[slopez]

I will be moving to Fairfield Cy. late this year(08),early next year(09).
Can anyone give me some ideas on the best places/town's to look??
Most important thing's are neighborhood's & school's..
Places i'm considering are, Greenwich,Stamford,Norwalk..
Any help is very welcome..thanx..

[JayCT]

slopez - Welcome to Connecticut. In picking a town in Fairfield County, a lot will depend on what you want to spend and what you expect to get for that price. Fairfield County is one of the most expensive places to live in the country, so be prepared to pay top $$$.

Stamford and Norwalk are cities and are known to have some common urban type issues. If you have kids, you might want to consider sending them to privates particularly as they get into the upper grades. The towns surrounding Stamford and Norwalk (Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Weston and Westport) all have excellent schools and are known for being great places to raise, but be prepared to pay a lot for a nice home in a nice location. Even modest homes are expensive in these towns.

Another option to consider is Fairfield. It is a wonderful town with excellent schools and a great downtown area. There is great shopping, restaurants and entertainment and there are great parks and beaches as well. Because it is located a little further from New York, home prices in Fairfield are a little more reasonable and there is a wide range of housing options including everything from modest apartments to stunning mansions. I hope this helps. Jay

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by slopez

I will be moving to Fairfield Cy. late this year(08),early next year(09).
Can anyone give me some ideas on the best places/town's to look??
Most important thing's are neighborhood's & school's..
Places i'm considering are, Greenwich,Stamford,Norwalk..
Any help is very welcome..thanx..

Hi slopez...Fairfield County, as Jay mentioned, is one of the most expensive counties in the country for housing. A modest 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1500 sq foot home will easily run $450,000.
Stamford/Norwalk/Greenwich are spectacular cities in which to raise families. The quality of life overall in Fairfield County is difficult to beat anywhere in the US. With NYC being a just a little over/under an hour away from most of the county, the beach being minutes away, rolling woods with forest minutes away, luxury shopping, the best dining options, and the best schools being located right here--Fairfield County is highly desirable.
I'd suggest you take a trip to see all of the options each city affords you. Each city mentioned is very different. Greenwich has some of the most exclusive estates in the world and one of the most fabulous shopping areas. Norwalk has world-class homes, excellent variety in shopping, and a "hip and trendy" south norwalk area (sono) for the young and young at heart. Stamford is the largest of the three, with a huge corporate presence, excellent quality of life, and a fast growing downtown area.
Other Fairfield County towns are not to be missed: take a look at the almost-story-book like character of the towns of Westport, Fairfield, New Canaan, Darien, and Ridgefield.
Best of luck.

[hoppybunn]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

Hi slopez...Fairfield County, as Jay mentioned, is one of the most expensive counties in the country for housing. A modest 3 bedroom, 2 bath 1500 sq foot home will easily run $450,000.
Stamford/Norwalk/Greenwich are spectacular cities in which to raise families. The quality of life overall in Fairfield County is difficult to beat anywhere in the US. With NYC being a just a little over/under an hour away from most of the county, the beach being minutes away, rolling woods with forest minutes away, luxury shopping, the best dining options, and the best schools being located right here--Fairfield County is highly desirable.
I'd suggest you take a trip to see all of the options each city affords you. Each city mentioned is very different. Greenwich has some of the most exclusive estates in the world and one of the most fabulous shopping areas. Norwalk has world-class homes, excellent variety in shopping, and a "hip and trendy" south norwalk area (sono) for the young and young at heart. Stamford is the largest of the three, with a huge corporate presence, excellent quality of life, and a fast growing downtown area.
Other Fairfield County towns are not to be missed: take a look at the almost-story-book like character of the towns of Westport, Fairfield, New Canaan, Darien, and Ridgefield.
Best of luck.

Wow reading that made me remember what it was like in high school, and how much I absolutely hated growing up in Fairfield. I guess it is a pretty nice place though for someone who likes the traditional southern CT vibe (no diversity whatsoever) and where money means everything. It is a very safe county (hardly any crime), and if you're looking for the stereotype of what CT is all about, this is the county to live in. All I can say though is that it definitely wasn't for me and I'm glad I moved out of there when I had the chance Good luck finding what you are looking for.

[reason180]

Originally Posted by hoppybunn

I guess it is a pretty nice place though for someone who likes the traditional southern CT vibe (no diversity whatsoever) and where money means everything.

Not the parats of Fairfield County that I know.

In Bridgeport alone:

Brazilian Festival at Seaside Park, Puerto Rican Parade, Turkish Restaurants, Vietnamese, old Eastern European ladies at the Russian Greek Orthodox Churches, all the Jamaican restaurants and clubs, etc.....

That is just Bridgeport, you could add Norwalk and Stamford to that list.

[Geotennis777]

I'm gonna give out some FFCY superlatives to help you get a feel for the towns:
(remember this is only an opinion!)

Best Schools- Darien, New Canaan (tie)
Best Quality of Life- Darien
Easiest Access to Resources- Greenwich
Best Bang for your Buck- Danbury, Newtown
Most Expensive (LOL)- New Canaan
Cleanest- New Canaan
Dirtiest- Bridgeport
Worst Schools- Bridgeport
Worst Neighborhoods- Bridgeport
Best Neighborhoods- Stamford
Nicest town Center- Westport

Fairfield County is very affluent, so as mentioned above-be prepared to shell out some big bucks for not-so-much house.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by hoppybunn

Wow reading that made me remember what it was like in high school, and how much I absolutely hated growing up in Fairfield. I guess it is a pretty nice place though for someone who likes the traditional southern CT vibe (no diversity whatsoever) and where money means everything. It is a very safe county (hardly any crime), and if you're looking for the stereotype of what CT is all about, this is the county to live in. All I can say though is that it definitely wasn't for me and I'm glad I moved out of there when I had the chance Good luck finding what you are looking for.

Hoppybunn - From this and other posts you have made, it sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. I am not sure where in Fairfield you are from (is the Town of Fairfield or just somewhere in the county) but I can tell you that the part of Fairfield (town) that I grew up in and still visit very regularly is not that way. In fact most people I know there are very down to earth and friendly. I guess it is all a matter of where you live and who you associate with. I know many people that have bad memories of their youth but as they age they realize how good they really have it. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Hoppybunn - From this and other posts you have made, it sounds like you have a chip on your shoulder. I am not sure where in Fairfield you are from (is the Town of Fairfield or just somewhere in the county) but I can tell you that the part of Fairfield (town) that I grew up in and still visit very regularly is not that way. In fact most people I know there are very down to earth and friendly. I guess it is all a matter of where you live and who you associate with. I know many people that have bad memories of their youth but as they age they realize how good they really have it. Jay

I don't think hoppybunn has a chip on their shoulder - they are just offering their opinion which IMO is very accurate. Some people in southwestern CT do have a tendency to obsess over money. I've noticed it more in recent years than ever before.

I was born in Fairfield and lived there for most of my childhood, and still have many friends in town. I do have to say, the nouveau riche in Fairfield are more pretentious than in New Canaan and Darien. I agree that it depends on where you live and who you associate with, but in Fairfield, many of those SAHMs think they're wealthier than multi-millionaires who live in towns like New Canaan. The same can be said for Newtown, Trumbull and Shelton - people seem to think that being financially comfortable is upper class, when it certainly is not.

I do know many hard-working middle class families in Fairfield so my observation by no means refers to the majority of the community.

[HelloSam]

It's all so very relative, isn't it? I'm encountering this kind of snobbery in northern Fairfield County (where I am looking for a home now) and have to laugh because these people have no clue what "real" wealth is. And if they were that wealthy, they'd be living in Greenwich or New Canaan.

When I bought my home in Fairfield three years ago, the first realtor I worked with called Fairfield "the new Darien" and I nearly threw up. I got rid of her shortly thereafter. I'd been renting in Greenwich for years, I just wanted to buy into a town that had some of the similarities to the best parts of Greenwich (walkable downtown, access to diverse restaurants -- IMHO Fairfield is to Bridgeport as Greenwich is to Port Chester in that regard -- and to be near the beach) without all of the crazy wealth and attitudes that come with it.

Now my priorities are different. I am no longer single and we want a good chunk of property and decent square footage for <600K. So north we go.

p.s. - i have horrific memories of private school in new canaan. just awful! but i do appreciate this area now that i am grown. even if i am not and will never be a hedge fund wife.

[flavorPacket]

I grew up in Newtown, but was away in Michigan for a few years, and am back visiting. I have to say it's stunning to me how many people think they are God's gift to humanity because they drive an entry- or mid-level Lexus!

It's really a shame; it was such a good place to grow up. I'm just glad I got out when I did.