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My family and I are relocating from the suburbs of Seattle to Connecticut. I have never visited the state and have no idea where to begin. I will try to be as specific as possible in the hopes some of you can give some guidance!
We have 3 young children, private schools could be an option but we would prefer a great public school.
We will rent for the first year to get our bearings but would buy after that. The type of community we are looking for would be similar to where we are now. Established older neighborhoods, parks and water nearby, older/historic homes (some work needed ok), good schools, in striking distance of retail/dining and 30min or so to urban areas that offer museums, theatre, etc. We would like to stay under 500k for 4 bedroom, with a yard.
We currently live 20 min. outside of Seattle, a block from Lake Washington in a 1940 home in a great neighborhood.
My husbands job will have him traveling to offices from Boston to New Jersey. He will probably take trains into Boston and Manhattan and perhaps drive to other offices. He won't make the commutes daily and can be flexible in travel times but access to these areas will be important. That's one reason we chose CT...it seemed most central.
Anyone have any ideas?
Sounds to me like Fairfield would be great for you, but it is expensive and I can't say I'm optimistic that you'd get something in your price range. You also might really like the towns east of New Haven - Guilford and Madison. Beautiful, rural, New Englandy and close to New Haven for culture. The further east you go in CT, the more you get for your money.
Under 500k for 4 bedroom in Fairfield is tricky, although it does seem to be an ideal town for what you want.
It gets cheaper as you go east as kidyankee mentioned.
Milford, Branford, Guilford, Madison are 4 excellent choices based on your criteria and budget. I know someone who is high up in the administration in a Madison school, and she has nothing but good things to say about it. Madison doesn't have the conveniences of a small city like Milford and Fairfield however.
Agree with Guilford and Madison- definitely take a look at those towns. Also consider Branford ( a shoreline town too) in which you can get that older home and be within walking distance to downtown shops.
Fairfield would be a wonderful choice, although as previously noted our money will not go as far there and the older home may need a lot of work.
That said, along Route 1 on the "Branford Hill" it gets a little commercialized and, well, a little ugly. But once you venture off Route 1 and head toward downtown and Montowese Street, it's absolutely beautiful.
That said, along Route 1 on the "Branford Hill" it gets a little commercialized and, well, a little ugly. But once you venture off Route 1 and head toward downtown and Montowese Street, it's absolutely beautiful.
Yup, Branford and Milford share a bit in common in that respect. People always assume their downtowns are Route 1, how far from reality!
That said, along Route 1 on the "Branford Hill" it gets a little commercialized and, well, a little ugly. But once you venture off Route 1 and head toward downtown and Montowese Street, it's absolutely beautiful.
I agree with kidyankee. Branford is wonderful. You should look at the shoreline towns east of New Haven which includes Branford, Guilford and Madison. These are wonderful charming towns with great schools and wonderful neighborhoods to raise a family. These towns have nice beaches and parks and a lot of family activities. There is commuter train service to New Haven where your husband can connect to trains into New York and Boston. You will find many nice homes here in your price range. Check out the linkn below for informaiton on schools here in CT. Jay
Thanks to all for the suggestions! I have actually found some listings in Fairfield that might fit the bill. I will keep looking and am excited to have a list together to visit in April. Also, some towns East have been mentioned. Guilford, Madison, Branford were named but also the description of "rural" in one post. Is this accurate for all these towns? We don't want to be too far from grocery, restaurants... maybe a small "main" street.
Thanks to all for the suggestions! I have actually found some listings in Fairfield that might fit the bill. I will keep looking and am excited to have a list together to visit in April. Also, some towns East have been mentioned. Guilford, Madison, Branford were named but also the description of "rural" in one post. Is this accurate for all these towns? We don't want to be too far from grocery, restaurants... maybe a small "main" street.
All of these towns have a small Main Street, all of which are beautiful. I'm not sure what your definition of rural is, but away from Main Street, these towns are woodsy, yet still fairly suburban. In other words, they aren't on postage stamp lots like you'd find in CA or AZ, rather neighborhoods that are spread out.
Fairfield is less rural, but again, it's expensive. You can also look at Westport which is expensive too, but you never know what you'll find in this market. Worth a look.
My family and I are relocating from the suburbs of Seattle to Connecticut. I have never visited the state and have no idea where to begin. I will try to be as specific as possible in the hopes some of you can give some guidance!
We have 3 young children, private schools could be an option but we would prefer a great public school.
We will rent for the first year to get our bearings but would buy after that. The type of community we are looking for would be similar to where we are now. Established older neighborhoods, parks and water nearby, older/historic homes (some work needed ok), good schools, in striking distance of retail/dining and 30min or so to urban areas that offer museums, theatre, etc. We would like to stay under 500k for 4 bedroom, with a yard.
We currently live 20 min. outside of Seattle, a block from Lake Washington in a 1940 home in a great neighborhood.
My husbands job will have him traveling to offices from Boston to New Jersey. He will probably take trains into Boston and Manhattan and perhaps drive to other offices. He won't make the commutes daily and can be flexible in travel times but access to these areas will be important. That's one reason we chose CT...it seemed most central.
Anyone have any ideas?
All of the towns mentioned are great choices and those that are mentioned as rural still have town centers and shopping. The shore towns east of New Haven tend to become rural as you go further from the coast. You still have I-95 going thru all these towns(our version of I-5).
One thing to consider. If your husband is taking the train to Boston and even Manhatten he might want to be closer to a station that has either Acela or NE Regional service. While you can get any commuter train from any station into Manhatten, you can only get Boston trains at Stamford, Bridgeport, New London and New Haven. The Acela only stops at Stamford and New Haven. The difference between Acela and NE Regional service to Boston is a savings of 80 minutes roundtrip on the Acela. I don't know if this type of time is important, but depending where you choose in Fairfield will dictate your driving time to the train station. As stated any station east of New Haven will necessitate a transfer to Manhatten or Boston. Check out the Amtrak schedule.
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