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We have just moved from Portland, Oregon to Stamford CT ( Rental).
My husband works in Greenwich and we have 4years-old and 2 years-old.
We like being Stamford, yet we do not like the school sisuation and looking for a house to buy. 3bd/2ba single family house in a nice family oriented/kids friendly nighborhood-nice parks ( espacially a doggy park)and must have good school system, $500k-600k. We looked in katona, NY because there is a town which we want to be close by,but we cannot afford the property tax. We are very down to earth people and do want to be any snobby place. It seems like Ridgefield, Wilton and
Fairfield are the good towns for us-people look friendly? yet we do not have enough info to make our minds. We really like Ridgefiel so far, but we don't know if it's worth to drive little longer to his work. Please help us! Thanks.
We have just moved from Portland, Oregon to Stamford CT ( Rental).
My husband works in Greenwich and we have 4years-old and 2 years-old.
We like being Stamford, yet we do not like the school sisuation and looking for a house to buy. 3bd/2ba single family house in a nice family oriented/kids friendly nighborhood-nice parks ( espacially a doggy park)and must have good school system, $500k-600k. We looked in katona, NY because there is a town which we want to be close by,but we cannot afford the property tax. We are very down to earth people and do want to be any snobby place. It seems like Ridgefield, Wilton and
Fairfield are the good towns for us-people look friendly? yet we do not have enough info to make our minds. We really like Ridgefiel so far, but we don't know if it's worth to drive little longer to his work. Please help us! Thanks.
$500k to $600k will not go very far in any of those towns - Fairfield will be the most affordable and you'll get a modest home but with very good schools. Ridgefield will be the most rural, and Fairfield the most suburban. Wilton, somewhere in transition.
I would also suggest Trumbull - a nice, family oriented suburb with good schools and close to everything. Only problem is the commute from Trumbull (and even Fairfield) to Stamford via the Merritt Pkwy or 95 - it's a killer commute with traffic.
I'm from fairfield and it depends on which side of town you are on. If you are on the beach side, forget it, expensive, greenfield hill, very expensive, the closer you get to westport, forget it. Wilton is one of the most affluent towns in the country. Of those 3 I'd recommend ridgefield but its kinda rural or the side of fairfield not near westport or inland. I like what the other person said, Trumbull is a nice area, I have a friend that lives there, more afforadable too. I agree about the commute from trumbull, you'll want to avoid the 95 and the merritt during rush hour. I think inland fairfield is the best because you drive to the other side of fairfield in an easy 10 minutes or less and that's where the train station, easy commute to greater NY.
Trumbull has a nice dog park for residents only. Southbury also has a very nice doggy park and I think your budget would take you further there if it's not too far away for you.
Thanks for the comments. We do not want to be in Trumbull because we know a person who is commuting to Greenwich where is my husbands' next door office and he did not like his commute at all. Please give us more info about Ridgefiled, especially in south Ridgefiled. We saw mamy stores and cute downtown area which we like, but is it easy to see or find a doctors/ dentists for kids? or we have to travel other bigger town like Danbury?
Thanks for the comments. We do not want to be in Trumbull because we know a person who is commuting to Greenwich where is my husbands' next door office and he did not like his commute at all. Please give us more info about Ridgefiled, especially in south Ridgefiled. We saw mamy stores and cute downtown area which we like, but is it easy to see or find a doctors/ dentists for kids? or we have to travel other bigger town like Danbury?
I'm sure there are doctors and dentists in Ridgefield but the services are limited. In Ridgefield, there are grocery stores, clothing stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc. You would have to travel out of town for a hospital (Danbury Hospital most likely), the highway, big box stores and car dealerships. The closest mall is in Danbury.
Southern Ridgefield near Wilton is Branchville...there is a small downtown along 7 and the area is along Metro North's Danbury line (switches in South Norwalk to Grand Central...goes right through downtown Stamford).
One thing to note about Fairfield is that there is a new train station being constructed on the east side of town. This will make accessing Stamford and New york much easier. The station is scheduled to open in 2010 or 2011. Note that you will get a lot more home for your money on the east side of town than the west. Neighborhoods like Stratfield, Lake Hills and Fairfield Woods have a lot of nice homes in your price range. Plus the shopping on Black Rock Turnpike is very convenient. Jay
Oh that's sooo awesome about the train station on the 'other side' of fairfield. This is the part of town I grew up in, the fairfield woods section, very nice area and less pretentious that's for sure, just a nice area with lots of green grass, nice well kept homes but still fairfield. I love blackrock turnpike, that place has changed tremendously over the years, still great but built up a bit. I'm still kind of sad Miro farms is gone but its still a great place, lots there. I still have family in this area and I think its very nice.
Oh that's sooo awesome about the train station on the 'other side' of fairfield. This is the part of town I grew up in, the fairfield woods section, very nice area and less pretentious that's for sure, just a nice area with lots of green grass, nice well kept homes but still fairfield. I love blackrock turnpike, that place has changed tremendously over the years, still great but built up a bit. I'm still kind of sad Miro farms is gone but its still a great place, lots there. I still have family in this area and I think its very nice.
Yeah, the train station will be located off lower Black Rock Turnpike on what was once the Bullard Company's Foundery (opposite what is now BJ's). There will also be an access from King's Highway East near the old Handy & Harmen property. It should be a welcome addition to that side of town.
I too like Black Rock Turnpike. It is amazing how many different stores there are in that one mile stretch. I remember when most of it was built. It is sad about Miro's closing but the father, Joe, died and the kids weren't interested in continuing it. The property was more valuable. My parents were friends of them. Knew them their entire lives.
Also sad to see the old Kuhn's Corner go. Again, the property was worth more than the business. The kids were set up with Trust Funds and don't have to worry much about money now. Oh well, Jay
Unfortunately, quite a few statistics on the city-data page (income, population, sq. mileage) are incorrect. That aside, Ridgefield is a lovely, lovely town. I spent my entire childhood there and I would not have changed it for anything in the world.
It is possible to find a house matching the criteria you listed. Granted it would be a very "average" home. But, that shouldn't deter you as many homes in Ridgefield truly fit the "average" protocol. The advantage of having a smaller home is that you save on utility expenses as well as the cost of extensive furnishing. Plus upkeep is much easier.
Ballard park is the main park in Ridgefield. It is located in the town's center, just a stone-throw away from the town's quaint Main street. There is a lot of green space for picnicking, a gazeebo to relax in, and two playgrounds for children to play on. Over the summer they have a live band play every Tuesday evening, which is very family-friendly. There is also a dog park just around the corner--Bark Park. While I have never personally gone, I have heard good things. Many people go there to socialize and to allow there dog to get some exercise in.
The south part of Ridgefield really isn't too far from Greenwich. It's about a half-hour, give or take. But, hey, it could be worse. I would say that's about an average commute time for Ridgefielders. Especially when many commute all the way into Manhattan. You mentioned liking south Ridgefield. While it is beautiful down there, it tends to run on the more expensive side. North Ridgefield is actually a great option as well. Being more affordable, living there will allow you to get a bigger/nicer house. Plus it has its advantages. It is more rural and tucked away making it very homey. Also, it is close to nearby Danbury so there is easy access to more commercial shopping.
Access to doctors and dentists is plentiful in Ridgefield. Depending on insurance coverage, there are plenty of medical professionals located in the town center of Ridgefield. But, you will soon learn that people will additionally travel to Wilton, and/or Danbury to visit with certain specialists. In general, many people in the area travel to nearby towns. If not for something in particular, it is at least done for a change of pace.
The school systems in Ridgefield are fantastic. Having gone through all my years of schooling in Ridgefield public schools, I can certainly attest to that claim. The schools have excellent teachers, exellent resources, and wonderful opportunities. I often found my self wondering why parents even sent their children to private and boarding schools, when they could get a stellar education for free! There are 6 different elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school. All are equally as good as the other.
Lastly, the people in Ridgefield tend to be rather friendly. Of course you will occasionally stumble across your average Fairfield county mom who spends her afternoons getting mani-pedis and leaving the children with the nanny in order to have "me" time, but overall the general vibe is friendly. There are many organizations for people to get involved in and for the kids to be a part of to. Because the town is on the smaller side, you will soon get to know many of the towns people, but it rarely turns out to be the sort of gossipy network that you see on TV and in the movies. Rather, it serves as a network of communication and camaraderie.
Hope this helps!
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any of those 3 towns are going to be expensive
