[Henry10]

I think what some people mean with "walkable" for other people is "strollable."

For his family, I think OP means strollable. A few blocks of storefronts, downtown, restaurants, churches, and attorney offices.

That's what Ridgefield, Newtown, Litchfield, Bethel, New Milford offer. Pls note that I am staying away from the Merritt and 95.

For me and family Merritt and 95 Friday traffic have made anything along that way a deal-breaker

[SeaDoo342]

Originally Posted by Henry10

BTW Litchfield is equidistant to trains as Ridgefield. Just the train ride is 2 hrs vs 1 hr to GCT.

Ridgefield has their own train station, and they are very close (15 min) to Katonah. Litchfield is a 40 min drive to the nearest Metro North Station which is in Waterbury. Except on the Waterbury line, you have to change in Stamford I believe... or maybe Bridgeport.

[contador]

Ridgefield has a shuttle to the Katonah train station.

http://www.hartransit.com/routes/shu...05%20RF-KT.pdf

While Ridgefield has a terrific recreation center pool and popular Martin Pond for summer swimming, you might want to consider Ridgefield neighborhoods with their own pool and tennis associations. Ours has a great main pool, a shallow kiddie pool, a nice tennis court, a basketball court, softball & playground area, & ample covered area for grilling & picnics. It's a great gathering spot in summer, with middle-class, down-to-earth types. Normal people, not country clubbish.

Re arts in Ridgefield, I have friends in the Ridgefield Guild of Artists, and they're super friendly & supportive. They really enjoy the RGA community. Also, the Silvermine Arts Guild is a great place, though it's in near-by New Canaan (but worth the drive from Ridgefield).

If you come for a closer look, hope you check out our fabulous new movie house, The Prospector, and our lovely recently expanded library. Also, ask about our summer concerts in the park.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by SeaDoo342

Ridgefield has their own train station, and they are very close (15 min) to Katonah. Litchfield is a 40 min drive to the nearest Metro North Station which is in Waterbury. Except on the Waterbury line, you have to change in Stamford I believe... or maybe Bridgeport.

Danbury line is a slog, and not very reliable. Harlem line is much better. Most Ridgefield commuters use Katonah. During the morning rush hour Ridgefield to Katonah is about half hour.

Litchfield is about half hour from Amenia.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Henry10

Danbury line is a slog, and not very reliable. Harlem line is much better. Most Ridgefield commuters use Katonah. During the morning rush hour Ridgefield to Katonah is about half hour.

Litchfield is about half hour from Amenia.

During the morning rush, Ridgefield to the Katonah station is only about 15 minutes, maybe 20 from central Ridgefield. If you're closer to the border, it should only take 15 max.

You cannot even compare Ridgefield's NY access to Litchfield's. It's at least double the time from Litchfield.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

During the morning rush, Ridgefield to the Katonah station is only about 15 minutes, maybe 20 from central Ridgefield. If you're closer to the border, it should only take 15 max.

You cannot even compare Ridgefield's NY access to Litchfield's. It's at least double the time from Litchfield.

2/3 of Ridgefield's is North of center of town. Many commuters actually need more than 30 minutes to drive to Katonah.

And we're not even talking about the Shuttle, which alone is 1/2 hour from Memorial Church.

About Litchfield -- half of town is West of downtown. Of course trains from Amenia can't compare with access from Katonah, but OP is not looking for daily commute.

He is only looking for 1 trip / week. For OP the drive-out on Friday is the killer. That's why Ridgefield's appealing, all other things being equal.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Henry10

Of course trains from Amenia can't compare with access from Katonah, but OP is not looking for daily commute.

And the OP has stated they'd like ease to trains for a quick commute. Let's stop pushing towns that would give the OP a hellish commute, even if once a week. Time to put your own bias aside for their benefit.

I know many who commute from various locations in Ridgefield. One lives on the Redding line - she just replied it takes her 25 minutes from the furthest part of Ridgefield, to Katonah. Of course, this is snow/accidents aside.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

And the OP has stated they'd like ease to trains for a quick commute. Let's stop pushing towns that would give the OP a hellish commute, even if once a week. Time to put your own bias aside for their benefit.

I know many who commute from various locations in Ridgefield. One lives on the Redding line - she just replied it takes her 25 minutes from the furthest part of Ridgefield, to Katonah. Of course, this is snow/accidents aside.

I have no bias. Just want to give OP some accurate info and lay out the options for him to decide.

Litchfield was mentioned along with plenty of other towns, much further than Ridgefield, which offer OP more bang for the buck, plus much less "hedge fund people."

Again, you keep providing inaccurate travel time. Redding's border is about 2-3 miles from center of Ridgefield, while the northern border is 10 miles.

Do you know that Ridgefield's northern border is actually one mile away from I-84? Do you know that some Ridgefield commuters actually drive to SouthEast or Croton Falls rather than Katonah?

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Henry10

I have no bias. Just want to give OP some accurate info and lay out the options for him to decide.

Litchfield was mentioned along with plenty of other towns, much further than Ridgefield, which offer OP more bang for the buck, plus much less "hedge fund people."

Again, you keep providing inaccurate travel time. Redding's border is about 2-3 miles from center of Ridgefield, while the northern border is 10 miles.

Do you know that Ridgefield's northern border is actually one mile away from I-84? Do you know that some Ridgefield commuters actually drive to SouthEast or Croton Falls rather than Katonah?

Sorry but my information is not inaccurate. I've lived in the area for quite some time, have driven the Katonah route more times than I can count and it's not a half hour on an average day. Have you driven it? You're overestimating it, period.

Anyway, I think it's fair to say the OP is not interested in Litchfield for reasons previously stated.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Sorry but my information is not inaccurate. I've lived in the area for quite some time, have driven the Katonah route more times than I can count and it's not a half hour on an average day. Have you driven it? You're overestimating it, period.

Wife and I are actually contemplating moving out of the city, into the "peace and quiet", and going back to being "long-distance" commuters. I also have access to tons of data at work, real estate, demographics, commuting times, future outlook, you name it.

Ridgefield is definitely a candidate for us, and have looked at a lot more than just commute times. As I said, there are Ridgefield's NYC commuters who don't even drive to Katonah, although many do. Ridgefield is not a small town.

This discussion is actually useless for OP. For a few times in the summer that he'll take the train, he could just take the Danbury Line in-town. That was a great suggestion.