[cls500]

I will be moving from Princeton, NJ to CT and my new office will be in Westport. I would very much appreciate some thoughts on selecting a new place to live.

We have to kids- 4 and 6- and the quality of the school system plays a significant role in our decision. We also like being close to stores (Whole Foods and Trader Joe's), have a downtime area to enjoy a stroll, have friendly neighbors, and being able to make friends and get integrated into the community.

Home price limit is $550K; 4 bedrooms is a must. It appears from real estate sites that Weston, Wilton, and Norwalk all offer such homes; Westport itself has only a couple.

But Weston and Wilton seem to be areas of multi $MM mansions with no town center to speak of and no possibility for strolls. Where and how do kids play with other kids there? Do we have to arrange for play dates all the time?

Norwalk schools are nowhere to be found close to the top on school data. Is this because Greenwich-Westport schools are so good and skew the data or Norwalk does need help with their schools?

We also like going out occasionally and are being spoiled by the restaurants in downtown Princeton. Where do we go for a similar experience in Westport, Weston, Wilton?

Ditto for key stores. We are walking distance to Whole Foods, 1 mile to Lowe's, 2 miles to Home Depot, Wegmans, Wal Mart, and Target, etc. yet we live in a friendly neighborhood with lots of kids, green, pool, etc.

So I wonder if we can find someplace similar to Princeton in our price range or need to look perhaps at Westchester? I have been commuting from Princeton to NYC since 1997 and would love to be able to drive to work in 10 minutes if possible.

Thanks

[7 Wishes]

Westchester is actually quite a distance from Westport (maybe 20 miles) and property taxes are much higher (with housing not being much different in cost).

Norwalk is OK, issue is that half the city is "nice" and the other half is somewhat "inner city" (but nothing like say Bridgeport or the Bronx). So the school have lower test scores. But it may be that some neighborhoods still have good schools and the other schools bring its rep down. But I mostly know Norwalk from my wife's former job (I live in Westchester but contemplating a possible future CT move, though probably beyond Fairfield), so I'll let others chime in here.

[kidyankee764]

Fairfield (next town over from Westport).

You might have trouble finding 4 beds for 550 though.

[renovating]

Originally Posted by cls500

We have to kids- 4 and 6- and the quality of the school system plays a significant role in our decision. We also like being close to stores (Whole Foods and Trader Joe's), have a downtime area to enjoy a stroll, have friendly neighbors, and being able to make friends and get integrated into the community.

Home price limit is $550K; 4 bedrooms is a must. It appears from real estate sites that Weston, Wilton, and Norwalk all offer such homes; Westport itself has only a couple.


Norwalk schools are nowhere to be found close to the top on school data. Is this because Greenwich-Westport schools are so good and skew the data or Norwalk does need help with their schools?

So I wonder if we can find someplace similar to Princeton in our price range or need to look perhaps at Westchester? I have been commuting from Princeton to NYC since 1997 and would love to be able to drive to work in 10 minutes if possible.

Thanks

If you can find what you are looking for in Westchester for 550K then grab it because you won't find that in Westport, Wilton, Weston unless of course, you plan on living in a garage because that is what 550 will buy you in those towns!

Those towns are premier, upscale towns with top schools. They offer everything you could want for great living. Home prices reflect that.

I agree with pp to look in Fairfield or north.

[cls500]

At first, I didn't think we can hit our budget, but I was surprised:

Weston, Westport, Wilton Real Estate & Weston, Westport, Wilton Homes For Sale — Trulia.com

Do these property look good just online or they are worth checking out? I plan on driving to CT over the weekend and look at the areas myself.

Thanks.

[JayCT]

You should note that you are moving to one of the most expensive areas in the country. $550k will not go far. I doubt you will find anything in Westport, Weston or Wilton in that price range. Norwalk is a small city with typical urban issues. Because of this, its schools do not rate as high as neighboring communities.

I agree with the recommendation to check out Fairfield. It is a wonderful town with excellent schools and has some homes in your price range. It has a nice downtown with good restaurants and shops and is home to Fairfield and Sacred Heart Universities. Plus it would not be too far from Westport which has even more to offer.

If you can not located an acceptable home in Fairfield, then check Trumbull, Monroe or Shelton. They would be more affordable and have very good schools. Shelton has a small downtown area that is not as upscale as Princeton's. Trumbull and Monroe do not have a downtown though. If these do not work out, you should also check Milford. It has good schools and a nice small downtown. Good luck, Jay

[taxgal]

We're relocating to Hartford area this summer via my husband's position..

Know Princeton quite well..Gotta love THOMAS SWEET ICE CREAM! NOTHING BETTER IN MY OPINON!

Lived in South Brunswick for 10 years and spent ALOT OF TIME WITH MY SON IN A STROLLER walking around the great town of Princeton..Spent alot of great family nights at restaurants there on a nice spring, summer, or fall evening. Of course, dinner wasn't complete from my view, without a great homemade ice cream from Thomas Sweets..In my college days, frequented Thomas Sweets by Rutgers U alot!

Life I think will change for my husband with his Hartford relocation from NYC as well...Commute of 3 hrs 15 minutes round trip will be reduced to about 10 miles! Wow, a lifestyle change for our entire family!

Princeton certainly is gorgeous, but as you know quite pricey! For $550, I'm sure one can't get much of a house there even know with the dramatic dip in prices! I have to believe you will do better now in Ct housewise and leaving behind the long commute probably to Princeton Junction..I think with proper investigation, your children will have equivalent schools as Princeton, West Windsor!

Best of luck to you and your family in your lifestyle change to Ct!!!!!!!

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by taxgal

We're relocating to Hartford area this summer via my husband's position..

Know Princeton quite well..Gotta love THOMAS SWEET ICE CREAM! NOTHING BETTER IN MY OPINON!

Lived in South Brunswick for 10 years and spent ALOT OF TIME WITH MY SON IN A STROLLER walking around the great town of Princeton..Spent alot of great family nights at restaurants there on a nice spring, summer, or fall evening. Of course, dinner wasn't complete from my view, without a great homemade ice cream from Thomas Sweets..In my college days, frequented Thomas Sweets by Rutgers U alot!

Life I think will change for my husband with his Hartford relocation from NYC as well...Commute of 3 hrs 15 minutes round trip will be reduced to about 10 miles! Wow, a lifestyle change for our entire family!

Princeton certainly is gorgeous, but as you know quite pricey! For $550, I'm sure one can't get much of a house there even know with the dramatic dip in prices! I have to believe you will do better now in Ct housewise and leaving behind the long commute probably to Princeton Junction..I think with proper investigation, your children will have equivalent schools as Princeton, West Windsor!

Best of luck to you and your family in your lifestyle change to Ct!!!!!!!

Draw a line on the map from about Fairfield (the town) to Danbury and everything north and east of it will be more affordable. South and west of it (at least the CT portion) is essentially Westchester and Manhattan with less property taxes.

[toddb]

Sounds like Fairfield would be a great option for you. Ignore what the others said - you can easily find a great 4BR home for $550k. It might not be in the trendiest section (Greenfield Hill or the 'University' area), but if you look into Fairfield Woods or Stratfield you'll be good. We bought a 5BR home for just over that, 2 years ago near the height of the market, in Ffld Woods. It took us a while to find, and required a good amount of work, but we're in the end of a cul-de-sac, and have a great street full of nice neighbors.

There are 2 primary shopping areas in Fairfield - Post Road and Black Rock Tpke. You can find just about any store or type of restaurant in those 2 areas. There are lots of other good restaurants in neighboring towns. You also have easy accessibility to the good shopping areas in Westport, and the big-box stores up in Milford. The shopping section of westport would look similar to the main street in Princeton (forget the name - it's been 10+ yrs since I lived near there) with the restaurants and bars, right next to the University. Good walking area, shops, restaurants, etc.

Good luck!

[cls500]

I drove around the area today and what really struck me is how much forest there is. Many houses are engulfed by the forest and some can't even be seen from the street.

Desire for privacy aside, is there a commercial or zoning rationale behind not opening the properties to sunlight? There were a few areas where my car's lights went on because it was that dark from all the trees!

For comparison, in Princeton, for each tree I cut I need to plant another one and may even have to obtain a permit.

Thanks