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IN MY OPINION (and I am entitled to it) once north of the I-95 and Parkway corridor towns it is boring.
The OP is looking for LIVELY town. IN MY OPINION Fairfield (and surrounding area) is lively and Ridgefield (and the surrounding area) is not.
Ridgefield and Bordering Towns Population
Ridgefield 7,645
Redding 9,158
Danbury 85,246 (has a mall)
Bethel 9,549
Wilton 18,062
North Salem NY 5,104
South Salem (or Salem) 934
Bethel 9,549
There is only one city in the Ridgefield area and Danbury is it. Fairfield in and itself has a population that is up near Danbury not to mention what is in the Fairfield area near it.....lively, lively, lively. Sorry but to me Ridgefield and the surrounding area is boring, boring and more boring. But some people like that....I just don't.
Here is the thing about Ridgefield. Go look at a map and see what surrounds it. Ridgefield is narrow from east to west and long from south to north. The southern section where you have the best commute to Stamford is near a bunch of sleepy little towns. So if you move to the northern section you are near Danbury but now you have a further commute.
Fairfield and Bordering Towns Population (or close towns/cities)
Fairfield population 59,404
Bridgeport 146,579
Easton 7,490
Westport population 26,391
Trumbull 36,018 (has a mall)
Norwalk 89,005 (has a mall and SONO....does not border Fairfield but you can be there in 15 minutes from the western side of Fairfield and I would put the OP on the Western side of Fairfield for the better commute)
Just look at the numbers....it's easy to see. There is WAY MORE (lively) to do in the 1-95/Parkway corridor.
This next statement is just common sense. Do you think Ridgefield (pop. 7,645 is going to even have 1/4 the stores and restaurants as Fairfield (pop. 59,404) has?
I know I shouldn’t even respond to this, but you do realize that the parkway goes through Weston, Easton, etc, right? Such a metropolis and so much to do - lol.
Anyway, you are right that Fairfield is a lively town. But the OP also said “We certainly do not mind a more quiet rural area with the option to drive to a larger city/ mall / fair as needed”.
You called Ridgefield boring without having lived there (or in a surrounding town). How can you have an opinion on something you haven’t experienced?
Anyway, you are right that Fairfield is a lively town. But you called Ridgefield boring without having lived there (or in a surrounding town). How can you have an opinion on something you haven’t experienced?
I have a huge Italian family (upwards to 1000) in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. I have had relatives and one of my best friends live/lived in Ridgefield. My dad owned property there to build a house but my mom would not go.....she didn't want to be bored up there. My friend who lived there moved back down to New Canaan because she was bored in Ridgefield. My relatives used to own the Stony Hill Inn in Bethel so I know the area very well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kidyankee764
I know I shouldn’t even respond to this, but you do realize that the parkway goes through Weston, Easton, etc, right? Such a metropolis and so much to do - lol.
Easton borders Bridgeport the biggest city in CT (pop. 146,579) Trumbull (pop.36,018 with a mall) and Fairfield (pop. 59,404). My friend who lives in Easton can be at the Trumbull mall in the same time as me (I live in northern Trumbull).
Southern/Middle Weston borders or is very close to Westport (pop. 26,391) Norwalk (pop. 89,005 with a mall & SONO) and Fairfield (pop.59,404). The northern part of Weston has a preserve in it so I am sure the towns population lives mostly in the southern and middle portions.
Please don't get me wrong..... I think it's beautiful up there in the Ridgefield/Bethel/Danbury area but to me it's boring.
I know I shouldn’t even respond to this, but you do realize that the parkway goes through Weston, Easton, etc, right? Such a metropolis and so much to do - lol.
Anyway, you are right that Fairfield is a lively town. But the OP also said “We certainly do not mind a more quiet rural area with the option to drive to a larger city/ mall / fair as needed”.
You called Ridgefield boring without having lived there (or in a surrounding town). How can you have an opinion on something you haven’t experienced?
Actually the Merritt Parkway does not go through Weston or Easton. It comes within a couple hundred feet of Easton near the eastern end in Fairfield around the Easton Turnpike (Route 59) interchange (No. 46) but it never goes into it. The Parkway is a mile or so from the Weston town line when it passes through Westport.
The OP needs to visit the towns being recommended to draw their own conclusion. A lot will depend on a persons point of view. I know people from New York City who think Fairfield is the country and they did not even see Greenfield Hill. They were visiting Tunxis Hill/Black Rock Turnpike, hardly what anyone would think is the country. Jay
Actually the Merritt Parkway does not go through Weston or Easton. It comes within a couple hundred feet of Easton near the eastern end in Fairfield around the Easton Turnpike (Route 59) interchange (No. 46) but it never goes into it. The Parkway is a mile or so from the Weston town line when it passes through Westport.
The OP needs to visit the towns being recommended to draw their own conclusion. A lot will depend on a persons point of view. I know people from New York City who think Fairfield is the country and they did not even see Greenfield Hill. They were visiting Tunxis Hill/Black Rock Turnpike, hardly what anyone would think is the country. Jay
A couple hundred feet - splitting hairs here.
But anyone who has not spent time living in or adjacent to a community has zero accurate opinion on that community.
Additionally Easton and BPT do not border because Fairfield and Trumbull do.
Technicalities? yes. But I think it's important if we're talking about the area. Two other huge things are that Fairfield is even more lively than the population numbers suggest because of the two universities in town and the coastline. There's always a new mix of people in town and both places are great for entertainment (universities open things up to the public).
Also I can't believe people haven't mentioned this yet but from Fairfield you can also take the train to Stamford. I don't know if Ridgefield has a stop on the Danbury line, but even if it does since that's a branch line there's far less frequent service.
My final point would be that you're not giving up any country/ rural living if you want to move to Fairfield either. While much more densely populated the population is very unevenly distributed, giving an extreme diversity in neighborhoods. If you count the University students 90% of the population lives in the eastern half of town which makes it suburban (and even in some areas borderline urban) whereas north of the Merritt is officially classified as rural by the US census bearau.
There are block groups < 2 miles apart that have population densities of 466 and 10,251 people per square mile. A 22 fold increase.
Additionally Easton and BPT do not border because Fairfield and Trumbull do.
Technicalities? yes. But I think it's important if we're talking about the area. Two other huge things are that Fairfield is even more lively than the population numbers suggest because of the two universities in town and the coastline. There's always a new mix of people in town and both places are great for entertainment (universities open things up to the public).
Also I can't believe people haven't mentioned this yet but from Fairfield you can also take the train to Stamford. I don't know if Ridgefield has a stop on the Danbury line, but even if it does since that's a branch line there's far less frequent service.
My final point would be that you're not giving up any country/ rural living if you want to move to Fairfield either. While much more densely populated the population is very unevenly distributed, giving an extreme diversity in neighborhoods. If you count the University students 90% of the population lives in the eastern half of town which makes it suburban (and even in some areas borderline urban) whereas north of the Merritt is officially classified as rural by the US census bearau.
There are block groups < 2 miles apart that have population densities of 466 and 10,251 people per square mile. A 22 fold increase.
Ridgefield has a stop in Branchville, but most residents who use MNRR take advantage of Katonah or South Norwalk, both which have fast service into GCT.
Again, the OP said they’d be willing to live in a more rural area close to amenities. They need to visit all the towns mentioned before they make a decision. I lived in Ridgefield as well as Branford, which is a smaller version of Fairfield, and Ridgefield’s quality of life was top notch - probably about the best you can get anywhere.
Two other huge things are that Fairfield is even more lively than the population numbers suggest because of the two universities in town and the coastline. There's always a new mix of people in town and both places are great for entertainment (universities open things up to the public).
Also I can't believe people haven't mentioned this yet but from Fairfield you can also take the train to Stamford. I don't know if Ridgefield has a stop on the Danbury line, but even if it does since that's a branch line there's far less frequent service.
My final point would be that you're not giving up any country/ rural living if you want to move to Fairfield either. While much more densely populated the population is very unevenly distributed, giving an extreme diversity in neighborhoods. If you count the University students 90% of the population lives in the eastern half of town which makes it suburban (and even in some areas borderline urban) whereas north of the Merritt is officially classified as rural by the US census bearau.
There are block groups < 2 miles apart that have population densities of 466 and 10,251 people per square mile. A 22 fold increase.
I forgot about the universities.
I am from originally from Stamford which is a big city with a lot of entertainment, restaurants and stores etc. but I actually like the area from Norwalk (SONO), Westport (IMO awesome Main Street & Post Road area*) and Fairfield just about the same....maybe more.
*One of my favorite places. If I ever come into lots of money I would move just north of Main Street in Westport so I could walk there all the time.
Additionally Easton and BPT do not border because Fairfield and Trumbull do.
Technicalities? yes. But I think it's important if we're talking about the area. Two other huge things are that Fairfield is even more lively than the population numbers suggest because of the two universities in town and the coastline. There's always a new mix of people in town and both places are great for entertainment (universities open things up to the public).
Also I can't believe people haven't mentioned this yet but from Fairfield you can also take the train to Stamford. I don't know if Ridgefield has a stop on the Danbury line, but even if it does since that's a branch line there's far less frequent service.
My final point would be that you're not giving up any country/ rural living if you want to move to Fairfield either. While much more densely populated the population is very unevenly distributed, giving an extreme diversity in neighborhoods. If you count the University students 90% of the population lives in the eastern half of town which makes it suburban (and even in some areas borderline urban) whereas north of the Merritt is officially classified as rural by the US census bearau.
There are block groups < 2 miles apart that have population densities of 466 and 10,251 people per square mile. A 22 fold increase.
OP needs a car for work so the train is out. Since he's going to be driving, Wilton and Ridgefield are much better options from a commuting standpoint. He'll have to weight the commute time versus the intangibles that Fairfield offers.
I am from originally from Stamford which is a big city with a lot of entertainment, restaurants and stores etc. but I actually like the area from Norwalk (SONO), Westport (IMO awesome Main Street & Post Road area*) and Fairfield just about the same....maybe more.
*One of my favorite places. If I ever come into lots of money I would move just north of Main Street in Westport so I could walk there all the time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stylo
Norwalk>Fairfield offers a lot more than Stamford IMO. I find Stamford kind of bland tbh.
I feel the same. Its a fantastic trifecta I believe not only better collectively but undividually as well.
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