[07Grad]

Hi all,
I am moving soon from a pretty agrarian section of TX to the lower Fairfield County area once I graduate. Any advice on the best area to relocate for a fresh-outta-college 22 yr. old?
My job is at a CT-based corporation along the Stamford/Darien/Norwalk I-95 corridor. Obviously I won't be purchasing a 'cottage' in Greenwich anytime soon, but I also don't want to end up in "one of those areas" that B-Port and other areas are infamous for (I don't know if that's true or not, but almost everyone seems to think it!!!). I don't care about "great schools" and all that jazz; more concerned w/ nightlife, social scene (I'm gay), etc. South Norwalk looks pretty decent; what do y'all think? Any renters out there?

Also:
1. Good God Why Is It So Damn Expensive?!?!?! (rhetorical )
2. Are the winters THAT bad in the Fairfield County area, or just further inland?
3. Is commuting from NYC a feasible option? I have a car...

Thanks in advance,
-Future CT Outsider

[skytrekker]

07 grad

questions- why is it so expensive?
proximity to New York- the preeminent city of the world- London is pretty near.
Winters that bad? Well compared to Houston, San Antonio and Austin- yes
compared to Chicago, Cleveland NO
Commuting to NYC via auto NO Take Metro North
Gay? Connecticut is a very liberal state- being Gay myself -you should feel very at ease here.
Try the 'Brook' in Westport- or 'Partners' in New Haven or 'Triangles' in Danbury for gay bars and nightlife.

[westguy22]

Originally Posted by 07Grad

Hi all,
I am moving soon from a pretty agrarian section of TX to the lower Fairfield County area once I graduate. Any advice on the best area to relocate for a fresh-outta-college 22 yr. old?
My job is at a CT-based corporation along the Stamford/Darien/Norwalk I-95 corridor. Obviously I won't be purchasing a 'cottage' in Greenwich anytime soon, but I also don't want to end up in "one of those areas" that B-Port and other areas are infamous for (I don't know if that's true or not, but almost everyone seems to think it!!!). I don't care about "great schools" and all that jazz; more concerned w/ nightlife, social scene (I'm gay), etc. South Norwalk looks pretty decent; what do y'all think? Any renters out there?

Also:
1. Good God Why Is It So Damn Expensive?!?!?! (rhetorical )
2. Are the winters THAT bad in the Fairfield County area, or just further inland?
3. Is commuting from NYC a feasible option? I have a car...

Thanks in advance,
-Future CT Outsider

Skytrekker is right, it's so expensive because of the proximity to New York. If you don't mind a 30-35 minute commute, you can get a place in Trumbull, Milford or Shelton. They're the more reasonable towns in the area. Just stay away from Bridgeport.

Winters here are pretty bad.

I wouldn't recommend commuting from NYC. You wouldn't hit traffic (as most of it goes the opposite way) but the cost of living in the city is outrageous. It's a 40 minute car ride to the city from Norwalk/Darien (without traffic) so anytime you want to visit, you're right at it's doorstep. You can also take the train into Grand Central to make it easier.

Being Gay in Connecticut is no big deal. People in these parts have a "you do your thing, I'll do mine" mindset that some mistake for rude. It's just more reserved. We mind our business here. It's way more accepting than TX, I'm sure.

Nightlife in Connecticut is great. SoNo (South Norwalk) has a great collection of bars -- Black Bear is my favorite. Downtown Stamford has a good nightlife as well. New Haven (about an hour up 95) has a great scene in and around the Yale and Temple Street areas. And, of course, you're in the shadows of Manhattan.

Just don't be shocked at the shortness of some people here. As I said above, we just mind our business.

Good luck with your move. Let us know how it works out.

[Dockside]

Originally Posted by 07Grad

1. Good God Why Is It So Damn Expensive?!?!?! (rhetorical )
2. Are the winters THAT bad in the Fairfield County area, or just further inland?
3. Is commuting from NYC a feasible option? I have a car...

Thanks in advance,
-Future CT Outsider

1. Expensive - good schools, very desirable, close to NYC
2. Winters - New England winters are nice. Feb is awful, though. Maybe compared to TX it's cold, but you'll like it. Spring is breathtaking.
3. Commuting from NYC is feasible, but by train. Sell your car if your going to live in NYC, you won't need it and it will cause you endless grief and a string of parking tickets.

Westguy is right, nobody in this area of CT and NY will care if you're gay.

The SoNo section of South Norwalk is nice, nice nightlife, but South Norwalk has some rugged areas. If the rental price is too good to be true, there's a reason.

[JViello]

Check out SONO, I spent a lot of time in FFC with my job at SNET (phone company) and also looked at some great apartments there when I almost took a position in NYC.

I think you will like SONO. If that's to rich for your blood, try Black Rock in Bport, Milford, or even Waste Haven...er West Haven or New Haven and take the train.

[Stellaj]

Originally Posted by 07Grad

Hi all,
I am moving soon from a pretty agrarian section of TX to the lower Fairfield County area once I graduate. Any advice on the best area to relocate for a fresh-outta-college 22 yr. old?
My job is at a CT-based corporation along the Stamford/Darien/Norwalk I-95 corridor. Obviously I won't be purchasing a 'cottage' in Greenwich anytime soon, but I also don't want to end up in "one of those areas" that B-Port and other areas are infamous for (I don't know if that's true or not, but almost everyone seems to think it!!!). I don't care about "great schools" and all that jazz; more concerned w/ nightlife, social scene (I'm gay), etc. South Norwalk looks pretty decent; what do y'all think? Any renters out there?

Also:
1. Good God Why Is It So Damn Expensive?!?!?! (rhetorical )
2. Are the winters THAT bad in the Fairfield County area, or just further inland?
3. Is commuting from NYC a feasible option? I have a car...

Thanks in advance,
-Future CT Outsider

1. The closer you get to NYC the more expensive the living becomes.
2. The winter have not been that bad, but coming from TX you will probably think it's pretty cold.
3. Your commute would be hellish - at least an hour and a half. Traffic is brutal! If you choose to go that route you can always take the train, but you would still be looking at over an hour commute one way.

I think you are on the right track with SoNo. They have a very active nightlife and there are a lot of Lofts for rent. Stamford would work well for you as well... tons of places for rent.

You really want to stay away from Bridgeport. However, there is one section that is nice called Black Rock, it is more affordable than most other towns and is close to the Fairfield line. Close to the beach and does have a few bars.

[07Grad]

Hey all, thanks for the helpful info.! I will start looking around the South Norwalk area first; it sounds like a fun and eclectic place. If that's too much rent-wise, I will check out Trumbull, etc.

No matter where I end up, it will be a big change, but I'm looking forward to the adaptation process. I know I will miss TX's wide open sky, great TexMex, BBQ, overly friendly people, striking up small talk with strangers, speaking "spanglish", etc., but I think CT will be enjoyable as well. Although I'm not a big fan of coastal fairfield county right now (crowded, expensive, and everything looks old!), it will be a great experience. I'm looking forward to once again being able to drive down the Merritt (absolutely beautiful; no hwy in TX compares!), eat at Colony Grill, stand in line for an hour at a Dairy Queen (hilarious! no one holds DQ in such high regards down here!), lounging at the beach, hiking in the den, and hopping on the metro-north to grand central.

In stereotypical Texan fashion, I love my home state, but I think CT may give it a run for its money! Thanks again.

[Johnny CT]

Congratz on the new job!

I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised by CT. Bridgeport and Hartford are both 40% Latino so you will have a chance to speak Spanglish if you want. Norwalk and Stamford have some great Colombian, Guatemalan, Peruvian, and Mexican restaurants. You are also going to have a chance to eat some of the best pizza in the usa Roseland Apizza in Derby, Vito's in Wolcott, Pepes and Sallys in New Haven to list a few. In the summer you can take a drive to NorthWest CT to Lake Waramaug to escape it all. And during the fall head up to the covered bridge area of Kent to take in the fall folliage.

And of course to party hop on the train to NYC, the bars in the city are open to 4:00am so when they close head to a diner for a bite to eat and then catch the 5:30am train back home to CT.

You asked about commuting from the city to Fairfield County area, more and more people are doing that. They are reverse commuting from Jersey and New York to CT. It wouldn't be a problem if your office is close to the train station. Somebody mentioned that having a car in NYC is impossible, that isn't true. If you live in the outer bouroughs(Bronx, Queens, etc) you will see many people own cars and park them on the street or in their drive way. If you live in Manhattan however owning a car could become very expensive and I wouldn't recommend it.

[jonathancjudd`]

I went the opposite from what you are doing - from New Haven to Dallas for a year and a half. Although my time living in Dallas was odd, there were hardly any native Texans living in my apartment building or working in my office, seemed like everyone was from out of state.

One big factor to consider is the morning / evening commuting traffic on both the Merritt Parkway and I-95 - it can easily take one hour to drive between Milford and Stamford - and that's only about 20-25 miles. It will take around 30 minutes to drive from Fairfield to Stamford.

Metro-North is a little better, but once you factor in the time to and from the train station and the office, it takes about the same amount of time. There are plenty of apartments within walking distance of the train stations especially in SoNo. There are a lot of transient professionals in Fairfield County, if you consider having a aroommate that would stretch your housing dollar a bit.

Also, don't forget that George W was born right here in Connecticut!

[07Grad]

UPDATE... I just found out I will more than likely end up in the office park near the intersection of Route 7 and the Merritt Parkway in Norwalk. What is this section of Norwalk like? Any ideas on where to live that would be close or easily accessible to/from this point?
Also, what's this business about a car tax? Is it expensive/possible to avoid by postponing my car registration from TX to CTuntil later in the year?
Thanks again for all the helpful info./advice!