[SydAust]

My husbands company's head office is in Stamford CT. They want him to move there (from Australia ) .
So in my first of many questions... If you had to commute to down-town Stamford 3-4 days a week, Where would you live?
I have to take into account family with 2 children, 1 13YO & 1 5YO.
So I want good schools as well.
We would want 3 bedrooms + 1 study for the husband.
Budget being around 3-4K/month rent.
I've had a look at Trulia etc but really want a locals opinion on where's good/not so great.
If you need more info to answer please ask!

I have a lot of questions surrounding schools, swimming lessons, day care costs etc etc is it best to ask here, or is there another forum for this sort of more specific 'parental' type info?

Thank you for your responses!!

SydAust.

[Stylo]

All questions can be asked here.

Believe it or not, that budget doesn't go very far around there. Greenwich would be a great option, but the pickings are slim under $4k for a house that size.

Is your office near the train station? Walking distance?

If so, you may want to consider Westport or Fairfield. Great schools, nice beaches, nice downtowns/shopping, lower rent - especially Fairfield.

[JayCT]

What do you expect to get for the rent you are looking at spending? Stamford is a small city in one of the most expensive parts of this country. Surrounding Stamford itself and nearby are some of the most exclusive, desirable and priciest suburbs of New York. People are willing to pay a lot to live in them primarily because they have excellent public schools and are beautiful communities with a lot to offer families. Stamford schools struggle however so it is less desirable to live there and many people will send their children to private schools if they choose to live there.

The immediate towns next to Stamford are Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan. All three are beautiful, offer excellent schools and have some of the priciest homes in the country. You will not get a lot of home for your money in them. Commuting to Stamford from these though will be easy since your husband can drive without getting on a major highway. Any further away though will be tough since the two major highways, I-95 and the Merritt Parkway, have a lot of traffic during peak hours. There is a commuter rail line that does run along the coast which offers service into Stamford from towns to the east where homes are more affordable.

Other towns to consider include Wilton, Ridgefield, Redding, Westport, Weston, Fairfield, Easton and Trumbull. Fairfield and Westport are on the coast and have train stations. The other towns are inland and do not but your husband could still drive to one of the stations to take the train into Stamford. Because these towns are not really that far though, most people just drive into Stamford. I hope this helps. Jay

[Mike 75]

Ridgefield, Wilton and Fairfield are probably the best places to start, but you may not find a lot of rentals. Fairfield will likely have more of a selection than Ridgefield and Wilton. Wilton and Ridgefield have better commutes to Stamford by car, but Fairfield is better by train. All have good schools. It's hard to go wrong with any of them.

[SydAust]

Thanks ALL! I wasn't thinking of staying Stamford city centre, more outside it. So thanks for the recommendations.
I've had a good look around on Trulia etc but it's just hard to gauge a decent 'burb. Sounds like there's not too much to be concerned about in the near vicinity. Probably easier to ask where not to live. But I don't want to offend!!

[JayCT]

It is probably best to avoid the cities including Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and Danbury. Most of the rest of the towns nearby are good places to live and would depend on your budget, what you expect to get for that budget, how far a commute you want and the type of community you want to live in. Jay

[AntonioR]

There's not much to worry about in 95% of Stamford and in the few areas that have issues, for the most part the issues are not as bad as in more typical bad areas in this country.

If you are still looking within Stamford, simply list the neighborhoods you are interested and many of us will orient you concerning their reputation and things of that nature.

Stamford is by far the best of the 'important' cities in this state. Stamford consistently ranks among the wealthiest cities, the most vibrant downtowns, the safest cities in the country and many other superlatives. Its also a polifaceted city that within its borders it offers urban, suburban, and exurban/semi-rural settings.

While Stamford is an unusual important city in this state regarding that the majority of its population are people of European descent, the population is also very diverse from an ethnic/cultural point of view. The nicestt thing about Stamford is that the poverty rate is quite low for a city and its a solidly middle class place, with a slight skewed towards the upper middle.

The city also offers many exciting events year round and especially during the warmer months.

I do recommend Stamford above all other cities unless you are looking for something that is much more proper for towns rather than cities.

Welcome to Connecticut!

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by JayCT

It is probably best to avoid the cities including Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and Danbury. Most of the rest of the towns nearby are good places to live and would depend on your budget, what you expect to get for that budget, how far a commute you want and the type of community you want to live in. Jay

Stamford has 1 murder this year and Norwalk 0

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by BPt111

Stamford has 1 murder this year and Norwalk 0

That's not super relevant...

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by Stylo

That's not super relevant...

He saying like if they don't have desirable places to live but you if have kids I won't recommend them
Fairfield, Weston, Wilton etc has better school system.