[mnjoy]

Hi all,

I'm 23 and will be relocating to CT for work. I am from the Midwest and know nothing about the area!

I will be working in Southern CT and am struggling to figure out what city I should get an apartment in. Top on my list is someplace safe, but I'd like an area with other young professionals and things to keep me busy (concerts, outdoors, sports, bars, museums, malls, etc).

Right now I am looking at Milford and New Haven, and recently started to look into Stamford. Any advice would be great....Thanks!

[bsrams45]

Downtown New Haven has some really nice places to live, but can be also have a lot of crime. Any major city: Stamford, Milford, New Haven are going to have their fare share of crime, but are terrific places to live. Yale is in New Haven and the college students definately make the night life and bar life interesting. A friend of mine lives in New Haven and loves it. That would be my first choice. Good luck

[jeremeyk482]

Originally Posted by mnjoy

Hi all,

I'm 23 and will be relocating to CT for work. I am from the Midwest and know nothing about the area!

I will be working in Southern CT and am struggling to figure out what city I should get an apartment in. Top on my list is someplace safe, but I'd like an area with other young professionals and things to keep me busy (concerts, outdoors, sports, bars, museums, malls, etc).

Right now I am looking at Milford and New Haven, and recently started to look into Stamford. Any advice would be great....Thanks!

I'm 23 too so I can hopefully offer you some good suggestions.

First, where will you be working? If it's anywhere south of Bridgeport, I'd suggest looking closer to work than New Haven or checking out the Metro-North train schedule. Traffic can be a nightmare on 95 between New Haven and New York, especially during the rush hour. The Merritt Parkway isn't much better with traffic frequently spilling over as the two highways run parallel to one another. Steer clear of Bridgeport.

New Haven is a great city with a ton of culture. Just be careful when looking at places: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. There are many safe areas of the city but New Haven does have its seedy parts. Check out the area around Yale and I hear they're putting in many nice apartments around Crown Street. The closest mall is the Post Mall on Route 1 in Milford.

Milford is a nice town with plenty of shopping along Route 1, many restaurants, big box stores...basically anything you can imagine. Milford also has some nice beaches (Walnut Beach) but the water in LI sound isn't anything to write home about. Nightlife in Milford is becoming more and more popular with Stonebridge, Citrus, SBC and Archie Moores all within walking distance. The street becomes pretty crowded on the weekends.

Stamford is a bustling satellite city of New York and has many desirable areas (except the area next to Greenwich, oddly enough). Stamford, however, is among the priciest cities on the east coast. Manhattan is 45 minutes away by car, an hour by train, and you're also right on LI sound. Malls near Stamford are the Galleria in White Plains and the Stamford Town Center. Upscale shopping you'll find on Greenwich Ave. off of the Arch Street exit on I95. Do not be surprised to see many celebrities such as Rosie O'Donnell, Regis, Jude Judy, and many more.

You might also like Norwalk. The city also has it's seedy parts around SoNo (South Norwalk) but the city itself is pretty expensive. SoNo also has a great nightlife with a more "yuppie" crowd. Same goes for downtown Stamford.

Coming from the Midwest, Connecticut may be a bit of a culture shock. Things here are faster, more impatient and don't mistake the reservedness of the population as being snobby. People here are socially liberal and fiscally conservative, open-minded and honest.

The food in CT is excellent, especially Italian. Try Pepe's Pizza on Wooster Street, and don't miss Lucibello's next door for a real Italian cannoli. For seafood, try Sage in New Haven, Guilford Mooring, USS Chowder Pot IIIin Branford, Captain's Galley and Chicks in West Haven. Other favorites are Roseland's Pizza in Derby, P & M Deli in Branford, Carmen Anthony's in New Haven and Rich's Farm Ice Cream in Oxford (a suburb about 20 minutes west of New Haven).

An hour east of New Haven, you have two of the most stunning casino's in the country (minus the tackiness of Vegas), Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.

Again, it depends on where you're working, what your price range is and how long you want to commute.

Let me know if you have anymore questions.

[WallStreetWarrior]

Based on your criteria, I'm going to suggest North Haven and East Haven. Here's why.

You mentioned Stamford, and assuming that you can afford rent in Stamford, I would suggest maybe looking at some properties in North and East Haven. I mean, you're really looking at a minimum of $1100 for rent, which can go up to the $2500 range for more desireble pads. Now, lets assume you were to find a place for $1600/mo. Switch our view over to North Haven and you're able to afford homes that hover around the 250k range, maybe a bit less to be safe. East Haven prices are even a little better. Regardless, you've still got some nice homes in much safer areas, plus you're on your way to ownership. It's up to your personal preference though. I know you said you were looking for an apartment, but I'm more of a house guy after living in the NYU apartment dorms for 3 years, so I thought I'd chip in with a homeowners perspective.

Hope I could help. Keep us posted!

Matthew

[untuchableface]

I also am from the midwest (Chicago) and am looking to move to CT. I originally thought New Haven but some people on this forum have opened my eyes to Milford. I am definitely going to scout Milford out... it seems like a better fit for me.

Do some research and find which fits you best, or which rent price will fit you best.

[lepapillon_elizabeth]

Originally Posted by jeremeyk482

I'm 23 too so I can hopefully offer you some good suggestions.

First, where will you be working? If it's anywhere south of Bridgeport, I'd suggest looking closer to work than New Haven or checking out the Metro-North train schedule. Traffic can be a nightmare on 95 between New Haven and New York, especially during the rush hour. The Merritt Parkway isn't much better with traffic frequently spilling over as the two highways run parallel to one another. Steer clear of Bridgeport.

New Haven is a great city with a ton of culture. Just be careful when looking at places: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. There are many safe areas of the city but New Haven does have its seedy parts. Check out the area around Yale and I hear they're putting in many nice apartments around Crown Street. The closest mall is the Post Mall on Route 1 in Milford.

Milford is a nice town with plenty of shopping along Route 1, many restaurants, big box stores...basically anything you can imagine. Milford also has some nice beaches (Walnut Beach) but the water in LI sound isn't anything to write home about. Nightlife in Milford is becoming more and more popular with Stonebridge, Citrus, SBC and Archie Moores all within walking distance. The street becomes pretty crowded on the weekends.

Stamford is a bustling satellite city of New York and has many desirable areas (except the area next to Greenwich, oddly enough). Stamford, however, is among the priciest cities on the east coast. Manhattan is 45 minutes away by car, an hour by train, and you're also right on LI sound. Malls near Stamford are the Galleria in White Plains and the Stamford Town Center. Upscale shopping you'll find on Greenwich Ave. off of the Arch Street exit on I95. Do not be surprised to see many celebrities such as Rosie O'Donnell, Regis, Jude Judy, and many more.

You might also like Norwalk. The city also has it's seedy parts around SoNo (South Norwalk) but the city itself is pretty expensive. SoNo also has a great nightlife with a more "yuppie" crowd. Same goes for downtown Stamford.

Coming from the Midwest, Connecticut may be a bit of a culture shock. Things here are faster, more impatient and don't mistake the reservedness of the population as being snobby. People here are socially liberal and fiscally conservative, open-minded and honest.

The food in CT is excellent, especially Italian. Try Pepe's Pizza on Wooster Street, and don't miss Lucibello's next door for a real Italian cannoli. For seafood, try Sage in New Haven, Guilford Mooring, USS Chowder Pot IIIin Branford, Captain's Galley and Chicks in West Haven. Other favorites are Roseland's Pizza in Derby, P & M Deli in Branford, Carmen Anthony's in New Haven and Rich's Farm Ice Cream in Oxford (a suburb about 20 minutes west of New Haven).

An hour east of New Haven, you have two of the most stunning casino's in the country (minus the tackiness of Vegas), Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun.

Again, it depends on where you're working, what your price range is and how long you want to commute.

Let me know if you have anymore questions.

Hi,

I am 24 year old graduate student and just go offer from stamford, CT. (near high ridge park). I am a single female moving alone from NYC to CT. So I would like some suggestions on the area where I should rent my apartment where safety is the most important factor since I am moving alone. And really I am a big city person so I would like to find that atmosphere too if possible. I have a car so commute should not be a problem. Most of my friend and parents live in NYC so I would still go back to the city during weekend. Would like to stay at a safe place where I could do some food shopping and stuff after work during week days. My friend mentioned stamford and norwalk. I have no idea about those cites. Could you offer some suggestions/comments. Thank you so much in advance.

Best,
Joyce

[momto3ct]

As a Mom of three boys in their 20's, I get nervous when they go to New Haven Definitely wouldn't! Want them to live there.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by momto3ct

As a Mom of three boys in their 20's, I get nervous when they go to New Haven Definitely wouldn't! Want them to live there.

Spoken like a true Connecticut suburbanite. New Haven is no more unsafe than any other city in this country. Jay

[RogerAnthony]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Spoken like a true Connecticut suburbanite. New Haven is no more unsafe than any other city in this country. Jay

Not true at all.

Crime in America: Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities Under 200,000 | Law Street (TM)
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed
It may not be as unsafe as some people make it out to be, but it is more unsafe than many cities.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by RogerAnthony

Not true at all.

Crime in America: Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities Under 200,000 | Law Street (TM)
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

It may not be as unsafe as some people make it out to be, but it is more unsafe than many cities.

Oh god, do I really have to explain this again? Connecticut cities suffer statistically because our cities are small in area and only cover the core urban section of a metrpolitan area. Other cities are larger in size and include suburban areas that have lower crome rates thus diluting the statistic. Jay