[EmKay25]

Hello. My husband has been offered a position in Meriden. We will be relocating from out of state and will rent for a year while we get more familiar with the area. We both grew up on Long Island, and after having moved around the country quite a bit, we are happy about returning to the Northeast. We are looking for a picturesque, family friendly town to raise our two girls in (a 3 year old and 6 month old). After doing a lot of research on these boards we have come up with a list of towns that seem to meet what we are looking for.

We realize that no town will offer everything we are looking for but our wish list includes:

•Within a 45 minute commute to Meriden (in rush hour traffic)
•Within a 2 hour drive to Long Island
•Close proximity to a rail line offering access to NYC
•Great schools
•Quaint and walkable downtown area with restaurants and stores and a definite New England feel.
•Activities for children. I stay home with the children and am always looking for classes and activities to attend to get us out of the house during the week.
•Sense of community. Parades, fairs, holiday fun and other special events.
•Pastoral setting. As I mentioned earlier we grew up on Long Island and we do not want anything that resembles it. We are not looking for a sprawling suburb consisting of houses sitting on top of each other and ugly strip malls. We are looking for a rural or rural/suburban town with New England charm.
•3 bedroom homes for around $300,000. Move-in ready and on at least 2 acres. We are OK with painting and doing some updating but not looking for major renovations at this price.
•Relaxed chicken ordinances. We plan on keeping a small number of backyard chickens.
•Close proximity to a Whole Foods (or other natural food market) and a Farmers Market. A local food co-op would also be great.
•Parks and greenways.

We took a trip up in February and explored Litchfield County a bit (mostly Kent and Litchfield). We loved the scenic beauty of the area but want to keep our options open and explore some other areas of the state as well.

We have narrowed it down to the following towns:

Cheshire/Bethany/Seymour
Milford
Monroe
Litchfield/Bethlehem/Woodbury/Roxbury
Durham
Branford/Guilford/Madison
Chester/Essex/Old Saybrook

Are we on the right track? Do any of these towns seem like a better fit than the others? How would traffic affect these commutes?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Stylo]

Some comments on your choices.

Originally Posted by EmKay25

Cheshire/Bethany/Seymour
Cheshire has a relatively charming center, but it's not really a walkable town center by any means. You are close to Hamden and New Haven for that though. Bethany is just woods, very rural - but great schools (Amity is highly ranked). Seymour has a small charming downtown area and is a great value. It still suffers from a bit of the white trash Valley stigma, but is improving.
Milford
A lot of Milford has the neighborhoods you say you don't like. Much of Devon is sprawling, closely knit small homes built in the 50's/60's much like Long Island. And Route 1 is very much strip-mall-central. However, there are parts of Milford that are distinctly New England that fit your description: Downtown/Duck Pond area, Gulf Street, South of the Green, Woodmont, Morningside, parts of North Milford, etc. It has the VERY quaint walkable downtown with NYC train access and tons of parades/fairs/events/kids stuff (example coming up: http://www.milfordduckrace.com/), and a shorter trip to LI (I prefer the ferry in Bridgeport 15 minutes away, personally). Test scores aren't quite as good as other schools you've been looking at, but anecdotally I've heard positive things about them from actual residents. Whole Foods + Trader Joe's + 3 farmer's markets. Out of all the places you're looking, Milford is the most populated and has the most activity/things to do.
Monroe
Has the idyllic New England setting you want and good schools, but no walkable downtown area. Good location for trips to LI. Commercial areas are definitely on the strip-mall side, but nice.
Litchfield/Bethlehem/Woodbury/Roxbury
These are gorgeous towns. Litchfield has the most significant walkable downtown area, though it's small compared to others you'll find near Hartford or the coast. But it is quintessential old Colonial New England. The character of these towns is very distinct. They have an isolated and rural feel, with gorgeous touches of Colonial New England charm. If you're looking for that, there's nothing in CT quite unlike LI than these towns! Kind of a schlep to LI/NYC though. New Morning is a great Whole Foods-like grocery store in Woodbury. Where they lack is activity, which is something that's important to you. They are definitely more sleepy.
Durham
Like Bethany, Durham is largely rural. Not sure that's what you're looking for.
Branford/Guilford/Madison
I don't know your budget, but Madison/Guilford almost seem ideal for you. The only thing you'd be giving up is quick LI/NYC access. They are beautiful coastal towns with plenty of charm and nice walkable downtowns. But are a little spendy compared to some of your choices.
Chester/Essex/Old Saybrook
Getting even further away, but stunningly beautiful towns. These I put in the same category as the Litchfield area: isolated, but gorgeous. You're still relatively close to New Haven though, which is nice for train access and a little city life (New Haven has an excellent culture/nightlife/dining scene). Again a little less activity than some other places you're looking at, but still more than the Litchfield area.

Are we on the right track? Do any of these towns seem like a better fit than the others? How would traffic affect these commutes?

Thanks in advance for your help!

As far as traffic, it's really not a huge deal going to Meriden. East of New Haven, you'll want to skip the 95/91 interchange until at least the bridge is complete in 2015/2016.

Coming from the Litchfield area, 84 might be a little tricky near Waterbury?

Traffic is really not an issue in that area...

[EmKay25]

Great. Thank you for the traffic info!

[Stylo]

I missed your budget, I think that towns like Litchfield/Roxbury/Madison/Guilford may be pushing your budget a bit, but definitely explore all options with a realtor.

[Stylo]

I will also say that, after being in inner Nassau county enough visiting my SO's relatives, ANY of these towns will be a major upgrade in charm.

Lastly, keep in mind traffic going to LI can be atrocious. The ferry in Bridgeport is a great option, depending on where in LI you have to be. It's pricey, but can be worth it. You can hit bad traffic in Fairfield County CT and then again in the NYC metro area. It's almost impossible to make that trip without getting stuck on weekdays and holidays.

[Comp625]

I'll throw out an alternative opinion just to see what you think. Aside from the busy sprawling suburb near I-95 or Route 1, I think either Fairfield or Milford fits your bill. If you choose to live near the Merritt (which would be a wise choice for your husband's commute to Meriden), it's going to be a lot less quiet than living near I-95/Route 1 towards the shoreline.

The challenge is that it may be difficult to find a pastoral, rural, farm-like New England house in both towns. However, both towns seem to hit your requirements on your other needs:

• Both offer a commute to Meriden in 45 minutes or less (and your husband would be going against rush hour traffic both ways).
• Both have a great sense of town community - especially Milford as they throw a lot of Summer Community events in the Downtown Area.
• Both towns have access to the Metro-North Rail which allow you to get into NYC.
• Both towns have access to I-95 and the Merritt Parkway, where you can take the Whitestone or Throgs Neck over to LI via car. Just beware, as you know, traffic going onto and off the island can be intense.
• Milford has more of a New England downtown than Fairfield, IMO. More "Mom & Pop" shops. However, both are absolutely walkable.
• Lots of parks and greenery in both towns.
• Both towns offer a good, if not great, public school experience. Fairfield edges out Milford here, but I wouldn't blink twice at either system.
• You might get a better bang for the buck house in Milford, as Fairfield prices can be steep in the price range that you are looking for.
• I'm not sure what the chicken ordinance is in Milford or Fairfield, but neighboring Stratford town code allows for chickens. I found this out a few years ago and was surprised.

If it weren't for the never-ending bridge construction, I, too, would suggest Guilford or Madison. They seem to be Fairfield and Milford's counterparts on the east side of New Haven. However, until the project's completion in a few years, it's tough to recommend since your husband would have to sit through nasty traffic since I-95 --> I-91 is the only main highway to Meriden (unless he learns backroads through Durham/Wallingford).

[Stylo]

The only issue with Fairfield is the 300k/3BR requirement, that becomes pretty tough unless a condo is an option. It's an exceptional town though.

[kidyankee764]

I think Orange fits nearly all of your requirements nicely. The only thing Orange does not have is a walkable downtown, but Milford's is just a few minutes away.

[JayCT]

I am not sure how realistic the OP is being with their price given they want a home that only requires painting and wants to be in a more developed area. I do not think that the OP is going to find a decent house on 2 acres in Milford, Monroe, Branford, Guilford or Madison for $300,000. They may be able to find something in Litchfield, Bethlehem, Woodbury, Roxbury, Durham, Chester, Essex or Old Saybrook. The problem is that there are no Whole Foods near these communities and I am not sure what their other options to WF would be there. It might involve travel for shopping. I would also add Southbury and Oxford to the list of towns to consider. Jay

[Csiko]

There appears to be a Whole Foods in Cheshire.

For your price range, I think you should consider staying in New Haven county, but as others have said, it'll be impossible to accommodate all the things you want.