Hartford is the capitol of Connecticut and the state's third largest city. Located in the center of the state on the Connecticut River, it is 40 miles north of New Haven and 100 miles west of Boston, Massachusetts. Two major highways, I-91 and I-84, bisect the city. Amtrak's Vermonter provides daily service north to Burlington, Vermont, or south to Washington, DC; regular shuttle trains connect riders to the Northeast Corridor line and Metro-North. CT Fastrak, a new rapid-transit bus system scheduled to open in 2015, will make getting from Hartford to New Britain and Waterbury easy.
Hartford has several higher-education institutions: the University of Connecticut School of Law, the University of Hartford and Hartford Seminary. In the southern part of the city is Trinity College, a liberal arts school with 2,200 students and beautiful Victorian buildings.
Apartments for rent in Hartford span a diverse collection of neighborhoods. The walkable downtown is convenient to culture, nightlife, lovely Bushnell Park and a spiffed-up riverfront. Adjacent to downtown, Asylum Hill is filled with large Gothic Revival and Victorian buildings that were once home to famous residents, including Mark Twain. The North East neighborhood is largely residential and centers around 695-acre Keney Park, with its nature trails and sports facilities. Home to beautiful Elizabeth Park, the affluent West End neighborhood has stately historic homes and a lively commercial corridor.
Renting in Hartford puts you in a great position to explore the northeast. Skiers can head to the Berkshires, the Green Mountains and the Catskills, all within a three-hour drive. For a beach weekend, there's Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Newport, Rhode Island; and Long Island, New York.
Hartford's rental market is relatively competitive. Given the city's government jobs and large student population, it gets more newcomers than nearby areas. While you want to do your research and get to know neighborhoods, you'll need to act fast if you're apartment hunting at the beginning or end of the school year.
