[SailCT]

Moving to the area next late spring/early summer. My kids range from entering 9th grade to entering 6th grade. Price range is up to $700k.
I am familiar in a general way with the area but I need the specific, insider type info that this forum can provide. Which sub-divisions are the best? Want to keep lot size near 1 acre. Need lots of detailed info.

[willow wind]

Really, we need more info. What is " best" for you may not be best for anyone else. Where will you be working ? How important is commute distance to you ? If you work in the Middletown/ Hartford/Wallingford area, then you might want to be north of RT 80 . Work in the New Haven area , then you might want to be in either the immediate RT 80 or closer to 1-95 areas. Need access to Fairfield county or NYC ? Then you definitely want to be in southern Madison and closer to 1-95 and the train. Do you want to be near the beach or further inland ? Do you mind a short drive or a long drive to do major food shopping or local shopping. How much driving are you willing to do to get the kids to activities ? Getting an acre lot is no big deal in Madison. Most subdivisions have homes on one acre or larger lots. Subdivisions are all family oriented. You will find kids in any of them.

[JayCT]

You should know that it is our experience that a "family friendly" neighborhood may not be best. We have found that the neighborhood may include children you do not necessarily want your children to associate with every day. Plus by the ages of your children there is less outside neighborhood playing and more finding friends with common interests from school or activities so you will most likely have to drive them to friends anyway. I think you should look for a neighborhood and home that is centrally located in town so that it is not far from most points in town. That way you will be able to get them to the friends they meet at school easily. Jay

[andthentherewere3]

I did not realize that those towns had numerous subdivisions. I thought Ct. was mostly immune to them? When I think subdivisions, I think named neighborhoods often with HOA's, etc. I don't see that often in Ct. Are subdivisions common in Hartford area suburbs? Or do I need to rethink what the term subdivision means?

[willow wind]

You need to rethink what the term subdivision means in Connecticut. You won't find many subdivisions with sidewalks, streetlights, HOA'S associations and McMansions on postage size lots. Nor are you likely to find subdivisions with community centers or community pools. Subdivision usually means an area where a builder has gone in and built a series of homes, anywhere from a few to dozens . Often these subdivisions will have a minimum lot size and a minimum house size and may be of similar pricing. This little bit of consistency is what creates a subdivision in the mind of the people of CT. This is in contrast to non- subdivision areas in which you can have a 1200 square foot ranch next to 4,000 square foot house or whatever.

[SailCT]

should have used the word neighborhood instead of sub-division. I think that I would like to be within a mile or two of the library / center of town. Don't think we can afford on the water but maybe somewhere between Route 1 and south of the rotary. I know that a neighborhood like Five-Fields is popular but I find it sort of isolated; sort of cut-off by that busy road down to Hammonhassett (sp?). Guess we just need to look at a lot of houses.

[willow wind]

If you're looking in Madison, you might like to try the area around Randi Dr. & Madison Springs/ the area along Island Ave./ and the areas along Bishop Lane/Sylvan & Acorns Rds. These are all lovely neighborhoods and will keep you in that mile or so to town center and library.