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We are currently house hunting in Fairfield and Trumbull, we love the lake hills and university areas but we find the inventory to be slim pickings so we are also expanding our search to Trumbull (seem to get alot more house for your money. our budget is between 375k-425k. We don't know much about the town, any insight, schools info?, neighborhoods to look in?
Trumbull is very different from Fairfield. It's generally upper middle class to middle class, whereas Fairfield is generally upper middle class with pockets of substantial wealth. Also, Trumbull is less dense with no real walkable center, and more wooded. Trumbull schools are good, but I have heard some mixed things about the high school. Others here will know more.
Your budget is definitely more appropriate for Trumbull, although don't expect a sizable new/updated house. Trumbull is still pricey.
This was suggested in another thread, but maybe look at Bethel too. Good commute (no traffic) to Norwalk. About 35-40 minutes. Good schools, nice town center, more affordable.
Shelton and Orange are nice options too that are a little less expensive than Trumbull. Shelton schools are slightly above average for the state and Orange schools rank very high. The commute will be longer than Trumbull, although the stretch of the Merritt coming up to Trumbull has no traffic - so you won't necessarily be adding any actual traffic to the commute, just time.
The nice thing about Fairfield is the wide range of housing options. There is just about every type of home you would need. Both Lake Hills and Fairfield U areas are nice but you should also consider Fairfield Woods and Stratfield in your price range. These are equally nice neighborhoods. You really cannot go wrong with any area in town.
Trumbull does offer more for your money but to me it is a little too uniform in appearance. It is more suburban in character with more of the homes set in subdivision type neighborhoods. Still it is a good choice. I would try and stay north of the Parkway though for the better neighborhoods. Good luck, Jay
We found the same thing looking in both towns, we settled on a nice house in the lower booth hill section of Trumbull (not a subdivision).
I do feel like there are a lot more ranches and raised ranches in Trumbull and not as many capes/colonials in that price range.
Trumbull is still pricey but you are correct you get more house for the money up there. Schools are great as well, they are on par with Fairfield last I checked (sometime last year). Staying North of the Merritt is a good bit of advice as well.
We are also looking in Trumbull and wondering if someone can tell us where the neighborhoods are that are more well-established neighborhoods with pre-war colonials or bungalows (pretty much before 1940). We currently live in a home built in 1924 and we love it. Also wondering if anyone knows of a message board I could visit for parents in Trumbull. Not sure if anything exists like that but it would be great to have access to it if it does.
Thanks!
We are also looking in Trumbull and wondering if someone can tell us where the neighborhoods are that are more well-established neighborhoods with pre-war colonials or bungalows (pretty much before 1940). We currently live in a home built in 1924 and we love it. Also wondering if anyone knows of a message board I could visit for parents in Trumbull. Not sure if anything exists like that but it would be great to have access to it if it does.
Thanks!
I generally recommend staying north of the Merritt for the best neighborhoods in Trumbull. You could look south of the Merritt but I would avoid the area between Main Street and Route 25. There is a public housing project off Reservoir Avenue just south of the Trumbull town line in Bridgeport that has a questionable history. Jay
I have to echo the other posters here. OP, your budget will get you into both Fairfield and Trumbull, but you will definitely get more house-for-the-buck with Trumbull.
The Stratfield and Fairfield Woods neighborhoods are nice, but they are definitely more catered towards middle class than upper class. <-- subjective opinion. I have also heard some folks comment about those neighborhoods' proximity to Bridgeport. Personally, I don't think it's that big of a deal since the neighboring sections of Bridgeport are the more desirable ones (e.g. Sacred Heart University and GE).
The Fairfield public school system is one of the best in the state. Trumbull is good, but I've heard some unfavorable stories about its high school. St. Joseph's (the all-girls private high school) is better, but that also means paying quite a bit of money in tuition dollars.
Commute to Norwalk would be a bit easier from Fairfield. Traffic along the Merritt usually starts around Exit 48, and it can take around 20-30 minutes in rush hour traffic just to traverse to Exits 44 and 46 (the two logical Merritt exits for Stratfield and Fairfield Woods).
I have to echo the other posters here. OP, your budget will get you into both Fairfield and Trumbull, but you will definitely get more house-for-the-buck with Trumbull.
The Stratfield and Fairfield Woods neighborhoods are nice, but they are definitely more catered towards middle class than upper class. <-- subjective opinion. I have also heard some folks comment about those neighborhoods' proximity to Bridgeport. Personally, I don't think it's that big of a deal since the neighboring sections of Bridgeport are the more desirable ones (e.g. Sacred Heart University and GE).
The Fairfield public school system is one of the best in the state. Trumbull is good, but I've heard some unfavorable stories about its high school. St. Joseph's (the all-girls private high school) is better, but that also means paying quite a bit of money in tuition dollars.
Commute to Norwalk would be a bit easier from Fairfield. Traffic along the Merritt usually starts around Exit 48, and it can take around 20-30 minutes in rush hour traffic just to traverse to Exits 44 and 46 (the two logical Merritt exits for Stratfield and Fairfield Woods).
St. Joseph's is not all girls. It is coeducational. Jay
St. Joseph's is not all girls. It is coeducational. Jay
Ah, you're right. My apologies!
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