"Miss every lake, miss every hill / Even in dreams, I think of them still / And when you see them, you'll agree / Connecticut is the place to be." - "Connecticut" performed by Michael Feinstein, written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
When it comes to lake and hills, Winsted, Connecticut is the place of dreams. Nestled in the mountains of Litchfield County, the town of Winchester/city of Winsted is known as the gateway to the Berkshire Mountains; it also has the distinction of having been one of the first mill towns in Connecticut. Here you live can the dream by fishing in beautiful lakes, boating, and swimming in freshwater springs. With a population of 7,712, Winsted offers quiet living in a tight-knit community. When you first drive through town, Northwestern Connecticut Community College and an eclectic mix of historic architecture types -- from ecclesiastical to Victorian and Greek Revival -- may catch your eye. Although Winsted isn't big in size, you can still enjoy big-city amenities in nearby Hartford, Boston, New York City, and Providence. Once you step foot in Winsted, you'll agree -- Connecticut is the place to be.
Winsted is literally the center of town in Winchester
"Miss every lake, miss every hill / Even in dreams, I think of them still / And when you see them, you'll agree / Connecticut is the place to be." - "Connecticut" performed by Michael Feinstein, written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
When it comes to lake and hills, Winsted, Connecticut is the place of dreams. Nestled in the mountains of Litchfield County, the town of Winchester/city of Winsted is known as the gateway to the Berkshire Mountains; it also has the distinction of having been one of the first mill towns in Connecticut. Here you live can the dream by fishing in beautiful lakes, boating, and swimming in freshwater springs. With a population of 7,712, Winsted offers quiet living in a tight-knit community. When you first drive through town, Northwestern Connecticut Community College and an eclectic mix of historic architecture types -- from ecclesiastical to Victorian and Greek Revival -- may catch your eye. Although Winsted isn't big in size, you can still enjoy big-city amenities in nearby Hartford, Boston, New York City, and Providence. Once you step foot in Winsted, you'll agree -- Connecticut is the place to be.
Making Your Move to Winsted
Winsted is literally the center of town in Winchester. If you've always wanted to ace a standardized test, this is the place to be -- Winsted gets a great livability score thanks to its low crime rates, stable housing market, local amenities and healthy income per capita. Sounds great, right? Well, it is -- if you can find an apartment to rent. And actually, your odds are pretty good.
How Much It Will Cost?
The great news: Rental prices in Winsted are typically lower than in many other Connecticut neighborhoods. Don't count your chickens before they're hatched, of course -- but you have good odds of getting a lot of home for your money here, whether you're looking for a studio or a two bedroom apartment for rent.
What To Do
Prepare to have your mind blown by the variety of housing options available to you. In other words, don't restrict yourself to just two bedroom apartments -- you can also find amazing colonial-style homes for rent at excellent prices. Since this is a college town, you can up your odds of success by shopping for housing during the college off season -- in between semesters or when school's out for the summer.
What to Expect
Winsted has a high rate of professional occupations -- so conduct your housing search as professionally as possible. In other words, dress to impress; be articulate; pull your credit report ahead of time; and have your first month's rent, deposit, and any other applicable fees ready so that when you find the perfect, quirky Victorian mansion -- okay, or perfectly lovely serviced apartments -- you can pounce on the deal right away.
A Little Info On This Winchester Neighborhood
It's easy to get confused by the whole Winsted/Winchester distinction. Although the two are often treated as different towns, they're actually one and the same -- or rather, Winsted is the ultimate neighborhood right in the heart of Winchester. Overall, Winsted's status as the business center for both Winchester and neighboring Barkhamsted is a great reason to find a Winsted apartment to rent.
Living in Winsted
Although Winsted is a business-oriented neighborhood it also has a walkability score of 62, with plenty of grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, parks and places to shop within the radius of a single square mile -- and Winchester, which really encompasses just a slightly larger area, offers wonderful quality of life right next door with lots of fresh water springs, lakes and hills to explore.
Winsted is also just a short drive from the pleasures of big-city living, thanks to the network of highways that feed into town: US Route 44, Connecticut Route 8, Connecticut Route 183 and Connecticut Route 263. So you can catch a show in New York City or enjoy a night out in Boston pretty much anytime the mood strikes, or stay right at home in the heart of it all and dance with nature, stroll along the hills, and reel in those fish at the 440-acre resort-style Highland Lake.
Winchester also has many historic attractions of its own, with a Main Street that's rich in architecture from the 1800s and early 1900s; the Soldier's Monument dedicated to Winsted residents that fought in the Civil War; the American Mural Project, a three-dimensional monument dedicated to the working people of America; and a National Historic District in East End Park.
