[FionaMarlowe]

Hello all

Well - my boyfriend and I have been staring at the Connecticut map and craigslist rental listings for the past two months, and finally decided to pester you wonderfully knowledgeable City-Data folks to see if you might have any ideas for us.

We had previously moved from the Midwest out East and loved living close to NYC (1.5 hour train ride), although we didn't like our first location of house (Long Island - not terrible, just ended up being a scene we didn't really fit into.) We had to move back to the Midwest for the past year due to a family emergency, but before we left we had the opportunity to check out the Connecticut coastline - we particularly LOVED Greenwich, Westport, and Milford, and also loved Rye across into the NY border.

Problem is, all of those places are over our admittedly limited budget. And we can't get the space we want in most of the apartments we're finding in those locales (we both work/write from home a good portion of the time, therefore needing a little separation), nor can we seem to find anything with outdoor space - nothing fancy, just something well-maintained with a bit of pretty scenery/trees and a place to sit or maybe put a small barbeque.

So since to us, 1-2 hours on the train to get to NYC is worth it right now given that the Midwest is 16 hours away from NYC (we don't work in the City - we do writing/film projects, so we don't have to commute daily), we were pondering what I guess you'd call "upstate" Connecticut.

But while we spent 3 weeks investigating the towns from Rye to Mystic before we left, we didn't think to go upstate at all, so what we are asking you guys is this - are there any towns within 2 hours by train to NYC that have:

- Water somewhere nearby (pretty park, lake, etc.)
- Fairly flood/storm-safe (a new concern added after Sandy)
- Cute enough downtown with some personality, a place to hang out in on a daily basis with a few cafes, coffeeshops, a movie theatre, and perhaps some access to bigger chain stores or a mall for "regular" grocery shopping, toiletries, etc. - we know it's not NYC but we'd like something with a little vibrancy
- Reasonable access to train station, and a train schedule that keeps the trains running late
- Places to hike, walk, bike...

And finally:

- Rent for around $1000 max that would include 2 bedrooms or perhaps one bedroom and a little den or something of the sort - we prefer detached (ie cottage or carriage house) or a duplex, or perhaps something above a shop - we'd consider a condo-type unit, but no big apartment buildings.

Suggestions and ideas are welcome! We are hoping to move back in March, so figured now is a good time to start re-planning our return.

Thank you in advance
Fiona

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by FionaMarlowe

we particularly LOVED Greenwich, Westport, and Milford, and also loved Rye across into the NY border.

I have to note that Greenwich and Westport are a lot different than Milford. Milford is solidly middle class while Greenwich and Westport are some of the wealthiest towns in the country.

In your price range, I'd suggest you take a look at Stratford. It might be out of your budget as well, but it's worth a look and it's closer to NYC than Milford is by about 5-10 minutes each way. If you can't find much, take a look at Seymour. It has a Metro North station downtown but it's a limited schedule since it's on the Waterbury branch, so many residents would drive to Bridgeport or Milford. Lastly, look at West Haven. It's affordable, though some areas are sketchy, and they are building a new station in town. It doesn't have the quaintness of Seymour or Stratford but it's definitely an option for you.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

In your price range, I'd suggest you take a look at Stratford. It might be out of your budget as well, but it's worth a look and it's closer to NYC than Milford is by about 5-10 minutes each way. If you can't find much, take a look at Seymour. It has a Metro North station downtown but it's a limited schedule since it's on the Waterbury branch, so many residents would drive to Bridgeport or Milford. Lastly, look at West Haven. It's affordable, though some areas are sketchy, and they are building a new station in town. It doesn't have the quaintness of Seymour or Stratford but it's definitely an option for you.

I don't necessarily disagree with the suggestions of West Haven, Seymour, or Stratford. I do think it's going to be a big reach to find 2Br.@$1K though. I'm thinking a place like Middletown might be a better fit, although it is more than 2hrs. from the city.

[FionaMarlowe]

Thanks, KidYankee - yeah, we definitely noticed the difference, but there were some really pretty pockets of Milford and their downtown is very cute and seems to be a place of pride for the community, which we really liked. Will definitely check out the other towns you mentioned! Thank you!

[FionaMarlowe]

Thank you, Stratford CT Resident - would you mind telling us more about Middletown?

And KidYankee, forgot - what might you know in more detail about Stratford and Seymour?

ANYTHING you each could share would be terrific, thank you so much for your time.

(So tricky trying to pick towns to consider from a distance! )

[Stylo]

Stratford might be good but I agree that it might be a bit expensive. Seymour and West Haven are good options and are relatively close to the city and also near Milford for shopping and the downtown.

You may also want to consider Bethel, but I have a feeling it might be out of your price range. It's closer to Milford in rent.

Wallingford and Middletown are worth considering too.

[FionaMarlowe]

Great, thanks Stylo, appreciate having a couple new towns to consider!

If anyone can share ANY detailed info on any of the above towns, we'd really appreciate it - we looked up all of the "official" city websites, but as I'm sure all of you know, there's nothing better than people who have been there in-person

[Stylo]

Wallingford has a charming little downtown and then tons of strip mall shopping nearby. You're near Hamdem, New Haven, Milford and the eastern shoreline for further activity and such. It's even a reasonable drive to West Hartford. It could be a good option for you. The only downside is no train, you'd have to drive to another station.

West Haven makes a lot of sense too if you can find a reasonable rental in a non-sketchy area. It's actually in a great location for your wants. There will be a train station soon and in the meantime is a short drive to Milford or Bridgeport.

I'd put Middletown 3rd because of distance to NYC and lack of train access, but it is cheap and has a relatively active downtown.

[FionaMarlowe]

Great info, thank you!

Have added Wallingford to the list. We didn't really like Bridgeport too much, not sure why.

[Csiko]

It could be a good option for you. The only downside is no train, you'd have to drive to another station.

There's a train station in the center of Wallingford downtown. Train ride to NYC is 2 hours (has to be Amtrak though, MTA doesn't come here). This is both a blessing and a pain, however, because traffic near the center of town gets pretty extreme when the train stops at the station.

You'll also certainly find something within your price range and the downtown area itself is quite nice. Also, we have our own power plant so you don't lose power in large, crazy storms like Irene and Sandy.