[nycbound2009]

Dear all,

We are relocating to the NYC area next spring. I work for a firm in midtown and only need to be in the office 2 days a week, so commuting is not the priority.

My wife and I are in our mid 40's and childless. We're both originally from New England so we like pretty towns with some character and green space such as Sherborne, Weston, Wellesley or Duxbury Mass if you know those. Ideally a place with enough to offer to make it home for a very long time even after we stop working.

For activities we like road biking (need country roads without a lot of traffic) and golf. My wife also likes art, theatre and Indie movies. Hard combination.

Coming most recently from the midwest, we would really value friendly, welcoming people and some green space.

We originally focused on CT towns such as Greenwich and Westport due to Metro North to GCS, lower taxes and green space. We found Greenwich a bit expensive for what you get, but Westport still seems to be a strong choice given our needs.

There are so many nice towns, we want to make sure we check out the best of NY, NJ and CT.

We are open to any ideas...thank you very much for your consideration.

[Smallville]

Hmm, I'm thinking Orange or Milford. Milford has pretty good transportation as far as buses and the trains go. But like you said, commuting isn't your priority.

Orange has a lot of green scenery , but I don't know too much about Orange and I'm not *exactly* sure what you're looking for. Best of luck!

[HelloSam]

While Greenwich and Westport do have lower taxes, the real estate itself is some of the most expensive in the county.

I'm thinking Redding. Check it out.

[JayCT]

If you liked Westport but thought it was too developed, you might check out Weston which is immediately to the north of Westport. It is a nice small upscale town with large wooded lots and a lot of wooded open space. Much of the town is watershed property for the reservoirs serving greater Bridgeport. There is no real town center though and most shopping is done in either Westport or Wilton.

Other towns to consider may be Easton or Wilton. Good luck, Jay

[skaneatelesmom]

You sound like you have similar interests as my brother and his fiance. They just bought a house in Croton-on-Hudson, in Westchester county. He loves a small town, but with a cultural and outdoorsy vibe.
Jo

[molpel]

I don't know how much you are looking to spend, but as a poster above stated you might like Milford. You can get just as much house (or more) in Milford as in lower Fairfield County, plus the taxes are much more reasonable. There is a cute Town Green area, easy access to the train station/I95/Parkway, beaches, tons of restaurants, clubs, shopping - both boutique and then chain stores along the Post Road. It really has a lot of everything you could ask for.

[kidyankee764]

Milford is a great town but is about as suburban as CT gets. It doesn't have much open space and I've heard newcomers from other areas (such as Missouri and Oklahoma) say they felt congested living in Milford.

Some rural towns I'd suggest in eastern Fairfield County or western NH County are Easton, Monroe, Oxford, Orange or Shelton. In Northern Fairfield County I'd suggest Ridgefield, New Fairfield, Brookfield or Newtown.

All of these towns are rural to semi-suburban in character and most properties are on at least an acre. I'm not sure what your price range is but these towns range from expensive (Ridgefield) to relatively affordable (Shelton). All have good schools and easy access to Metro North.

[Katelars4]

My extended family lives in Ridgefield and they LOVE it. There is a downtown area and has some fun town activities. Wilton is always a popular area as well. I work in Westport, and although beautiful, people tend to find it uptight. Fairfield is considered a lower key Westport, might be of interest as well.

I am also a cyclist and I would recomend joining Sound cyclists. Great group and it's extremely cheap to join. Great way to learn new rides and meet some new people.

[nycbound2009]

Look forward to checking them out and appreciate your help!

[Silli]

New Canaan if you can afford it. It has the quaint New England town feel while still being extremely close to NYC and artsy-fartsy.