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Planning to move from NW Pennsylvania with my wife and 3 teenage kids. We have enjoyed the quiet and safety of Lake Erie region but are ready for more from a hometown. I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal with a mixed family and LGBTQIA+ child. Those dynamics don’t exactly fit in here so we are looking at CT, San Diego, North Shore & Buzzard Bay Massachusetts and coastal suburbs of NYC. Blessed to have employment and income not be an issue allowing us a lot of flexibility. Ideally looking for 2+ acres on or near the water in the $2-$4M range.
We’ve heard a lot of good things about CT, particularly the coastal area near NYC but visiting is hardly the same as living so any insight would be greatly appreciated. Main question; Is this area of CT open and accepting of a family like mine? If given the opportunity, would you choose CT over the other places mentioned? Thank you so much.
I replied to your earlier thread. Below is that post. Hope this helps.
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1. Winters on the coast are certainly going to be more mild than what you’re used to. We often are in the rain/slush band when inland CT is snow.
2. No. Waves even on the widest part of the sound only get big during very bad storms. Here in Milford, on a very windy day we get 3-4’ waves max. But you’re not far from Rhode Island which has big ocean waves.
3. I assume you mean the southwest coast. Yes, it’s a plenty liberal area and even more conservative areas like Greenwich tend to be socially liberal. No one would bat an eye.
4. I would personally not want to live in San Diego. It’s not my style. Nothing beats New England for me and I do like the seasons. RI is OK, not sure it would be my first choice. Depends on where. Massachusetts is a big state with lots of diverse areas. With your budget, I wouldn’t mind living in Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard, but would probably get bored in winter. Again, depends on where.
Not sure why you would limit yourself to Greenwich and Stamford, unless you plan on working in NYC. You seem interested in scenic coastal areas and some of the best coast in CT is eastward.
I would stay open to other areas. Rowayton, Westport, Southport, and Fairfield are all great coastal areas. More eastward and the beaches get better generally. In New Haven County, you could easily afford direct waterfront. Milford, Branford, Guilford, Madison are all fantastic coastal towns. Other great towns include Old Saybrook, Old/East Lyme, Mystic/Stonington. The eastern towns are great if you want RI ocean access, and access to the islands/Cape (MV, Block Island, Nantucket).
Thank you! I read the comment but the post was deleted because I asked similar questions in boards for the other areas we are interested in. This was very insightful and definitely opens our eyes to the areas mentioned. Thanks again.
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Originally Posted by Stylo
I replied to your earlier thread. Below is that post. Hope this helps.
Litchfield County almost never gets recommended on this forum. All the time I see people with large incomes seeking recommendations and most of the time get pointed to the direction of Fairfield County. Very nice towns in that part of the state don't get me wrong, but I'm going to throw out a couple towns up the Litchfield way to consider. (I know you said 2+ acres on the water but I'm going to interpret it as you're looking for a lake for the sake of discussion).
Kent, Salisbury, New Milford, Warren, Goshen, Litchfield and Morris are all small towns but have that New England charm that some towns in Fairfield County might lack. In Kent/Warren there is Lake Waramaug which is a decent sized lake for CT standards. Kent also has a charming downtown while Warren is super rural. There is a state park on the lake.
Salisbury there is the twin lakes, New Milford (beautiful, gorgeous town) has Candlewood Lake - CT's largest lake in the southern part of town. Goshen has two smaller lakes Woodridge and Tyler. And finally there is the CT's best lake in my opinion and that's Bantam Lake which is located in both towns of Litchfield and Morris. Litchfield is one of the state's prettiest towns that defines New England. If there was the almighty book of everything New England, Litchfield should be on the cover. Morris is to the south of Litchfield and very rural.
In every one of these towns you can find a property thats 2+ acres and/or a property on a body of water for your budget. Kent and Salisbury lean more liberal in general but your family will be accepted in all the towns I listed. Litchfield County is a much quieter part of CT than the coast in Fairfield. A trip to NYC would be longer coming from Litchfield County but it's not far at all. Salisbury is the most northwest town in CT and it's still only a 2 hour and 15 min drive to Manhattan. You can also grab a train somewhere in CT or NY.
Good luck to you and enjoy house hunting in Fairfield County if you decide to choose CT, lol.
Last edited by RoundTableKnight; 09-15-2020 at 09:28 PM..
Thank you! I read the comment but the post was deleted because I asked similar questions in boards for the other areas we are interested in. This was very insightful and definitely opens our eyes to the areas mentioned. Thanks again.
I should say, 2+ acres on water is going to be nearly impossible at your budget in the southwest part of the state. Houses with that much land on the water in that part of the state are in the 8-figure range and are rare. Houses near the water on 2+ acres will most likely be in your budget further east in Fairfield County, Westport/Fairfield vicinity. Definitely not in Greenwich. But again, not that easy to come by.
Big lot near or on water, screams Guilford to me. Breathtaking area with bigger lots near the water. More of a private, wooded feel. Feels like Maine without the colder winters. And much more affordable than the southwest corner, but still near some city life and culture (New Haven) so it's not the boonies.
I should say, 2+ acres on water is going to be nearly impossible at your budget in the southwest part of the state. Houses with that much land on the water in that part of the state are in the 8-figure range and are rare. Houses near the water on 2+ acres will most likely be in your budget further east in Fairfield County, Westport/Fairfield vicinity. Definitely not in Greenwich. But again, not that easy to come by.
Big lot near or on water, screams Guilford to me. Breathtaking area with bigger lots near the water. More of a private, wooded feel. Feels like Maine without the colder winters. And much more affordable than the southwest corner, but still near some city life and culture (New Haven) so it's not the boonies.
We will balance ocean front vs near the ocean based on real estate market. All along the northeast coast there are some stunning 8 figure properties but that’s for someone in a different tax bracket. In a great spot I would be just as happy near the ocean but with acreage. It’s really more about the community and finding a place that feels like we belong. Thanks for the great input!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stylo
I should say, 2+ acres on water is going to be nearly impossible at your budget in the southwest part of the state. Houses with that much land on the water in that part of the state are in the 8-figure range and are rare. Houses near the water on 2+ acres will most likely be in your budget further east in Fairfield County, Westport/Fairfield vicinity. Definitely not in Greenwich. But again, not that easy to come by.
Big lot near or on water, screams Guilford to me. Breathtaking area with bigger lots near the water. More of a private, wooded feel. Feels like Maine without the colder winters. And much more affordable than the southwest corner, but still near some city life and culture (New Haven) so it's not the boonies.
We will balance ocean front vs near the ocean based on real estate market. All along the northeast coast there are some stunning 8 figure properties but that’s for someone in a different tax bracket. In a great spot I would be just as happy near the ocean but with acreage. It’s really more about the community and finding a place that feels like we belong. Thanks for the great input!
Again, if you don't need to be near NYC, there's lots of great coastal areas in CT where you can get amazing waterfront for your budget. The closer to NYC, the more expensive. Some of the aforementioned areas (Rowayton, Southport, Guilford, Madison, Essex) are among not only the best coastal towns in CT, but in New England as well.
Planning to move from NW Pennsylvania with my wife and 3 teenage kids. We have enjoyed the quiet and safety of Lake Erie region but are ready for more from a hometown. I’m fiscally conservative and socially liberal with a mixed family and LGBTQIA+ child. Those dynamics don’t exactly fit in here so we are looking at CT, San Diego, North Shore & Buzzard Bay Massachusetts and coastal suburbs of NYC. Blessed to have employment and income not be an issue allowing us a lot of flexibility. Ideally looking for 2+ acres on or near the water in the $2-$4M range.
We’ve heard a lot of good things about CT, particularly the coastal area near NYC but visiting is hardly the same as living so any insight would be greatly appreciated. Main question; Is this area of CT open and accepting of a family like mine? If given the opportunity, would you choose CT over the other places mentioned? Thank you so much.
2 acres waterfront isn't the norm in SD or SW CT. You may want to rethink that. Check the SD Forum, they have some great members over there. Del Mar, Carmel Valley, and Encinitas up the coast a little are wonderful. LaJolla has become too congested.
Closer to NY CT, start in Old Greenwich, terrific spot and architecture, really beautiful homes. Belle Haven too if you can afford it. Stamford's Shippan Point is a great spot. The getting to and from asthetics not so much though. Darien is great. Terrific center. More conservative. Tokeneke on the 5 Mile River is a gem of an area.
Just across the river is the Rowayton section of Norwalk (not it's own town). The village center has the Nantucket/Edgartown feels. The Shakespeare on the Sound nights (cancelled this summer) were a treasure. Nothing beats Shakespeare. Over in East Norwalk, the lower Gregory Blvd area may just be one of CT's best kept secrets. Overall the Norwalk Sound coastal area is unique and the most active in the area. There's nothing like it west of New Haven. Westport's venerable Saugatuck Shores is a real treat. A fabulous array of modern coastal contemporary home styles. Then there's the Compo and Greens Farms areas. Beachside Avenue in Green Farms has the two acre or more lots but I'm afraid those homes aren't reality. They only reside in the dreams of City Data posters. Fairfield's Southport (again not it's own town) has the old money feels. A charming village center though not very lively, more business like. Stately older homes dot the waterfront on larger lots. Again not reality for City Data posters. Northern Southport away from the Sound has some bucolic neighborhoods and stunning homes. Here you can get some lot acreage along with a very nice home. Regular Fairfield's beach neighborhood is very popular. The sand beaches here are larger. I don't love the homes and architecture here though. It's a chaotic mix of older ranches, capes, and much larger overbuilt faux Nantucket styles built in the late 90s to mid 2000s that are already outdated. My personal fav in town is the South Pine Creek area.
You need to get here yesterday. You're gonna love it.
Fairfield County is one of the most expensive parts of our country. I agree with Stylo that unless you need/want easy access to New York City, you should consider other areas. You pay a steep premium to live in a town commutable to the city.
If it were me, I would consider the coastal suburbs east of New Haven particularly Branford, Guilford and Madison. These are beautiful family oriented communities that have a sort of beachy vibe you may like. These towns have larger lot zoning inland away from the coast and your budget will go very far in any of them. They have a lot of residents associated with Yale so they are a bit more liberal and accepting of LBGTQIA+ people. Madison has a wonderful beach/park called The Surf Club that is unbelievably beautiful. You could live on a larger lot property inland and still have great access to the beach. It’s hard to beat. Jay
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