[gesso]

Hi!

What can people tell me about Durham? My impression is that it has a small downtown with some shops and restaurants, walkable streets, good schools, pretty houses -- sounds like the perfect town, but is this all true? What would the commute be like (by car) to Hamden and to the center of New Haven (husband will be working at both)? And is it as convenient to get to Wallingford, Meridenn, and Middletown as it looks on the map?

I've also been thinking about Guilford -- seems to tick all the boxes for a user-friendly attractive town one could really live in. However I'm worried about the commute for my husband on I-95. Could he at least travel on local roads diagonally up to Hamden? And is there some construction on I-95 that is improving the commute along the shore?

Thanks for any comments or advice -- this forum has been indespensible to me.

Gesso

[JayCT]

Durham is a nice small town that is still somewhat rural in character. The center of town does have a few small stores and there are plans to add to them but most major shopping will have to be done elsewhere. The schools in Durham are considered to be very good. The commute to Hamden will be easy (20 to 30 minutes) and the commute to New Haven should take about 30 to 45 minutes depending on where your husband will be traveling to.

Guilford is also a nice town but is a little more suburban in character. It has managed though to maintain its charm and its location on the shoreline is wonderful. The schools are also considered to be very good. The commute to Hamden should not be bad (30 minutes) but the commute into New Haven by car would be difficult. I-95 is currently under construction in New Haven and it will be years before that work is complete. The nice thing though is your husband does have the option of using the Shoreline East Commuter Railroad from Guilford to New Haven if he does not need his car for work. Many people use this train and there are good connections to most parts of the city from Union or State Street Stations where the trains stop. Good luck, Jay

[gesso]

Thanks Jay, this is really useful. What about Northford? I never hear anyone mention it.

What about the commute from Milford to Hamden and New Haven? It is also quite high on my short-list.

All the best,
Gesso

[JayCT]

Northford is part of the Town of North Branford. It is a small community (14,000 residents) that is somewhat rural in character. The schools are considered to be very good with Connecticut Mastery Test scores exceeding the state averages. Class sizes however appear to be a little large (exceeding 20 students per class in many grades).

The commute from Milford to Hamden would be easy going straight up the Wilbur Cross Parkway a few exits. Depnding where in New Haven he will be going, the trip could be difficult since I-95 northbound is congested getting into the city as well. Without traffic it would be about 15 to 20 minutes, with traffic it could be 30 to 45. If there is an accident, even more. Again, another option would be taking the train from Milford into New Haven. service from Milford into New Haven would be on Metro-North Commuter Railroad and would be considered a reverse commute since most commuters are heading toward New York in the morning and out of New York in the evening. Milford is a nice town with very good schools. It has great shopping (the region's major shopping mall is located there) and a lot of family related activities. Jay