[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by mlassoff

Materialism: It's everywhere. Get over it. There are people who are materialistic and there are people who aren't.

I agree, materialism exists everywhere - yes even in eastern CT.

But people here tend to live within their means whereas I find people in places like AZ, TX, FL and CA live lavish lives thanks to their credit cards.

[love2driveinct]

I just posted a reply to you on another forum , but I thought I'd come back to my "home" forum and see what's going on. It looks like you're getting a lot of great suggestions here!

You mentioned having only a week here... is that just for CT? Or for all the areas of New England that you want to look at?

I'd say, to use your time wisely, you should check out 3 distinct areas, and try to spend at least a 1/2 day in each: Fairfield county, Hartford, and Eastern shoreline.

I'm sure there are some folks here who could direct you on how best to spend your time in the Fairfield area.

Then head to the Hartford area, where you may want to spend a little time in West Hartford -- go to the downtown area, find a parking spot, and walk around. Check out the shops, get something to eat, then go for a drive through some of the neighborhoods. There are other towns similar to WH, but that will give you a taste for what that area has to offer.

After that, I would recommend a trip to the New London/Groton area. New London is a small waterfront city. There are some great towns surrounding it, some with very good schools. The atmosphere in the area is New England's version of laid-back, and NL itself is pretty artsy/funky. Some of the shoreline towns are very picturesque, with beautiful waterfront homes, marinas, and boardwalks. You could check out New London, then head to downtown Mystic where you can park, walk around, and get something to eat (at the famous Mystic Pizza or any of the other great eateries). After that, drive along Rt 1 in Stonington and into Westerly/Watch Hill, RI. You can even go all the way to Misquamicut Beach, one of the best public beaches in Southern N.E., if you like a "real" beach with some waves. (But keep in mind this is N.E. and the Atlantic Ocean isn't warm, clear, or turquoise up here, lol.)

I know you are really looking for some specific direction on places to go while you are here, so I hope this helps a bit.

Cari

[Coastal_habitat]

Thank you so much, Cari!
This is such valuable information, we just booked our trip, of course we'll be traveling with our 4 year old, but I'll print all suggestions, grab a AAA book and see where destiny takes us...

I think we'll stay in CT and then maybe if time allows, drive to MA... hopefully a week will suffice!!!

Again, thanks so much to all...

Originally Posted by love2driveinct

I just posted a reply to you on another forum , but I thought I'd come back to my "home" forum and see what's going on. It looks like you're getting a lot of great suggestions here!

You mentioned having only a week here... is that just for CT? Or for all the areas of New England that you want to look at?

I'd say, to use your time wisely, you should check out 3 distinct areas, and try to spend at least a 1/2 day in each: Fairfield county, Hartford, and Eastern shoreline.

I'm sure there are some folks here who could direct you on how best to spend your time in the Fairfield area.

Then head to the Hartford area, where you may want to spend a little time in West Hartford -- go to the downtown area, find a parking spot, and walk around. Check out the shops, get something to eat, then go for a drive through some of the neighborhoods. There are other towns similar to WH, but that will give you a taste for what that area has to offer.

After that, I would recommend a trip to the New London/Groton area. New London is a small waterfront city. There are some great towns surrounding it, some with very good schools. The atmosphere in the area is New England's version of laid-back, and NL itself is pretty artsy/funky. Some of the shoreline towns are very picturesque, with beautiful waterfront homes, marinas, and boardwalks. You could check out New London, then head to downtown Mystic where you can park, walk around, and get something to eat (at the famous Mystic Pizza or any of the other great eateries). After that, drive along Rt 1 in Stonington and into Westerly/Watch Hill, RI. You can even go all the way to Misquamicut Beach, one of the best public beaches in Southern N.E., if you like a "real" beach with some waves. (But keep in mind this is N.E. and the Atlantic Ocean isn't warm, clear, or turquoise up here, lol.)

I know you are really looking for some specific direction on places to go while you are here, so I hope this helps a bit.

Cari

[wr!ter]

I notice no one's mentioned Ridgefield CT. I actually live in NY just over the border, but you might like this town a lot. It's very pretty and has parks, lake "beaches", good schools and a villagey feel. It's near Danbury which has loads of car dealerships and ethnic restaurants (but not such great schools, I suspect). I have no clue what beaches you can go to if you don't live in the town the beach is in. Keep in mind that the nearest beach may not be public. Also, I think there's some kind of law in CT that every house has to be a white colonial (only partly kidding!!! It's a little scary.) But that aside, CT is actually more ethnically diverse than NY in this area.... The town might be pricey, but it's very pretty and your husband will enjoy freezing his butt off in the winter up here :-D

[kbuss]

We love the town of Branford,CT. You would have a shoreline town with beach access, a great town center, and afforable for CT.

[uctalum01]

Originally Posted by kbuss

We love the town of Branford,CT. You would have a shoreline town with beach access, a great town center, and afforable for CT.

I agree. I was born and raised and still reside in Branford and I absolutely love it. I think it's a great place to raise a family. You also said you're husband is in car sales, and there are a ton of car dealerships right in Branford on Rt 1. Off the top of my head there's Ford, Honda, Chrysler, Dodge, Subaru, and Hyundai.

[Coastal_habitat]

Hey guys

So we actually went to CT. What a beautiful state you live in! You are truly privileged. And all the suggestions! We followed them as closely as we could, with the little time we had.

We also drove to MA and to RI. Beautiful trip, all in all.

We're still deciding on where to live though. My parents traveled with us, and they did make a point in saying that we'd have more family (my in-laws and my sister) if we moved back to the West Coast. This is a big concern since our little boy is very close to all of them, including my sis' kids.

But this is a trip I'll treasure forever in my heart. The little white houses, the delicious food (oh, those clam chowders!), the kindness of everybody, the beautiful little towns... hopefully, maybe, when we retire...

But thanks again. Now my search has to shift to the Northwest side of the country...! So here I go again...

[JayCT]

Coastal_habitat - I am glad you enjoyed your trip to CT and NE, but I have to agree with your parents. Being near family when you have small children is important. DW and I were not near any of our family (or at least any family member that could help us with the kids) and it was difficult. Good luck with search. Come back and visit again soon. Jay

[Mighty__Quinn]

I grew up in Mystic (south eastern CT) and love brought me to Long Island about 3 years ago. I can not wait to leave Long Island!!! Austin, TX is at the top of our list and I appreciate all the great points and comparisons between CT and TX in this thread. Thanks

Good luck with your home search. Since the real estate market took a nose dive, I think we're stuck here in NY for longer than I was originally hoping.

[Coastal_habitat]

Originally Posted by Mighty__Quinn

I grew up in Mystic (south eastern CT) and love brought me to Long Island about 3 years ago. I can not wait to leave Long Island!!! Austin, TX is at the top of our list and I appreciate all the great points and comparisons between CT and TX in this thread. Thanks

Good luck with your home search. Since the real estate market took a nose dive, I think we're stuck here in NY for longer than I was originally hoping.

Personally, I see positive things in both CT and TX...
I loved the architecture and natural beauty of CT (and the food!!!)... but I think I also appreciate how easy it is to live in Austin. It's perhaps the most laid back city I've ever seen here in the US. The cost of living here is very very low too and we wouldn't have been able to afford our current (small but cute) home anywhere else. If it wasn't for my dear husband (who can't take the summers here), I'd stay here for sure!!!