Relocation info for Stamford area (Fairfield, Stratford: real estate, townhouses, school district)

shagan64 · 12-20-2010, 08:19 AM

My husband is considering new job opportunities in Connecticut. The first opportunity was in the Farmington area. He went up for an interview. I did lots of research on the area. Between his informal reconnaissance and my remote Googling, we decided that if he were to accept their offer, we would be very happy in either Farmington or Avon. The housing prices were acceptable -- i.e., we could find something over 2400 sqft for under $400K.

The school systems seemed to be good - not only with regards to test scores, but also having the reputation of a supportive, nurturing environment (as opposed to being highly competitive and obsessed with AP offerings).

We had looked at surrounding areas - Simsbury seemed too remote and rural. Southington looked good on paper, but my husband was not impressed when he drove through it. He felt that the established part of town was run down and then there were a lot of "cookie-cutter" developments sprouting up on the outskirts.

So we thought we had it all figured out. Now there is a new opportunity on the horizon. This one is in Stamford. It looks like Farmington is about 90 minutes from Stamford, so a commute from there is out of the question. So I need to start over again. So I'm looking for some recommendations from you. Given what you now know about what we are looking for, can anyone recommend similar areas within 20-30 minutes drive to Stamford? A quick look through Realtor.com told me that we can't afford anything in Stamford or the immediate vicinity and that makes sense - its so close to NYC and the shore. So it the smart thing is to probably to north and/or west of there.

I remember reading good things about the Weston school district - that it's smaller, more nurturing of struggling students, and performs well. But the town itself seems pretty rural - not a huge problem if shopping is close. But we have kids (ages 10 & 14) and it would be nice to have neighbors and places to visit on foot so they don't have to be driven everywhere.

If you can make any recommendations, I'd really appreciate it.

jax12479 · 12-20-2010, 08:52 AM

For a budget of $400k within a half hour from Stamford, you'd need to look at much smaller homes or townhouses. If you don't want to do that, the immediate vicinity around Stamford is out, but you may be able to find a single family home in that price range in Bethel, Redding, Easton, Stratford or Trumbull -- commute during rush hour would be more in the 40 minute range, though.

shagan64 · 12-20-2010, 01:32 PM

Thanks for the quick reply. What are your thoughts on Weston?

jax12479 · 12-20-2010, 02:29 PM

I'm not really familiar with home prices in Weston, so not sure... Check out William Raveis, it's a good site to search for CT properties: connecticut real estate, massachusetts real estate, rhode island real estate, new york real estate, and newport real estate from william raveis real estate

JayCT · 12-20-2010, 02:46 PM

Stamford is in the middle of one of the most expensive parts of the country. you will only get a modest home for $400k anywhere near there. I would recommend looking in Fairfield. It is a great town with a lot going for it but even there the home would be modest, certainly not what you could get in Farmington or avon for that price. Jay

JayCT · 12-20-2010, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shagan64

Thanks for the quick reply. What are your thoughts on Weston?

If you thought Simsbury was too rural then you would not like Weston. It is even smaller with little or no shopping. Most people that live there drive to neighboring towns for everything they need. Also I do not think you will get much there unless you increase your budget. Jay

shagan64 · 12-20-2010, 04:34 PM

Any thoughts on school systems? Again, I'm really not interested in performance scores. I'm interested in the culture. I'm not interested in a school that thinks they are 'high performing' because they crank out a lot of AP students -- i.e., catering to the kids who are already doing well. I'm more interested in a school that has success with kids who are struggling.

kidyankee764 · 12-20-2010, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shagan64

Any thoughts on school systems? Again, I'm really not interested in performance scores. I'm interested in the culture. I'm not interested in a school that thinks they are 'high performing' because they crank out a lot of AP students -- i.e., catering to the kids who are already doing well. I'm more interested in a school that has success with kids who are struggling.

I'd suggest you take a look at Monroe. Great district, relatively affordable homes, and not too far from Stamford. That said, if you're commuting during peak travel times, the traffic will be pretty tough.

shagan64 · 12-20-2010, 04:40 PM

Thanks. I'll do that. I'm not all that concerned about peak travel times. My husband can often adjust his schedule to avoid that. He can either go in early & leave early or vice versa.

renovating · 12-20-2010, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shagan64

Any thoughts on school systems? Again, I'm really not interested in performance scores. I'm interested in the culture. I'm not interested in a school that thinks they are 'high performing' because they crank out a lot of AP students -- i.e., catering to the kids who are already doing well. I'm more interested in a school that has success with kids who are struggling.

And, what criteria do you use to measure a struggling childs success?