[CTHouse_AK]

Hi,

We are looking to buy a single family house in South CT. I will be commuting to NYC while my wife will be working in Stamford. Our budget is ~1M Dollars. The main consideration for us is to have a good school district. Other than that, commute to city would be a secondary factor. We are considering Greenwich, Darien and Westport. I have a fairly good idea of commute times from these towns. Can you all please tell about school districts and any other pro and cons of living in these towns.

Thanks

[JayCT]

All three of these towns have excellent school districts. You can't go wrong with any of them. I personally think you should get a feel for the towns and see which suits you and your family best.

Greenwich is the largest of the three and the closest to Manhattan. While having some of the most expensive properties in the country, it is surprisingly diverse with a wide range of housing options but still you will likely get the least home for your money here.

Darien is a quieter town with a bit more conservative feel. Still it is very expensive and is less diverse.

Westport is also veyr nice and has more of an artsy feel. There is a lot to do here and Staples high School is considered one of the best in the state. Westport is also the furtherest from Manhattan.

For more information on the schools here in Connecticut, please check the link below. Jay

State Department of Education - CEDaR

[SailCT]

There is no doubt that of the three Darien not only has the best schools but also the best sports programs by far! Darien has the largest Little League in the U.S. as well as somehow the largest youth Lacrosse program in the U.S. Westport commute is too long but they do have a more liberal artsy thing happening and the great public longshore club. Probably about a 30 minute further commute and on bad winterdays or super hot summer ones that can be a back-breaker! Greenwich is really a city with about 25,000 people reverse commuting threre. About three years ago the number of Metro-North riders getting off the trains in Greenwich surpassed those getting on the trains. Greenwich does have better parks; some would argue than Darien. The jewel being Todd's Point which is incredibly beautiful but usually very crowded just when you want to use it. Living in Darien you can still use it and Stamford's Cove Island Park easily. Darien is in the midst of a complete rehabing of it's Weed Beach complex. Darien is a real "club town." It does have that small town feel moreso than the other towns. It also is not diverse in any way. Over the past 15 years it has gotten less diverse economically; pretty much everyone now works in the financial industry. used to be lots of media people, other professionals. Now easily about 90% are in the financial business and work in the area. Some still commute to the city.
Of the three my favorite area is the Old Greenwich section of Greenwich near the little downtown area
near the train station. Everything is there that you need and Todd's Point is just down the street although not sure about the prices in there?

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by SailCT

Probably about a 30 minute further commute and on bad winterdays or super hot summer ones that can be a back-breaker!

Not so much. Westport - ~61-70 minutes, Darien - ~57-62 minutes. Not even close to 30 minutes.

If someone lived closer to the train station in Westport compared to someone further away in Darien, that would make up the difference easily.

Also, Staples is pretty consistently ranked higher than Darien HS.

All 3 have schools that are more than sufficient though. I think it comes down to personal preference in the towns themselves, or finding the right house.

[CTHouse_AK]

Thanks for the replies.. I have one more question. Is there a CT gov website where I can put in a home address and find which public elementary, middle and high school apply to that address? Thanks

[Mike 75]

Your housing dollars will go farther in Westport than in Darien or Greenwich. You may also throw New Canaan in the mix as well. Each town has its own feel, so I would suggest you spend some time in each to see what suits you best.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by CTHouse_AK

Thanks for the replies.. I have one more question. Is there a CT gov website where I can put in a home address and find which public elementary, middle and high school apply to that address? Thanks

The school your child would go to is determined by the Board of Education in the town you live in. Most BOE's do not have the school districts online, at least I have not seen it on any. You would have to contact the BOE to determine this. I would not even rely on what the owner and realtor tell you and definitely do not assume that the school closest to you is the school your child will go to.

That said, I do not think the actual school makes much of a difference in the quality of education in the towns mentioned. All three towns have excellent schools and the differences are minor. All of the towns mentioned only have one high school. Darien and Westport only have one middle school while Greenwich has three. Again I think the differences between them are not much. JMHO, Jay

[AMSS]

The elementary schools in each district work off the same curriculum and have the same standards. Collaboration among the schools are normally quite good. If parents thinks one school is better than the other, it means the schools have a different "clientele"….and it's been my experience that parents are usually way off on that perception.