[NewJeffCT]

Connecticut has one of the lowest teen pregnancy and teen birth rates in the country, a low divorce rate, a low crime rate and well above average public schools. I'd say it's a pretty good place to raise a family. Not perfect, by any stretch, but better than many places.

[Prophet Jeremiah]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

Connecticut has one of the lowest teen pregnancy and teen birth rates in the country, a low divorce rate, a low crime rate and well above average public schools. I'd say it's a pretty good place to raise a family. Not perfect, by any stretch, but better than many places.

There is a lot of drug trafficking going on through the rich towns. You would be surprised which kids are involved.Many adults do something dirty in their job, are alcoholics, are swingers, or pop pills. There is a lot of bad things beneath the surface. This place is morally bankrupt. God knows I don't want my kids to grow up that fast.

[andthentherewere3]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

Connecticut has one of the lowest teen pregnancy and teen birth rates in the country, a low divorce rate, a low crime rate and well above average public schools. I'd say it's a pretty good place to raise a family. Not perfect, by any stretch, but better than many places.

I agree with you.

What the heck is wrong with this forum lately, so many weird posts....

[dazzleman]

Whether Greenwich is a good place to raise a family depends a lot on what your values are.

Being a rich town, Greenwich has a lot of materialism, and there will be exposure to people with extreme wealth. Some people are looking for that, while others will consider that a bad influence.

Personally, I would pick a different town. I prefer a place that's a bit more down to earth. There are many other towns in Connecticut that would meet that criteria, especially if you're not commuting to New York on a daily basis.

[vIRGE]

You can afford Greenwich, but you wont get a big house, maybe 2500 square feet.

[kidyankee764]

Greenwich is great and you'll be able to get a decent house there in your price range. Coming from California, anything will seem charming. I love the west coast, but the towns there have zero charm. Greenwich sounds exactly what you're looking for. Close to the big city, sophisticated, wealthy area, good schools and nice little downtowns in each "village" (villages include Old Greenwich, Cos Cob, Riverside, etc).

I don't recommend the towns east of New Haven as someone else did. They are beautiful, still very sophisticated and affluent, but very far from amenities.

[roxyrn]

Try New Canaan- singing Christmas carols on God's Acre, Fourth of July at Waveny Mansion, Halloween parade down Elm Street...
Just hop on a train at "The Next Station to Heaven" and you can be at Grand Central in an hour or so, depending on if you have to connect in Stamford.
Excellent school system, parks, clubs, etc.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by roxyrn

Try New Canaan- singing Christmas carols on God's Acre, Fourth of July at Waveny Mansion, Halloween parade down Elm Street...
Just hop on a train at "The Next Station to Heaven" and you can be at Grand Central in an hour or so, depending on if you have to connect in Stamford.
Excellent school system, parks, clubs, etc.

Note that the dynamic of the town is continuously changing. While not gauche(yet), NC has definitely become less "reserved" over the last 5 years or so.

[jax12479]

Central Greenwich does not have the Norman Rockwell vibe you're looking for, but as far as amenities (shopping, restaurants and proximity to NYC) you can't beat it. A lot of people think Greenwich natives are "materialistic" because all they know of Greenwich is Greenwich Ave. Here's a little tip: most people who actually live in Greenwich don't spend that much time on the Ave -- it's filled with people from neighboring towns in CT & Westchester.

As for budget, $2 million will get you a very nice house - not a mansion. So if you're looking for some semblance of "normalcy" you won't feel like a big shot on that budget (which is nice). Check out neighborhoods in Riverside & Old Greenwich. There is a strong neighborhood community, people are friendly, kids walk or bike to school - it's idyllic in many ways. Cos Cob and Glenville also have strong neighborhood ties, but you have a big budget for those areas. Mid-country and backcountry are probably not what you're looking for -- lots of privacy and mansions, not much walkability and not as convenient to the train.

I'd put Darien as my second choice, it still has a lot of charm but not as much by way of amenities.

[jennm59]

I looked for quite some time to find the "ideal location," and scouting Greenwich, etc..

To be honest, Greenwich struck me as very much a commuter town, with few true roots and land. There are big homes, but I found a lack of community and land that we wanted. We ended up choosing Washington, CT. It is about 2 hours from NYC (1.5 on a good day), and my neighbors range from an organic farmer to a hedge fund guy. We are looking forward to our first organic farm-share.

Overall, I liked the emphasis on the environment, there is really no worry about safety (I come from a city - so this was shocking), and it feels like even the farmers run "gentleman farms" that are neat and well kept...often along million-dollar homes and renovations that overlook the Litchfield hills and nature preserves.

They also have amazing private schools like "The Gunnery," which have long-standing traditions of excellence, and the town has a wonderful feel...it was the setting that "The Gilmore Girls" were based off of, if you recall that show. We have some fantastic restaurants (Community Table) as well as a local diner (Hidden Valley Eatery) and coffee shop (Marty's) and independent bookstore that are still running strong.

Also, with the town, you have lake rights, and the town keeps canoes free for all to use, and...as an aside, Washington has the lowest mill rate in the state.

I'm sure there are many places to choose from in your search - but for us, this was a perfect choice. Feel free to message me if you have any questions...I'm sure others on the forum have other towns to choose from that are quite nice as well. Best of luck.