[austinlew]

Hi All,

I just got a new job in Downtown Waterbury and I will be relocating next month from DC. I know absolutely nothing about this area and need advice. I am a young male and have no kids, nor do I want them so the schools make no difference to me. I do not care about nightlife either.

I am looking for a nice, safe area that is at least somewhat convenient and an easy commute to Waterbury. Ideally, I would just look in Waterbury but I have heard horror stories about that place, and I am not certain if it is true. While there are some nice areas I was still told to avoid it and look in Middletown. Is this advice accurate or misleading? Again, I am mostly looking for a safe place and is affordable (I know it is nearly impossible to use those two together in CT, but you get the point).

I have $150,000 saved for a place as well, so should I just buy or rent? I plan on staying in this new job for at least 5 years, as well.

Thank you so much!

[Stylo]

The area is pretty affordable by CT standards.

There's lots of safe, good towns in the area. I guess it depends on how rural, suburban, walkable, etc. you want your town. I've always found Seymour to be a really good value in that area, as well as being well rounded with conveniences. 8 is generally an easier commute than 84.

The other thing I like about Seymour is that it's so central to so many job centers in CT. It's a short commute to Waterbury, New Haven, Bridgeport/Fairfield. A reasonable commute to Danbury. Decent train access for a Norwalk/Stamford job. So it's a future-proof location. You'll also be near more singles your age than suburbs to the north.

Middletown is further away, but very inexpensive. It's a small city with a nice walkable downtown, and a bit of a college town feel. You could buy a nice condo cash with your budget. But be warned it's a 35 minute commute without traffic. Maybe you meant Middlebury? Middlebury borders Waterbury and is a typical family friendly, suburban CT town. Not sure it's the best option for a single male, but that's up to you.

[austinlew]

Originally Posted by Stylo

The area is pretty affordable by CT standards.

There's lots of safe, good towns in the area. I guess it depends on how rural, suburban, walkable, etc. you want your town. I've always found Seymour to be a really good value in that area, as well as being well rounded with conveniences. 8 is generally an easier commute than 84.

The other thing I like about Seymour is that it's so central to so many job centers in CT. It's a short commute to Waterbury, New Haven, Bridgeport/Fairfield. A reasonable commute to Danbury. Decent train access for a Norwalk/Stamford job. So it's a future-proof location. You'll also be near more singles your age than suburbs to the north.

Middletown is further away, but very inexpensive. It's a small city with a nice walkable downtown, and a bit of a college town feel. You could buy a nice condo cash with your budget. But be warned it's a 35 minute commute without traffic. Maybe you meant Middlebury? Middlebury borders Waterbury and is a typical family friendly, suburban CT town. Not sure it's the best option for a single male, but that's up to you.

Hey, thanks for the reply. I did mean Middletown originally, but the commute without traffic might be a deal breaker for me. Is that stretch pretty bad with traffic, construction, etc? And in the winters with snow, I imagine even worse and longer. It sounds like it is a good area but the commute might be a deal breaker if the traffic during rush hour can make the commute significantly longer.

Personally, would you stay out of living in Waterbury? I will definitely look into Seymour and Middlebury as well, thanks!

[hvexpatinct]

Check out Watertown. It is adjacent to Waterbury - so your commute would be less than 20 minutes each way. it's safer and has many conveniences in town - grocery stores, restaurants, bars, car dealerships, coffee shops, etc. $150K would buy a condo outright there or be a 50 percent down payment on a fairly nice 3br colonial. Rents are usually in the $1200-$1600 range for a 2 br.

[RiskReturn]

I would look into watertown or towns south of waterbury- like seymour or shelton, which will give you better access to culture/nightlife should you ever want it. Also a reverse commute so traffic should not be too bad.

Southington and Bristol are good options as well, but getting into Waterbury from that side can be frustrating.

[JayCT]

You are correct that Waterbury has issues. It is an old industrial city that has seen better days. I agree you likely would be better off looking at towns nearby but we would kind of need to know what you like and dislike in a community. A lot of good suggestions have been given here. I would suggest living as close to your job as possible. Good towns to consider would be Watertown, Middlebury, Wolcott, Prospect, Southington and Seymour. These are primarily suburban towns but if you want a more rural area you could head north to Thomaston or Litchfield. You might want to consider renting at first to get to know the area before buying. Jay

[MrGompers]

Rent before you buy. Learn what areas you like first which will only come with time.

[AnotherTouchOfWhimsy]

I would consider towns on Rt 8; getting into Waterbury from 84 is a mess during rush hour. Watertown, Naugatuck, Seymour are all within your price range. But rent for six months to a year first, for sure. You don't want to have buyer's remorse within months of choosing a location.

The commute from Middletown would be a bear and would likely take more than 35 minutes during rush hour.

[austinlew]

Hi All,

Thanks so much for the replies, I appreciate it. A few of you recommended that it is a good idea to rent first, so I will definitely probably go that route just to be on the safe side.

Is the country club area in Waterbury safe or good to rent in? There are some nice condos on Oronoke Road that look like they are in a safe area, bordering other towns and the commute would be about 5 mins for me, which is awesome if this is a good area.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by austinlew

Hey, thanks for the reply. I did mean Middletown originally, but the commute without traffic might be a deal breaker for me. Is that stretch pretty bad with traffic, construction, etc? And in the winters with snow, I imagine even worse and longer. It sounds like it is a good area but the commute might be a deal breaker if the traffic during rush hour can make the commute significantly longer.

Personally, would you stay out of living in Waterbury? I will definitely look into Seymour and Middlebury as well, thanks!

I would not buy in Waterbury, but if you found a good deal on rent in a better part of town, maybe. I just find it to be a city in decline, more so than any other city in the area. Even Bridgeport is improving. New Haven is night and day since 10 years ago, and Waterbury’s homocide number exceeded New Haven (a bigger city) for the first time ever. Even if you were in a safe area I’d be concerned with getting trashy neighbors.