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Private christian schools changes the mix a bit. When you say christian I assume you mean catholic, as there are not a lot of other christian sponsored schools. A large number of towns in Westchester, Connecticut, Long Island, New Jersey (and the outer boroughs) have catholic grammar schools. The catholic high schools are more spread out, and of uneven quality. And, while they are far, far cheaper than most private schools around these parts, bear in mind that the grammar schools will cost a few thousand dollars per year, and the high schools $8-10,000 or more.
If you were looking to catholic schools for better academics, that is (with the exception of some magnet high schools) not necessarily the case, particularly if you live in any one of a dozen or more towns in Westchester, Connecticut, Long Island or New Jersey with great school systems. I spent 12 years in catholic schools many years ago, but that was because the public school choices in NYC were not (and are not) so great. In the suburbs, once you are paying huge taxes to support the public schools, most families use them.
The quintessential New England feel is going to be found in Connecticut and Northeastern Westchester. There are some great towns in the area, but much of it depends upon budget, since some also rank among the most expensive. Northern New Jersey, while having some very nice towns, does not have the same feel.
New Haven is very far from Manhattan, and there are more viable choices in the immediate suburbs that could potentially work for you. Depending upon budget, and preferred distance from town, since some areas are a little outside an established downtown, but are in relatively close proximity (~10 minutes), I'd look into Katonah, Bedford, Pound Ridge, South Salem, Lewisboro, Cross River, Somers, and Waccabuc in New York.
In Connecticut, I would primarily look in the area north of the Merritt Parkway in Fairfield County to the New York border, as it tends to have smaller towns than Greenwich and Stamford. This area would encompass: New Cannan, North Stamford, Weston, Easton, Redding, Ridgefield, and even parts of Bethel (though this can be a longer commute). Wilton and Darien might also fit the bill, and I think Westport could as well, though it's closer to the water, though closer to the train as well. Danbury is more affordable, has a commute approaching 1.5 hours, and is a larger area with more newer home developments; however, you can find that New England feel, depending upon the part of the area. Bethel is also less expensive than many other nearby Connecticut areas.
New Haven is a great little city that doesn't deserve its bad reputation, but a daily commute from there to NYC would be brutal. When you factor in the commute to and from the train station you would be looking at 2+ hours in each direction. Don't confuse New Haven with New Canaan, which is a suburb in Fairfield County.
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Originally Posted by bmwguydc
New Haven is very far from Manhattan, and there are more viable choices in the immediate suburbs that could potentially work for you. Depending upon budget, and preferred distance from town, since some areas are a little outside an established downtown, but are in relatively close proximity (~10 minutes), I'd look into Katonah, Bedford, Pound Ridge, South Salem, Lewisboro, Cross River, Somers, and Waccabuc in New York.
They have a more suburban and less "New England" feel, but many of the towns in central Westchester and the sound shore area are also worth looking into -- Larchmont, Rye, Mamaroneck, Harrison all have excellent schools and an attractive older housing stock, and White Plains, which is the main urban area in that part of the county, has been experiencing a development boom in the past decade. Prices are higher than in New Jersey and Putnam/Rockland counties, but AFAIK are lower than in the more rural northeastern part of the county.
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Originally Posted by nyc_sport
Private christian schools changes the mix a bit. When you say christian I assume you mean catholic, as there are not a lot of other christian sponsored schools.
This is a good point. It occurs to me that she and her husband might be transferring from the South or Midwest, where evangelical private schools are a popular option. There aren't many of those in the NYC area, so if that's what they're looking for, they may want to find a school first and plan their homebuying around that.
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Originally Posted by john_starks
how about new rochelle? fort lee? stamford? fairfield county?
New Rochelle has had some success in attracting young Manhattan commuters by building luxury condos next to the Metro-North station, but it's not a place for a professional couple to raise a family. Like every city, it has good and bad areas, but a lot of it is pretty rough, and the schools have a reputation for gang activity. For someone who wants a "city" feel but doesn't want to live in NYC proper, Stamford or White Plains might be good choices.
Lot's of good places to live with good schools in Long Island. Only drawback is high property taxes. But you could always rent for cheaper than owning. The entire north shore of Long Island is very nice starting at Eaton's Neck and heading outward all the way to Orient Point. In the middle of the Island check out Happauge (SP?) and Commack. Nice homes and good schools in that general area. Avoid Roosevelt and Freeport. The closer you are to Suffolk County the better. Long Island Railroad will take you right to 34th St in Manhattan.
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