[NanaVG]

My husband and I (upstate New Yorkers) are thinking of relocating to one of those condos in CT for those who are 55+. We looked at several developments last month and were particularly impressed with one in Oxford that had more land and trees around each of their homes. I recently noticed a place in Middletown, CT that looked noice too but know nothing about the town or that area. I'm somewhat familiar with parts of central CT but don't know much once we ventue futher north. I do want to be within half an hour or so of Yale Med because of medical care my husband and I have gotten there.

[skytrekker]

Middletown CT is a semi urban community- with a diverse ethnic and racial demographic. The town has the presence of the renowned Wesleyan University.

Located on the CT river, the town of 45,000 is gifted to having a short drive to Hartford, New Haven, and the south eastern CT shoreline within an half hour. Culture like the Goodspeed opera house, jazzy towns like Essex and Old Saybrook are very close by.

Housing prices will be lower then Oxford and south western CT.
Middletown offers a great Main Street, with great restaurants, and shopping.

While Yale Med is a wee closer perhaps from Oxford- - Middletown is about 15-20 minutes further to New Haven; Middletown is a better choice if coming from the NYC area.

[Rich Lee]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

Middletown CT is a semi urban community- with a diverse ethnic and racial demographic. The town has the presence of the renowned Wesleyan University.

Located on the CT river, the town of 45,000 is gifted to having a short drive to Hartford, New Haven, and the south eastern CT shoreline within an half hour. Culture like the Goodspeed opera house, jazzy towns like Essex and Old Saybrook are very close by.

Housing prices will be lower then Oxford and south western CT.
Middletown offers a great Main Street, with great restaurants, coffee shops and shopping.

While Yale Med is a wee closer perhaps from Oxford- - Middletown is about 15-20 minutes further to New Haven; Middletown is a better choice if coming from the NYC area.

I would have to agree. The additional time to get to New Haven is offset by I-91 versus more rural roads until one picks up Route 34.

Re-assess what's important to you. If you feel that you will still make the journey to New York on a regular basis, then the additional trek to Middletown is harder to justify.

[jeremeyk482]

Originally Posted by NanaVG

My husband and I (upstate New Yorkers) are thinking of relocating to one of those condos in CT for those who are 55+. We looked at several developments last month and were particularly impressed with one in Oxford that had more land and trees around each of their homes. I recently noticed a place in Middletown, CT that looked noice too but know nothing about the town or that area. I'm somewhat familiar with parts of central CT but don't know much once we ventue futher north. I do want to be within half an hour or so of Yale Med because of medical care my husband and I have gotten there.

Middletown is a nice community from what I've seen when I visited the downtown, and Oxford is more quaint than other communities in the New Haven/SW CT area.

It all depends on what you want. Do you want a more private lifestyle or more active? The nearest shopping to Oxford is Main Street in Southbury which has Gap, Starbucks, Victorias Secret, Talbots, Ann Taylor, KMart and many mom & pop shops. The downtown area of Southford is about 5 minutes from the center of Oxford, and has all mom & pop shops (Yvonnes for great breakfast, Southford Pizza, Southford Country Store & Deli, a few apartments, a ski shop and Newtown Savings Bank with a Dunkin Donuts). The town is building a brand new senior center on Old Church Road with many up-to-date amenities. Oxford is a bit closer to New Haven (Route 67 to 63, so no highways), and closer to NYC if you like day trips.

I don't know much about Wallingford, but I do know that prices there will be cheaper and that it's a nice town. The more North and East you go in CT, the lower the cost of living becomes.

Good luck with your home search.

[JayCT]

As indicated, Middletown has a lot to offer. A nice downtown area with shops, great restaurants and movie theaters. For the most part, everything you need is there including a small hospital. The town is rather large in area and has a lot of housing options. Everything from high-rise condos to country homes. The nice thing about Middletown is that you are in the center of the state and have easy access to most major cities, the beaches and Bradley Airport.

New Haven is about a 1/2 hour trip directly down I-91, about 25 miles. Oxford is about 20 miles from New Haven, but it is backroads so it will take about the same amount of time.

One thing to keep in mind with Middletown is that if you live south of downtown, Route 9 can be difficult to travel because of the traffic lights in the downtwon area. Route 9 connect I-91 north of downtown to Old Saybrook 20 miles to the south and during the summer there is a lot of traffic on it heading or coming from the shore. The traffic signals make it worse. The Westfield area (west of downtown) has great access onto I-91.

There are also some nice 55+ communities in Berlin and Cromwell. Both are near Middletown and offer similar advantages. Just a suggestion. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by jeremeyk482

Again, I don't know much about Wallingford, but I do know that prices there will be cheaper.

Wallingford would also be a good place to look too. Nice town with most everything you need. It is even closer to New Haven than Oxford or Middletown. Friends love it there. They have a great community center with a lot of activities. Just another thought. Jay