[irndk10]

I'm 22 years old, and I just graduated UConn back in May. I recently got offered a job at Sikorsky as an engineer. The job is located in Stratford. I'm from southern NJ but will relocate for this position. I will be making a great starting salary of 62k, so my rent budget is higher than most my age. I would also be rooming with 1-2 other people to split rent.

About me: I'm a doer, but I need the opportunity. I love going out on the weekends and would love to be in a place that allows me to do so with people of similar age with out too much hassle. This entails everything from just chilling watching a game to occasionally going to a club type setting. I enjoy recreational sports and would love continue to play them.

As far as commute goes I would ideally like to keep commute under 45min.

From an uneducated outsiders perspective I would guess New Haven would probably be the right place for me? I've heard some bad things about New Haven crime wise, but it also has yale, so how bad can it realy be right?

Anyway, any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[willow wind]

I'd look at the following in my order of preference.

Milford- close to your job, has a variety of rental options, great beaches, basically safe, has a lively
downtown and enough interests for young people and is very close to New Haven for more extensive outings. It's probably the best combination of both suburbia and city living in the area. Recreational and entertainment options abound. You could find apartments to condos to a small house to rent.

New Haven- has the typical urban issues of any large Connecticut city. Much of it is plain not safe. It would be a second choice. If you chose the right neighborhood this city could be an option. Look in the Wooster Square, East Rock, Westville neighborhoods. You could also explore the high rises right in the center of downtown if you liked really urban living and didn't mind astronomical rents. It would put you right into the center of the theater, restaurant, pub area.

Fairfield is another nice town with a walkable downtown area and great beaches. However, I think I'd find it
more family oriented than a great choice for a singles.

You could also look right in Stratford but again you'd likely be driving into Milford or New Haven for amusement.

Good luck

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by irndk10

I'm 22 years old, and I just graduated UConn back in May. I recently got offered a job at Sikorsky as an engineer. The job is located in Stratford.

From an uneducated outsiders perspective I would guess New Haven would probably be the right place for me?

New Haven would be the most ideal. If the "crime" aspect has you skittish, you can always live just to the north in Hamden. Hamden would also be an ideal commute location, as you'll be using the parkway.

[irndk10]

The crime aspect isn't really THAT big of a deal for me, as long as it's not ridiculous.

[JayCT]

New Haven is a large city and like any large city it has its good areas and its bad. You might consider living there if you want to live in an urban area. The best areas would be downtown and East Rock. You could also consider Westville which would be good for you commute since it is near the Parkway. But note that you do need to be a bit careful there too.

Another option for an urban area would be Bridgeport. Downtown is really up and coming and Black Rock is a great urban village on the water. In Black Rock stay west of Ellsworth Street. Another option in Bridgeport is the North End. Stay north of North Avenue and generally west of Main Street. Also the Beardsley Park area norht of Boston Avenue is good too.

Milford and Stratford would be good options if you want a suburban town as would Shelton. While Fairfield is nice, it is pricey. Jay

[Stylo]

I'd say Milford, New Haven, the Whitneyville area of Hamden or Black Rock. Those are pretty much the four solid places to live for young people in the area.

I think you might be bored in more family-orientated suburbs like Shelton, Orange, Fairfield, Startford. Although Stratford does present a good value for the money, and puts you near nightlife options in nearby areas. Fairfield is a tremendous town, but pricey and doesn't have a ton for people your age. That said, with your salary and splitting a place - maybe you don't have to worry about rent too much.

The places I'm recommending do have some serious differences. Black Rock isn't the most beautiful area, but it's a solid place for twentysomethings. It's a section of Bridgeport that abuts Fairfield. It's popular with young professionals and college students due to the low rent and location. There are a decent number of bars for nightlife, and rent is relatively low. Crime is low for Bridgeport standards, but perhaps still not as low as downtown Milford or Whitneyville/Hamden.

New Haven is a mixed bag. On one end you have the best restaurants, the best nightlife, and the most culture in the state of Connecticut. On the other hand there are some of the most crime ridden areas in the state. You'll have no reason to go to those areas or live in them, so avoid them like the plague. There are terrific areas like East Rock, Wooster Square, parts of downtown/Yale (360 State Street is a nice building if you can still get an apartment - http://www.360statestreet.com/), Westville. My #1 reco would actually be East Rock for you, not Westville. Problem with Westville is it's a great neighorhood and gorgeous, with good access to 15 - but if you want to get to where the action is, you have to go through some really sketchy neighborhoods unless you want to take the long way around. Westville has Woodbridge on one side, one of the most affluent suburbs in the state, and then some of the worst neighborhoods in New Haven on the other side. It's odd like that. East Rock is generally super nice, on the safer side, gives you a nice path to downtown, has some cool restaurants and bars - especially on nearby upper State Street, and gives you reasonable access to RT-15 for your commute. If you have to rely on 95 it can get dicey at some times between about exits 40-50. You'd be looking at about a 25 minute commute from East Rock via 15. You could also look into the section of Hamden that abuts East Rock: Whitneyville. It's generally quite, but safe and offers good access to New Haven and about a 20 minute commute to Sikorsky without traffic.

Lastly, Milford provides a really good mix of safety, nightlife, and recreation options. There is barely any violent crime in Milford compared with Bridgeport and New Haven. There are parts of Milford I would not recommend. Those include most of Devon/Naugatuck Ave area and the neighborhoods directly north of Silver Sands State Park. Reason being they're sort of on the dumpy side. Not dangerous, just a little trashy. But the rest of the town is great. In your case, downtown would be ideal. You can walk to almost anything (not as walkable as a real city like New Haven though), there's some really lively bars when you feel like going out, plus you have the train to NYC/Stamford/New Haven within walking distance. It's an attractive area and growing. There are public tennis courts, basketball courts and baseball/soccer fields within walking distance to downtown, as well as some hiking trails. If you're into kayaking, boating, fishing, or beaches - it's ideal. There's more shoreline and beaches available to you than any part of CT. It's also a short drive to New Haven and Black Rock (10-15 minutes) for additional nightlife, and short drive to Sikorsky (under 10 minutes with no appreciable traffic). Check out http://www.spinnakerapartments.com/ and http://metropointmilford.com/

I think whichever you choose, you'll be pretty happy. Good luck!

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Stylo

Stratford does present a good value for the money, and puts you near nightlife options in nearby areas.

Depends on your interpretation of "nearby". I don't feel that it's an ideal spot for someone who will be looking for nightlife in New Haven or Black Rock. Even DT Milford isn't tremendously convenient, as the OP will still more than likely find himself on 95 to get to and from. Hence the reason i recommended Hamden. Pretty straight and simple quick shot in and out of New Haven, and not a bad commute on the Wilbur to/from Sikorsky.

[Comp625]

Originally Posted by Stratford, Ct. Resident

Depends on your interpretation of "nearby". I don't feel that it's an ideal spot for someone who will be looking for nightlife in New Haven or Black Rock. Even DT Milford isn't tremendously convenient, as the OP will still more than likely find himself on 95 to get to and from. Hence the reason i recommended Hamden. Pretty straight and simple quick shot in and out of New Haven, and not a bad commute on the Wilbur to/from Sikorsky.

Agreed - I'm a 20-something in Stratford and it is driveable to nearby nightlife. However, I wouldn't say it is walkable to any nearby nightlife aside from the occasional dive bar around town. The only slight exceptions would be Acapulco's and McCoy's Pub in downtown Stratford.

Even so, they aren't the most ideal of bars for a 20-something to hang out at. That is because many of the small town dive bars have locals that hang out, in my opinion. You are more likely to find other 20-somethings with diverse backgrounds (e.g. those who recently graduated college with new jobs, grad students, and those from other states or even countries).


I remember my early 20's nightlife revolving mostly around these 3 neighborhoods - all are PACKED with other 20-somethings.

• New Haven (East Rock is a popular neighborhood among C-D visitors)
• Black Rock (Fairfield Avenue is lined up with bars)
• Stamford (a little too far from Sikorsky, IMHO)

On a related note, the only tricky part to be aware of is getting to/from Sikorsky. Exit 53 on the Merritt leads you right into Sikorsky, but is typically backed up during morning rush hour. Getting out of Sikorsky is also a challenge since that intersection off the Merritt/River Road is a cluster#$&%.

Also, be aware that afternoon rush hour traffic on both I-95 and the Merritt Parkway (near the tunnel) into New Haven is typically nasty. The Merritt is typically the better ride and more convenient to Sikorsky, but you would take to have backroads through New Haven if you choose to live closer to the downtown/I-95 side.

[Stylo]

Hmm, I see backups occasionally on Exit 53, but nothing more than maybe a 5 minute delay. Doesn't look that bad.

[pjnugget]

go with downtown Milford, just left the area but it is walkable around downtown, only a 15-20 minute drive to Sikorsky and summers it's hopping!