[oopsydaisy]

I'm curious about the area as my husband has a job offer there, however we are in the very early stages of discussions with the company.

The company is located in Shelton.

Being that we love living in suburbia, I was wondering if some of you could answer a few questions I have at this time.

How far is Bridgeport from Shelton? New Haven? I ask because I'm more in tune with a suburban lifestyle.

Are most of the roads super curvy with no shoulder of the road? Are they one or two lane (side roads, not highway) and what is the average speed limit?

Where is the nearest hospital?

What are the local grocery stores like? Any Wegman's around?

Besides the mall in Trumbull, where is the closest mall. (Is there one since NYC is so close?) I see that the only Nordstrom is in Hartford (ouch!) any other great stores around besides Macy's?

We are not concerned with schools, however with that said, which city (town) near Shelton (within 20 miles) is considered tops for schools?

If you worked in Shelton but yearned for a little more of a suburban vibe, where would you choose to live? We are on a limited budget unfortunately (no more than 800K).

I'm coming from a rural area of PA (Peter's Township) and just moved here from Scottsdale, AZ a couple of years ago. I miss the easiness of Scottsdale.

I've never been to Connecticut, although I am aware that is is a lovely state with both mostly rural areas. Are there any highways leading in/out of Shelton toward the coast or one of the larger towns/cities?

HELP!

Thank you in advance.

[Lowerdeck]

Shelton is considered suburban, except for that one area down along the river and Route 110. You pick up Route 34 across the river in Derby, and go about 20 minutes east to New Haven. Bridgeport is just southwest of Shelton down Route 8, which is a highway.

I believe there's a hospital in Derby, but I'm not 100%. There are ones in Bridgeport, Milford, and New Haven.

There's a fairly large mall in Milford in addition to the one in Trumbull. There's a Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, Sears, and a few other anchors. It's called Connecticut Post (no relation to the Bridgeport newspaper.) Even bigger is the Danbury Fair, which is about 40 minutes northwest (34 to 84 to Exit 3.)

Stop n' Shop is everywhere in that part of the state. I believe there's a Shop Rite in Derby also. No Wegman's are in New England.

Anything on the Fairfield County side not in cities (Bridgeport, Stratford, Danbury, Norwalk, and Stamford) have well regarded school systems. Bridgeport plus Derby and Ansonia across the river aren't so good in that department.

[captain_hug99]

I would not say that Connecticut has mostly rural areas. There are some spots that are rural (Northwest, eastern), but there is not "space" in between towns (unincorporated areas). If you are going from Danbury to Bethel they abut against each other. So in the post above, when s/he mentions going from Shelton to Danbury, you'll go through several towns.

[JViello]

If you love grid style layouts, planned neighborhoods with a strip malls serving their respective subdivision and all roads leading to the city center surrounded by rural outposts...you'll hate it here.

For me, that's a positive. But we are mostly 180* from your latest boomtown stamped out metro such as Phoenix, Nashville, Big City Florida etc etc. We DO have subdivision etc but they are sporadic most times and/or have been developed over the last 60+ years.

While not rural in the Midwest/Western sense, we do feel "out there" in many of our towns even though they are not. It's more modeled after the English countryside. Historic, rolling hills, populated but not crowded. A more "organically" developed feeling IMO.

New England is unique in what it is.

So yes there is hospitals, markets highways everywhere. It just depends on where you wish to live.

[derbyshire]

Trumbull and Fairfield are suburban but probbaly not as suburban as you want. There are a lot of trees here. That makes it feel rural but its really not.

[Neil Watkins]

$800,000 is a heck of a limit.

[oopsydaisy]

Originally Posted by Lowerdeck

Shelton is considered suburban, except for that one area down along the river and Route 110. You pick up Route 34 across the river in Derby, and go about 20 minutes east to New Haven. Bridgeport is just southwest of Shelton down Route 8, which is a highway.

I believe there's a hospital in Derby, but I'm not 100%. There are ones in Bridgeport, Milford, and New Haven.

There's a fairly large mall in Milford in addition to the one in Trumbull. There's a Target, Dick's Sporting Goods, Sears, and a few other anchors. It's called Connecticut Post (no relation to the Bridgeport newspaper.) Even bigger is the Danbury Fair, which is about 40 minutes northwest (34 to 84 to Exit 3.)

Stop n' Shop is everywhere in that part of the state. I believe there's a Shop Rite in Derby also. No Wegman's are in New England.

Anything on the Fairfield County side not in cities (Bridgeport, Stratford, Danbury, Norwalk, and Stamford) have well regarded school systems. Bridgeport plus Derby and Ansonia across the river aren't so good in that department.

Do you happen to know about how far Bridgeport and New Haven are from Shelton?

Also, I've read conflicting comments about Shelton. Is it a place you don't want to live in? I saw many photos on the web and it looks charming. THe Youtube video about the development of the waterfront didn't look as complimentary.

Thanks for the info!

[oopsydaisy]

Originally Posted by JViello

If you love grid style layouts, planned neighborhoods with a strip malls serving their respective subdivision and all roads leading to the city center surrounded by rural outposts...you'll hate it here.

For me, that's a positive. But we are mostly 180* from your latest boomtown stamped out metro such as Phoenix, Nashville, Big City Florida etc etc. We DO have subdivision etc but they are sporadic most times and/or have been developed over the last 60+ years.

While not rural in the Midwest/Western sense, we do feel "out there" in many of our towns even though they are not. It's more modeled after the English countryside. Historic, rolling hills, populated but not crowded. A more "organically" developed feeling IMO.

New England is unique in what it is.

So yes there is hospitals, markets highways everywhere. It just depends on where you wish to live.

You certainly nailed the exact community we are looking for! I'm just not sure we will be able to find a high enough paying job elsewhere yet.

Please understand that I have nothing against rural areas. I grew up on a farm in upstate NY. I'm living in a gorgeous area in PA right now, but it takes a lot of time and effort to get anywhere. If I had my choice, I'd probably choose an area that has "stuff" close by without the half hour drive.

Thank you so much for answering my post, I really appreciate it!

[oopsydaisy]

Originally Posted by derbyshire

Trumbull and Fairfield are suburban but probbaly not as suburban as you want. There are a lot of trees here. That makes it feel rural but its really not.

Trees, ha ha ha, can't have those....

Sorry, I'm sure my post sounded rude. I apologize. I love trees, and I definitely do not want to live in the city (been there, done that) so trees are good!

However, that said, I really could use a shopping are with a nice new Target, Super Wal-Mart, Kohls, Lowes, etc. and couple of grocery stores to choose from.

[oopsydaisy]

Originally Posted by derbyshire

Trumbull and Fairfield are suburban but probbaly not as suburban as you want. There are a lot of trees here. That makes it feel rural but its really not.

Trees, ha ha ha, can't have those....

Sorry, I'm sure my post sounded rude. I apologize. I love trees, and I definitely do not want to live in the city (been there, done that) so trees are good!

However, that said, I really could use a shopping are with a nice new Target, Super Wal-Mart, Kohls, Lowes, etc. and couple of grocery stores to choose from.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.