[fionna]

My husband and I, in our late 30's with a 2 - year old, were recently looking into towns around the Danbury area ... Newtown and Bethel primarily. I just happened to see New Milford on the map, just North of Danbury and am wondering if anyone can give me any insights to this town ... is it similar to Bethel and Newtown (good school systems, nice places to live). I know that Bethel has more of a "downtown" area while Newtown is more spread out. Homes in New Milford seem to be in a price range similar to that of Bethel, which is why we are looking into it -- we are finding that Newtown is more expensive and may not be an option for us.

I am also interested in any public pools / recreation centers in these areas.

Also I am wondering if anyone can give insight to how long the commute would take from New Milford to Danbury in rush hour?

Thanks so much.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by fionna

My husband and I, in our late 30's with a 2 - year old, were recently looking into towns around the Danbury area ... Newtown and Bethel primarily. I just happened to see New Milford on the map, just North of Danbury and am wondering if anyone can give me any insights to this town ... is it similar to Bethel and Newtown (good school systems, nice places to live). I know that Bethel has more of a "downtown" area while Newtown is more spread out. Homes in New Milford seem to be in a price range similar to that of Bethel, which is why we are looking into it -- we are finding that Newtown is more expensive and may not be an option for us.

I am also interested in any public pools / recreation centers in these areas.

Also I am wondering if anyone can give insight to how long the commute would take from New Milford to Danbury in rush hour?

Thanks so much.

I grew up in the Danbury area.

New Milford has its similarities and differences to Bethel and Newtown. IMO Bethel is as different from Newtown as New Milford is to both. New Milford is the cheapest of the lot. It's also the most rural generally, and has less access to major highways. New Milford is a large town, I believe the largest land area in CT. Different parts of the town have different feels. Closer to Brookfield, you'll find more affluent pockets with large, newer homes and lakefront residences. Further north, you're becoming much more isolated and the neighborhoods are mixed. Everything from trashy to quaint New England-style. It's more economically diverse than Newtown and Bethel, and generally lower income. It's not a bad town, but you do get what you pay for sometimes. I know some people who love it there, and some that have hated it.

My sister had her son in the NM schools and did not like them at all. She has since gladly moved. That's just one person's experience though. I knew some people who went through NMHS and came out just fine, but I can't say they were thrilled with their experience. New Milford does have a very nice green and attractive downtown area, but it's not the most lively and the quality restaurant and bar options are pretty limited. Most of the bars I visited in New Milford seemed a bit on the white trash side. There used to be a cool blues bar downtown that's since been replaced by a fairly generic upscale Italian restaurant.

Newtown is definitely more affluent, and Bethel - while it's also economically diverse - has more urban transplants than anything. By CT standards, parts of New Milford are a little "country" in comparison, and you'll see more pickup trucks than German luxury cars. It depends on what you're looking for, as many could argue that NM is more down-to-earth.

By test scores/stats, NM schools perform generally a bit below Bethel, and definitely lower than Newtown.

Commute wise, it's not bad, but it depends largely on where you are in New Milford. If you're up in Gaylordsville or at the north end of 202, it could take up to an hour to the western side of Danbury, whereas from the green and south it could only be 15 minutes to the northeast section of Danbury. Where's your work?

Honestly, I cannot recommend New Milford given your criteria unless getting the most bang for your buck in a house is #1 priority. If that's the case, it's really not a bad town - I just wouldn't put it in the same league as Newtown or even Bethel.

Bethel might have a concise downtown business district, but is just as suburban and spread out as any of the Danbury area towns. I guess it probably has the smallest lots of any of the Danbury suburbs, but not nearly as dense as the coastal towns in CT.

I wonder why you haven't considered New Fairfield or Brookfield in your search? They are good towns with highly rated schools. More similar to Newtown than anything, and marginally less expensive. They are a bit pricier than Bethel, but it's splitting hairs at that point. And if you're willing to commute from NM, you might as well consider Southbury and Oxford. They offer nearly the same affordability as New Milford and are superior towns IMO.

[JayCT]

The main reason New Milford is less expensive than the other towns you are considering is location. IT is just not as close to major employment centers so there are less people wanting to live there. For informaiton on schools, check the link below. Look for towns that perform above the state averages on the Connecticut Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance Tests and have class sizes in the low 20's or less. The three towns you are looking at all have good test scores. Jay

State Department of Education - CEDaR

[jdhall1]

Homes prices in New Milford are cheaper than Bethel and you would typically get a newer & larger home for your money compared to the surrounding towns. New Milfrod is a large town, so depending on where you end up if you decide to move there, it can be a long commute. I am helping a client purchase a home about 5 minutes northeast of the hospital and they timed it at 30 minutes to their job near the Danbury mall.

[kidyankee764]

New Milford has sort of an odd demographic. You'll find only BMWs and Range Rovers in one part of town, and in other sections, you'll see rusty pick-ups. New Milford is a mixture ex-Manhattanites/Westchesterites and lifelong residents.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

New Milford has sort of an odd demographic. You'll find only BMWs and Range Rovers in one part of town, and in other sections, you'll see rusty pick-ups. New Milford is a mixture ex-Manhattanites/Westchesterites and lifelong residents.

I'm not sure that many NM residents own Range Rovers, can't say I remember seeing any parking about town living near there for 20+ years.

You do see them in Kent, Roxbury, etc. and they often have NY plates.

But yeah, the occasional 3-series is definitely present. But I would venture to say there are more beat-up pickups than anything.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Stylo

I'm not sure that many NM residents own Range Rovers, can't say I remember seeing any parking about town living near there for 20+ years.

You do see them in Kent, Roxbury, etc. and they often have NY plates.

But yeah, the occasional 3-series is definitely present. But I would venture to say there are more beat-up pickups than anything.

I'd go so far to disagree and say that I see a lot of luxury cars around NM. There are some pretty exclusive areas in town (some, not a lot). I'll add, though, that these luxury cars could be folks from the rural towns you mentioned who shop in NM.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

I'd go so far to disagree and say that I see a lot of luxury cars around NM. There are some pretty exclusive areas in town (some, not a lot). I'll add, though, that these luxury cars could be folks from the rural towns you mentioned who shop in NM.

Yup, bingo. I'd say the most affluent area of New Milford is this (other than the lakefront property), I have a friend that lives there. But surprisingly cars in his development are fairly average.

new milford, ct - Google Maps

[fionna]

Thank you so much Stylo for your lengthy response, and thanks to JayCT and all others who responded ... this has been immensely helpful!

Funny I just learned about Brookfield and and New Fairfield last week ... I am going to look into these towns next based on your recommendation, thank you. My husband and I are neither in the BMW set nor the Pickup Truck set ... it seems that NM would be, both culturally and economically, not a good fit. We are Honda - driving, Masters - level educated with an artistic and musical bent. We also love the outdoors and gardening.

Regarding the commute, my husband would be driving to White Plains 3 - 4 times a week. He and I grew up on Long Island, currently live in Queens and work in NYC. From the above posts, it seems as though traffic through Danbury at rush hour is rough. He is planning on staying up in these towns overnight and doing the commute after the new year to see what it would be like.

Thanks again ... !!!

[Stylo]

Hmm, if commuting to White Plains, even Newtown is a bit of a stretch. New Fairfield is a really good option since you can take back roads and jump onto 684 directly from certain parts of town. There's a stretch on 84 at the 684 exit that can really suck sometimes at rush hour. I missed a flight because of it once. Is he commuting to Danbury the other days?

I don't blame you for looking into this area as you're paying far lower taxes than in NY, and the southern Fairfield County suburbs that you can commute to White Plains by are prohibitively expensive.

I'm artistic too, and unfortunately the area is really garnered towards suburban family living. There is a little bit of an art scene in Woodbury, a little in downtown Bethel, and here and there you'll find things. There's a couple music venues. So you won't find a ton of culture. But that's what day trips into NYC, New Haven, Hartford, etc. are for. I wouldn't say one town is "artier" than another, but downtown Bethel might be the closest thing to that "feel".

I would honestly limit your search to New Fairfield, Bethel (but areas closer to 84) and Brookfield (again, closer to 84). Forget Newtown and east, and New Milford and north. Not worth the commute.

Good luck!