[sammy23]

Hi. My husband and I are doing a job-related move from a suburb of Philadelphia to North Haven. We are really happy where we are but Connecticut is where we have to be for the next two years or so. I am sure we will like moving to CT in time (just like when we first moved to PA...) but we are hoping to live in a place similar to what we have now. We are also looking to rent a one-bedroom apartment, hopefully at less than $1000 a month.

1. Nice place to live - I've heard North Haven is a safe and nice place to live, so that's good. Our current place is quiet and safe but close to a lot of conveniences. We feel safe walking around at night.

2. Shopping convenience - We have a decent mall, a 24-hour CVS, a big 24-hour Walmart, a big 24-hour grocery store, a 24-hour FedEx, bookstores, restaurants, auto repair shops, gas stations and other good things to have nearby just a few minutes from where we are. And just recently I discovered how much I like having breakfast at midnight so I'm hoping for a nearby 24-hour diner too!

3. Public transportation - Our apartment is near a bus stop and my husband can take a bus to his office or take the car if he wants to. We were hoping to find a place that had bus routes through the office/industrial complexes to cut down on cost since we also heard that it's very expensive to live in Connecticut.

4. Public transportation to nearest city - Our apartment is maybe five minutes away from the station where we can get a train to Philadelphia. From Philly it's also easy to get to NY or DC. Is it that easy to get to New Haven from North Haven by public? I've tried the cttransit website but I couldn't get to finding out where the train stations and bus stops were. Also, public transportation info is not integrated into Google maps not like the public transpo in Pennsylvania. Why is that?

5. Parks and libraries - I like having a lot of parks with tennis courts, basketball courts, and picnic grounds to choose from. I like living so close to the public library and being able to borrow books from all over the county through it.

From my initial research, apartments are normally above $1K. Is it a bad idea to consider something less -- Are we going to be sorry we went below $1K?

It also looks like there are more apartments in Hamden than in North Haven which are the two places we are looking at. The office is in North Haven. Can you tell me the differences between the two cities or if there are other cities we should consider? Please consider the things I like above.

Like I said, I'm sure I'll like CT in time. My heart is just resisting the move right now. But, we are planning a visit in the next few weeks, just to get a feel for the place. I am excited about being so close to Yale and the cultural and educational aura that it brings with it. I am also excited about being so close to the water. Please tell me what else I should get excited about.

Thanks a lot!

[Kindlyunspoken23]

I don't know much about apartments and cost, so I can't help out there, though I'm sure there's plenty who can!

2) North Haven has shopping plazas as well as plenty of things to do! Some of the biggest plazas are off Universal Drive. They have Home Depot, Target, a newly built Best Buy, Toys R'Us, plenty of restaurants, and a movie theater. Further north is a 24 hour diner that my friends and I used to love going to. I know there's grocery stores and such in that area as well, though I'm not sure specifically.

3) I do know that New Haven/North Haven use the same public transportation system, and you're about 20 minutes away from the Metro North train station.

Hope my little information helps a little bit!

[willow wind]

Is North Haven a nice place tor live- Yes, It's a lovely town- very suburban, very stable, many people have family that has lived there for generations. Lots of shopping. They only thing missing is high end clothing stores and an enclosed mall.

As already noted by previous poster, all the typical stores you could want are there.

Public transportation- not so much. You can use CT. Transit. But the buses really only run through the main drag. There is a schedule on the website. They don't run all that often. But you can take a bus to New Haven. From there you can take the train to NYC.

As far as taking the bus to work by having the bus make stops at office parks- highly unlikely. Keep in mind North Haven has only some 24,000 people. It's not very big. New Haven is about 125,000 and that considered a big city for CT. Does not compare to Philly ( 1.4 million people ) in size of amenity level for public transport.

I hate to say it, but you will each need a car to feel comfortable. You're just not going to get anywhere trying to depend on public transport.

All CT libraries participate in library book lending. The local library will send out for what you want if they don't have it. Lots of parks in the general area - both local and state.

Hamden is an adjacent town but much larger- 58,000 people or so. Tons of apartments and condos to rent. Numerous shopping plazas. Very busy center of town, very suburban the further you get from town center.

God luck

[sammy23]

Thanks Kindly and Willow. How about Wallingford? I checked and there are a lot of more affordable apartments there. Is it a nice place?

[sammy23]

Also, I never thought of comparing city size. That gives me a clearer picture of Connecticut. I've lived in busy cities most of my life which is why I'm also looking for an easy way to get to the nearest city. I need to immerse myself in the city feel once in a while. CT cities are really small eh? That's all right, I guess. I don't mind experiencing new things.

[kidyankee764]

You might also want to look into Hamden or Milford. Milford has a cool walkable downtown with access to Metro North Railroad (doesn't go to North Haven though - primarily used to commute to NYC). Just a thought. Either way, you'd each need a car.

[JayCT]

Not knowing where your husband's office will be makes it difficult to make a suggestion on locations to live. Check the CT Transit website to determine if they have service and then follow the line to see where it goes. I think the lines through North Haven go into New Haven and Wallingford so you could look for an apartment along them.

As for Wallingford, it is nice town with many nice neighborhoods. I am not sure what you will get for that price but you may be able to find an apartment in the center of town.

Keep in mind that New Haven is a small city and that it does not have the traffic of Philidelphia. Driving around is not that difficult even during rush hour.

Another thing to note is that for some odd reason major shopping is limited in the New Haven area. There really is just one major mall (in Milford) and it does not have many real upscale shops. People in this area will either head into New York or drive up to the Westfarms Mall outside Hartford for better quality shopping options. Don't get me wrong there is shopping but not as much as you would normally find in a metro area the size of New Haven. Jay

[willow wind]

If you like the feel of a city, then you might be happier living as close to New Haven as you can. While New Haven is a small city it does have a lively arts, theater, bar, restaurant scene. Lots of concerts, lectures, etc. also .

Wallingford, while a typically nice, suburban town is further away and if you want to use public transport, getting to New Haven is just not very convenient.

Personally, I'd opt for Hamden , which is one town away from from both New Haven & North Haven. You would still need a car, but you might be able to leave it home more.

[CTNYCT]

Although North Haven is more house-oriented, and less apartment, it is very nice, quiet and safe, as you mentioned you're looking for. If you'd like to look into a house for rent, I'd suggest the area just below Ridge Road and Hartford Turnpike. A main road called Skiff Street takes you directly from that area right to a main road of grocery and retail shopping in Hamden (Dixwell Avenue) and lots of cute boutique-type shops and restaurants on the main road before it (Whitney Avenue). There is also a park close by in that area. The library is in the opposite direction, and I'm not sure on public transport. Other than the cities, I would say all in all, you need a car in CT. Everything is close, just not close enough. Good luck!

[sammy23]

Thanks to you all. We drove up to the area last weekend and are going back this weekend to continue apartment-hunting. I think we've pretty much decided on Wallingford. It's a few minutes from the North Haven Campus where my husband's office is and it looks like a nice place. So far everyone we met has been very nice so I'm glad.

The apartments/multi-family homes we've looked at are near the town center which looks busier than the rest of Wallingford but I've been assured anywhere in Wallingford is generally safe. It's a decent distance from shopping and I like that it's between Hartford and New Haven and New York and Boston. There is also a bus between the campus and the town center.

Visiting the area and reading the forums about Connecticut has really been helpful in making me accept this move. Hopefully we'll decide on a house this weekend. The next step would be discovering the place and making it home.