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Old 09-16-2019, 06:24 AM
 
Location: USA
6,623 posts, read 3,573,497 times
Reputation: 3400

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Quote:
Originally Posted by QueensMom147 View Post
Hi there!

DH & I are a couple in our 30s with an infant daughter, hoping to have another child in another year or two. We are born and bred New Yorkers- Long Island & NYC. We love it here- but the cost of living, the traffic, congestion, noise, etc. We think it's time to leave. Initially, we wanted to leave the tri state area entirely. In a perfect world, that is still our goal. However, I am beginning to worry that we won't find what we are looking for down south or further west. Our desires-
-highly educated population with excellent public schools & enrichment programs
-community events, lots of families, down to earth
-safe and friendly
-close to culture- theatre/music/museums
-800k budget- 3 bedroom house with large yard
- ethnic food options- more than just your typical Applebee's type restaurants
- active Catholic parish

I feel that, like NY, people are leaving CT in droves. But DH feels like we shouldn't count it out just yet. So far I have posted on the Colorado forum, and will post on some of the southern state forums as well. I am a teacher, and DH is in finance, so we can live anywhere.
We have researched a bit, and we like Guilford/Madison, Avon/Farmington/Simsbury, Newtown/Monroe/New Fairfield. Thoughts?

Thanks so much!!
It would behoove you to avoid Fairfield County along the shoreline as it too has the high cost of living, traffic, and congestion. Are you a grade school teacher? forget it, you'll be lucky to get a call back. It's all about "who you know" and you're competing with younger cheaper recent grads who put in their student teaching time as well as the experienced personnel who took some time off to raise their own children looking to get back in.
These is good news though. The real estate market is crumbling. It's the buyer's market of all buyers' markets out there. The inventory of mid range to high end homes is at unprecedented levels. Some small pockets are trasnsacting well like lower Greenwich, the lower and mid range Stamford, Norwalk, a little Fairfield. In Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Westport, Weston it's GAME ON, make an offer!
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Old 09-16-2019, 07:38 AM
 
Location: Connecticut
34,700 posts, read 56,496,602 times
Reputation: 11162
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveM85 View Post
It would behoove you to avoid Fairfield County along the shoreline as it too has the high cost of living, traffic, and congestion. Are you a grade school teacher? forget it, you'll be lucky to get a call back. It's all about "who you know" and you're competing with younger cheaper recent grads who put in their student teaching time as well as the experienced personnel who took some time off to raise their own children looking to get back in.
These is good news though. The real estate market is crumbling. It's the buyer's market of all buyers' markets out there. The inventory of mid range to high end homes is at unprecedented levels. Some small pockets are trasnsacting well like lower Greenwich, the lower and mid range Stamford, Norwalk, a little Fairfield. In Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Westport, Weston it's GAME ON, make an offer!
I do not agree with all that you say here. There are teaching positions available as more and more Baby Boomer teachers retire. There was just an article on New Haven Independent that says New Haven has 32 teacher openings due to retirements. I am not saying it won’t be hard but it certainly is not impossible.

Also, the real estate market is not “crumbling”. Data shows that overall the market is similar but maybe slightly down from last year. That does not mean it is bad. I do agree though that it is more of a buyers market so the OP should be able to find a nice home at a reasonable price. Jay
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Old 09-16-2019, 08:18 AM
 
Location: Connecticut
34,700 posts, read 56,496,602 times
Reputation: 11162
Quote:
Originally Posted by QueensMom147 View Post
Hi there!

DH & I are a couple in our 30s with an infant daughter, hoping to have another child in another year or two. We are born and bred New Yorkers- Long Island & NYC. We love it here- but the cost of living, the traffic, congestion, noise, etc. We think it's time to leave. Initially, we wanted to leave the tri state area entirely. In a perfect world, that is still our goal. However, I am beginning to worry that we won't find what we are looking for down south or further west. Our desires-
-highly educated population with excellent public schools & enrichment programs
-community events, lots of families, down to earth
-safe and friendly
-close to culture- theatre/music/museums
-800k budget- 3 bedroom house with large yard
- ethnic food options- more than just your typical Applebee's type restaurants
- active Catholic parish

I feel that, like NY, people are leaving CT in droves. But DH feels like we shouldn't count it out just yet. So far I have posted on the Colorado forum, and will post on some of the southern state forums as well. I am a teacher, and DH is in finance, so we can live anywhere.
We have researched a bit, and we like Guilford/Madison, Avon/Farmington/Simsbury, Newtown/Monroe/New Fairfield. Thoughts?

Thanks so much!!
Stop believing the media hype that sensationalizes what is actually a statistically insignificant number of people. Look at the actual numbers and you see that the “droves” is really a couple thousand out of 3.5 million people. Hardly a real trend.

As a born and breed New Yorker, I am not sure you will be comfortable living in the south. It might be too different and you will find that you will not have the cultural and ethnic amenities you desire. For that I would suggest you either stay in the New York metro area or maybe consider the suburbs of Washington DC. I do not think you can truly find what you want south of there.

As to the best place for you to look here, I will say a lot of New Yorkers do struggle when they move to quieter areas. It is a real shock to them so I suggest looking at more suburban areas close to the shoreline. I would say that the Town of Fairfield would be the first town in Connecticut which would be more affordable but not too quiet within the New York metro area. It’s a nice town with excellent schools and great shopping and restaurants. Your budget will buy a nice home in a great neighborhood. My second choice would be Milford which others here have mentioned.

Newtown/Monroe/New Fairfield area is beautiful but may be too quiet. Those towns have limited access to the cultural amenities you mention. Avon/Farmington/Simsbury are really great suburbs of Hartford but also may be too quiet. You might want to instead consider West Hartford which is closer to Hartford. Guilford and Madison are also wonderful more beach oriented suburbs of New Haven but again may be too quiet for a family coming from the city. I would suggest you visit all these areas several times before making a decision. Good luck, Jay
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Old 09-16-2019, 08:43 AM
 
21,553 posts, read 30,976,392 times
Reputation: 9658
The OP would be just fine down south, not that I’m suggesting it for them however. South FL is basically New York-south. I found it funny that many local Floridians actually speak with the NY accent (noticed this in Boca Raton last month). There are many, many people from Long Island down there.

I would actually caution against the DC area for a NYer. Greater DC has many small town West Virginians, Virginians, people from Missouri, Arkansas, etc. Many of them have a serious inferiority complex and can be quite annoying. I can’t say I’ve come across many NYers.

CT isn’t a bad compromise for someone from NY, especially once out of FFC. That being said, in the areas they might want to be, traffic and congestion are also an issue.
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Old 09-16-2019, 08:52 AM
 
Location: USA
6,623 posts, read 3,573,497 times
Reputation: 3400
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayCT View Post
I do not agree with all that you say here. There are teaching positions available as more and more Baby Boomer teachers retire.
and they are being replaced by younger cheaper recent grads with student teaching experience, returning to the teaching workforce personnel, or who the Principal "knows". The 30 something new to Fairfield County goes to the back of the line.

[/quote]
Also, the real estate market is not “crumbling”. [/quote]

From your lips to God's ears, I hope you're right.
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Old 09-16-2019, 09:03 AM
 
Location: Shoreline Connecticut
712 posts, read 536,822 times
Reputation: 259
"quiet" is opposite of "congestion" . Fairfield county has tons of congestion, I commute to Stamford for work and I know that.

New Haven county is not. The issue with New Haven county towns for a New Yorker is a different lifestyle. I know many NYers do not have car or do not drive. But in New Haven county, we have to drive a lit even if we want to catch a train. Uber is there, yes, but the cost is bit higher for a non-wealthy family, maybe OK for infrequent usage. Car ownership is not cheap either in new haven county. All in all, for those who love New Haven county, is mainly looking for quiet, non-congested lifestyle with ultra safe environment with almost no crimes compared to some city district like Harlem.

I just came back from BigE in Springfield using my car plus Hartford Line CTrail for a day trip, not that bad from New Haven area. There are tons of areas within my reach from New London, NYC to Springfield, and sometimes drive to Boston as well. I think CT New Haven county towns are awesome place for NYers. But be aware before the move, yes, NY vs CT are different places with different lifestyle and different culture.
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Old 09-16-2019, 09:07 AM
 
Location: Connecticut
34,700 posts, read 56,496,602 times
Reputation: 11162
Quote:
Originally Posted by kidyankee764 View Post
The OP would be just fine down south, not that I’m suggesting it for them however. South FL is basically New York-south. I found it funny that many local Floridians actually speak with the NY accent (noticed this in Boca Raton last month). There are many, many people from Long Island down there.

I would actually caution against the DC area for a NYer. Greater DC has many small town West Virginians, Virginians, people from Missouri, Arkansas, etc. Many of them have a serious inferiority complex and can be quite annoying. I can’t say I’ve come across many NYers.

CT isn’t a bad compromise for someone from NY, especially once out of FFC. That being said, in the areas they might want to be, traffic and congestion are also an issue.
I doubt south Florida has the cultural amenities the OP is looking for unless they are more into Hispanic culture. That is why I doubt it would work for them despite the high amount of New Yorkers there. Most of those however are retirees and as a young family I do not think that is what the OP is looking for.

I was hoping you would comment on Washington DC but am surprised by your response. I was thinking of more closer DC suburbs like Alexandria, Arlington or McLean. I don’t think the OP needs to be around other New Yorkers but wants cultural amenities that are similar to what they have in New York. I defer to your judgement on this. Jay
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Old 09-16-2019, 09:26 AM
 
21,553 posts, read 30,976,392 times
Reputation: 9658
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayCT View Post
I doubt south Florida has the cultural amenities the OP is looking for unless they are more into Hispanic culture. That is why I doubt it would work for them despite the high amount of New Yorkers there. Most of those however are retirees and as a young family I do not think that is what the OP is looking for.

I was hoping you would comment on Washington DC but am surprised by your response. I was thinking of more closer DC suburbs like Alexandria, Arlington or McLean. I don’t think the OP needs to be around other New Yorkers but wants cultural amenities that are similar to what they have in New York. I defer to your judgement on this. Jay
Hispanic culture is more prevalent in Miami and it’s suburbs, and not so much Palm Beach County (and even Broward). You would also be surprised how many young families are in the area from New York and New Jersey. Places like Boca are rich in culture and the arts.

Anyway, re DC, Alexandria and Arlington are more havens for young affluent professionals than families. I wouldn’t use the public schools in either community. McLean, Great Falls, and Vienna are top areas with excellent schools, as are Bethesda and Chevy Chase in MD. All have super easy access to downtown DC and a NYer would laugh at what a DC resident would claim as bad traffic. That said, there are almost zero native NYers in greater DC that I’ve come across, but DC does have diversity and culture that isn’t quite as good as NY, but much better than New Haven. Housing is also much more expensive than New Haven, though.
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Old 09-17-2019, 08:17 AM
 
2,322 posts, read 2,148,992 times
Reputation: 1323
Quote:
Originally Posted by QueensMom147 View Post
Hi there!

DH & I are a couple in our 30s with an infant daughter, hoping to have another child in another year or two. We are born and bred New Yorkers- Long Island & NYC. We love it here- but the cost of living, the traffic, congestion, noise, etc. We think it's time to leave. Initially, we wanted to leave the tri state area entirely. In a perfect world, that is still our goal. However, I am beginning to worry that we won't find what we are looking for down south or further west. Our desires-
-highly educated population with excellent public schools & enrichment programs
-community events, lots of families, down to earth
-safe and friendly
-close to culture- theatre/music/museums
-800k budget- 3 bedroom house with large yard
- ethnic food options- more than just your typical Applebee's type restaurants
- active Catholic parish

I feel that, like NY, people are leaving CT in droves. But DH feels like we shouldn't count it out just yet. So far I have posted on the Colorado forum, and will post on some of the southern state forums as well. I am a teacher, and DH is in finance, so we can live anywhere.
We have researched a bit, and we like Guilford/Madison, Avon/Farmington/Simsbury, Newtown/Monroe/New Fairfield. Thoughts?

Thanks so much!!
The population decline in CT is centred around the exurbs and rural areas, the cities and suburbs are still growing at an acceptable rate (thank goodness).

Of the ones you chose Guilford, Madison, Avon, Newtown, and Monroe have what you are looking for plus some... they are all excellent towns (Avon probably being the most "elite" of the choices but still fairly down to earth when I visited last, albeit several years ago).

If you are not commuting daily then you could easily add some southern CT towns as well such as Fairfield, Trumbull, and Easton. Out of that grouping Fairfield is the biggest with a wide variety of housing options and the most amenities, although Trumbull and Easton both have excellent amenities (just too isolated for myself, but that's a personal preference of my own).

I'm actually surprised I didn't see Southbury, Oxford, or Watertown brought up (my apologies if they were)... they are suburbs of Waterbury. It may not have the direct closeness of cultural amenities you listed but are pretty equidistant to Danbury, Hartford, New Haven, and Lower Fairfield County. Both of those towns abut other towns with a wide variety of locally owned and excellent restaurants.

Best thing to do is get a short list of more refined wishes (how urban/suburban/rural you'd like, which types of amenities, how close to the major City Centres) and explore a few options to get a feel for each.

Good luck!
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Old 09-17-2019, 08:38 AM
 
Location: Coastal Connecticut
21,553 posts, read 27,794,997 times
Reputation: 6674
Quote:
Originally Posted by jxzz View Post
"quiet" is opposite of "congestion" . Fairfield county has tons of congestion, I commute to Stamford for work and I know that.

New Haven county is not. The issue with New Haven county towns for a New Yorker is a different lifestyle. I know many NYers do not have car or do not drive. But in New Haven county, we have to drive a lit even if we want to catch a train. Uber is there, yes, but the cost is bit higher for a non-wealthy family, maybe OK for infrequent usage. Car ownership is not cheap either in new haven county. All in all, for those who love New Haven county, is mainly looking for quiet, non-congested lifestyle with ultra safe environment with almost no crimes compared to some city district like Harlem.

I just came back from BigE in Springfield using my car plus Hartford Line CTrail for a day trip, not that bad from New Haven area. There are tons of areas within my reach from New London, NYC to Springfield, and sometimes drive to Boston as well. I think CT New Haven county towns are awesome place for NYers. But be aware before the move, yes, NY vs CT are different places with different lifestyle and different culture.
You definitely need a car in all towns but New Haven.

Personally I live a mile from the train in Milford so I can get around pretty easy. A Lyft is cheap. But I like having a car.
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