[Liv19]

Hello everyone,

My fiancé and I are relocating from Kentucky to Connecticut. I will be working in NYC, and need to commute everyday. If someone could recommend the safest town/city with a railroad station direct from CT to Grand Central Station, I would very much appreciate it. We were looking at Stamford, but I read that the station is not very safe. I understand that stations are not the best, but would still like to aim for the best for a young, female commuter. We would like to keep the rent under $2,000 per month for the first year, but that is not critical. Any additional information about the town/city you suggest would be great! We do not know very much about the area.

Thank you!

[NewJeffCT]

Welcome to Connecticut.

The Stamford station itself should be fine safety-wise. I think some of the areas around there may be a bit sketchy, but others can probably tell you more than me on that issue.

You could also try South Norwalk.

Greenwich is very safe and there are a smattering of modest apartments for rent below $2,000 there as well. That would also give you a short commute to Grand Central. However, should you choose to buy in the future, Greenwich is one of the priciest towns in the country.

[Liv19]

Originally Posted by NewJeffCT

Welcome to Connecticut.

The Stamford station itself should be fine safety-wise. I think some of the areas around there may be a bit sketchy, but others can probably tell you more than me on that issue.

You could also try South Norwalk.

Greenwich is very safe and there are a smattering of modest apartments for rent below $2,000 there as well. That would also give you a short commute to Grand Central. However, should you choose to buy in the future, Greenwich is one of the priciest towns in the country.

Thank you so much for your reply! I really appreciate the advice.

[jax12479]

Most stations along the New Haven line are perfectly safe. Greenwich and Stamford offer the shortest commutes to NYC. The toughest part is parking - you'll have to pay a daily fee or get on a wait list for a pass, so if you can walk to a station that would be ideal. That is the downside re Stamford - the immediate area by the station isn't somewhere you'd want to live. Not 'dangerous' really, just not nice. Downtown Greenwich is great, but very expensive, and would be tough to find a place under 2k. The other Greenwich stops (Cos Cob, Riverside and Old Greenwich) are surrounded mostly by houses, not apt rentals, unless you can find something in Old Greenwich Village.

Can I ask why you're choosing to move to CT rather than the city itself, or Westchester County?

[mels]

Originally Posted by jax12479

Most stations along the New Haven line are perfectly safe. Greenwich and Stamford offer the shortest commutes to NYC. The toughest part is parking - you'll have to pay a daily fee or get on a wait list for a pass, so if you can walk to a station that would be ideal. That is the downside re Stamford - the immediate area by the station isn't somewhere you'd want to live. Not 'dangerous' really, just not nice. Downtown Greenwich is great, but very expensive, and would be tough to find a place under 2k. The other Greenwich stops (Cos Cob, Riverside and Old Greenwich) are surrounded mostly by houses, not apt rentals, unless you can find something in Old Greenwich Village.

This. Safety isn't really a concern, as I can't think of an "unsafe" station along Metro North in CT. Stamford is a city/urban area, so as long as you have your average street smarts, no big deal. I have a feeling your biggest issue may be budget/proximity to the train.

[Stylo]

You don't have to worry about safety at the train stations, not even Bridgeport. Stamford is a pretty safe city. Greenwich would be the best commute if you can swing it.

[JayCT]

I agree with the others. Pretty much every station along Metro North's New Haven line is safe. It is more a matter of being more desirable or not. As was noted, there are a lot of apartments near Stamford station. You could also look near the Glenbrook or Springdale stations in Stamford on the New Canaan branch. You may find a modest apartment in or close to your price range but keep in mind that this is one of the priciest parts of the country so don't expect a lot for your money.

Greenwich is very nice but I doubt you will find an apartment in your price range there or near the other stations in that town (Cos Cob, Riverside, Old Greenwich). Darien is another nice town but it also would be hard to find an apartment near the towns two stations (Darien, Noroton Heights) in your price range. You might find something in or near South Norwalk or Rowayton stations but you do need to be a bit careful on where they are. Norwalk has some sketchy areas particularly south of the South Norwalk station. Good luck, Jay

[Liv19]

Originally Posted by jax12479

Most stations along the New Haven line are perfectly safe. Greenwich and Stamford offer the shortest commutes to NYC. The toughest part is parking - you'll have to pay a daily fee or get on a wait list for a pass, so if you can walk to a station that would be ideal. That is the downside re Stamford - the immediate area by the station isn't somewhere you'd want to live. Not 'dangerous' really, just not nice. Downtown Greenwich is great, but very expensive, and would be tough to find a place under 2k. The other Greenwich stops (Cos Cob, Riverside and Old Greenwich) are surrounded mostly by houses, not apt rentals, unless you can find something in Old Greenwich Village.

Can I ask why you're choosing to move to CT rather than the city itself, or Westchester County?

Yes, absolutely. We are choosing CT mainly because my fiancé is from a town of about 7,000 in Iowa, and is not very keen on the idea of living in the city itself. I am from a larger city of around 300,000 in Central Kentucky, and so we are trying to find a good medium. My fiancé recently graduated with his degree in Accounting, and as we were researching CT we saw that Stamford has a good amount of opportunity in finance, as well as a direct commute to NYC for me. He would rather not work in the city itself. All that being so, do you think we are choosing a good area?

[jesse_f]

Stamford does a good amount of opportunity in finance, but so does northern NJ, all of NYC, and Westchester. You should probably pick a spot after your fiance lands a job as if he gets on in NJ, one of the NYC boroughs, or even Westchester that could mean a difficult commute from Stamford or somewhere else along the CT rail line. The good thing is that you have a lot of options. The bad thing is that you have a lot of options. Best of luck.

[NewJeffCT]

Stamford has a lot of insurance/reinsurance, banking and also retail there. Westchester has a lot of opportunities there as well and would mean a shorter commute to NYC. However, Westchester can also get pretty pricy.