[arizcats13]

In a previous thread, I had some good responses to towns in Fairfield County. Fairfield was recommended several times, and my wife and I are seriously considering it.

The houses choices in our price range (under 500k), however, are understandably limited. For this reason, we are interested in finding out any information about Monroe. I know its farther from NYC, but I will not be working in the city.

-Does it have a metro north stop?
-What are the schools like?
-Community atmosphere?
-Any resemblance of a town center?

Your help is appreciated!

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by arizcats13

-Does it have a metro north stop?
-What are the schools like?
-Community atmosphere?
-Any resemblance of a town center?

1. No
2. Above average
3. Relatively friendly
4. No

[andthentherewere3]

SCR answered all your basic questions, but I'll elaborate just a bit. We've lived in Monroe for 13 years. It's a great family-oriented town with a lot of activities for kids. There are wonderful large parks with a swimming pool (in addition to the indoor pool at the high school, which is open to the public) , lake swimming with a nice beach and lifeguards, tennis, basketball, playgrounds, character dinners, hiking, camping, fishing, camps for children, etc. And the recreation department offers all kinds of programs and trips for children and adults throughout the year as well. The schools are great too, we've been through preschool through high school. The town has several annual festivals, a fishing derby, annual Memorial Day parade, etc. Monroe doesn't have a "town center", but it has a town green where many of the festivals are held, which is surrounded by several churches, the town hall, police department, Masonic Lodge, and the brand new library.

I have found people to be more friendly here than in the Connecticut cities we previously lived in. However, Connecticut residents in general are more conservative than in many other parts of the country; I'm not sure where you are coming from. Monroe used to be a farming community, and we still have several farms, and many residents who grew up on these farms, so you'll find a large number of down-to-earth people. At the same time you'll find people who have moved from larger cities such as Stamford and Norwalk, looking for a more rural community, good schools, and more affordable homes. I would say Monroe most definitely has a "community atmosphere". Hope that helps!

[usmcfamily]

HI! I moved to Monroe 1 1/2 years ago and LOVE it! The people here were so welcoming to my entire family. My kids had a very easy transition. All three play sports, so meeting other kids and making friends was very easy. I live in a very social, friendly neighborhood (tons of kids) where we get together for barbecue's, holidays, etc and I was welcomed into a Bunco group. Very much a sense of community here. I think you will also find this in Trumbull.

Monroe is primarily residential. Shopping malls are in neighboring towns (Trumbull, Milford, Danbury).

A daily commute into the city from here will not be easy and I couldn't/wouldn't do it personally.

[JayCT]

Monroe is a beautiful town that I would say is sort of a rural-suburban community. Homes are generally on larger lots and there is no older walkable business district that you would find in towns like Fairfield. The nearest Metro-North station would be in Bridgeport which is about 12 miles to the south. The schools in Monroe are very good. Here is a link to information on them. I hope this helps. Jay

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