[Sccrown]

We are being transferred to White Plains NY for my husband's job. Several people have suggested living in CT for better quality of life, lower taxes,etc... I've been looking around realtor.com, and am trying to figure out what fits our budget of mid $400's while offering good schools and young families. We have a nine-year-old son.

What are the differences between: Danbury, New Fairfield, New Town, Bethel and Brookfield? We are used to a city w/good restaurants, shopping, family activities---are these rural areas or are there things to do? Thank you so much in advance for advice! By the way, what would the commute be like to White Plains and closest big airport?

[kidyankee764]

New Fairfield, Newtown, Brookfield and Bethel are all great towns with good schools. New Fairfield probably has the best performing on state tests, but that's like splitting hairs - all have great schools. Danbury School District is massive and underperforming for CT, but not bad when you compare nationally.

New Fairfield will offer the easiest commute, as you don't even have to take 84 - it's all back roads to 684. Newtown will be the furthest, but it depends on where in town, as it's HUGE landwise. It can add another 15-20 minutes to your commute. Bethel and Brookfield are in the middle.

The area is rural to suburban. One thing I've noticed in the Danbury area is a lack of good restaurants, but you won't starve - most restaurants are fine. New Fairfield has the least amount of shopping, but you're close to Brookfield and Danbury for all of your shopping needs. Bethel has some shopping, but not a lot. It does, however, have a very nice walkable downtown, but nothing is stopping you from enjoying that if you live out of town.

All are great, family oriented towns to consider, and are pretty affordable given your location.

[Stylo]

New Fairfield (western, to be exact) is the best commute and has great schools. New Fairfield is primarily residential, with a small amount of commercial. The town beach is very nice as far as lake beaches go.

Danbury schools are OK, but the surrounding towns are better. I know this from anecdotal experience of friends and family, not just stats.

Bethel is a wonderful town, just a longer commute. It differentiates itself from NF and Brookfield by having an excellent, beautiful walkable New England town center. It's also a smidgen cheaper. Bethel offers the most in the area as far as good restaurants (Ryan Reynolds was just spotted dining at La Zingara!). You're also a shorter drive to Norwalk for all its restaurants and things to do. Danbury has a center, but it's looking pretty blighted in spots. It's not what it used to be. The mall sucked all the life out of it, sadly. Most dining in Danbury is chain-based, with the exception of a few good ones and maybe the Mill Plain Road "scene". Although I personally think all those places are overrated. Bethel also has 2 great grocery stores (Big Y and Carluzzi's - best in the region IMO) and Target. Anything to avoid the absolutely gross Walmart in Danbury!

Brookfield has the quality of schools of NF, but is it a locational disadvantage as you have to drive through Danbury to get to White Plains. It also doesn't really offer anything "special", it's primarily charmless with lots of strip malls and not a lot of things to do or activity. Unless you're into boating or want a lake house. You are close to Newtown and Bethel's offerings though, as long as civic pride isn't an issue.

Newtown is a very nice town, but again - you are getting further away. Newtown is also BIG, so while one commute near 84 towards Bethel might be tolerable, on the other side of town you could be looking at an extra 20 minutes or worse. It does have an attractive town center with many historic colonials. There are a few good restaurants in town, and you can always drive to Fairfield, Milford or New Haven for tons of options. The town center isn't as walkable or active as Bethel's, but it is very nice. The Sandy Hook section of Newtown is a small, but picturesque walkable village on a river. The schools are good too. I would recommend it, if it weren't for the poor commute.

I grew up in the area, so if you have any more questions, shoot!

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Bethel also has 2 great grocery stores (Big Y and Carluzzi's - best in the region IMO).

I've always been happy with Caraluzzi's(Newtown store) beef.

I wish they would move closer this way. They can take over Porricelli's space in Trumbull center. Boy did that store go downhill. Dumpy looking and their beef is crap now. Just close already........

[7 Wishes]

If it helps you at all, I have a childhood friend who lives in New Fairfield who is asst. prinicipal of a school in the South Bronx (significantly further commute than to White Plains from there) and he says it's pretty easy except for the last 10 miles on the Hutch Pkwy.from the end of 684 into the Bronx. But to White Plains, you'd be taking 287 west from there so you should be OK; it gets some traffic but not as bad as the part coming east to White Plains from Rockland County, NY.

One thing about all the towns you mention is the housing is cheaper than similarly nice areas closer to White Plains (in both Westchester County, NY and CT, though property taxes are lower in CT). Good luck!

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

I've always been happy with Caraluzzi's(Newtown store) beef.

I wish they would move closer this way. They can take over Porricelli's space in Trumbull center. Boy did that store go downhill. Dumpy looking and their beef is crap now. Just close already........

At least you have Big Y up that way! I miss having one nearby. Our best options in town are Whole Foods (way too expensive for meats/fishes/cheeses) and Shop Rite. I often go to Villa Gourmet in downtown for cheeses, grass fed beef, seafood, baked goods, pastas, etc. They're actually a lot cheaper than Whole Foods for similar items. But we definitely don't have a really good all-around supermarket.

[Sccrown]

Thank you all so much for all the info! I'm anxious to get up there and look around.

[elle423]

I think the city you're coming from will determine the extent to which you find this area rural. I moved to ct 15+ years ago from ny, and I still think of the greater Danbury area as the country -- even Danbury itself! (at least the western part of it -- the rest of it is no more than suburban, at least to me, and i think the entire population is only in the 80k range). Anyway, I will rate the towns based on your wish list and IMO: SCHOOLS, best to worst: 1.Brookfield/New Fairfield/Newtown -- All the same level/splitting hairs to rank them, so I put them in alphabetical order 2. Bethel (still very good, but I think (very) slightly below the others) and 3. Danbury (under performs by CT standards, but probably (maybe?) above average on national level. DINING OPTIONS (not ranking by quality, but options): 1. Danbury 2. Bethel/Brookfield 3. Newtown 4. New Fairfield. FAMILY ACTIVITIES: 1. Brookfield/New Fairfield/Newtown (again, alphabetical) 2. Bethel 3. Danbury. "RURALNESS" (most to least): 1. New Fairfield 2. Newtown 3. Bethel/Brookfield 4. Danbury. Most charm
: 1. Bethel 2. Newtown 3. New Fairfield 4. Brookfield 5. Danbury. And most important, lol! COMMUTE TO WHITE PLAINS, again best to worst: 1. NEW Fairfield 2. Danbury 3. brookfield 4. Bethel 5. Newtown

[Stylo]

I have to disagree with some of your rankings.

Schools, dead on.

Dining options, Brookfield has nothing. El Coyote (Thank God, it was a wasteland before that and Pancho's is terrible), a BBQ place, Maggie McFly's, Five Guys. An OK sushi place. That's about it. Newtown has it beat in that sense and Bethel kills it.

Family activities. Bethel has just as much, if not more - unless you're counting boating/fishing. Newtown and Brookfield also feel more rural than Bethel IMO, Bethel has more dense neighborhoods in general.

Also, your best to worst commute depends totally on proximity to 84. You could be near the New Milford border in Brookfield vs. near 84 in Newtown and have a much better commute from Newtown. It's hard to generalize.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

I've always been happy with Caraluzzi's(Newtown store) beef. I wish they would move closer this way. They can take over Porricelli's space in Trumbull center. Boy did that store go downhill. Dumpy looking and their beef is crap now. Just close already........

Porricelli's has sold their Old Greenwich store to Kings. Hopefully they'll sell Trumbull to Caraluzzi's next.
Kings expands into Connecticut