Relo from Chicago…Ridgefield vs. Wilton vs. Redding (Bridgeport, Stamford: fit in, homes)
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My family and two very young children (1 and 2 yrs old; my wife and I are 33) are moving from the Chicago area for work in Ridgefield (Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma). We are narrowing down the site of our future relo city to Ridgefield, Wilton, Redding, and possibly Weston.
Schools are top priority, but so is being close to my work and "downtown” (meaning downtown Ridgefield in this case unless the others also boast a significant “downtown”). In reality, I believe that our children will do well in any school, that we will “fit in” to any of the above cities, and ultimately (and importantly) be happy in our decision…but am seeking some other opinions on the pros / cons of living in the above cities if you have first-hand knowledge.
CT magazine isn’t entirely helpful as they divide the towns into so many segments that the data appear meaningless to compare between these particular towns. My worries? Not too many …but to be picky and make the best decision...
Regarding schools, it seems like Wilton/Weston hold the top spot followed by Ridgefield, and then Redding (based on 2007 SAT scores). Does this translate into meaningful differences in the opinion of the readers or only a modest quantitative separation?
What about home appreciation? Can I expect it to be better in Ridgefield vs. Redding? What about in comparison to Wilton/Weston?
Anything to think about regarding the commute to Ridgebury (place of work; e.g., is Weston too far?)?
Are there “parts” of any town to avoid? What about good parts of the cities (e.g. Ridgefield has a number of elementary schools…are there any that are “better” or ones to “avoid”?.
Are there Mom’s groups in each city or activities for new couples?
All of the above considered, and then some, what is the perceived hierarchy (“prestige”) of these towns if you asked a native (best - to - 4th place knowing that all are “good”)…with my thinking that “prestige” translates into better resale, better schools, etc?
Dr. R,
Just curious where in Chicago you reside? We are relocating out East this summer from Lakeview. I too can appreciate this thread because I will be working in Wilton and we are flirting with Ridgefield, Wilton, Weston, Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk, and Stamford (yes it is kind of a long list!).
Best of luck!
-Rozman
You can't go wrong in any of the towns you are looking at, it is splitting hairs at which one is the "best", but rather focus on the community that fits your needs.
Redding is a rural community with not much going on, very quiet and little commercial establishments- you will have to travel out of town for all your needs. Taxes will be higher because of no tax base other than residential. Homes will be on very large lots (1-2 acres minimum).
Wilton is more towards a traditional suburb, but less so than Ridgefield. This is the most expensive community of the three mentioned, Redding would be second. Homes will be on large lots as well and there is a semi-rural feeling to the town but also some commercial businesses. I say this is more family oriented than Redding is.
Ridgefield is a traditional suburb with a decent sized population. There is a good amount of commercial space in town which help to offset the tax base as well as meet your shopping needs. Homes will have somewhat smaller lots, but 1/2 acre and 1 acre+ lots are common. I would say this is a more family oriented suburb than Wilton is due to the higher population and more kids.
Home appreiciation is hard to judge at this point in the economy. This area is largely influenced by New York City..so take that as you will. Home prices will be higher, but have the potential to fall the greatest amount. If I were to rate the towns on prestige it would be 1- Wilton, 2- Redding, 3- Ridgefield
Glxyman pretty much summed it all up - All of these towns would be excellent choices. The schools are excellent and there really isn't such a thing as a "bad" area in any of them.
One thing to note though about you looking at SAT scores, keep in mind that a higher percentage of students in Connecticut take SATs than other parts of the country. That is because a college education is more often considered a "must" here so more kids take the tests even those who would not consider college if they were living in other parts of the country.
It is hard to rate the towns you are considering, each one has its good points. What is good for one person is not for another. I would guess that for prestige Wilton would be 1, Weston 2, Ridgefield 3 and Redding 4. But none of these would be by much.
There is probably more to do for newcomers in Wilton and Ridgefield than the more rural towns of Redding and Weston. Both of those towns have large portions that serve as watershed for Bridgeport's water supply. Beautiful area though. Weston is really sort of an extension of Westport, so if you moved there expect to spend time in Westport which is great. None of these towns would be a difficult commute to Ridgebury. I would suggest checking out all four towns and deciding which two you like best and then concentrate on finding a home that serves your needs and budget. Good luck and welcome to Connecticut. Jay
My family and two very young children (1 and 2 yrs old; my wife and I are 33) are moving from the Chicago area for work in Ridgefield (Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma). We are narrowing down the site of our future relo city to Ridgefield, Wilton, Redding, and possibly Weston.
Schools are top priority, but so is being close to my work and "downtown” (meaning downtown Ridgefield in this case unless the others also boast a significant “downtown”). In reality, I believe that our children will do well in any school, that we will “fit in” to any of the above cities, and ultimately (and importantly) be happy in our decision…but am seeking some other opinions on the pros / cons of living in the above cities if you have first-hand knowledge.
CT magazine isn’t entirely helpful as they divide the towns into so many segments that the data appear meaningless to compare between these particular towns. My worries? Not too many …but to be picky and make the best decision...
Regarding schools, it seems like Wilton/Weston hold the top spot followed by Ridgefield, and then Redding (based on 2007 SAT scores). Does this translate into meaningful differences in the opinion of the readers or only a modest quantitative separation?
What about home appreciation? Can I expect it to be better in Ridgefield vs. Redding? What about in comparison to Wilton/Weston?
Anything to think about regarding the commute to Ridgebury (place of work; e.g., is Weston too far?)?
Are there “parts” of any town to avoid? What about good parts of the cities (e.g. Ridgefield has a number of elementary schools…are there any that are “better” or ones to “avoid”?.
Are there Mom’s groups in each city or activities for new couples?
All of the above considered, and then some, what is the perceived hierarchy (“prestige”) of these towns if you asked a native (best - to - 4th place knowing that all are “good”)…with my thinking that “prestige” translates into better resale, better schools, etc?
Thanks to all…
Dr. R
There is a pretty active Newcomer's Club in Wilton.
Dr. R,
Just curious where in Chicago you reside? We are relocating out East this summer from Lakeview. I too can appreciate this thread because I will be working in Wilton and we are flirting with Ridgefield, Wilton, Weston, Westport, Fairfield, Norwalk, and Stamford (yes it is kind of a long list!).
Best of luck!
-Rozman
Rozman - we currently live in Lake County, North of Chicago. My wife and I are really looking forward to the move as we lived on the East coast (Boston) for a few years during my fellowship; it was a fantastic experience. Best of luck to you and yours in the upcoming move.
Thanks Glyxman, JayCT and shwee for your comments, it is much appreciated.
I moved to Wilton when my kids were 5,3, and my son was born here just after we moved. I think all of the towns have good reputations, but very different in terms of commercial activity, and concentration of other activities. Wilton has a very active Newcomers group (join it if you move here) and once your kids are in preschool, that is another great way to meet other families. The Wilton family Y is another hub of activities for preschoolers through adults. There is a small community pond/playground (Merwin Meadows), but no "public" pool. Ridgefield does have a new community pool/park which is very nice, and the downtown is great for strolling, shopping and grabbing a bite to eat. Wilton's downtown is very small and older kids/teens complain there is not enough to do. Drive down on Fri/Sat night and there are some groups just "hanging in the center" wandering from Starbucks to the pizza place etc. Redding and Weston have even less activity. Wilton is considered somewhat more commutable to NYC than Ridgefield (although still not great) so that helps property values a bit more. We ended up splitting the difference, and live in North Wilton (close to Ridgefield where we frequently run some errands, shop or dine) with pretty easy access to New Canaan as well. Both Wilton and Ridgefield schools have good reputations. Wilton technically has 2 early elementary schools (Miller and Driscoll; prek-2) but they share a campus, share facilities, and placement is random, not based upon your address and both have same curriculum. I do not know enough about Ridgefield specific elementary schools to comment. Good Luck, and welcome to the Nutmeg State.
I agree with the other posters that you cannot go wrong with any community you listed. Since Ridgefield is such a beautiful town and so close to your work, I'd highly suggest living in northern Ridgefield (Ridgebury Road area). It's a beautiful area with a mix of middle class homes and large, grand estates. The schools are excellent, people are friendly and you have Danbury a stone's throw away for all of your shopping needs. BoIng actually straddles the Danbury/Ridgefield town line.
If you chose Wilton, Redding or Weston, your morning commute would have you on Route 7 which, even without traffic, isn't the greatest drive.
I agree with the other posters that you cannot go wrong with any community you listed. Since Ridgefield is such a beautiful town and so close to your work, I'd highly suggest living in northern Ridgefield (Ridgebury Road area). It's a beautiful area with a mix of middle class homes and large, grand estates. The schools are excellent, people are friendly and you have Danbury a stone's throw away for all of your shopping needs. BoIng actually straddles the Danbury/Ridgefield town line.
If you chose Wilton, Redding or Weston, your morning commute would have you on Route 7 which, even without traffic, isn't the greatest drive.
I previously lived in Wilton where my kids went to school for about 11 yrs. There was a lot of driving to friends and activities, as some of the areas are rural. It is a corporate type community and kids seem to get very involved with sports. My married son with a 2 yr old child has lived in Ridgefield for about 4 yrs, and they absolutely love the community. There are many things to get involved with, including play groups, etc for kids. There is even some culture with a symphony and the Ridgefield Playhouse. They also have a nice
center of town area with some good shopping, but not big type malls. Danbury does have a huge mall, and a very good hospital, and is fairly close.
Ridgefield was rated as top community for their size in one of the magazines rating CT communities. Housing is somewhat less expensive than Wilton.
Good Luck!
jad--I have to point out that it depends where in Wilton you live if you have to take route 7. I live west of route 7 and other than a play date, I can go days without going on route 7--schools, shopping, post office and my bank are all west of route 7. I go up route 33 and can be Main St in Ridgefield in 5 minutes.
I totally agree with muffy that it can wearying ferrying the kids around in a car all the time. It wasn't too bad when they were younger, and I had more control of play dates, friends and activities, but as they got older, darn if they didn't start expressing their opinions about what sports they wanted to participate in, and of course all 3 are now on totally different track regarding interests! While Ridgefield does have a more walkable downtown, I am not too sure if there is much difference in car time with school age children, as the rest of the town is spread out.
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…but to be picky and make the best decision...
Regarding schools, it seems like Wilton/Weston hold the top spot followed by Ridgefield, and then Redding (based on 2007 SAT scores). Does this translate into meaningful differences in the opinion of the readers or only a modest quantitative separation?
All of the above considered, and then some, what is the perceived hierarchy (“prestige”) of these towns if you asked a native (best - to - 4th place knowing that all are “good”)…with my thinking that “prestige” translates into better resale, better schools, etc?
