[lscalder]

My brother lives in West Haven about 5 minutes from the beach. He lives on William street. I visit him and his family a few times with my huband and son and I really like it. I do live in Dc area and would love to live there. My son is 2yrs old. I need a area that is diverse. We are African American family. Price range 500k-600k. good schools,quiet/suburban/rural/city and it have to be close to the city but not too close and close to shopping.

[mels]

Hi, I used to live in West Haven. It is a small diverse city. The schools are are lacking and taxes are on the high side which is why the home prices are much cheaper than surrounding towns of similar size. However, if your price range is $500-$600K, that can buy you a lot of house in West Haven. You will probably find a home much cheaper than in your price range, so if I were you I would look into private schools.

I haven't lived there in quite a few years and by all accounts the taxes have eased up a little (it was due to prior government mismanagement). I do know that the schools are still not good but there are plenty of private schools around as well as magnet schools in New Haven that may suit your needs.

[JayCT]

Iscalder - welcome to Connecticut. I am sure you will like it here. West Haven schools perform under the state averages on the Connecticut Mastery Test scores and have larger class sizes (over 20 students per class) so the town is not considered to be as desirable as others. In your price range I would consider the adjacent towns of Orange or Milford. These are very nice towns where you could get a nice home with good schools.

Orange is very suburban in character with nice homes on larger lots. For middle and high school students attend Amity Regional schools which are considered to be excellent. Orange has a lot of great shopping, entertainment and restaurant along Route 1 but it does not have any beaches since it is an inland community.

Milford is a small diverse city that offers a wide range of housing options. It too has great shopping (the region's major mall is located here), entertainment and restaurants. Like Orange, it is a great family oriented town with good schools and great parks. It also has a number of beaches along Long Island Sound. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Jay

[lscalder]

Thank you for answerign my questions.
I will start looking in both those counties mention.

[lscalder]

I donot have to live in West Haven I just need the most desirable areas in CT.

[mels]

West Haven isn't really desirable, mainly because of the high taxes and not so great public school system. In that vicinity Jay is right, Milford and Orange are much more desirable. Orange isn't really diverse, Milford has more diversity but is not as diverse as West Haven. If you want to be close to WH, I would highly recommend Milford.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by lscalder

I donot have to live in West Haven I just need the most desirable areas in CT.

"Desirablity" is a relative term. There are many "desirable" areas in Connecticut. In Fairfield County there is Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Westport, Weston, Easton, Fairfield, Redding and Ridgefield. All are great places to live but homes there in your price range (if there are any at all) would be modest. In the Hartford area there is Avon, Farmington, Simsbury, West Hartford and Glastonbury. In New Haven, I would say Woodbridge, Madison, Guilford and Orange are desirable. All of these towns have different things that make them "desirable" and they may not be what you are interested in. Give us an idea of location (city or county) and what is most important to you (access to urban areas, living in an urban area, home size, etc.) and we can guide you better. Jay

[JayCT]

Iscalder - I looked back at your original post and realized you posted some of this information already. Also I would assume you want to be near New Haven? Then I would recommend Woodbridge, Orange, Madison or Guilford. All are great towns with excellent schools. Woodbridge is probably the most pricey so you will not get as much for your money there. Orange I previously described to you. Madison and Guilford are two beautiful towns located east of New Haven. Both have great shoipping and restaurants and lots of family activities. There are nice parks and beaches and both have train service to New Haven. Madison is a bit more upscale than Guilford, so you could get a little more home for your money there. I hope this helps. Jay

[lscalder]

Here is a little information on what I am looking for in more of a details.
I live Maryland in a new home which is 5500sq feet. I am 20-30 minutes away form the city and shopping which is fine with me. Quite area, good school system,middle-upper class,low crime,good restaurants at least 15-20 miuntes away or closer. I am not really concern with living close to the beach as long as I can drive to it is fine with me.
I need at leat 4brs. Price range $600-$750. I donot have to live in the most posh community but i do want to live in a nice community for the middle to upper class.

[JayCT]

Your price range would buy a newer home of about 3,000 to 3,700 s.f. in a very nice upscale suburb just about anywhere in the state except Fairfield County. These communities would have very good to excellent schools and have or be close to good shopping, restaurants, entertainment, parks and family activities. The towns I mentioned previously all fit this bill. Jay