[Checkalex]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Alex and I am currently living in the United Kingdom. I am looking to emigrate to the Stamford,Connecticut but would like your advice.

-I am currently working as an IT Trainer in London
-I am willing to commute an 1 and a half hours
-I have two children both in private education (last year of school, doing A-Levels next year)
-I don't want to sound complicated but I am looking for a safe and peaceful environment but I don't want to be hours away from places like shopping centers. I would like minimal crime but I understand no-where is totally safe and definitely somewhere with good schools.
-I could spend 300K on a house maybe 350-400K depending on the house

Please give me as much information about Stamford as you can. Is it right for me and my family? What's crime rates like? What's the education system like? Transport? And AS MUCH information as possible.

Descriptive and informative responses would be most appreciated and I thank you all in advance for taking the time to read this thread.

If you need any further information about me please let me know

Thanks, Alex

[glxyman21]

Stamford is a nice city. It is a city so does have some urban like issues. The public schools are underperforming, and many send their children to private schools in the area. For transportation there is Metro North Railroad that can bring you down into NYC and New Haven, while also passing through other towns along the way. There are some buses and taxis but these are limited. A personal car is essential.

Stamford itself has a lot of shops and restaurants around, so you will be nearby all that you would need.

A budget of $300-400K will hardly buy you a house. and if there is one for sale in that price range it will be very tiny and in need of heavy updating. You can buy a town house for that amount though. The average amount for a small house in Stamford is around $500,000.

Here is a profile of the city compiled by the state for some added information

http://products.cerc.com/pdf/tp/stamford.pdf

[JayCT]

Hi Alex - Welcome to Connecticut. Stamford is located in southwestern Connecticut not far from New York City. It is one of the areas of the country to live due to high housing costs. Many people that work in Stamford, live several miles away and commute. This has created a nightmare along the major highways in the area (I-95 and Route 15). Fortunately there is excellent commuter rail service available along the shoreline from New Haven to Stamford. There is alos very good commuter railservice from the town east of New Haven to Old Saybrook.

Because of your price range, you will have to look somewhat far from Stamford. The towns closer to Stamford are more expensive. You might find something in Norwalk but be careful because Norwalk is a small city and does have some issues. This is true in Bridgeport too. Next I would check Stratford and Milford. These are very nice towns with a lot to offer. I would also look at the towns of Branford, Guilford, Madison, Clinton and Westbrook. All beautiful towns with most amentities you are looking for.

I woud like to note that many of the towns in this area have excellent public schools and people pay a little extra to live there so they do not have to pay for private schools. If you did this would you be able to afford a more expensive home? Jay

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by Checkalex

Hello Everyone,

My name is Alex and I am currently living in the United Kingdom. I am looking to emigrate to the Stamford,Connecticut but would like your advice.

-I am currently working as an IT Trainer in London
-I am willing to commute an 1 and a half hours
-I have two children both in private education (last year of school, doing A-Levels next year)
-I don't want to sound complicated but I am looking for a safe and peaceful environment but I don't want to be hours away from places like shopping centers. I would like minimal crime but I understand no-where is totally safe and definitely somewhere with good schools.
-I could spend 300K on a house maybe 350-400K depending on the house

Please give me as much information about Stamford as you can. Is it right for me and my family? What's crime rates like? What's the education system like? Transport? And AS MUCH information as possible.

Descriptive and informative responses would be most appreciated and I thank you all in advance for taking the time to read this thread.

If you need any further information about me please let me know

Thanks, Alex

Hey there Alex! Hope you decide to live and work in the Fairfield County area!
With your field, you will have absolutely no problem finding a good-paying job in the Fairfield County/New York City area. As-a-matter-of-fact, Stamford has 2 of the world's largest investment banking headquarters (or branches of headquarters), located here. UBS and RBS are right downtown and as you probably know, pay an average salary of around $200-$250k per person. I'm sure IT jobs are abundant. In addition, Stamford has other very high-paying service companies such as Purdue-Pharma, Phillips, GE, Pitney-Bowes, and many other small banking/finance firms.
The Stamford city itself sits on Long Island Sound with several nice public beaches and parks. The Metro North railroad runs right through the heart of downtown Stamford and will get you into Grand Central Station in Manhattan in 44 minutes!! The railroad also has 2 other stops in the city of Stamford--Glenbrook and Springdale.
Overall, Stamford is one of the countries safest cities. It sits in one of the wealthiest counties in the United States--Fairfield County. Wealth is obvious and abundant in and around Stamford. As a result, there are homes and condos that are extremely expensive. Donald Trump is building a 350 foot high luxury condo tower downtown; the Ritz-Carlton Hotel and Condos are currently slated to be built downtown, and another luxury highrise, "The Highgrove," is under construction with prices starting around $1.2 million.
Stamford is a corporate-magnet, it seems. The downtown area is zoned to include most "big-box" stores. Downtown has a Target, a large Burlington Coat Factory, and a really nice mall that just underwent a major expansion and has added H&M and Barnes and Noble, along with a lot of extra higher-end restaurants. Downtown is poised to get better and better with all the money pouring in.
Regarding the schools, unfortunately the high-school level public schools in Stamford have suffered a setback with this superintendant--Josh Starr. He is not from Stamford, nor does he even live in the state of Connecticut. He was Harvard-educated, and lives in Brooklyn, NY. He is treating the schools essentially like a corporation--and the school board unfortunately thinks he knows everything there is to know about education. Plus, the superintendant has never taught a day in his life. He is just 35 or 36 years old. Quite upsetting a situation. However, there are several very nice private schools in Stamford and the elementary/middle schools are not as declining as the high schools right now.
Your price range for a home is a bit low for Stamford. Most 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes will cost around $600k-$700k for 3,000 square feet and up. However, prices have dropped in Stamford and I've seen some 3 bedroom, 2 bath cape cod homes around 1,400 square feet for about $400,000. It can easily be done if you are willing to give up size.
When are you making the move?

[Checkalex]

Thanks for those replies. I will look into the schools in more detail and house prices. If you have any other contacts in Stamford that could help please let me know.
Please keep posting :-)