West Haven Apartments and Rentals

Located along a four-mile stretch of the Connecticut coastline, West Haven is a city of more than 50,000 residents that has much to offer those who live there who wish to live on Long Island Sound.

It likely comes as little surprise that West Haven is located, well, west of New Haven, one of the largest cities in the state. In addition, West Haven is a relatively short drive or train ride to New York City, giving people a chance to spend the day or weekend in one of the greatest cities in the world. Indeed, people seeking West Haven apartments for rent will be pleasantly surprised with all the city has to offer.

West Haven was first permanently settled by Europeans in 1648. The area was initially known as "West Farms," as a number of families from the New Haven Colony settled the area. The early history of the area was rife with border disputes with neighboring towns. The city sought its independence from New Haven as far back as the early 1700s but it would not come to pass for more than two centuries.

The area that was once an extension of New Haven became an independent town in 1921. The municipality became what it fully is today around 1960 when it was incorporated as its own city.

The border disputes and questions of independence are long gone, so nowadays people with apartments in West Haven can venture wherever they like without having to worry about compromising their civic pride.

In addition, Bloomberg Businessweek named West Haven as the best place in Connecticut to raise your kids in 2009 in part due to its excellent school system. For this and other reasons, families may wish to settle down in the area.

There are a number of work opportunities in West Haven and the city helps to support small businesses through loan programs. The city partners with the Connecticut Small Business Development Center, the Community Economic Development Fund, and the West Haven Community Development Administration to help people with business plan writing, securing funding and loans.

A number of people in the city commute to New Haven for work. New Haven's Yale University is fourth largest employer in the state with 11,500 people on their payroll. In addition, AT&T has a large presence in New Haven with 7,700.

New Haven also provides educational opportunities to those in West Haven through Yale University, which is one of the best-known schools in the world.

West Haven has its own schools too, with the main one being, confusingly, the University of New Haven. UNH's 82-acre main campus is located in West Haven, where about 4,600 undergraduates and 1,800 graduates go to school.

The schools and the attractive coastline can make finding an apartment for rent in West Haven, Conn., a challenge at times but people generally shouldn't have too much trouble.

The median gross rent for the three-year period from 2008 to 2010 in West Haven was $1,005, according to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The city is home to a number of historic sites and museums and one of the most interesting is the West Haven Veterans Museum and Learning Center.

In addition to the summertime activities that one typically associates with the coast, West Haven is also a well known spot among birdwatchers due to a variety of factors, including being home to the nesting grounds of threatened Piping Plover.

Rent.com® can help you get settled in a West Haven apartment. Look through our rental listings and find the perfect home for your needs.