www.whfirstchurch.org/ First Church of Christ, Congregational]
* [http://www.cbict.org/ Congregation Beth Israel]
* [http://www.thechildrensmuseumct.org The Children's Museum]
* [http://www.thechildrensmuseumct.org/travelers_science_dome.asp Travelers Science Dome at the Gengras Planetarium]
* [http://www.parkroadplayhouse.org Park Road Playhouse]
* Wolcott Children's Forest
* Rockledge Golf Course
* Westfarms Mall and Corbin's Corner

Notes and references

External links

* [http://www.west-hartford.com/ Town of West Hartford]
* [http://www.enjoycentralct.com/index.cfm Central Regional Tourism District]