[phillyfred]

My wife and I live in Villanova, PA (yes near the college) and are planning a move so I can work in Milford.

We kind of fell in love with Guilford. I have to admit, i need someone to tell me with some reliability what that drive is like, both ways to Milford.

Our realtor is saying 30-40 minutes average, can anyone agree and tell me what the reality of this would be?

[Stylo]

I would say closer to 40-50 minutes at rush hour. 30-40 may be accurate in 2016 when the 95/91 interchange and new Pearl Harbor Bridge is completed. With construction, that area can get really messy these days at rush hour. And sometimes it's even worse outside of rush hour. They often start construction a little later, so if you're at work late you might be stuck in traffic for a very long time on the way home when they close off a lane or 2. I would personally not want to drive through that every day.

Just curious why you haven't considered Milford itself? While it may not have the more rural appeal of Guilford, it's a beautiful and great town in its own right and you would have a very short commute. The coastal and downtown/harbor area share some similar appeal as Guilford. I love Guilford too, but I can't live there due to my commute and am in Milford instead. I love Milford for many of the same reasons as why towns like Branford/Guilford/Madison appeal to me.

I've attached a few photos from the Milford Wikipedia page.

[dkv]

Drive home could be a slog. Friday afternoons in the summer will be particularly ugly.
Overall probably doable, maybe sub-optimal. Guilford is nice, though.

[kidyankee764]

Guilford is beautiful, but 95 through West Haven and New Haven can be tough, especially when it rains/snows.

On a good day, this commute would take you about 30 minutes. On a bad day, it could take you an hour. Currently they are redoing the bridge over New Haven and will be complete by 2016 (?). That should alleviate a lot of the traffic. Until then it will be tough, but certainly doable.

As for Guilford, I can see why you chose Guilford. It's a beautiful town that's nearly picture perfect IMO. Schools are fantastic.

[JayCT]

I was hoping kidyankee would respond to this. I know he lives in the area and has first hand knowledege of the commute. I agree that Guilford is a beautiful town and only the OP can decide if it is worth the commute. I can tell you that not only is the Q Bridge under construction right now but also the adjacent I-95/I-91/Route 34 interchange (completion is scheduled for 2017). Also ConnDOT is planning for the reconstruction of the I-95 bridge over West River in a couple of years so that too can add to the commute time. If you could deal with roadway construction issues for the next 5 to 7 years then go for it. Good luck, Jay

[jk627]

We are relocating soon to CT from the Philly area as well. We are hoping to find something in Milford. We like the suburban feel there. Some surrounding towns were a bit too rural for us. What made you like Guilford versus other towns? Have you looked in Milford?

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by jk627

We are relocating soon to CT from the Philly area as well. We are hoping to find something in Milford. We like the suburban feel there. Some surrounding towns were a bit too rural for us. What made you like Guilford versus other towns? Have you looked in Milford?

If you like suburban and close to shopping, etc then you probably won't like Guilford. It is a town that's fairly rural in most parts, and the area of town that isn't rural is very expensive (south of Route 1).

Milford has some great neighborhoods and is fairly affordable given its location and access to major employment centers. You might also want to look at Orange.

[jk627]

We were considering Orange, Trumbull, and Shelton as well. Our budget is about 5-600k. But haven't found much we like yet. Hoping more pops up in the Spring.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by jk627

We were considering Orange, Trumbull, and Shelton as well. Our budget is about 5-600k. But haven't found much we like yet. Hoping more pops up in the Spring.

Might be pushing it, but if you can negotiate it down, this is in a fantastic area/neighborhood: 16 Hitching Post Ln Milford CT - Home For Sale and Real Estate Listing - MLS #98525244 - Realtor.com®

[krdpm]

Just to let you know, in case Guilford is still in the running...
Last week I was at Sears in the Milford mall and lost track of time talking to the salesperson about refrigerators. NOT good. I have to be home in Guilford to meet my seven-year-old's bus at 4:00, and I ended up pulling out of the mall parking lot at exactly 3:28. I was home in my driveway with about 3 minutes to spare, but I was flying and there happened to be very little traffic and no tie-ups, and I'm only about 5 minutes north of 95 in town. So, under ideal conditions it was about 30 minutes. If you are still considering Guilford, how far you are from 95 is a major factor in your commute time. There are plenty of reasonably priced areas just north of the highway, but still south of Route 80.