[Lowerdeck]

Bethel is a nice town, but I'm not sure I'd want to slug from there to Bristol on a daily basis. Especially in the winter, all the hills going up 84 and through Waterbury.

[Lincolnian]

Originally Posted by KH02

But the OP said she wanted no more then 45 min commute to Bristol.
My dH has done the Granby to Bristol commute and it is OVER 45 minutes.
Closer to an hour during normal working hours.

I work in Bristol and live in North Granby. 20/219/179/4/69 (only 4 traffic lights doing the speed limit). 42 minutes each day. Where you live in Granby and Bristol makes a big difference. Definitely an hour if you're Near Southwick or Granville and work on the Bristol/Southington line. I'm near East Hartland/Barkhamsted and work on the Burlington side of Bristol.

[coop206]

My husband and I are considering moving to CT in a few years (from NJ) so I really enjoy reading this forum. I was a bit surprised with the tax comments from earlier. When I look at realtor websites, taxes seem fairly reasonable (compared to my $10k+!)..... so, are the taxes listed comprehesive (school, property, etc.) or are they separate? My friend has a house in Cos Cob and pays about $6,000 total. Also, we recently spent a weekend in the Litchfield County area and loved it. We don't have to focus our search based on school districts and are having trouble deciding what area of the state to consider settling in!

[Uconn97]

Usually the taxes listed are you homes property tax only, but that would include taxes for your school district. Not sure about jersey, but you also have to pay car tax here yearly. This can add up depending on the age/value of the car you drive.

Also, depending on the town you may also have to pay additional fees for garbage removal.

[Appias]

People in CT don't realize how good they have it when they complain about the taxes, that's all. In comparison to NJ and NY you can expect your taxes to include everything they do (and don't) in NJ. Some houses in smaller towns have septic systems instead of a sewer line. So you won't have to pay that sewer tax but you will have to pay to get the septic tank pumped out. Also, as previously mentioned there is a car tax. It is not as scary as it sounds. It's 70% of your car's value times the town's mill rate. The small/upscale towns in CT generally have lower mill rates. I wouldn't sweat it especially coming from NJ.

[coop206]

Wow - that was quick - this board is awesome!
Does anyone know if there is a place that ranks the taxes by town?
If it was up to me, we'd move tomorrow... CT is a beautiful state and we love the proximity to NYC and Boston. It's a little overwhelming to try to determine exactly which areas will appeal to us.
Thanks for the feedback.

[Appias]

I'd say try to pick an area/county you want to live in and then look at the towns that are in it. Some questions to think about:
1. Do you want to be closer to NYC or to Boston or equidistance from both?
2. Do you want to have train service in town? If yes how important is it? Are you willing to drive a couple of towns to get it?
3. Do you want to be on or near Long Island Sound?
4. Do you prefer milder winters or do you like the snow?

[coop206]

Thanks, Appias -
Actually, we're pretty flexible.
We love both Boston and New York and just would like to be able to do a day trip (or overnight) to either..... so most of CT would fit the bill, I think.
Train service isn't that important at all.
No need to be near the water. We live about five miles from the ocean now and rarely go.
Snow doesn't bother us. I used to live in Syracuse and my husband loves an opportunity to use the snow blower (it's been two years since it's been out here).
We'd just like a town with a nice vibe, shopping and some arts within a reasonable distance, and (how to put this?) left leaning, preferably.

[Appias]

Coop206,
Which town(s) did you visit in Litchfield county?
Most of CT is pretty left leaning, but in a reserved sort of way. I would recommend Litchfield or Hartford counties. Simsbury/Avon and Glastonbury are near Hartford. They are all quiet upscale towns and you would be about halfway between NYC and Boston. In Litchfield county I'd say Woodbury, Washington, Roxbury, Litchfield. Southbury is technically in New Haven county, but it the next town over from Woodbury and has a bus stop if you want to go into the city but don't want to drive.

[coop206]

Excellent info - thanks!