[Soden]

My wife and I are thinking about moving towards the candlewood lake area of CT. We value the outdoors and communinity over a night life social scene. Commuting is not an issue as we work remotely, but do not want to go much farther north than New Milford.

We stopped by New Milford and Bethel and were very impressed by their respective downtowns. It also seems like there are some solid farmers markets and small farms in the area. Are there other young married couples in New Milford or Bethel? If so, in which neighborhood is best? Budget is around $500k, but we would like to rent for around 2k/month for the first year.

Thanks!

[Stylo]

They are both nice towns. Bethel certainly has more going on, better restaurants, etc. New Milford has more open space and is a little more removed.

For younger people, Bethel would be superior IMO. Sounds like schools don't matter?

Both are a bit sleepy in comparison to some CT coastal towns, and won't be quite as active community-wise.

There are other, similar towns in CT you should consider too in other regions, such as in the New Haven and Hartford areas. Madison and Guilford, for example, have the farms, beautiful downtowns, etc. and are some of the nicest towns in CT. Plus the access to great food and culture in New Haven.

It would help to hear what appealed to you about those towns exactly.

[JayCT]

Both Bethel and New Milford are great towns but seem to be more family oriented rather than appealing to young childless marrieds. That does not mean there are no couples without children but in general I think you will find most are couples with families or planning families in the near future.

That said, would you consider renting in say Danbury where there are more couples like you and then moving in a year or two when you are ready to buy. My fear is that you will move to those towns, have trouble finding friends with similar interests and then just give up on the area totally. By renting in Danbury you can get to know the general area better, maybe meet some more people with similar interests and make the connection most people want to the community they want to live in. If your heart is set on Bethel or New Milford, I would encourage you to try to find activities that interest you and that can help you meet people in the area. Things like joining a gym, attending adult education classes or becoming involved in a local charity may help you meet people in smaller family oriented towns like Bethel and New Milford. Jay

[RunD1987]

Family and friends used to live in Bethel. Use to live in New Milford off and on with family members that still live there.

It's hard to say. Both are great town's. Bethel is snaller, closer to Danbury, and train ride away to the City.

New Milford can take Route 7 down to Danbury or go through back roads via Gaylord to NY catch a train to the city.

Both have excellent volunteer fire and ambulance departments.

Both towns Healthcare is associated with Western Connecticut Health Network.

Bethel has great areas to hike in and near the town. New Milford is the Gateway to Litchfield County. The Appalachian Trail is near by.

Both towns have box stores and grocery stores. Depending on location in New Milford can be far away from some stores, but close to local stores.

Good restaurants in each.

Think Bethel has a farmers market. I know New Milford does as well as various festivals year around.

Your budget can go far in both towns.

Fitness is big in both town's. Cannondale is in Bethel and a great bike store/club as well. Believe there is an Orienting Club nearby. There's a bike race and few road races in Bethel. Maybe 2 half marathons in surrounding towns of Bethel.

New Mildred use to have a great running store, but unfortunately some things happen. The gap was filled by a running store that opened up in Brookfield. Anyways there is about 3 to 4 gyms in New Milford. Also a Rowing Center and Club. New Milford has a few road races through out the year.

[hvexpatinct]

I would pick Bethel over New Milford, but do know that both are pretty family oriented towns so if you are concerned about socializing they may be tough fits, unless you are planning on kids. If you are coming from a more urban area you may feel more at home in Bethel whereas if you have spent lots of time in rural areas NM may feel like the better fit. There are definitely DINKs in New Milford, but they tend to be of the type who work a zillion hours in Stamford or NYC during the week and use the country setting to unwind.

[Lalalally]

Your budget would work well in either town, but would probably go farther in New Milford. And you will also probably find that it's more than you actually *have* to spend to get what you want in either town (unless you're looking for almost new and 2500+ sf). That said, Bethel has a decidedly more suburban feel, whereas parts of New Milford can be semi-rural (and New Milford is geographically large -- possibly the largest town in the state, so location is important and should be considered when house hunting in that town, if you want to be in close proximity to the things that attracted you to it in the first place, i.e. it's great downtown). New Milford borders Candlewood Lake, which you mention is one of the factors drawing you to the area -- there's a town beach at the northern end of the lake. Bethel is not one of the Candlewood Lake towns, but it is a short drive away.
If you lean more towards a suburban lifestyle, I would pick Bethel; if a country semi-rural setting suits you better, then that can certainly be found in New Milford.

Edit: your purchase price budget would be more than adequate; your rental budget however -- if you're looking to rent a house and not an apartment, might be a little tight.

[jdhall1]

New Fairfield might be a good fit as well. There is a small town center,Candlewood Lake, Squantz Pond and forest areas. Not to far to Mill Plain Road or Federal Road, downtown Bethel and New Milford.Real estate market is stronger in Bethel rather than New Milford due to commuting distance. However, you get a newer and larger home in New Milford rather than Bethel. New Milford is the largest town in the state in terms of geography.

[eric51]

I wouldn't overlook Brookfield. Nice small town, good restaurants, good schools and in your price range.

Having lived in the area since 1972, my choices of towns to investigate would be:
1. Danbury - affordability, social life for twenty somethings, entertainment
2. Brookfield
3. Bethel
4. New Fairfield - nice town but a little removed from stuff
5. New Milford - a little bit away from most things.

[Soden]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. We are expecting our first child in the fall so I am glad to hear there are family oriented towns. After visiting, we decided on New Milford as it provides more of an authentic town feel whereas bethel seems much more suburban. New Milford also seems to offer more in the way of small scale farms, local community (people know each other's names), and closer to outdoors amenities (hiking, skiing, boating).

[beer belly]

Originally Posted by Soden

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. We are expecting our first child in the fall so I am glad to hear there are family oriented towns. After visiting, we decided on New Milford as it provides more of an authentic town feel whereas bethel seems much more suburban. New Milford also seems to offer more in the way of small scale farms, local community (people know each other's names), and closer to outdoors amenities (hiking, skiing, boating).

Congrats on your first born, and welcome to the area.