[mom2k8nalli]

My husband just accepted a job in Bridgeport. Being from the south, I have never been in the northeast and I have no idea about the area. Does anyone have any advice about fairly reasonably priced towns. We are looking for a family friendly area. Thank you.

[MetsNY]

What is your price range? Bridgeport suburbs can be pretty expensive, especially coming from the South where home prices are typically less expensive...

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by mom2k8nalli

My husband just accepted a job in Bridgeport. Being from the south, I have never been in the northeast and I have no idea about the area. Does anyone have any advice about fairly reasonably priced towns. We are looking for a family friendly area. Thank you.

Hi,

I would not recommend Bridgeport. There have been some improvements to this city and it's in better shape now than it was in the 1980s and 90s, but if you're looking for a family-friendly area, look elsewhere.
Basically, those towns east of Bridgeport are more middle- and working-class areas - Milford, Stratford and Trumbull (north of Bridgeport) are probably better options. Safer towns, better schools, and more serene for families. West of Bridgeport is REALLY expensive - as in average price for a home is $1 million. The three towns mentioned earlier are more reasonably priced, and though they're not cheap you should be able to find something affordable here -especially in this market!

[mom2k8nalli]

Thank you for the information about those three towns. I have also heard about Monroe. Can you tell me anything about that area? We are really hoping to stay under $1800 a month in rent and that looks like a pretty hard thing to do. It is definitely a shock considering my current mortgage payment is only $645.

[KH02]

staying under 1800 will be hard to do anywhere near bridgeport.
wish I could be more positive. good luck in your search though!

[goldenband]

I don't have a complete enough picture to recommend it per se, but I would take a look at the Black Rock section of Bridgeport. It's physically isolated from the rest of the city (since it's on a mini-peninsula) and has a completely different feel -- much greener and better-kept. My impression is that there's not a lot of crime there, especially as you move farther south. I don't know how the schools are, and it's a highly in-demand area that may not have a lot of rentals in the best spots. Still, I wouldn't rule it out, especially since a short commute means your kids will see more of their dad.

Otherwise, I'd look along CT-8, depending on how far your husband is willing to commute. For the sake of his sanity, I wouldn't look farther north than Waterbury. Naugatuck comes to mind as a town that has the reputation of being relatively safe, working-class, and affordable. The schools aren't said to be among CT's best, but considering the overall high standard of education in CT, that might not be a problem. The commute to Bridgeport should be viable.

This thread has some more information about Naugatuck that may be useful. Keep us posted on your investigations/decision.

[Tonkz]

Black Rock is good and it is pretty safe, I know because I live there. If you don't mind the dullness of the area then black rock is good and pretty much a quiet place to live in.

[MetsNY]

Originally Posted by mom2k8nalli

Thank you for the information about those three towns. I have also heard about Monroe. Can you tell me anything about that area? We are really hoping to stay under $1800 a month in rent and that looks like a pretty hard thing to do. It is definitely a shock considering my current mortgage payment is only $645.

The area surrounding Bridgeport is quite expensive, but more so to the west. Towns such as Fairfield, Westport, Easton are all considered Greater Bridgeport but home prices in these towns are very, very expensive. Easton's average home price I believe is somewhere in the late 700's maybe closer to or slightly above 800,000. Fairfield's is less but you need to keep in mind that there are many different neighborhoods and housing varieties in Fairfield which skews those numbers. A modest home in a nice neighborhood will be very costly. These towns you might have to rule out.

Monroe and Trumbull as well as Newtown are 3 towns that are close to Bridgeport. These towns while still in Fairfield County don't come close to the wealth seen in extreme southwestern Connecticut, however, they are still somewhat expensive. Average home prices in these three towns are about $450-500,000 give or take.

Monroe is an excellent town, great schools, close to shopping, lots of parks. In some areas its like being in the country but still close to everything. You can get anything from a modest cape or ranch style home to an extremely large colonial. Home prices vary from the 300,000's to well above a million. I'm not sure about renting, but once again the Stamford-Bridgeport metro area was named one of the most expensive areas to rent in the country, up there with Manhattan and other large areas. In Monroe you should be able to rent something in that price range, I believe.

The only downside that many have with Monroe is the development along Route 25 and 111. When you drive through those areas you might see Monroe as being a small city, but its not at all. It's just the commercial aspect of Monroe is built only along those 2 roads. It's one lane so lots of traffic at times. On these roads are numerous banks, restaurants, pharmacies, etc.

If you can find a rental in Monroe for that price I wouldnt wait as Monroe is def. a nice community. Believe it or not some people believe it's one of the more desirbale places to live in the state because its close to alot of jobs, etc and still maintains a somewhat rural feel, and for the area its in, its pretty affordable, but that's all relative.

[mom2k8nalli]

You are all giving me a lot to think about. My husband doesn't mind a short commute (30 minutes or less). We are wanting to rent because neither of us has lived in this area of the country before and we would like to be able to check things out more before we commit to buying. I have been on real estate sites all night looking for housing and have found a couple of houses in Milford. That area seems a lot more reasonably priced, but can anyone here tell me more about it?

edited to add: We homeschool and plan to keep that going when we move, so schools are really not a problem.

[JayCT]

Since schools would not be an issue, you should consider renting in Bridgeport itself. It is a large city by Connecticut standards (the largest actually) and it has many very nice reasonably priced neighborhoods. As suggested, check out Black Rock which is a nice waterfront urban village type neighborhood. Try to stay west of Ellsworth Street though. Also consider the north end, north of North Avenue (Route 1) and west of Main Street. This is a very nice middle class area where you should be able to find a nice home at a reasonable price.

As for Milford, iot is a great town. It has very good schools and a lot of great shopping and restaurants. It would be an excellent choice if you can find a rental in your price range. Also consider Stratford which is also a nice middle class community between Bridgeport and Milford. good luck, Jay