[alphasiggirl]

I am currently living in NY state. I am considering moving to CT in 2 years when I finish school. The only thing is that I want to find a place thats right for me without actually taking a trip there to explore. Any suggestions?

[Tetto]

Originally Posted by alphasiggirl

I am currently living in NY state. I am considering moving to CT in 2 years when I finish school. The only thing is that I want to find a place thats right for me without actually taking a trip there to explore. Any suggestions?

Well.... What will your major be? That will dictate whether you can find a job down here. Do you want a good nightlife? Reasonable taxes and rent? Safety wise, CT is a safe state if you keep you wits about you.

Tell us more.

[alphasiggirl]

I will be graduating with a BA in Communications with a concentration in PR and Advertising and a minor in Management. I want an area that I can raise my future children in where they will be safe enough to play outside. Also I would want them to go to a good school there. I do like to go to the bars but it is not a priority. I do however want to live somewhere that does not close at dusk. I would like resonable taxes and rent because I will be starting from scratch there. Where I live in central NY has no opportunities in the job field which is why I want to get out of NY but be in a state close enough to be able to drive home if I need to.

[alphasiggirl]

Okay I narrowed it down to Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven counties. I guess I will have to wait and see where my boyfriend can get a teaching job, but these three counties have towns that have the right amount of distance to my mom's house in upstate which is very important to me. What do we think of these counties? Good schools? Reasonable living cost?

[JayCT]

Fairfield County is one of the most expensive places to live in the country particularly as you get closer to New York City. The pay will be higher but the housing prices are unbelieveable.

Litchfield is a pretty rural area and there may be less opportunities there. New Haven County is reasonably affordable but is further from New York. Why aren't you considering Hartford County. It is just as close to New York as parts of New Haven and would have more opportunities. Jay

[itscolduphere]

Originally Posted by alphasiggirl

The only thing is that I want to find a place thats right for me without actually taking a trip there to explore. Any suggestions?

I have some advice you might not want to hear... I have lived all over the country and just out of experience, offer you this advice:

I will never myself, move anywhere again without first going there in advance to check it out. I was stuck in Reno for a year (YUK!) because of a work project, and also suburban Chicago (SPRAWL HELL) and now wish I would have investigated NC a bit more, although I did visit for a few days beforehand. Life is too short to make a bad relocation. I've made several!!!
It sounds like you are near enough indeed to check it out here first before leaping... Please just take a few days and visit. You may be glad you did.

Respectfully,
"Been There, Done That"

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by JayCT

Fairfield County is one of the most expensive places to live in the country particularly as you get closer to New York City. The pay will be higher but the housing prices are unbelieveable.

Litchfield is a pretty rural area and there may be less opportunities there. New Haven County is reasonably affordable but is further from New York. Why aren't you considering Hartford County. It is just as close to New York as parts of New Haven and would have more opportunities. Jay

I would wholeheartedly agree with you on the suggestion of Hartford County except for one thing. She noted that her college background is in PR and advertising. I imagine that there are far more opportunities in NY City than in Hartford for that, as it's virtually the center for advertising and PR. Some of that I know does spill over into the suburbs, so from that standpoint she might be better living in Fairfield County (or for that matter on the NY side of the line even).

Of course, I could imagine that the big insurance companies headquartered in Hartford and suburbs have a need for PR, perhaps especially so today with the whole health care debate, so that's one very distinct possibility. And I know the big advertising/PR firms in Manhattan pay you a disgustingly low salary (with long hours to boot!) for the first few years until you "prove yourself" that would be hard to live on anywhere in the NY metro area.

Now if it were teaching like her boyfriend is doing I'd feel exactly the opposite. Salaries in Hartford County districts are only a tiny bit less than in the rich Fairfield County towns, and weighted for cost of living better than the small premium one would get in Westchester or even NYC (which pays about what most CT districts pay at most levels below 15 or so years experience).

Just my 2 cents, and again, if I'm wrong would love to hear commentary. And good luck to the OP!

[alphasiggirl]

After reading all of the responses you all gave me (thank you all for the great advice) I have decided that it is necessary to go visit these towns.Truth be told I don't really care if I get a job in what I have a degree in. I have always lived in a small rural area in upstate NY and I would really love to find a place in CT that somewhat resembles it (perhaps with a stoplight or two haha). I don't know how many of you have ever been to NY but in Orange County there is a town called Wallkill. This town is exactly what I'm looking for. It is a small community with small business stores within walking distance. The problem with this is that Orange County is extremely close to NYC so it's taxes are too high for my boyfriend and I. I would like to find a town like this in CT but with lower taxes so I think that the only way I can find it is if I actually go visit. Luckily I am close enough that I can go on a weekend trip to explore. Thank you for all of your advice and I will keep you all posted on the towns I find to see if any of you know some info (like crime rates) on the chosen towns.

[SLippi]

Unless I'm mistaken doesn't everything except one or two bars close at dusk in Wallkill and you have to go to Middletown for most things at night? Also I'm not certain any of the counties listed have lower taxes then OC. My ex's parents are from that area and the taxes they pax are on par/cheaper than most of CT. New Haven is about the same distance from NYC as Wallkill (75 miles) and a decent place around there will be similar or possibly a bit cheaper. But I'm not sure where in that area is considered rural to the point that Wallkill/OC is. I would think Hartford/ Tolland/ even Windham counties resemble OC a bit better and are much cheaper. CT is a small state but salary/cost of living varies greatly. As w/NY the closer to NYC the more expensive, if you like rural you would probably like the Eastern part of the state better and it's much cheaper. From Hartford to Montgomery it always took 1.5 hours except for one time they closed 84 for lifestar so it's not too bad of a drive. Personally I'd suggest you and your BF wait until you are closer to finishing school then look for jobs in CT and when one or both of you have prospects in an area try and find something close to that. Until then just line up trips and find some possibilities, you don't want to get your heart set on one place and not be able to line up a job that's not a 2 hour commute.