[Blueskies123]

We are deciding whether or not to move from the midwest to take a job in Manhattan, within one block of Grand Central Station. Looking for a one hour commute to the burbs, and would like absolutely the best public middle/high schools that suburbia can offer, and a 3 bedroom house for around $550k to $600k. Is that reasonably doable in this economy?

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Doable in the most affordable parts of Greenwich. Whether or not you'll like the aesthetics of those homes and their neighborhoods is something you'll need to decide for yourself.

[Stylo]

"Absolutely the best" schools is going to be impossible within an hour. You may have to make sacrifices in school ranking (not I said ranking and not quality as I feel some of the lower ranked schools can be excellent from a quality of education standpoint) or commute.

Stamford has very respectable schools, especially the elementary level, and you could easily get a 3BR at that price. It is the only town where you might actually have a shot at an hour commute, and be able to afford a nice 3BR home.

Greenwich might be doable budget-wise in the Cos Cob area, but you might have to deal with an older home that's in so-so shape at that price. It won't be a super nice place. Greenwich is very expensive.

Darien, New Canaan, forget about it. No such thing as a 3BR SFH at that price.

Westport and Fairfield might be your best options. About 65 and 70 minutes respectively. Westport is quite a bit more expensive, and you're probably looking at a smaller 3BR at that price - but certainly doable. The schools in Westport are highly ranked, although a bit pressure cooker too. Fairfield is a little more rounded and much more down to earth and your money will go further there. You will be able to afford a large 3BR or even a nice 4BR for your budget in Fairfield. Fairfield is a fantastic town IMO and I highly recommend it.

Wilton is worth considering too and priced similar to Fairfield, although you're looking at a 10-25 minute drive to the South Norwalk train station (depending on where in Wilton), and then another hour from there.

As you go further out to Stratford and Milford it gets more affordable, but the commute becomes 75-80 minutes by train which could be brutal.

I recommend living as close to a train station as possible. Walking distance a huge plus.

[Blueskies123]

Thanks. So, is it tricky finding the right high schools within those particular areas, or are they all a safe bet?

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Darien, New Canaan, forget about it. No such thing as a 3BR SFH at that price.

There usually aren't many, but you will see some. More often than not though, the brokers won't even bother listing them as a single-family house. They just list it as a building lot.

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Are we talking about the same Stamford? The best non-charter elementary school I could locate still showed 34% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and only 4th grade reading at or above state level out of all CMT results in grades 3-6.

Originally Posted by Stylo

"Absolutely the best" schools is going to be impossible within an hour. You may have to make sacrifices in school ranking (not I said ranking and not quality as I feel some of the lower ranked schools can be excellent from a quality of education standpoint) or commute.

Stamford has very respectable schools, especially the elementary level, and you could easily get a 3BR at that price. It is the only town where you might actually have a shot at an hour commute, and be able to afford a nice 3BR home.

Greenwich might be doable budget-wise in the Cos Cob area, but you might have to deal with an older home that's in so-so shape at that price. It won't be a super nice place. Greenwich is very expensive.

Darien, New Canaan, forget about it. No such thing as a 3BR SFH at that price.

Westport and Fairfield might be your best options. About 65 and 70 minutes respectively. Westport is quite a bit more expensive, and you're probably looking at a smaller 3BR at that price - but certainly doable. The schools in Westport are highly ranked, although a bit pressure cooker too. Fairfield is a little more rounded and much more down to earth and your money will go further there. You will be able to afford a large 3BR or even a nice 4BR for your budget in Fairfield. Fairfield is a fantastic town IMO and I highly recommend it.

Wilton is worth considering too and priced similar to Fairfield, although you're looking at a 10-25 minute drive to the South Norwalk train station (depending on where in Wilton), and then another hour from there.

As you go further out to Stratford and Milford it gets more affordable, but the commute becomes 75-80 minutes by train which could be brutal.

I recommend living as close to a train station as possible. Walking distance a huge plus.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Wilton2ParkAve

Are we talking about the same Stamford? The best non-charter elementary school I could locate still showed 34% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and only 4th grade reading at or above state level out of all CMT results in grades 3-6.

So it's bad to go to a school where 34% of students come from families with not a lot of money?

Ouch.

[Wilton2ParkAve]

Not necessarily... but they likely come from families that aren't going to value education with the same enthusiasm..... Test scores don't tell the whole story, but I prefer to have my children around other high performing parents who will demand more academically. Networking opportunities when it comes time to intern....

[DairyGodmother]

I think the description of Stamford schools as respectable is mostly fair, though I'd say hit or miss. Rogers is respectable but you have to win a lottery to get in. And you asked about high schools, well, I would not say Stamford High is a good choice.

Westport, Darien, Fairfield... I hear they are all good schools throughout. Norwalk has challenges. I think with the prices tanking you could get a fixer in Westport for that money - I could be wrong but home values are SO LOW right now.

As a city commuter, for me Westport is the last stop before it feels like a r e a l l y l o n g day.

IF you are open to Catholic Schools in Stamford that could be a nice combo for you. They are reasonable (roughly 7500 per year elementary, 5500 if you join the church) and excellent.

[toddb]

I did the commute from Fairfield to 2 blocks from Grand Central, and it ended up being 1h45m on average door to door. Even though the trains are 75m or so, you have to add driving, parking, walking, waiting, train, then walking again to your office. It was nice that Fairfield was the first stop on a lot of the morning trains, so I always had a seat. Coming home, you have to get there early enough or else you're standing the whole ride home. After almost 4 years of doing that, I'm glad I found a job in CT. Now I just drive against traffic for 45m.

If you really want to keep it at or less than an hour, look in Westchester or NJ. If you can get into the Port Authority on a bus, it's a quick walk or 7/Shuttle subway ride across town.