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I currently live in Northern NJ, about 15 minutes from NYC. My husband may be getting a job in Glastonbury, CT. We have family in Fairfield and would like to be about a half hour drive from them. However, we also need to be about 45 minutes (1 hour tops) to Glastonbury. Please note that we have a 4 year old and 1 year old. Must haves in a town are good schools, family-friendly neighborhood, close proximity to shopping (mall, Target, Best Buy) safe neighborhood, good restaurants and parks. We would also like to be within a half hour of a city which offers some type of nightlife, great restaurants, a movie theater and the like. Being close to a lake, or beach would be perfect too, though it may be a reach, considering our budget. We definitely don't want to live in a rural area, and ruled out Bethany because of this. Mix between suburban-urban, but an area that is not too busy and loud would be ideal.
We are looking to rent a 2-3 bedroom apartment and would like to stay under $1400.
I have read a few of the posts/threads and based on the information, I seem to like Milford, Orange, Woodbridge, Monroe and even Branford and Guildford (though it would be a longer commute, it seems more affordable).
Any thoughts or suggestions?? Any advice is welcome and greatly appreciated!! Thank you all in advance!
I work in Glastonbury and have family in Fairfield. I was in your same positon 17 years ago and we bought in Glastonbury. I can not tell how great it has been. My commute is literally minutes. I am home for dinner early, able to help out with the kids a lot and can duck out of work for their school events or when they are sick. Over the years I would even take my kids to school on my way to the office. It has made our lives very easy.
As a town Glastonbury is a great place to raise a family. The schools are excellent and there is a lot to do for families. There's good shopping and entertainment nearby and it is a surprisingly affordable town with a wide range of housing options.
The towns you mention are nice but I am not sure they are right for you. Monroe, Branford and Guilford would not be within a 45 minute commute of Glastonbury during rush hour plus they are not that convenient to Fairfield. Woodbridge is expensive and has no apartments that I know of.
Milford and Orange are about 45 minutes from Glastonbury and 20 minutes from Fairfield. They are great towns with good schools, lots of family activities and excellent shopping and entertainment options. They would be good choices.
I must however ask how often would you be going to Fairfield verses how often your husband is commuting to Glastonbury? If you will be going to Fairfield regularly (like several times per week) then I would say go with Milford or Orange. but if you would be going once or twice a week or if your visits would be on weekends, then I would say live closer to Glastonbury. Other towns you might want to consider include Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Cromwell, Berlin, Middlefield, Wallingford and North Haven. These towns are along the I-91/Route 15 corridor which it the most direct route from Glastonbury to Fairfield and are generally considered good places to raise a family. Good luck, Jay
Thanks for the advice Jay! I will definitely look into the towns you mentioned, even though they are outside of New Haven County. Milford and Orange definitely sound appealing to me. I love that Mildford seems like a nice, friendly, family town with beaches, shopping and the like. As far as Orange, I heard about the great school district. Is Orange more of a rural town though?
As fas as how often I'd be visiting family in Fairfield, it may be quite often in the beginning until we find reliable childcare. Wethersfield, Berlin, Middlefield, and Cromwell are slightly over an hour away from Fairfield. However, the huge plus would be my husband's commute to work. Hmmm... Just so much to think about.
I guess my best bet would be to take a weekend and just visit the towns. As for the towns you recommended, which would you live in from most likely to least likely and why? Also, if you don't mind, which towns offer the most family activities, shopping and some type of downtown with nice restaurants? Any of them near a beach? And which towns in any of the surrounding areas should I definitely avoid (poor schools, high crime)?
Based on a lot of the posts I have read, you always seem to offer unbiased, informative suggestions. Didn't me to ask so many questions, but honestly, I just have no idea, and you seem to know a lot of particulars about the area.
If this job offer pulls through ,I just want the best for my family.
Thank you for all the help!
We have family in Fairfield and would like to be about a half hour drive from them. However, we also need to be about 45 minutes (1 hour tops) to Glastonbury. Please note that we have a 4 year old and 1 year old.
We are looking to rent a 2-3 bedroom apartment and would like to stay under $1400.
I have read a few of the posts/threads and based on the information, I seem to like Milford, Orange, Woodbridge, Monroe and even Branford and Guildford (though it would be a longer commute, it seems more affordable).
You can immediately scratch Woodbridge, Orange and Monroe from the list. They're not apartment communities, and if you do find a house at that price point, it will be a dump.
Hamden would be equidistant to Fairfield and Glastonbury, and in your budget. East Haven is a shoreline town that should also be within your budget. Both of these town have what would be considered "average" schools in CT. In consideration of the fact that you will be renting, and your children haven't yet reached admittance age, i'm not sure that you should be initially concerned with the "best" school district. Your budget doesn't really allow for that type of discretion.
Thanks for the advice Jay! I will definitely look into the towns you mentioned, even though they are outside of New Haven County. Milford and Orange definitely sound appealing to me. I love that Mildford seems like a nice, friendly, family town with beaches, shopping and the like. As far as Orange, I heard about the great school district. Is Orange more of a rural town though?
As fas as how often I'd be visiting family in Fairfield, it may be quite often in the beginning until we find reliable childcare. Wethersfield, Berlin, Middlefield, and Cromwell are slightly over an hour away from Fairfield. However, the huge plus would be my husband's commute to work. Hmmm... Just so much to think about.
I guess my best bet would be to take a weekend and just visit the towns. As for the towns you recommended, which would you live in from most likely to least likely and why? Also, if you don't mind, which towns offer the most family activities, shopping and some type of downtown with nice restaurants? Any of them near a beach? And which towns in any of the surrounding areas should I definitely avoid (poor schools, high crime)?
Based on a lot of the posts I have read, you always seem to offer unbiased, informative suggestions. Didn't me to ask so many questions, but honestly, I just have no idea, and you seem to know a lot of particulars about the area.
If this job offer pulls through ,I just want the best for my family.
Thank you for all the help!
We too faced the child care issue and still decided it was better to live near where we worked. We found child care locally. That may not be to your liking which I understand. I will say though, it worked for us.
Orange is more of a suburban town. Homes are mostly on lots 1/2 to 1 acre so I would not say it is rural. Milford has a wide range of neighborhood densities. It also has a larger population so there is probably more to do there. I however would probably go with Orange. The schools perform better and there is a lower density but this is just my personal taste. Orange does not have a downtown and Milford's is a bit small. There is however a lot of shopping and restaurants along Route 1. These two towns are right next to each other so shopping, entertainment and restaurants would not be an issue.
As for where to avoid, I would not consider Bridgeport, New Haven or Meriden and I would be careful in Hamden and Middletown. Stratford is a very nice town but one small area is questionable. I agree you have a lot to consider. I hope this helps. Jay
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