[Slapshot02]

Was planning on moving to Westchester but am now considering lower CT. Looking to spend between 1.2m and 1.4m and want good schools but not pretentious. Hear certain parts of Greenwich would be less pretentious but not sure that is really the case. Also want commute to NYC around an hour. Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks.

[Kristin85]

Commute to NYC from all train stops in Greenwich will be under an hour. All of the public schools are very good and you would not need to send your child to private school unless you want to.

Imho the least pretentious areas of Greenwich are Byram (I live here and it is "okay" but very crowded and has the lowest priced homes) and Old Greenwich. Old Greenwich is very family oriented and the majority of homes in that part of town are in your price range. OG also benefits from being very close to Greenwich Point (the main beach/park in town), having its own adorable park with a large pond (Binney), a library, and a quaint shopping district. Central/downtown Greenwich is more geared towards commuters who want to walk to the train/shopping/restaurants. Cos Cob is also family oriented and has homes in your price range, but the community is not quite as tight knit as it is in Old Greenwich unless you involve your kids in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, sports, etc. Other areas of Greenwich cater primarily to wealthy families although there will, of course, be properties in your price range mixed in; these residents aren't by any means pretentious, but the houses may be separated by more land than in other areas of town which could make it difficult to befriend your neighbors.

[jax12479]

There are many neighborhoods in Greenwich, and each neighborhood is unique.

On the eastern side of town (bordering Stamford), there's Old Greenwich, Riverside and North Mianus. Old Greenwich is where the beach is and also has a shopping area. Riverside & North Mianus are very residential. These are all young, family neighborhoods convenient to the Post Rd, 95 and Metro-North. The closer you get to the shore, the more expensive the property. Homes in OG & Riverside near the water are some of the most expensive homes in Fairfield County. The homes in eastern Greenwich are also very close together (for the most part) so if you are looking for privacy, these neighborhoods may not be the best choice for you.

In the central part of town, you have Cos Cob, which is similar to North Mianus & OG (ie convenient to Metro North, young families, houses close together, small shopping area, but a bit less expensive). The rest of Central Greenwich is comprised of Downtown, Mid-Country and Back Country. Downtown is the area in/around Greenwich Avenue, and it's where you'll find the Greenwich train station, hospital, library & most shops & restaurants. The Mid-Country and Back Country areas are located north of the Post Rd (Mid Country is South of the Merritt Parkway/Back Country is North of the Merritt). IMO, some of the most beautiful homes in the country are located in these areas, especially near Round Hill Road and Lake Ave. There are historic mansions, old stone walls lining the streets, iron gates at the beginning of long driveways -- it's the side of Greenwich most people probably imagine when they hear the name Greenwich. You'll get more property and privacy in these areas, but not the neighborhood feel.

Western Greenwich is comprised of Glenville and Byram, bordering Westchester County, NY. This part of town is the most affordable. There is a small shopping area in Glenville and homes range from small modest ranches to large, new homes. In Byram, homes are generally rather old and close together. This is the most affordable part of town and least "pretentious."

For 1.2-1.4, you can find a definitely find a home in Greenwich. How large the home and property are will depend on where you look. Hope that helps!

[Slapshot02]

Thanks for the input - very helpful. A few follow ups if I may - does each area have its own elementary school or do certain areas share schools? Does that apply to elementary schools as well as high schools? Which public schools in the area rate the best or do most folks use private school? Lastly are certain areas more Jewish than others? Any comments helpful - thanks again.

[JayCT]

School curriculum and resources are fairly consistant throughout the overall school district. One school may perform slightly higher than another but that does not really mean it is better. I think you need to focus on finding a neighborhood you would be comfortable in more than which school your child will attend. The links below should help you with more information on schools in Connecticut. Jay

http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/d...8/district.htm

http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/d...708/SCHOOL.HTM