West Hartford is great. More expensive than East Hartford and Manchester, but you do get what you pay for. Manchester is a solid value though.

Newington and Rocky Hill are worth looking at for a higher value area.

If you don’t mind a bit of a commute, Middletown is great with a nice downtown, good restaurants, not far from shoreline, and very good value for money.

I’d also consider Southington, which has an up and coming vibe.