[ct_bound]

My family and I are thinking about moving to Guilford or Madison from Long Island and we'd like to hear from others that made a similar move.

I work from home 2 days a week and travel to NYC the other 3. I know that NYC is accessible via the Shoreline train and MetroNorth but I was hoping to hear from others who do this commute regularly. I have close to a 2 hour commute door to door now. What is this commute like? Is it reliable? Is it possible to drive into NYC in under 2 hours if I left before 6:30AM?

Based on my research of Guilford/Madison we'd get more value for our money. These areas appear to have many of the same qualities that made us choose LI - great schools, close to the water, safety, good people. The cost of living has gotten somewhat out of control and were hoping to move up to a newer house for the same money.

[JayCT]

Guilford and Madison are beautiful communities. They are upscale suburbs of New Haven and really have retained a lot of their New England charm. Homes there are still reasonably priced compared to New York but the area is being discovered by people that work in Fairfield County, so prices are rising. The schools are good and there are beaches and parks that are just great. There are also some very good restaurants in the area.

One problem the area has is a lack of good upscale shopping options. There are no large malls in the area so you would have to travel to shop. Many people in Madison and Guilford drive up to West Farms Mall in Farmington/West Hartford to shop and that is a hike (over an hour). There are closer malls (Waterford, Meriden, Milford) but if you like the better quality stores like Nordstroms, you have to go to West farms (and many people from Madison and Guilford do).

Manhatten is about 100 miles from Madison, so driving there in off peak hours would take about two hours depending on traffic. You should note though that the worst traffic congestion in the State of CT is on I-95 from Bridgeport to Stamford and on I-95 from Branford to New Haven. You will need to travel along both of these highways to get into New York.

Shoreline East trains are scheduled to connect with Metro-North trains that go into Manhatten from New Haven. The 6:05 AM train out of Madison would get you to Grand Central at 8:18 AM. You do switch trains in New Haven, but often the trains are across the same platform from each other so it is no big deal. Check the Shoreline East website for the schedule. It gives you the train and connection times. Good luck with your move. Jay

[Thruway]

Question, in Guilford/Madison since it is still Southern CT, Metro New Haven, and close to NY, you can commute there but not to Boston, is it like Fairfield County in that
-You get some or all NY stations in addition to CT
-You get YES, SNY, MSG, and FSNY

The Yankees, Giants, and Rangers are the predominantly followed pro teams with BOS have little prescene or starting to have some but still way more NY?

I would think given how close it is to NY and that it is a part or right next to metro NY Tri State it would be.
Boston is a lot further in miles, weather, and culture.

Thanks.

[Dockside]

The Madison/Guilford area is very nice, but a grueling, and expensive commute into NYC. I tried it, but realized I couldn't do it. By train it's a least a two and a half hour commute one way, and that's not counting the subway if you're coming from another part of NYC.

Driving is unrealistic unless you get up very early, then leave work early. Traffic is heavy through New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Greenwich and then the whole stretch of hell into NYC. And that's on a good day. And then you get to go home and do it all over again. The only time you'll see your kids is when they're asleep.

Realistically, when you factor in driving to the station, then from GCT to your office, you're looking at a three hour commute. One way. Maybe three days a week it's possible, but it won't be easy. A co-worker on the NYSE had to quit his job six months after moving to Madison...he couldn't get to work early enough.

Try it first. Stay in a hotel overnight on a workday and see what you think.

Fairfield is pricier, but a more realistic commute.

[Thruway]

Originally Posted by tberg224

Question, in Guilford/Madison since it is still Southern CT, Metro New Haven, and close to NY, you can commute there but not to Boston, is it like Fairfield County in that
-You get some or all NY stations in addition to CT
-You get YES, SNY, MSG, and FSNY

The Yankees, Giants, and Rangers are the predominantly followed pro teams with BOS have little prescene or starting to have some but still way more NY?

I would think given how close it is to NY and that it is a part or right next to metro NY Tri State it would be.
Boston is a lot further in miles, weather, and culture.

Thanks.

Bump it up.

[S2000]

CT_Bound - I would consider Fairfield or Milford CT before I would consider Guilford or Madison because of commute. Milford you are usually in NYC within 90mins on express trains and there is no connection needed. Don't get me wrong if I had the opportunity I would live in Guilford/Madison instead of Milford. But my commute into Stamford can't be beat with a 35min train ride.

tberg224 - I would consider a satillite. Directv has YES and you can buy the MLB packages or the Fox Sports channels to get the different regional markets.

[ct_bound]

Thanks all for the helpful information. I tried the commute and it was brutal, your 100% right. Were going to concentrate on Milford, Trumbull, Monroe and maybe Orange. It seems like the housing prices in these areas are still "sane" compared to LI and lower Fairfield county.

I heard that Newtown and Bethel are also nice areas with good schools and still affordable to live in from a housing perspective (425-500k is our target range). Can anyone confirm that?

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by ct_bound

I heard that Newtown and Bethel are also nice areas with good schools and still affordable to live in from a housing perspective (425-500k is our target range). Can anyone confirm that?

It depends what you expect for that amount. There are nice homes available in Fairfield in this price range, but it will not be a big colonial. Maybe a ranch or large cape. Trumbull would give you a little more for your money than Fairfield and the schools are excellent.

The commute to New York from Bethel or Newtown will not be easy. These towns do not have direct access to trains into the city as the coastal towns do. That is why their prices are lower. Good luck, Jay

[opelske]

Can someone recommend a good real estate on the internet to search for properties in Chester or Guilford? Looking for a nice small town, community oriented. Thanks.

[JayCT]

Chester and Guilford are very nice. I like to use Prudential Connecticut Realty's web site for listings, but William Raveis is also good. Jay