[2lilmonkeys]

My husband will be working in Darien in the near future. We wanted to get some suggestions as to which towns would best suit our needs. We would like to be within 20 driving minutes of Darien. My husband would be at his desk in Darien by 7 am and leave around 4:30 in the afternoon. We have a three year old, a 1 1/2 year old and our third child is due this April. The most important thing for me is a family oriented community with tons of activities for children and a fantastic school system. We would like a 5 bedroom house on at least 3/4 acre or more of property. Our price point is between 800 and 900k. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

[arielmina]

well you're not going to be in Darien at that size of house and price point...most likely at least. 20 mins is going to be tough in my opinion to get that AND excellent schools. I always seem to recommend Ridgefield, since you can get alot more for your money and the schools are great, however that's going to be 30 mins probably at those commute times, depending on where you live in Ridgefield (southside vs northern).

Alternately, there's Wilton, Weston and Westport, which will be not as easy to find a 5 bedroom house in that price range, but possible. I'm not sure what the commute would be at that time of the morning but probably not bad.

New Canaan is close, but you won't find a 5 bedroom house in your range.

[JayCT]

You might try Fairfield. It is about 20 minutes from Darien without traffic (it sounds like your husband would be missing the worst of it with his hours). It is a nice upscale town with excellent schools and a lot of family activities. It is more affordable than many of the other lower Fairfield county towns. I know many that moved there because it was more affordable and then said even though their fortunes improved. Jay

[dazzleman]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You might try Fairfield. It is about 20 minutes from Darien without traffic (it sounds like your husband would be missing the worst of it with his hours). It is a nice upscale town with excellent schools and a lot of family activities. It is more affordable than many of the other lower Fairfield county towns. I know many that moved there because it was more affordable and then said even though their fortunes improved. Jay

I second what Jay is saying.

Fairfield is a little bit further than you want, realistically, but it's much cheaper than the other closer options and you could probably get what you want, or close to it, in your price point, depending upon the neighborhood.

I live in Fairfield and it's a great town. I came here because it was more affordable than some of the other towns, and I like having some economic diversity (working class all the way up to very wealthy) rather than mostly very wealthy with just a sliver of middle class, as many of the other towns have. I don't think I'd want to live anywhere else now.

[kidyankee764]

The closest town in your price range with excellent schools is Fairfield. With your commuting times, 95 shouldn't be too bad. It begins to clog up around 7am, so if you leave by 6:30 each morning, you should be okay.

You will get much less house for your money in Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Westport, Weston, etc. All are wonderful towns, and if you can do with a 3br modest home, then I'd strongly suggest living in Darien itself. Nothing beats coming home for lunch everyday.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Nothing beats coming home for lunch everyday.

That is so true. Or being able to duck out of the office to attend your kids afternoon school play. Darien is a great town with excellent schools. Jay

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

I'm not so sure that Fairfield is going to be a fit here by virtue of the OP's desire for at least .75 acres. The larger lots are primarily in Greenfield Hill, which carries its own "price-premium" up and above most areas of the town. I think the OP would find a much, much broader selection in Easton. I also would not completely dismiss the possibility of finding something in Weston or Wilton either. I would not expect Darien, Westport, or New Canaan to offer anything meeting your parameters though.

[MetsNY]

Try going farther out. Easton, Monroe, Trumbull, Newtown. The commute will be more than 20 minutes, but trust me many, many residents do this commute.

[JayCT]

There are some parts of Fairfield with acre lots. There are not a lot of areas but there are a few. As noted by the others you might try Easton or Trumbull for more home and land for your money too. Jay

[trooper638]

Hi
You can find property in Darien with 5 bedrooms, however, you won't find the acreage. However, you can find exactly what you are looking for in Weston, Wilton, Trumbull, Fairfield, Westport, and Stamford. All of these area's are within a 20 mins to Darien. I have seen homes in Darien in that price range meeting your criteria, but right now there are none on the market according to the Mulitple Listing service. There are some local real estate websites that will be able to help you in your search also. I hope this information helps.