[JViello]

Originally Posted by dannyjej

Hi,

I've lived in SW CT for 21 years. I would definitely NOT go to New Haven if I were you. You're not going to find a lot of woods in the area you're looking at, CT is the 4th most densely populated state in the nation. NW CT is the "quiet corner" but its definitely more than 2 hours from NYC. You might want to look into New Milford. It has fairly cheap rent and is less than 2 hours from NYC. $700 will get you a studio that may or may not be decent. Just a suggestion.

LOL There is a pretty good portion of the state left East of RT8.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JViello

LOL There is a pretty good portion of the state left East of RT8.

Some people in FFC think the world ends once you hit New Haven.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Some people in FFC think the world ends once you hit New Haven.

[anon860]

Many if not most areas of New Haven have crime rates that are similar to or below the national average.

Unlike most other U.S. cities, violent crime in New Haven is concentrated in relatively small areas and is nowhere near Chicago levels. Consider the fact that New Haven has about 9,000 children living in poverty, whereas the City of Chicago has 210,000.

If New Haven weren't safe, houses wouldn't be selling at such a premium there. That brings us to another point. I agree that New Haven can be expensive, though, which is why some people here are jealous of it.

But, you can find good deals there even in the nice neighborhoods if you are willing to do some serious looking. Demand for apartments in New Haven is extremely high - with New Haven having the lowest vacancy rate of any city in the United States - so you're competing for the good deals with dozens if not hundreds of other people.

Good luck. Milford is only a good choice if you want to have to drive literally everywhere. Going into Fairfield County, you are talking about extremely high land values. You may be able to find a good deal in Stamford if you are willing to search for a year or so. You might want to consider the Black Rock area of Bridgeport, even though that city is nowhere near as nice as New Haven or Stamford.

[anon860]

One of my points about affordability, by the way, has to do with transportation. One of the reasons why cities are more expensive is because people willing to rent there have factored in the cost of not having to drive everywhere. Instead of spending $500/month owning & operating that extra car, urban dwellers plow that money into their rent, mortgage payment, entertainment and leisure instead.

It's up to you to figure out if this is possible, and what values and quality of life issues are most important to you - unlike some of the commenters here suggest, there's no "one place fits all." Not everyone wants to live in the middle of suffocating urban sprawl.

[CourageMom]

If you are still reading these posts..
please do take to heart that you had asked about New Haven
which is a midpoint in miles (give or take) for your request,
however, note many people answering your inquiry are trying
to sweep you to safety. They are to be commended, and hopefully
you will recognize they are looking out for you. You may want to
consider, if settling in closer to one family (whichever) may be better
suited for your needs, if for example you have children and one of the
families does too, it would give the kid cousins the chance to bond..
if that's not the case, being midpoint still leaves you far from both.
Maybe that gives you enough of a distance, a buffer zone, which some
families need from each other.
Many of the town suggestions away from New Haven are very good!
If you like a quiet life in the small communities in rural areas
and don't mind driving a few miles to the grocery store look into towns
east of the Connecticut River. Its very nice there.
You can return to City-Data/forum to inquire if you think you've found
a town that is the right size for you after shopping around online for
your living requirements and believe me, folks in CT are more than
happy to give you thumbs up or thumbs down regarding whatever town you throw into the ring.

It goes the same for city living too.. I know you'd have plenty of better, safer choices by throwing New Haven back as an option.
CT has such beautiful areas, and after living in the midst of fear and danger.. there is no reason why you can't live in a place that feels like safety, peace, paradise.
Don't you deserve that?

[JViello]

Originally Posted by anon860

If New Haven weren't safe, houses wouldn't be selling at such a premium there. That brings us to another point. I agree that New Haven can be expensive, though, which is why some people here are jealous of it.

ROFL...OMG, dude, stop. Seriously, it's starting to hurt my ribs.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JViello

ROFL...OMG, dude, stop. Seriously, it's starting to hurt my ribs.

I was going to quote that too. WTF?

The funny/sad part is, I think they're serious...

[JViello]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I was going to quote that too. WTF?

The funny/sad part is, I think they're serious...

Not for nothing but if they said "New Haven is starting to reinvent itself and on the road to blah blah blah" I would concur.

But to make it out to be this elite, members only club for those who can afford it and all of us in the "sprawl zone" are jealous makes me chuckle.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by JViello

Not for nothing but if they said "New Haven is starting to reinvent itself and on the road to blah blah blah" I would concur.

But to make it out to be this elite, members only club for those who can afford it and all of us in the "sprawl zone" are jealous makes me chuckle.

That poster must be a very sheltered Yalie.............