Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Oxford and Southbury are smaller towns with some stores and restaurants but major shopping must be done in either Waterbury or Danbury which are about 12 and 18 miles away. The schools in these towns are also good but there is definitely a more quiet lifestyle here than the other towns you have mentioned. Jay
Actually Orange is smaller than Southbury and it is about the size of Oxford population wise.
I live in Orange, and like it. It is convenient to Route 1 but I will say I'm not a fan of how out of town people use what should be quiet roads in town as cut throughs. You have people speeding like crazy through back roads in town to try and beat the lights on the post road. If I could do it again, I would live north of 34 to get away from the traffic and bustle…
Oxford is a gem. The town is affluent and they are building a huge upscale village style town center. Lots of higher end shops and I think a Market Fresh. Most of the new people who move there are moving from lower Fairfield County so thats why the household income is well over 100k now. But as JayCT said, for big mall style shopping, most people in Oxford go to Danbury, Milford or Trumbull… which are all about 20-30 min away..
Ridgefield is nice but is a little more expensive than Orange and Oxford. Southbury is nice but you are kind of limited… it's a little set away from the coast and the New haven area. So job opportunities are kind of limited..
Actually Orange is smaller than Southbury and it is about the size of Oxford population wise.
I live in Orange, and like it. It is convenient to Route 1 but I will say I'm not a fan of how out of town people use what should be quiet roads in town as cut throughs. You have people speeding like crazy through back roads in town to try and beat the lights on the post road. If I could do it again, I would live north of 34 to get away from the traffic and bustle…
Oxford is a gem. The town is affluent and they are building a huge upscale village style town center. Lots of higher end shops and I think a Market Fresh. Most of the new people who move there are moving from lower Fairfield County so thats why the household income is well over 100k now. But as JayCT said, for big mall style shopping, most people in Oxford go to Danbury, Milford or Trumbull… which are all about 20-30 min away..
Ridgefield is nice but is a little more expensive than Orange and Oxford. Southbury is nice but you are kind of limited… it's a little set away from the coast and the New haven area. So job opportunities are kind of limited..
You are right about the population of Orange (about 14,000) being less than Southbury (about 20,000) but Southbury is more than double the area of Orange (17 square miles verses 39 square miles) so it's population density is much less. Plus a lot of Southbury's population (about 3,800 residents) is concentrated in the massive Heritage Village Retirement Community (2,600 units) so the rest of the town is a lot less dense. It definitely has a more rural feel to it than Orange. Both are great towns. Jay
Our family is north of Manhattan. All the towns I've listed are within around an hour and a half from our family. We are looking for more of a suburban feel. Ideally a 3-4 bedroom colonial or ranch possibly. Our budget is around $450,000.
You wouldn't raise any eyebrows as a two mom family in Southbury. The school district is one of the best in the state and while you'd need to go to Danbury for major shopping or hospital care, all of your everyday needs are available right in town - food/clothes shopping, pharmacy, doctors, etc. There is a pretty broad variety of housing stock there too and $450K will get you a nice 4 bedroom 2500 sq ft house with upgrades on an acre, in your choice of neighborhoods.
Southbury is very nice and is part of the Region 15 school district, which is great! Never fully grasped though where people in Southbury tend to work. Nearest employment centers would be Waterbury or Danbury, I think; and neither IMO has pay scales approaching lower FFC, NHC, or Westchester. So I'm not sure where you can conveniently work in close proximity to higher than average paying jobs there... But back to your original post -- I don't think most would care what color, religion, or sexual orientation you are in any part of CT (or at least any part I'm familiar with)
Southbury is very nice and is part of the Region 15 school district, which is great! Never fully grasped though where people in Southbury tend to work. Nearest employment centers would be Waterbury or Danbury, I think; and neither IMO has pay scales approaching lower FFC, NHC, or Westchester. So I'm not sure where you can conveniently work in close proximity to higher than average paying jobs there... But back to your original post -- I don't think most would care what color, religion, or sexual orientation you are in any part of CT (or at least any part I'm familiar with)
Anecdotally... Pitney Bowes, UTC, any of the 6 hospitals within a 30-40 minute drive, ESPN, and GE. Plenty of people commute to Hartford too.
Anecdotally... Pitney Bowes, UTC, any of the 6 hospitals within a 30-40 minute drive, ESPN, and GE. Plenty of people commute to Hartford too.
Hartford's got to be a hike though, no? I don't know -- love the town for sure, but always thought of it as slightly inconvenient to almost everywhere. (Minus if you're in the medical field, because then yes you're right -- lots of options in that case.)
Hartford's got to be a hike though, no? I don't know -- love the town for sure, but always thought of it as slightly inconvenient from almost everywhere. (Minus if you're in the medical field, because yes you're right -- lots of options then.)
I guess it depends on where you live in Southbury and your tolerance for commuting. A lot of the southern/eastern part of town is fairly convenient to lower NHC (30-40 mins on back roads). The Hartford drive stinks no matter where you live if you are west of Waterbury, but I am always surprised at the number of cars I see with Pomperaug or Newtown stickers heading into downtown.
Thank you for all this information! It is super helpful! I think we have narrowed it down to Trumbull, Monroe, Orange, and ideally Fairfield if we could afford it. The other towns just seemed to not be great locations. Hopefully we can narrow it down even more soon.
Thank you for all this information! It is super helpful! I think we have narrowed it down to Trumbull, Monroe, Orange, and ideally Fairfield if we could afford it. The other towns just seemed to not be great locations. Hopefully we can narrow it down even more soon.
My mother-in-law and sister-n-law live in the area off of route RT 59/Stratfield Road in Fairfield. It is a more affordable part of Fairfield, with for the most part capes and colonials on smaller lots. It is a very nice area.
I can't remember how much you can spend on the house.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
