[NYfamily77]

Hello! We're considering a move to Connecticut from Larchmont, lower Westchester.
Lived here for a while ...both my husband and I commuted daily to the city, which was one of the reasons we chose Larchont.
Now, with a good portion of our jobs shifted to remote, we're looking for more space and cost savings.

We also lived a long time in the City, which explains our preference for walkability and nice downtown areas

What towns in Connecticut should we consider?

Criteria:
* pleasant downtown, ideally even walkable and bikeable
* reasonably good schools
* Metro North station within 15 min drive from home
* Under 1:15 hours train ride to GCT
* if possible, some international/ european expats representation
* reasonable home prices (no need to be in a beach or a lake community).

thanks in advance!!

[Stylo]

It depends on your definition of affordable. Certainly Fairfield seems like a bullseye with those requirements. Westport could work, but it's considerably more expensive than Fairfield.

I think Ridgefield could work (you'd take train from Katonah), but the downtown might not have enough to keep you busy, as it's less robust than Fairfield/Westport.

The under 1:15 train ride limits you from some more affordable towns, like Milford.

[CTartist]

If you live in Larchmont and want a nice town in CT but cheaper I think your best bet is Fairfield.

House Price Average/Median
Larchmont........1 million/1.4 million
Fairfield............$965,000/$877,000
Westport..........2.4 million/2.1 million

I wanted to buy a house in Fairfield but I could not afford it so I ended up in Trumbull about 5/10 minutes away. But you can afford Fairfield. Fairfield is a great town in so many ways. I don't have the time to elaborate but I will later. So many people on here will tell you how great Fairfield is too.

I take the train into Manhattan from Fairfield so I elaborate on that too.

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by NYfamily77

Hello! We're considering a move to Connecticut from Larchmont, lower Westchester.
Lived here for a while ...both my husband and I commuted daily to the city, which was one of the reasons we chose Larchont.
Now, with a good portion of our jobs shifted to remote, we're looking for more space and cost savings.

We also lived a long time in the City, which explains our preference for walkability and nice downtown areas

What towns in Connecticut should we consider?

Criteria:
* pleasant downtown, ideally even walkable and bikeable
* reasonably good schools
* Metro North station within 15 min drive from home
* Under 1:15 hours train ride to GCT
* if possible, some international/ european expats representation
* reasonable home prices (no need to be in a beach or a lake community).

thanks in advance!!

Fairfield meets all those requirements other than the 2 I bolded. The last one - reasonable home prices - won't be found anywhere around here, though I'm not sure what your definition of reasonable is.

Metro-North service has become abysmal in the last 10-12 years and significantly lengthened commuting times due to the state's ongoing failure to maintain the tracks properly. Fairfield used to be less than 1:15 hours to GCT but that is no longer the case, unless possibly you get an express train that doesn't stop anywhere else.

As far as ex-pats go, they tend to like to stay closer to New York City, so I think the closer you are to the city, the more likely you are to find them. I imagine Greenwich is your best bet for that, but the prices there couldn't be considered reasonable. I know there is a more significant ex-pat population in the Larchmont area but I don't think you can expect to find that up here.

[SteveM85]

Originally Posted by NYfamily77

reasonable home prices

What's reasonable?
if 1.5 or less is reasonable and closer to NY look no further than Norwalk and Fairfield. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I don't care what anyone else thinks. These are the best of the best in SW CT and beyond.
If 1.5 and up then anyhwere between Greenwich and Fairfield really.
If reasonable is mid 6 figures than you'll have to look further out than the 1.15 hours to NYC.

If possible, sell now, rent, buy later. Now is a good time to sit idle on the market, though finding good rentals is another challenge for the area. It's a tricky time to navigate the current RE conditions.

Best

[DigitalMilford]

I'll just echo Westport/Fairfield. Both are terrific towns, with Westport being a bit more upscale and Faifield enjoy more diversity. Fairfield is roughly twice the size of Westport.

Luckily town borders are permeable-- Even though I live in Milford, my office is in Westport, and I spend most of my time in Bridgeport and Fairfield...

[Vetgirl2014]

Agree with others about needing a budget. There are actually large expat communities in a lot of towns on the rail line in FFC but your budget will change whether I recommend Fairfield vs Westport vs new canaan vs Greenwich vs Norwalk

[JayCT]

A lot depends on what your budget is and what you expect for it. What is reasonable to me, may not be reasonable to you. That’s especially true in Fairfield County, coming from Westchester.

My first suggestion would be Greenwich. It’s the closest to the city and has everything you ask for except maybe reasonable home prices. Keep in mind though that Greenwich has very low taxes so you will likely save there and can increase your mortgage amount a little.

Next I’d consider Darien or New Canaan. They also meet your criteria but are equally pricey followed by Westport. If you’d like to save a bit and don’t mind a longer drive to the train, then consider Wilton or Weston. They are more rural communities that don’t really have a walkable/bikeable downtown but you are close to those in shoreline towns.

Finally Fairfield is the outer most town that gets you close to your commute time. It is also the most affordable, has excellent schools and the downtown and amenities you seek. Jay

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Finally Fairfield is the outer most town that gets you close to your commute time. It is also the most affordable, has excellent schools and the downtown and amenities you seek. Jay

Wilton and Weston might be equal or even more affordable, though they don’t have the criteria of a downtown for OP.

[Vetgirl2014]

Also do you want a general expat community or specifically some country/culture/etc.. because if a specific nationality expat community is important than certain towns might interest you more than others