The town's slogan "Where City Style Meets Village Charm" was coined long before West Hartford was dubbed by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine as one of the top 10 "Best Cities for the Next Decade" as well as one of the top 10 “Great Cities for Raising Families” (August 2010).
Choosing a hometown for your family is a high-stakes game: Not only do the kids need good schools, safe neighborhoods and parks to play in, but parents also must know they'll be able to make a living to raise a family.
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance used the criteria for its list of “Best Cities for the Next Decade” and fine-tuned its search for places already filled with families with children, quality of public schools and lots of parks and recreation. West Hartford was selected once again because of its low crime, top-ranked schools (public and private), proximity to major cities, a range of parks and historic sites, its up-and-coming downtown and the number of ongoing development projects.
TravelandLeisure.com magazine designated West Hartford as one of the "Coolest Suburbs Worth a Visit" (August 4, 2010). They noted that West Hartford has a unique vibe, late night buzz for the young and trendy, terrific restaurants and its own version of Central Park, a.k.a. the West Hartford Reservoir, where people can walk, bike and hike.
CNNMoney.com ranked West Hartford 55 out of 100 cities in the nation as a "Best Place to Live" (May 2010). “The people of West Hartford are book smart – and it’s not because Noah Webster, founder of the American dictionary, was born and raised here. There is a strong emphasis on education. Local school get high marks, and many scholars, professors, and faculty who work in the universities in the vicinity call West Hartford home.
Shopping lovers won’t have far to go. There are many retail stores in town, as well as lots of vibrant ethnic restaurants.”