[mimirock]

My husband will be offered a job in Manhattan (thank God!) but I go to UConn. We are thinking to buy a house to finally settle down between these two spots. We are planning to have kids soon too. So here are some thoughts about the location, and we really appreciate any suggestions. Thank you!

1. Definitely need to have good school districts with safe, quiet and peaceful living (we don't really mind if there are a lot of art/sport/etc activities, just safe and quiet, and good for kids.)

2. My husband will like to take trains to work since he might be working long hours and don't want to drive a lot when commuting. So hopefully near convenient train stations and won't take more than 1.5 hours (is it possible?!) to and from Manhattan.

3. I can work from home sometimes so commuting to UConn is not a problem at all. Just again, not a crazy driving distance like it'll take 2.5 hours...

I guess that's all. Really hope to hear some suggestions from the experts here. We GREATLY appreciate that!

Shell

[7 Wishes]

In all honesty, if you think you'll be near Manhattan for a long time and your UConn status is temporary (i.e. you're a student not an employee), I would say since you said you could work from home some of the time do the long commute to UConn (I don't think it will take 2.5 hours unless you live really close to the City like southern Westchester). It will still be easier than your husband's commute in some ways. 1.5 hours or less for him means essentially lower-mid Fairfield or closer. And above the I-95 corridor within CT it will be some branch line (like the one from Bridgeport to Waterbury or the one from Norwalk to Danbury) which will involve a train switch somewhere and lengthen the commute, so that's not really an option.

I would suggest somewhere along I-95 from Norwalk on westward (I'll let others chime in on an exact town). From Norwalk it will be about 1.5 hours to UConn and ideally a little over an hour for your husband.

Another possibility is northern Westchester or Putnam County along the Harlem Line (like Brewster or Katonah) as he'd have a reasonable train commute (maybe an hour?) and you could easily take 684 to 84 to 384/6 back to Storrs.

Good luck!

[pulpfiction]

Well, no matter what you choose to do--you're both going to have pretty long commutes, and your husband is going to be spending quite a lot of money on the Metro North.

I see two possibilities:
1. My attitude is to avoid Fairfield County at all costs, as the congestion and cost of living make it a highly overrated place to live. I'd consider a nearby New Haven suburb (North Haven, perhaps)--this way, your husband would be a short drive from the railroad station in New Haven. New Haven's suburbs offer schools that are every bit as good as those you'd finder closer to NY. Some other towns to consider would be Woodbridge, Bethany, and Wallingford. Your commute to UConn would be about an hour and 10 minutes (assuming you can avoid Hartford's rush hour..,,even if you couldn't, it'd probably only add an extra 10-15 minutes). Your husband would have a 2-2.5 hour commute.
2. Fairfield County would extend your commute, but would make your husband's more reasonable. You could live in Stamford/Norwalk (where your husband's commute would only be about an hour)..but you'd have to deal with the horrors of I-95 (which resembles a parking lot during virtually every waking hour and is one of the most dangerous freeways in the world). The Parkway is somewhat better, but a single accident could cause a 10+ mile delay (as it has no shoulders!) Your commute to UConn would be closer to 2 hours, and your housing costs would be significantly higher.

A town such as Fairfield would probably be the best compromise--but, if you want to avoid the mega-congestion and live in an area with some actual open space...I'd highly recommend looking a little north of New Haven. Hope this helps.

[7 Wishes]

Originally Posted by pulpfiction

Well, no matter what you choose to do--you're both going to have pretty long commutes, and your husband is going to be spending quite a lot of money on the Metro North.

I see two possibilities:
1. My attitude is to avoid Fairfield County at all costs, as the congestion and cost of living make it a highly overrated place to live. I'd consider a nearby New Haven suburb (North Haven, perhaps)--this way, your husband would be a short drive from the railroad station in New Haven. New Haven's suburbs offer schools that are every bit as good as those you'd finder closer to NY. Some other towns to consider would be Woodbridge, Bethany, and Wallingford. Your commute to UConn would be about an hour and 10 minutes (assuming you can avoid Hartford's rush hour..,,even if you couldn't, it'd probably only add an extra 10-15 minutes). Your husband would have a 2-2.5 hour commute.
2. Fairfield County would extend your commute, but would make your husband's more reasonable. You could live in Stamford/Norwalk (where your husband's commute would only be about an hour)..but you'd have to deal with the horrors of I-95 (which resembles a parking lot during virtually every waking hour and is one of the most dangerous freeways in the world). The Parkway is somewhat better, but a single accident could cause a 10+ mile delay (as it has no shoulders!) Your commute to UConn would be closer to 2 hours, and your housing costs would be significantly higher.

A town such as Fairfield would probably be the best compromise--but, if you want to avoid the mega-congestion and live in an area with some actual open space...I'd highly recommend looking a little north of New Haven. Hope this helps.

You're forgetting that (and mimi, correct me if I'm wrong), it sounds like she is a UConn student and her commute is not "forever" whereas her husband could be at this job in Manhattan for many years to come. Otherwise, I agree, I have a lot of your feelings about I-95/Merritt Parkway, and Fairfield County (as well as my own adjacent NY county of Westchester, which I find very similar in the view you gave).

No offense, but from anywhere in New Haven County, his commute is going to be horribly long and expensive (and unlike hers, DAILY!). She already said he is likely to be working long hours often.

From this standpoint, though still expensive, but maybe my later suggestion of Harlem Line towns along 684 (Katonah, Brewster, etc.) may be the "happy medium", especially Brewster and surrounding towns in Putnam County which will have cheaper housing (especially since the downturn.....I actually even see some small places under $300K there now). I-684 rarely has traffic and I-84 is heaven compared to I-95 (some backups in Danbury, a bit more in Waterbury when the road narrows to 2 lanes, but mainly at rush hour, and some more near Hartford, but nothing like I-95). I was in a situation like yours where I spent parts (but not everyday) of this summer going between lower Westchester and the Hartford area, so I got to know all of these roads pretty well.

[goldenband]

It's hard to answer this question without knowing how much longer you're going to need to commute to UConn, and how many times a week you need to be there. If your husband is going to be working in Manhattan for the foreseeable future, and you'll only be at UConn for a couple of years, you should certainly buy as close to the city as you can; a long daily commute can really grind a person down.

This is especially true since you don't yet have kids. Your future children might not be school-age by the time you're done with UConn, so good schools aren't really an issue yet unless you're absolutely determined to buy a house and put down roots right now. Otherwise, you could rent in an area like Black Rock (which doesn't have great schools) or Fairfield, and then move closer to the city, perhaps to one of the "Harlem Line" towns in NY (so you only pay taxes in one state!), once you're done with UConn and your husband is completely secure in his job.

[renovating]

Manhattan to UCONN is about a 2.5 hour drive/approximate 140 miles.

I agree with the advice to find a place to live commutable to NYC and have the brunt of the driving fall on you since it will be temporary. Keep in mind UCONN has a Stamford branch that you may be able to take some classes there, as well.

Since you do not give a price, I would suggest Westport, Darien, Fairfield, or Ridgefield. All are beautiful communities, have train stations and excellent schools. Good luck!

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by renovating

Manhattan to UCONN is about a 2.5 hour drive/approximate 140 miles.

I agree with the advice to find a place to live commutable to NYC and have the brunt of the driving fall on you since it will be temporary. Keep in mind UCONN has a Stamford branch that you may be able to take some classes there, as well.

Since you do not give a price, I would suggest Westport, Darien, Fairfield, or Ridgefield. All are beautiful communities, have train stations and excellent schools. Good luck!

I agree. UConn is far from Manhattan and even if you split the distance it will mean a long commute for both of you.

Renovating - Good suggestion on the Stamford branch of UConn. Jay