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What is it like living in these towns? How are the schools, specifically for special ed? And do both towns offer a lot of amenities/activities/culture?
I live in Trumbull and my mother and sister-in-law live in Fairfield. They are both nice towns. Fairfield is faster paced and Trumbull has a slower/quiet pace. We do have a mall though which I like very much. Trumbull has many parks and Tashua Knolls which is free to all Trumbull residents. Fairfield of course has the beaches and that is tough to beat if you are a beach person.
Trumbull is very good for Special Education and Special Needs individuals. I have a few friends whose children have special needs and they are/were very pleased with the Trumbull Schools. Trumbull is very progressive when it comes to Special Needs children. We have the Trumbull Early Childhood Education Center.
TECEC
"Founded in 2005, Trumbull Early Childhood Education Center (TECEC) is the first free-standing public special needs preschool program in Connecticut."
The Kennedy Center : Home
Trumbull also has the Kennedy Center for individuals with Special Needs. They have services from birth through adulthood for special needs individuals. The Kennedy Center is often cited as being the best in the state for people with disabilities and special needs.
I have many friends in Trumbull who moved here from all over Fairfield County because they had special needs children. You can't go wrong in either town but if you have a child with special needs Trumbull might be a very good place for you.
Trumbull and Fairfield are two of the nicest towns in Fairfield County and that says a lot considering the other towns they are up against. Fairfield is a little denser and offers a wider range of housing than Trumbull. Trumbull is more suburban in character meaning the lots tend to be a little larger, though a large part of Fairfield (Greenfield Hill) has a sort of rural character with minimum 2 acre zoning. Both towns have excellent schools but I can't really comment on their Special Education programs.
Fairfield has a lot of shopping but lacks any large scale stores like Target or Walmart. Trumbull is home to the area's largest shopping mall (Westfield Trumbull) but lacks the quaint walkable downtown that Fairfield has. Both towns have a couple of major supermarkets for food shopping. Fairfield has 5 town owned beaches for residents and many nice parks but it lacks a town owned swimming pool. Trumbull has a town owned pool and can use the beaches in Fairfield by buying a special pass.
Both towns offer a lot for families. They have great libraries (Fairfield actually has three- Fairfield, Fairfield Woods and the venerable Pequot Library). Fairfield has three significant historic districts (Old Post Road, Greenfield Hill and Southport Village) and a long and proud history. Fairfield is home to two major universities (Fairfield and Sacred Heart). It is also home to a boys preparatory school (Fairfield Prep), a Catholic high school (Notre Dame) and a couple of Catholic elementary schools. Trumbull also has a Catholic High School (St. Joesph's) and at least one Catholic elementary school. Both towns have a number of churches and synagogues. They also offer things like free summer concerts and different fairs during the year.
All this said, the feel of the towns are slightly different. It is a matter of personal preference which suits you and your family best. Jay
Not to split hairs, but the Pequot library is actually in Southport, a former borough of Fairfield. That is an important distinction to some residents in that area.
Not to split hairs, but the Pequot library is actually in Southport, a former borough of Fairfield. That is an important distinction to some residents in that area.
Southport is still a part of the Town of Fairfield despite what some residents think. Jay
Not to split hairs, but the Pequot library is actually in Southport, a former borough of Fairfield. That is an important distinction to some residents in that area.
As Jay said, Southport is very much a part of Fairfield.
Both towns are great but very different. Trumbull is more typical CT suburbia, and a lot less expensive. Fairfield is denser, more shopping/dining, a proper town center, universities, and beaches. Very different feel. Trumbull is definitely more low key but Fairfield isn't as snooty as some FFC towns southwest of it.
My son is in what is considered Special Ed in Trumbull. We moved here from Scarsdale, NY and Trumbull's SpecEd beats Scarsdale's hands down. He gets lots of one on one attention and all the help he needs. We are extremely satisified with the care he is given.
I unfortunately don't have any info for Fairfield.
My son is in what is considered Special Ed in Trumbull. We moved here from Scarsdale, NY and Trumbull's SpecEd beats Scarsdale's hands down. He gets lots of one on one attention and all the help he needs. We are extremely satisified with the care he is given.
I unfortunately don't have any info for Fairfield.
Grecostimpy,
That is surprising that you are saying Trumbull is better than Scarsdale because it is such a wealthy town. I am just curious. Did you move here not knowing about the Special Education services (and got lucky) or did you plan on moving here because of Trumbull's reputation in Special Education?
As Jay said, Southport is very much a part of Fairfield.
The only thing connecting Southport to Fairfield is the schools. The typical resident of Southport is leagues different than the typical Fairfield buyer. It's quite common for Greenfield Hill residents, actually, to upgrade to Southport.
That said, I think either town is fine, but Trumbull is quite a bit more middle class, and all the mentalities (good and bad) that come with that.
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