[Saty]

I currently live in Queens, New York. I’m planning on buying a house in Connecticut, being that the prices are not as high as in New York and I don’t know which cities have houses that are not too expensive and which cities are close to New York, I will need to commute to get to my job in Manhattan. Any advise will be helpful.

[gomet]

Hi Saty!

We also moved from NYC to Conn about 3 years ago. What towns have you seen in Conn so far? If you like the towns on the I-95 corridor you can take the train to NYC. Keep in mind that the towns on that side are more expensive than those in the southwest part of Conn. If you like New Fairfield, Brookfield, Bethel, Newtown or Danbury, you can take the Harlem line in Brewster or Southeast (Brewster North) which have express trains to NYC, as oppose to the Danbury station which makes a switch in Norwalk or Stamford I think. You will definitely get more for your money in Conn. compared to Westchester or LI. Good luck to you.

[Dockside]

Check out Metro-North at http://www.mta.info/mnr/ for maps and train schedules, it will give you a good idea of travel time.

Look at http://www.opm.state.ct.us/igp/DATARESC/mill9798.htm for mill rates. Some towns are dramatically different. Also be aware CT charges an annual property tax on your car.

Check out CT Magazine at http://www.zwire.com/site/news.asp?b...dept_id=487245 for town ideas.

[kenfried]

I too made a move from NYC to CT. We live in Stamford and my wife commutes into the city every day. 45 mins. to Grand Central.
Great town Stamford. Has eveything.

[kristiv]

I think the first things you need to decide are lifestyle and price range. I have a lot of knowledge of the areas within commuting distance of NYC so if you want to give me some parameters maybe I can help you select a few towns to concentrate your looking efforts. Otherwise I know from other out-of-town people to whom I have shown houses it can get pretty overwhelming!

[jjbradleynyc]

My partner and I live in Stamford and purchased a house last year. You can still find 3 bedroom/2 bath homes in Stamford in the high-400s!!! These will most likely be cape cods, and some can be found near the water. This shocked me about Stamford. It's only 45 mins to the city by train. Stamford's super safe, has a small town feeling in most neighborhoods, and is a pretty city overall. Check it out.

[haner]

Are there any new construction buildings (2br condos/townhomes) going up in Stamford? I'll be commuting to the upper west side so 45 min to GC isn't that bad.

[DGrab]

Danbury and the towns in the Candlewood Lake are very desirable. Danbury and New Fairfield have reasonably priced homes and you can catch the MetroNorth in Brewster right into NYC.

[jjbradleynyc]

haner, yes, there are a few going up that I have seen. Try Summer Street, just north of downtown. There are several new townhomes being built, but I think they start @ around $600k. About a mile from the train station. Also, Trump, Ritz-Carlton, and another luxury high rise building, The Highgrove Tower, are being built in downtown. Several conversions are also proposed.

[ltorres001]

I am actually planning to do the "reverse commute", living in NYC and working in Stamford.

Do you have any advise in terms of the best commute options money and time wise? - I do not own a car in NYC, but may need to get one - . Also, do you know how my taxes would be affected by this "lives in NYC, works in CT" status?

Thanks

Luis