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CHAMBER NOTES Why West Hartford?
W. H. CHAMBER NOTES The West Hartford Chamber of Commerce: Why West Hartford?
BY CHRIS CONWAY
“When in doubt, call the Chamber of Commerce.” This has been a constant theme running though the COVID-19 pandemic. Not a day goes by that I do not receive a call from someone, either local or afar, asking questions. Some of the basic queries include, which restaurants are open and how are they handling pick-up and delivery or clarification on how a business may be affected by phased reopeonings. For most things like this, we have proactively set up resources on our website, or communicate via our many email updates or social media posts.
Beginning in the late spring, I noticed a pattern developing. I began to receive nearly daily calls for maps of West Hartford and Chamber directories. More often than not, these calls were coming from people in New York City. Others were coming from states in the Mid-Atlantic and South. When I asked why they were looking for these resources, the unanimous answer was, “I’m thinking of moving to West Hartford.” In conversations with community partners at the town or with our Chamber Members in the real estate sphere, I discovered they were also fielding similar requests.
It did not take long before others took notice; most notably, The New York Times. On July 7th, the paper ran an article called “Leaving New York: How to Choose the Right Suburb”. Based on information gathered by real estate agents, columnist Julie Lasky came up with a list of eight villages and towns in the tri-state area that would be sound choices for those looking to leave the city. West Hartford was the only Connecticut location to make the list. Locations were chosen for different reasons; Valley Stream, NY was chosen for Diversity and North Salem, NY was considered best choice for Rural Character. West Hartford’s distinction was Most Bang for Your Buck, citing the home prices relative to value of investment.
As I pondered the list, it occurred to me that many of the reasons other towns made the cut were also aspects common to West Hartford. Items such as top-rated schools (check!), diversity (check!), walkable town center (check!) and beautiful public spaces (check!) were all criteria for this exclusive list.
While it’s wonderful to be recognized internationally for something many of us have locally known for years, the question became, “How can we, as a community, run with this?” More importantly is how do we answer the question, “Why West Hartford?”.
As I mentioned, others had noticed this trend. Soon after the article ran in The New York Times, the Chamber, members of town staff, and other community partners got together on Zoom. We discussed how to best position West Hartford to be the destination of choice for those wishing to relocate either personally or professionally to West Hartford.
The insert feature in this magazine is the first of many steps in what will become a multi-channel marketing and resource strategy. The feature includes some of the answers to the question, “Why West Hartford?” I encourage you to have a look. Beyond this issue, this insert we be available as a free-standing publication to be distributed to those considering a move to West Hartford.
Soon we will be launching a website and social media accounts to further amplify the “Why West Hartford?” story.
Little good has come from the crisis of the past several months. One thing is clear: West Hartford is a resilient community of dedicated citizens and stakeholders. Looking past the pandemic, now is the time to sow the seeds of a bright future for our town.
Christopher Conway Executive Director West Hartford Chamber of Commerce (860) 521-2300 - Office (860) 810-5663 - Cell cconway@whchamber.com www.whchamber.com
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