[Angiec30]

Hi! I grew up in the Hartford area and lived here until my early 20s. After spending 15 years in various areas of the country, my husband and I decided to move our family to CT to be near family. Our hope was to move to Windsor but his job search led him to Greenwich.

We are currently staying with family while we look for a rental home closer to Greenwich. I don't know too much about southwest CT, except it's expensive. Here's what we're looking for:

- No more than 30-40 minute commute to Greenwich

- Safe, family friendly neighborhood that is racially diverse

- No more than $1200 monthly rent (I am currently changing careers and want to wait until I build up my business to buy a home)

- 2 to 3 bedrooms, preferably a single family home but I'm realizing that may be hard to find here in our price range

Any suggestions on areas that we should check out? I've heard good things about Norwalk but see no rentals in our price range there.

Thanks for your help!

[SeaDoo342]

I don't mean to sound rude or short, but that's not realistic. 2-3 bedrooms for $1200 a month less than 40 mins to Greenwich is not going to happen. Even up in the New Haven area, which is a little cheaper, it's impossible.. Now that you're back in CT, you have to come to terms with the cost of living. It's high..

You're looking in an area where 1 bedrooms go for $1800+.. Even in Fairfield, which is generally the most affordable commuter town, 2-3 bedroom home rentals are $2,500-3,000 and go up from there. And that's about an hour from Greenwich with traffic.. Even in Norwalk, a 2-3 bedroom house is $3,000 per month.

[howdydoody342]

Look in Bridgeport

[kidyankee764]

Welcome back to CT!

30-40 minutes from Greenwich puts you in Norwalk to the east and the Bronx to the southwest. In all of those areas (both CT and NY), home sale prices are in the millions and rents are, on average, $2k for a small 1 bedroom apartment. You won't find anything for $1200 unless you push your radius to Bridgeport or the Valley (Derby/Shelton), but even there, you're likely only getting a 1 bedroom for that price unless you sacrifice safety. Commuting from those cities won't be fun, though, because 95 and the Merritt Parkway are jammed during rush hour.

Have you both considered getting a roommate? It's likely the only way you can stay within your budget and desired commute.

[Raider111]

Nah, look elsewhere.
I don't even think the west end of Bridgeport (certainly not Black Rock) you could find 2 beds for $1200. Even if you did, that's over a 1 hr commute.

[Angiec30]

Thank you for the responses.

My husband used to long commutes so an hour away is not too bad. It's much better than what he's doing now. Hopefully we'll be able to move back to Hartford county in a year or two anyway so it may just be temporary.

What about Ansonia? Hamden? Seymour? Naugatuck? Based on my original criteria. Specifically diversity and crime??

Thanks again!

[kidyankee764]

Hamden and Naugatuck are a bit far, but Seymour and Ansonia are doable. Still longer than I'd do, but a lot of people in the Valley (Shelton included) are lower Fairfield commuters.

Is his work close to a train station? Is the train an option? If so, look into Stratford and Milford.

If he drives, make sure he's aware of the horrific traffic jams. It will regularly take him an hour to get from Greenwich to Fairield on 95, sometimes longer.

[Angiec30]

Thanks for the suggestions. He's currently commuting from Hartford so he's well aware of the traffic.
With the exception of one or two of his co-workers, everyone commutes over an hour. I'm starting to see why.

Yes, we've been thinking the train may be a good idea. Is Milford diverse? What is the crime like? I've seen a couple of rentals there in our price range online.

Thanks so much!

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Angiec30

Thank you for the responses.

My husband used to long commutes so an hour away is not too bad. It's much better than what he's doing now. Hopefully we'll be able to move back to Hartford county in a year or two anyway so it may just be temporary.

What about Ansonia? Hamden? Seymour? Naugatuck? Based on my original criteria. Specifically diversity and crime??

Thanks again!

The problem is going to be traffic. There are a lot of people who live in this area (generally in eastern Fairfield County and western New Haven County) who commute to the Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich area so highways are jammed and while not necessarily a long distance, traffic will make the commute very long.

Again your budget is very low, particularly for what you are looking for. Remember you are moving to one of the most expensive parts of the country so $1,200 does not get you much. To be honest, you would not even find what you are asking for in more affordable metro areas like Hartford and New Haven. You and your husband need to seriously reconsider this move. If your budget can be made higher, then I would suggest Stamford to minimize the commute to Greenwich. Even Norwalk to Greenwich will be tough because of traffic in Stamford. Good luck, Jay

[kidyankee764]

Milford is diverse, Stratford is more diverse. All parts of Milford are very safe. The Devon area is a little dumpy but still safe.

If he's taking the train, a place close to the station would be best. But also consider how he would get to his Greenwich office from the station (unless it's walkable).