[bobtn]

Originally Posted by Stylo

1. Bradley ensures that someone that needs east coast flights will never have a 2 hour commute.
2. MA and CT aren't that different aesthetically. The Rockwell-esque towns are ALL over Connecticut. I'm surprised you brought up Simsbury as there are so many better examples: Kent, Norfolk, New Preston, New Milford, Bethel, Branford, Guilford, Essex, Chester, Madison, Litchfield, etc. all exude that feeling in spades.

As I correctly stated, many are in upstate Ct. I'm not even sure a frequent traveler would want a one hour commute, though, so again, the OP needs to be basing location within his acceptable parameters, too. While you may be fine with a one hour commute, someone in Mo is likely not. I'm 20 minutes from BNA (Nashville airport), and would find a 60 minute commute onerous.

BTW, I happened to spend a few weeks in Simsbury (sadly at the hospice). While the circumstances were tragic, I did find the town 110% gorgeous, much more so than Kent, Bethel, Branford, Guilford, Madison, and Litchfield. More of an old fashioned charm town IMO. I like those towns, but not nearly as much, if gorgeous was a prereq, and if I did not mind not having many activities/restaurants nearby.

[Stylo]

You'd be hard pressed to find that kind of charm at Logan's doorstep. Much of that exists in Western Mass.

[bobtn]

No doubt, like most moves, tradeoffs will be involved. Ask 100 people what town they would pick, and you will get 90 answers. All can be correct for each of them.

Southern Maine, IMO, might also fit the bill, if the weather is not too difficult to adjust to. Even though the miles to Logan may be somewhat high, its a fairly easy commute if one stays on the I95 path.

[basehead617]

Originally Posted by Stylo

1. Bradley ensures that someone that needs east coast flights will never have a 2 hour commute.
2. MA and CT aren't that different aesthetically. The Rockwell-esque towns are ALL over Connecticut. I'm surprised you brought up Simsbury as there are so many better examples: Kent, Norfolk, New Preston, New Milford, Bethel, Branford, Guilford, Essex, Chester, Madison, Litchfield, etc. all exude that feeling in spades.

Agree with both points. The OP didn't seem to want to be as close to an airport as possible. Just close enough - they said an hour. That's a huge area.

I have to say I don't see Simsbury as having the feeling OP is looking for. Western MA and (further) northwestern CT do in spades.

Of course, they can always visit and make their own decision... They'd need a few days to look at all the areas mentioned but it would solidify things. It's easier to recommend more when someone says they like a specific town or area than when they're getting general recommendations.

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by basehead617

They'd need a few days to look at all the areas mentioned but it would solidify things. .

As money seems to be no problem, I'd recommend a few visits of a few days each..He can telecommute from anywhere, so I assume he just needs internet connectivity to function.

Nothing beats seeing an area first..multiple times. I visited Nashville 5 times in the 12 months preceding the move..seeing 3 different seasons and most surrounding counties and towns in the process. I'd never advise anyone to choose any town or region based on anything other than firsthand experiences.

[ytlh]

One thing to keep in mind is that Bradley is a smaller airport and many long flights will not be direct. That being said, you can use it to get almost anywhere you want to go, with connections, and it has the advantage of short wait times within the airport. Someone mentioned Tweed airport in New Haven earlier, but the flight schedule there is so restrictive that many people don't even think to check it when looking at area airports- I doubt it would work well for a frequent traveler. If availability of direct flights is an important issue, I'd do some trial searches to typical destinations to make sure the local airport has what you need in the states you are considering. Be aware, though, that Southwest has a big presence in Bradley so that you might miss some of the direct flights if you don't search their site directly (they don't participate in most of the travel search engines).

It is also worth noting that Bradley has the most convenient airport parking I've ever seen in my life. The airport-run long term lots have good rates, are about a two minute shuttle drive from the airport, and the shuttle comes very frequently. Most of the time you don't even need to walk over to the shuttle pick-up spot; they just cruise around the parking lot and stop by your car while you are unloading.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by bobtn

I would doubt a frequent flyer would want a 2 hour , one way commute. Its a difficult question to answer which state, as the Rockwell imagery brings more of Ma to mind than Ct, and that's not a diss of Ct. Than again, towns like Simsbury, Ct are more in sync with Rockwell than say, Wilton, Ct. If one wants Rockwell, one does not want FFC or NHC, IMO. Upstate Ct-perhaps.

But most important, I think she needs to ask her husband how long of a commute to the airport he finds acceptable. Given the income level, and its most likely paid by employer, I doubt he is shopping for the best airfares.

I have to disagree with you on this. There are MANY Rockwellesque towns in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. Have you been to Fairfield Town Green, Greenfield Hill Green or Southport village. They are STUNNING. In fact Norman Rockwell used scenes from Fairfield for a number of his paintings.

Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Easton, Weston and even Wilton all have charming areas. Stratford's Town Green and Paridise Green are charming as well. Huntington Green in Shelton and Monroe Green are beautiful too.

In New Haven County, towns like Milford, Branford, Guilford, Madison, Durham and North Haven have beautiful greens as well. In fact I will also say that Milford Green is stunning too. That is why Connecticut is so desirable. Just about every town has charm. A former coworker who moved south several years ago noted to me that this is what he missed most about Connecticut. He noted that just about every town has a charming area. We just tend to take it for granted. Jay

[Capital Guy]

Branford is a really nice town with a lot of charm. I took the thimble islands cruise the other day and not only were the islands eye candy but so were some of the amazing houses on the shore. There were a ton of boaters hanging on their boats...err yachts. Lots of friendly people around there too.

One day I will live there but my house would be double the price in that zip.

[basehead617]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I have to disagree with you on this. There are MANY Rockwellesque towns in Fairfield and New Haven Counties. Have you been to Fairfield Town Green, Greenfield Hill Green or Southport village. They are STUNNING. In fact Norman Rockwell used scenes from Fairfield for a number of his paintings.

Greenwich, Darien, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Easton, Weston and even Wilton all have charming areas. Stratford's Town Green and Paridise Green are charming as well. Huntington Green in Shelton and Monroe Green are beautiful too.

In New Haven County, towns like Milford, Branford, Guilford, Madison, Durham and North Haven have beautiful greens as well. In fact I will also say that Milford Green is stunning too. That is why Connecticut is so desirable. Just about every town has charm. A former coworker who moved south several years ago noted to me that this is what he missed most about Connecticut. He noted that just about every town has a charming area. We just tend to take it for granted. Jay

Jay, it should be noted that many of the places you mentioned have changed a *LOT* in the last 75-100 years. There has been tons of development. To find the kind of scenes it seems the OP is imagining, you need to go to places that have more or less shunned or very carefully limited development. The southwest of CT and the coastline do not really fit that bill.

I still think parts of western MA and northwestern CT are closest to that.

That does not mean nowhere else in the state is charming, I'm just trying to not mislead the OP into expecting something totally different. They may love all the places above, who knows..

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by basehead617

Jay, it should be noted that many of the places you mentioned have changed a *LOT* in the last 75-100 years. There has been tons of development. To find the kind of scenes it seems the OP is imagining, you need to go to places that have more or less shunned or very carefully limited development. The southwest of CT and the coastline do not really fit that bill.

I still think parts of western MA and northwestern CT are closest to that.

That does not mean nowhere else in the state is charming, I'm just trying to not mislead the OP into expecting something totally different. They may love all the places above, who knows..

I don't fully agree. Although the towns (as a whole) he mentioned are developed far more than 75 years ago, the areas he mentioned (preserved historic areas and greens) are pretty pristine. We're not talking commercial Route 1. Places like Madison, Easton, Weston, Redding are pretty lightly developed.