Information on Newtown (Bridgeport, New Haven, Stamford: housing, vacation, hospitals)

[mecawa]

I will be moving to CT very soon and am interested in Newtown. Can anyone give me any information on the town? Are some schools/neighboorhoods in town better than others? Are there any problems in town that I should know about before buying? Also, are there any daycare and preschool reccommendations? Thanks.

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by mecawa

I will be moving to CT very soon and am interested in Newtown. Can anyone give me any information on the town? Are some schools/neighboorhoods in town better than others? Are there any problems in town that I should know about before buying? Also, are there any daycare and preschool reccommendations? Thanks.

Newtown is a good choice for people who need to live in Fairfield County but can't afford the gold coast prices and want a town with fairly low population density.

I don't know of any part of Newtown that I would describe as a bad neighborhood (in the sense of crime, etc.).

The thing I worry about most here is the future property tax level. I don't have much confidence that the people running the town board and school board are making good decisions about spending.

To get an idea about specific town issues I suggest you read articles in the Newtown Bee (http://www.newtownbee.com/); that will give you an idea of the political and other events here in Newtown. Be sure to read the letters to the editor; some weeks that section is pretty lively.

Sorry, can't help on the daycare; someone else undoubtedly will.

[notjustamom]

Newtown is a wonderful town with great schools. It has a rural appeal that you won't find in the bigger towns and cities, yet it's only about 15 minutes away from Danbury. And there are really no bad neighborhoods. The Sandy Hook area probably has some of the least expensive homes, many of them are on smaller lots near Lake Zoar that were once vacation homes.

Unfortunately many of the towns around Newtown such as Monroe and Easton are also struggling with tax and budget issues, it isn't unique to Newtown. I'm not sure if that's common statewide, or just in Fairfield County.

[mecawa]

Thank you both for the information!! I will definitely check out the town newspaper. Does anyone know if there is a more convinent neighborhood in regards to commuting to either Danbury or Waterbury? Also where is the closest hospital?

[jad2000]

Originally Posted by mecawa

Thank you both for the information!! I will definitely check out the town newspaper. Does anyone know if there is a more convinent neighborhood in regards to commuting to either Danbury or Waterbury? Also where is the closest hospital?

You have a few options between Danbury and Waterbury.

Newtown is closer to Danbury, but you can also look at Southbury or a bit south in Oxford if you're looking to be right in between the two cities. Southbury is a quaint suburban town with a very spread out Main Street stretching for about two miles. There are suburban village-style strip malls housing retailers such as Gap, Vic's Secret, JoS A. Banc, Ann Taylor, Talbots etc. There's also a KMart, Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts, but that's about as commercial as Southbury gets. Oxford is also very nice, more rural than Southbury with homes being on larger lots in a more horse-country atmosphere. Oxford's location allows you to be within easy commuting distance to Danbury, Waterbury, New Haven and lower Fairfield County (Norwalk/Stamford). Southbury is a bit more removed from the bustle of Fairfield County and greater NYC as there is no easy access to the area other than I84. Both Oxford and Southbury have very good school districts performing above the state average for mastery testing. Southbury has a rigorous curriculum and Oxford just completed a very nice and picturesque high school.

The closest hospital to Newtown is Danbury Hospital (15 minutes), and the closest to Southbury is Danbury or Waterbury (about 20 minutes each). To Oxford, the nearest hospitals are Griffin Hospital in Derby (10-15 minutes) as well as hospitals in Waterbury, New Haven, Bridgeport and Danbury which are all about 25 minutes away.

[mecawa]

Is there an area of Newtown that is more commercial than others? We are coming from an area where we can be at almost any type of store, restaurant, and beach within 10 minutes. Also, how bad a commute would Newtown be to Waterbury during rush hour?

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by mecawa

Is there an area of Newtown that is more commercial than others? We are coming from an area where we can be at almost any type of store, restaurant, and beach within 10 minutes. Also, how bad a commute would Newtown be to Waterbury during rush hour?

Newtown zones out large stores, so there is no commercial district in the sense that I think you are asking about. There are clusters of small stores, but the largest stores in town are the supermarkets. Most people go to Danbury for shopping.

[JayCT]

Newtown is a small town and while it does have some small shops along South Main Street, Church Hill Road and Queen Street for your really serious shopping, you will have to travel. There are a couple of supermarkets in town and stores and restaurants to serve your everyday needs but that is about it. Jay

[jad2000]

Originally Posted by mecawa

Is there an area of Newtown that is more commercial than others? We are coming from an area where we can be at almost any type of store, restaurant, and beach within 10 minutes. Also, how bad a commute would Newtown be to Waterbury during rush hour?

Depending on where you live in Newtown, it should take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes to get to Waterbury. During rush hour, it's usually slow from exits 18 to 21 which can add on another 15 minutes to your commute.

[CTMOMOF3]

Maybe a silly question...but does Newtown have a Dunkin Donuts?