My good friends....
live in East Simsbury. It's very nice, but may be a bit too expensive. I think that those that are near the throughway for the long commute do it to find a nicer environment for kids, and they don't have that low a salary. You can also go a bit north into Mass as well.
I used to be the west coast guy for a company that was based just outside of Hartford. There is nice stuff to be had if you look for it. Maybe renting for a bit till you get the lay of the land would be a good idea.
Matt