[smichboyd]

We're moving to CT this summer and I think we've narrowed our search to Fairfield, Milford, or New Haven but haven't zeroed in on one of those. I'm able to research home costs, crime rates, and other general stats on the internet so I'm pretty set there. I would greatly appreciate information about these towns regarding the personality, character, and lifestyle.

My husband and I are 36 & 33 and have no children other than our 2 dogs. We are looking for a friendly town with much to do. We enjoy the arts scene, great restaurants, and the occasional night out. We've narrowed in on these towns because of their proximity to the ocean and the easy train communte into NYC. I'm devoted to my yoga practice, so a nearby (great) studio is a priority to me, along with a real delight in being able to shop at farmer's markets for vegetables in the summer. Also, I'll be job hunting, so the local job market is a factor as well.

Any information would be great. Thanks everyone.

Happy New Year!
Michelle

[shwee]

While I think there each of the towns that you mentioned are worth considering, I'll address New Haven:

New Haven has really come into its own over the past several years... crime is down, there are tons of trendy restaurants that have opened up, there are plenty of cultural options (much of which is due to Yale's presence in the city), and yes, there's even a farmer's market in downtown New Haven on Weds and just east of downtown on the weekends. New apartments/condos have been/is being developed downtown as well.

[smichboyd]

Shwee,

Thanks for the reply and the info. Do you like New Haven over Milford or Fairfield? Do you know anything about the job market in New Haven?
Thanks a bunch.
Michelle

[njohnson]

I'm picking New Haven, my friend lives downtown and I am there every weekend so I have a good idea of what is in the town. There is a big arts community there, LOTS of restaurants, a good nightlife (the best in CT IMO), and numerous festivals on the green during the spring-fall. Last year we saw the Temptations on the green, Boys 2 Men came, and we went to 2 Puerto Rican festivals.

As you are probably aware already the schools aren't great, there is still crime (my car was broken into next to the courthouse!), and the poverty rate is higher than the rest of the state. They are all tradeoffs of living in a city. If any of these affect you too much then Milford may be a good second option as it is only about 10 minutes away and much safer. I can't say much on the job market there other than the medical field is very strong in town as is banking.

Here is a great website on all the happenings in New Haven.
http://www.infonewhaven.com/

Fairfield is a nice upper class town but isn't really near a major city. New York is close but not close enough to hop in your car and drive a few minutes and New Haven and Stamford are probably the closest night spots and are a distance.

[mels]

Milford and Fairfield are more suburban while New Haven is more urban. I have lived in Milford and New Haven before and liked them both. Milford has a bustling little downtown with restaurants, bars, etc. Lots of chain store/big box shopping on Rt. 1. They have a small arts community. The same could be said about Fairfield, with less of the chain store shopping than Milford. Both have nice residential areas and I can’t really say anything bad about either. Nice towns.

New Haven is (obviously) a more urban environment. Westville is where I used to live and my favorite neighborhood. East Rock is also nice. For a city its size, I find New Haven to be safe. Obviously crime happens as it does in any urban area. There is a large arts community, and the International Festival of Arts and Ideas held each summer is wonderful. Having Yale comprising a good part of downtown New Haven enriches the arts culture even further.

[smichboyd]

Thank everyone for the information.

Mels,

What do you like so much about Westville and East Rock? I am originally from Savannah, GA and I lived downtown in the historic section. I would love to get back to living in a city where I can walk to almost everything I need. Does this sound like New Haven?

Thanks in advance for the info and your time.
Michelle

[mels]

I think East Rock and Westville are the two safest neighborhoods and are more “know your neighbor” type places where they feel like real communities. East Rock area (think Whitney Ave and going that way) is about a 10 minute walk to the green in New Haven. You will be in walking distance of a lot of great restaurants, shops, Yale Art Gallery, etc. Westville is more residential. There are some bars and small restaurants and a few shops, but not as “happening” as downtown.
You certainly could live downtown and be right in the action, but it is all apartments dominated by Yale students and the prices reflect it. Also, you will likely be stuck in a high rise type apartment downtown, as opposed to the three family converted to apartment homes that comprise many of New Haven’s rentals. That is personal choice, I prefer the 3-family home type apartments.

Grocery shopping at a mega-grocery store type place can be a pain if you want to walk unless you live in Westville. The big grocery stores are Shaw’s on Whalley Ave and Stop & Shop which is right on the town line of Woodbridge and New Haven (Westville area). If you don’t want to drive you could always take the bus or taxi.

State Street used to be kind of a dumpy area, but in recent years has become a great neighborhood. Kind of funky, still a little gritty in parts, but it might strike a chord with you.

There is another area of New Haven called “Annex” located across the Q bridge right next to east Haven that is a nice residential area. I just consider that to be part of East Haven (suburban feel, just about all residential, nothing to walk to).

I just realized how long winded this post is. If you have any other questions, ask away!

[njohnson]

Nice, I lived in Savannah, GA for 4 years

Savannah, GA can be compared in some ways to a New Haven in that both have their good and bad parts. Savannah, while nice in the historic district, when you go too far down MLK or past Victory the scene changes dramatically. The same is true with New Haven. Most of the downtown area is relatively safe with the bad parts more on the outskirts.

[smichboyd]

Great information. Thanks a bunch.

Does anyone know anything about the real estate market in New Haven? My husband and I usually try to buy a home everywhere we move (he's in the military). We have a decent amount of equity built up so we could probably afford up to 500K, but would like to keep our home purchase price no more than 450K. Are home prices in New Haven appreciating well, or have they flattened out like much of the rest of the nation? Is there a transitional area that is a hot place to buy for investors because it is "moving up"?

Is New Haven a "young" town; in other words are you considered old if you are in your 30s? One thing I always loved about Savannah is that I had a social group that included 20 year old SCAD students all the way to people in their 70s still going strong.

What is the best thing about New Haven?

Other than a higher crime rate, what is the worst thing about New Haven?

Would New Haven's personality be considered progressive or conservative?

Thanks guys.
Michelle

[salatheel]

I love the restaurants in New Haven. There are so many of them and they are so eclectic. There are 5 thai restaurants on one block. A fantastic Malasian restaurant. A great Brazilian club/restaurant.Tremendous Japanese,Chinese,and Indian. A great Irish pub. I love the feel that you get from Yale being right there. There are people there from everywhere in the world. You will hear different languages being spoken all the time. There is a huge green with free concerts going on much of the time. It is a very underated vibrant city. Milford,North HAven,Hamden,Woodbridge,and Orange are all nice towns within 10-15 minutes of New HAven. All are very safe.