Help! In search of the perfect town! (Cheshire, Essex: houses, neighborhoods)

[AnneConstance]

My fiance and I grew up in a small town (population 4,000) in CT and moved 4 years ago to where he was stationed in the military in VA Beach. Now he's a law enforcement officer and we're looking to move back to the northeast to a smaller, more family-oriented place...Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, MAYBE parts of east-central New York and MAYBE parts of southern New Hampshire. Here are our desired specifics:

1. Between rural and suburban, not too bare but not too industrial.
2. Good schools.
3. A nice downtown with some little shops/cafes/restaurants.
4. Roads that can be walked by us and/or our children ultimately without fear.
5. Must be NO more than 2 hours from Chester CT.
6. A good family town with nice neighborhoods.
7. Decent, newer houses that are under $400k.
8. Preferably within 20-30 minutes of a bigger town/city that my fiance can work in that's not TOO dangerous, but with plenty for him to do.

I know what you're thinking...this is probably hard to find, but if anyone has any info that might help me, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

[in_newengland]

I really don't know but since no one else has answered yet, I'll start.

If you want to be within 2 hours from Cheshire you could live in RI or CT. Tolland CT comes to mind or just about any small CT town. Eastern CT is cheaper I would think but offhand I can't think of any of the towns.

Southern NH is way too far away from Cheshire. Someone else carry on..........?

[AnneConstance]

It's actually Chester, not Cheshire... it's okay, everyone makes that mistake... no one really knows about Chester. It's a really small town next to Essex and Deep River along the CT River.

[in_newengland]

Ooooooooooops, I misread that. I love that area and Deep River and Essex are both gorgeous.

I wish someone else would answer this question for you because I don't know the CT towns that well and I know almost nothing about RI. It would probably have to be somewhere in either CT or RI though to get within striking distance of Chester. Anywhere in MA would be too far away and NH is waaaaaaaaaay too far away. Maybe you should ask on the CT or RI forums?