[breezy1]

I am in the preliminary stages of considering two potential job prospects - one in Danbury/Ridgefield area; the other in the Boston/Cambridge area. I am open to thoughts from others regarding contrasting life in these areas - seems like it would be very different.

A little about me. Husband and I are in early 50s - no kids. Husband will be working from home - no advantage in this regard to either location. We are tending to be more homebodies than we were years ago, but still like to go out occasionally to restaurants, concerts, etc. We love the vibe in the Boston/Cambridge area and the cultural attractiions, but are also drawn to the beautiful area around CT.

We definitely want to but a house (and hope not to have to buy a fixer-upper) - will probably rent for awhile. We are coming from upstate NY - low housing costs/high taxes - so we would like to keep the housing budget 400-500. This seems like it would be easier in CT, and we may need to go higher in Boston area. How about meeting new people at our age in these locals?

Would like to get the pros and cons of each area. My concerns: !) As much as the Ridgefield/Danbury area is very pretty, would we be bored there after awhile? 2) As much as we love the vibe and atmosphere of Boston/Cambridge, would it just be too much after awhile?

Any thoughts or recommendations? I'm also going to post this on Boston board ...

[arielmina]

I lived in Ridgefield for about 30 yrs...that being said, I always wanted to move to Boston, and to this day would be pysched to. It is about 90 mins to NYC (60 min train plus a 15-20 min ride to the train) but I am not a big NYC fan so we rarely went into the city. You can definitely find a home in your price range in Ridgefield or Danbury, not sure about the Boston area. Ridgefield's a great town, and there are lots of folks of all ages around though it's probably currently geared more toward families. Often, empty nesters move out of town (my parents still live there though ) looking for better weather and lower cost of living, so not sure what you'd find in your age group.

I guess if you like NYC, I'd recommend Ridgefield/Danbury area. If you really prefer Boston, you might be happier there.

[dazzleman]

I live in lower Fairfield County, CT and I'm a frequent visitor to Boston, so I know both areas pretty well.

They're two completely things, so you have to define what you really want. Danbury as a city is completely outclassed by Boston. Honestly, I don't think I'd live in Danbury itself, but in one of the surrounding towns, such as Ridgefield, Newtown, Bethel, Brookfield, etc.

The Danbury-Ridgefield area has a decent number of nice restaurants, things to do, etc. It's by no means a backwater area. There's plenty to do there, but it won't all be right on your doorstep as it would be in Boston proper. It's a peaceful place to live, and there's some good recreation nearby, such as Candlewood Lake.

Boston is totally different. It's great in it's own way, but it is different. There's much more to do there; it's much busier, etc. More restaurants, theater, culture, etc., but not as peaceful.

Also, to live in a nice area in the city of Boston, you'd be looking at a lot more money than to get a nice place in the Danbury area. If I were to live in the Boston area, I'd want to live in some part of the Back Bay or maybe a close in part of the South End, or maybe even the North End or Charlestown. But if you have to go beyond those areas, some of the neighborhoods get sketchy, and then you get to the point where you're a commute away from all the attractions of Boston. So price is definitely a consideration.

I doubt you'd get anything that great in your price range in a good section of the city of Boston. Certainly nothing comparable to what you could get in Danbury-Ridgefield (though that area isn't cheap either). The tradeoff is that if you want to live in Boston, you have to live in something smaller than you'd have in Danbury-Ridgefield. That may be fine, to get the proximity to the other types of activities.

I like to maintain a foothold in both areas. I work in New York (which I hate), so day-to-day, I like to live in Connecticut because it's nice and peaceful and idyllic. I also like to travel frequently to Boston for some of the activities there. I understand your difficulty in having to choose between the two places. For me, I like the idea of what I'm doing, because it gives me the best of both worlds. I love going to Boston because it takes me out of my day-to-day routine, and I suspect that actually living there might ruin the appeal of it, at least for me.

[breezy1]

This is great feedback and confirms what we go back and forth on in our minds - since these discussions are preliminary, I have to see what actual offers materialize, which will also drive this decision. I'd love to live in Boston, but I'm not sure that we can swing it in a way that we could really enjoy and embrace it. So the reality of our lives there may end up being different from what we would like .... Lot's to think about!

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by breezy1

This is great feedback and confirms what we go back and forth on in our minds - since these discussions are preliminary, I have to see what actual offers materialize, which will also drive this decision. I'd love to live in Boston, but I'm not sure that we can swing it in a way that we could really enjoy and embrace it. So the reality of our lives there may end up being different from what we would like .... Lot's to think about!

You may not need to live there to embrace it. In fact, living there, if you can't afford to do it 'right,' might be an impediment to embracing it fully. You might be better off living in a nice area you can afford, and traveling to Boston for long weekends when you have the time. That's pretty much what I do and it works out well.

Keep in mind also that enjoying the attractions of Boston is generally dependent upon good weather. That means that for at least 1/3 of the year, you couldn't enjoy it in the same way. It's a walking city and much is dependent on it being pleasant outside as you travel around.

[breezy1]

Thanks for your thoughts. That is pretty much now how we enjoy NYC and Boston. Living in upstate NY is so affordable that we have had funds to travel frequently. However, since my job is being transferred to NJ, and I'm not keen on living there, I thought I'd explore other opportunties if I have to relo (unless I can land something else here - but the job situation is here is tough, so I'm looking elsewhere too). I really do like living in a nicer house - perhaps when I was younger and going out all the time, it wouldn't have mattered so much, but now it does. I'm not looking for a big, fancy McMansion, just something with 3B, at least 1500-1600 sf and not in need of major updating.

[JayCT]

Don't knock New Jersey. Many parts of the state are very nice and attractive. You might want to check it out before completely dismissing it.

Only you can decide which area is best for you. Boston is a wonderful city but it is expensive and you might not get a lot for your money if you want to be near by.

The Danbury area is more affordable and you should be able to get a nice home in your price range. There is a lot of things nearby and it is very beautiful. It is somewhat comparable to portions of upstate New York. If you find where you are living now to be unbearable then Danbury might not be the best choice. Good luck, Jay

[breezy1]

Thank you Jay. I actually really like upstate NY - If we leave it's because of job loss as my company is relocating our division to northern NJ. I have considered that, but am also looking at other opportunities (the CT and Boston ones), and others within upstate. The economic/job outlook in upstate is pretty tough, so we may have to relo.

[7 Wishes]

If you don't mind a little commuting, and if (as I'm assuming) the job is in Danbury, why not live a little EAST of there, somewhere between it and Waterbury (but not Waterbury itself). I'm thinking like maybe Southbury. This puts you a little closer up I-84 to Boston for a weekend trip, the housing is a little cheaper than Ridgefield or Boston (maybe on a par with Danbury or Bethel, maybe even a little less), very pretty area and not so far from NYC that you can't visit it either (in fact you're still closer to NYC than Boston, but closer to the "halfway point").

[dazzleman]

Southbury is a great town.