[New Aussie]

I am moving to CT with my family (wife & 2 kids under 6). We know Manhattan well, but have never been to CT. I will be commuting daily to Downtown NYC.

We are looking for a great area to rent in either New Canaan, Darien or Westport. We want a New England town that is safe and picturesque. We have approx $4000 a month to spend on rent and would prefer a gated community or golf club style community if possible.

Could anyone kindly advise on which of these towns (or any others we may have missed) is likely to be the best? And if there are any gated/golf communities in those areas?

Thank you.

[skytrekker]

Aussie

gated communities in Connecticut are very rare- including the towns you named which are very upscale- This type of 'sequestered' gated planned 'enclave' are not part of the cultural landscape in CT & New England because of restrictive local zoning and lack of demand. These towns do have beautiful homes in established leafy neighborhoods with well landscaped lawns/gardens, many have large sprawling lots.

Westport may offer a traditional 3-4 bedroom Colonial , Cape Cod , or Salt Box style home on a smaller piece of land, for about $4k+ a month; You perhaps may find even a smaller Contemporary style house. You will be close to everything charming Westport has to offer including Sherwood Island State beach on Long Island Sound. The other towns may offer something similar for housing types and cost. Rentals in any case may be hard to find.

Darien will be the priciest, followed by New Canaan and then Westport. You are unlikely to find a home at the price you suggested however in the type of situation you desire.

Golf club type communities may exist- especially in condominium type situations that are very upscale. But these are also not common. If they exist many are age restricted (55 and over) and for purchase only. Most of these towns will have private golf clubs with high fees. Some will have public golf courses.

The towns you named all have very low crime, excellent schools, and are very pleasant places to live with a New England ambiance that is unsurpassed- They do have a quality of life that ranks among the highest anywhere in the USA.

The best plan would be to contact a Realtor who specializes in rental homes for Southwestern CT.

Best of luck and welcome to New England and CT.

[LaMadden]

Originally Posted by New Aussie

I am moving to CT with my family (wife & 2 kids under 6). We know Manhattan well, but have never been to CT. I will be commuting daily to Downtown NYC.

We are looking for a great area to rent in either New Canaan, Darien or Westport. We want a New England town that is safe and picturesque. We have approx $4000 a month to spend on rent and would prefer a gated community or golf club style community if possible.

Could anyone kindly advise on which of these towns (or any others we may have missed) is likely to be the best? And if there are any gated/golf communities in those areas?

Thank you.

Sorry to say there are no golf communities as you and I know from living in other areas. They just don't have them here. They actually don't have neighborhoods like we've known either. And before anyone from CT yells at me and uses the name cookie cutter, please stop. You don't know where I've lived and in what type homes. It was a chore to find a home for us with the finish we were used to and still did not come up with everything. Good luck, the trees are pretty.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Your expectations seem a bit high for your budget. I'm guessing that the nearest "golf community" modern rental home you'll find would be around Great River in Milford.

I doubt that you'll find a modern home for 4K in the vicinity of a golf course in NC or Darien. Any modern rental for that budget will be tough to find in those towns.