[FutureTown]

With the given information, I would say Ridgefield. You're somewhat between two hospitals in the form of Danbury (closer) and Norwalk (farther). There are several doctors/specialists; especially in the Danbury area. 1M will do just fine in Ridgefield. You can easily get a nice house with ATLEAST an acre. The schools are top notch in the state. In my personal opinion, I feel like Ridgefield High School is top 5. I can't comment on the elementary/middle like that since I'm not as familiar. But, I do know Ridgefield Public schools in general are amazing.

Since train isn't an option, I would want to avoid Merritt Parkway/I-95 for NYC commute, anyways. From Ridgefield, you can hop on over to I-684 and have a smoother ride down to the City.

I'm like your husband. I don't mind long commutes if it's every now and then. Ridgefield should be around a hour and half. Depending on traffic, of course.

It should be noted that the other towns you listed are just as good. It'll come down to personal preference at this point. I would personally give an edge to Wilton/Ridgefield over the others listed.

[NewJeffCT]

You can't always judge a school by their test scores, but here is some info on that:

In terms of test scores for the state, the best SAT scores are typically New Canaan, Darien, Westport, Wilton and Weston, with Ridgefield, Avon, Simsbury, Madison and Easton/Redding usually the second five, and Greenwich, Glastonbury, Farmington and a few others after that. There could be a few differences on a year to year basis, but over the last 3-4 years, it's been those towns near the top.

[jesse_f]

I'm going to second (third?) the town of Fairfield. You're 10 min from the Bridgeport ferry, 15 min from both Bridgeport and Norwalk hospitals, $1mm will get you an acre in Greenfield Hill or University area, great schools, plus - here's the kicker - the beach. Just my two cents.

[Raider111]

I can cheerlead for Greenfield Hill also. You have one of the top ranked elementary schools in the whole state and the smallest in town. They also have a pre-school program there for 3-4 year olds.

[Stylo]

Fairfield is a great option. You are next door to one of the best hospitals in the state, St. Vincent's in Bridgeport, and pretty close (30 minutes, conservatively) to THE best hospital in the state, and one of the best in the country, Yale New Haven.

http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ct

However, why are you excluding New Haven County and including Hartford? Woodbridge and Orange are a heck of a lot closer to NYC than the Hartford area towns, and meet all your criteria (although your budget is a bit high for Orange). Even Guilford and Madison are closer than the Hartford area towns, though I think they would be too far for your needs.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

In terms of test scores for the state, the best SAT scores are typically New Canaan, Darien, Westport, Wilton and Weston, with Ridgefield, Avon, Simsbury, Madison and Easton/Redding usually the second five, and Greenwich, Glastonbury, Farmington and a few others after that. There could be a few differences on a year to year basis, but over the last 3-4 years, it's been those towns near the top.

You forgot Amity, Fairfield, Guilford, and Madison which are all top performing.

[hvexpatinct]

Any of the towns you're considering are great. Sounds like you need to plan around airport access too. Bradley is easy to get to from greater Hartford, but flight options are more limited than in the NYC area.

As for living in FFC - we use the medical group associated with Danbury Hospital and are really happy with them. We've also been really happy with our interactions with the hospital itself, and actually with Yale Medical Group, for that matter, for more complex situations.

In Fairfield County, Yale and Westchester would have your closest children's hospitals - if you ended up living closer to Hartford, CCMC is excellent.

[kidyankee764]

With a $1.2m budget, I wouldn't go any further than Darien. $1.2 won't get you a massive home, but your body will thank you (stress, quality of life). I agree with the others that driving is not an option and you need to look along the New Haven line.

If you really insist on not taking the train, then I'd recommend Ridgefield, where you can approach the city from the northeast (684) and not the east. Traffic on the Merritt and 95 isn't fun. You'd get a nice house in your budget (double what you can get in Darien) and the schools are excellent. PM me if you have any questions on the town. I know it well.

[NewJeffCT]

Originally Posted by Stylo

You forgot Amity, Fairfield, Guilford, and Madison which are all top performing.

Amity, Fairfield and Guilford typically are not in the top 10 in terms of SAT scores (the measure I was citing). All three towns are typically in the 15-25 range. Excellent school systems with a lot to offer, but not quite as good as the others in terms of SAT scores. I also qualified my opinion by stating that you can't judge a school solely by its SAT scores, but all of the top towns will typically have at least 95-97% of the students taking the SAT, so it's a pretty good measure overall.

Also, I did mention Madison in there

[TripleEight]

I would look at Weston - right now you'll get more for your money there than in Wilton or Westport plus the zoning is 2 acres minimum. Also, Weston HS is ranked number 1 in Fairfield County. The drive to Manhattan is about 1 hour if you leave by say 6.30 am and 1.5 to 2 hours getting back in the late afternoon.