[peanut24]

Hi

we just found out that we may have to be locating from Chicago to Stamford. We currently live about 40 miles north of chicago in a suburb that had everything you need with a mix of upper/middle/lower class. yet in a 15 minute drive more north and you are in the country. We have a pre schooler and I am trying to find what suburbs are there with decent schools that are good for a commute (right now its about an hour each way, would like 30 min or less) and is good for soccer moms. we will be looking to rent a house. Thank you!

[jjbradleynyc]

Hey there. Stamford itself is a city of approximately 120,000 people, but doesn't really have suburbs. It is a suburb itself of New York City. I suppose one could classify Stamford as having a "mini metro area" consisting of New Canaan, Greenwich, Darien, and maybe Norwalk/Wilton, but these cities and towns are all more of a general suburban area of New York (and a wealthy area).
Stamford is a very diverse city. Some of its roots are as a city of Italians, and there still is a large presence here, but for the most part the city is incredibly diverse today. There is a good mix in the city of all types of people and income. Drive 15 minutes to north Stamford, and the area consists of rolling hills, large lots, nature preserves and resevoirs that is very New England country in nature. A beautiful area.
Take a look at the city of Stamford. There is only a fraction of the city that is undesirable--with most neighborhoods being safe, quiet, and within close proximity to shopping and amenities.

[US-Traveller]

Originally Posted by peanut24

Hi

we just found out that we may have to be locating from Chicago to Stamford. We currently live about 40 miles north of chicago in a suburb that had everything you need with a mix of upper/middle/lower class. yet in a 15 minute drive more north and you are in the country. We have a pre schooler and I am trying to find what suburbs are there with decent schools that are good for a commute (right now its about an hour each way, would like 30 min or less) and is good for soccer moms. we will be looking to rent a house. Thank you!

Peanut24,

I am very familiar with the Fairfield County area and I presently live on the North Shore. It would be helpful if you could set a price point for housing because housing costs in Fairfield County are slightly higher than the Chicago area, though land prices are not. I assume that after you rent you'll want to buy, but also please name a rental price. If your looking for something like Lake Forest or New Trier there is a lot of that in Fairfield County, but there is also a lot of Barrington and Long Grove. I need to know more about what you specifically want.

[peanut24]

Originally Posted by US-Traveller

Peanut24,

I am very familiar with the Fairfield County area and I presently live on the North Shore. It would be helpful if you could set a price point for housing because housing costs in Fairfield County are slightly higher than the Chicago area, though land prices are not. I assume that after you rent you'll want to buy, but also please name a rental price. If your looking for something like Lake Forest or New Trier there is a lot of that in Fairfield County, but there is also a lot of Barrington and Long Grove. I need to know more about what you specifically want.

well in an ideal world I would to rent a 3 bedroom house for no more the $2000 with good schools....I have been looking more at Newton/Sandy hook but I would like to know how far of a drive it is from there to Stamford. I am used to an hour commute in Chicago Traffic right now and found nice houses to rent in this area for under $2000

[Seattle's Best 28]

Originally Posted by peanut24

well in an ideal world I would to rent a 3 bedroom house for no more the $2000 with good schools....I have been looking more at Newton/Sandy hook but I would like to know how far of a drive it is from there to Stamford. I am used to an hour commute in Chicago Traffic right now and found nice houses to rent in this area for under $2000

Newtown or Sandy Hook to Stamford can be over an hour since there is no direct route. Traffic in Fairfield County is bad too.

It is a very wealthy county consisting of all very wealthy towns, and two very impoverished cities: Bridgeport and Norwalk. Parts of Norwalk are incredibly wealthy. Coming from Chicago you'll probably have sticker shock in the Stamford area, because prices in that area are more than "slightly higher" than Chicago. Northern FFC or New Haven County are more along the lines of the prices of Chicago, maybe a little higher in CT though. Only thing is, cheaper it gets, more miles to NYC it is.

[JayCT]

Stamford is one of the pricest places to live in the country. Its suburbs are among the most desrable places to live in the New York metro area. Towns like Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan are very nice and very upscale, as is Westport, Wilton and Weston.

For a more affordable and diverse area, consider Fairfield. It has excellent schools (check out the links below), great shopping and restaurants and nice parks and beaches. There is a wide range of housing options from modest starter apartments to stunning estates. A large part of Fairfield has two acre zoning so it has a rural character. Plus you can drive a few minutes north and be in even more rural areas. The train to Stamford is about a 25 minute trip. I would not recommend driving since I-95 and the Merritt Parkway are very congested during rush hour. Good luck, Jay

Strategic School Profiles by District

Strategic School Profiles by School

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by peanut24

well in an ideal world I would to rent a 3 bedroom house for no more the $2000 with good schools....I have been looking more at Newton/Sandy hook but I would like to know how far of a drive it is from there to Stamford. I am used to an hour commute in Chicago Traffic right now and found nice houses to rent in this area for under $2000

Newtown is over 40 miles from Stamford and the drive would be over an hour without traffic. During rush hour the traffic is pretty bad so you could easily add at least a half hour to that. Jay

[peanut24]

Thank you for the information! b/c the job is in Stamford I would rather be farther from NYC then closer for cheaper housing. I will look into Fairfield. Thank you for letting me know how far Newton is, yeah thats too far. I am getting a better understanding of the area.

[west 2 east 447]

I miss CT, we moved to RI and it is not the same. I grew up in Stamford many years ago and it has since become a city for just wealthy people, with some poor people to work the service jobs. It is kind of sad. But I miss CT so much.

[KH02]

finding a 3 bedroom rental in Stamford for 2000 or less will be tough to do, I would try and go further to the north or west from stamford, and as far from NYC as possible to find a more affordable area. But keep in mind the towns with the highest scoring Top schools often come with a bigger price tag.