[mmbma]

Married Asian american couple with two young daughters, I work in the city in entertainment/media, my wife does not work. Liberal in worldview but conservative fiscally.

Really like a house in Darien, its beaches, and schools. I have friends/colleagues leaving in nearby Rowayton, Greenwich, New Cannan etc. But the town's lack of diversity worries me. would we fit in and feel welcome there? A google search or two reveals that until recently Darien is still labeled a sundown town.

Any residents with an objective (personal) view please?

[JayCT]

Darien is a beautiful town with a lot to offer but according to data on the Connecticut Economic Resource Center website only about 520 of the 19,000 residents there are Pacific Asian. Most people there do not care about your ethnic background and would welcome you and your family as they would anyone else. Still you may not be comfortable being the only Asian at an event or party. Only you and your wife can decide that.

As for being a "sundown" town, I assume you are referring to the lack of nightlife there. That is kind of the way suburbs are. People generally are home at night, not out on the town, so you will not find a lot opened past say 9:00 PM. That is just the way it is and not just in Darien. You may find places open later in Stamford or Norwalk but those are cities, not suburbs. Even there, it is limited. If you really want to be near things that are opened all night, then you would probably be better of remaining in the city. JMHO, Jay

[MikefromCT]

That's not what they mean by the term sundown town, Jay.

I wouldn't call it a sundown town anymore. Times have changed from the days when it banned Jews and blacks from town (which it did well into the early 1960s, as evidenced in the film The Gentleman's Agreement), but it is still very white (as is much of lower Fairfield County). Most of the conservatism that you see in lower FFC is fiscal rather than social. I doubt you'd be met with hostility being an Asian American. These days in that part of the state people don't judge you by your race, they judge you by your bank account. If you have a chance to explore Darien and New Canaan and see for yourself, you should do so. They're both beautiful towns, and if it isn't for you, about 2 towns to the east is Westport where you find a bit more diverse.

[scratchie]

Originally Posted by JayCT

As for being a "sundown" town, I assume you are referring to the lack of nightlife there.

Um, no.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

That's not what they mean by the term sundown town, Jay.

I wouldn't call it a sundown town anymore. Times have changed from the days when it banned Jews and blacks from town (which it did well into the early 1960s, as evidenced in the film The Gentleman's Agreement), but it is still very white (as is much of lower Fairfield County). Most of the conservatism that you see in lower FFC is fiscal rather than social. I doubt you'd be met with hostility being an Asian American. These days in that part of the state people don't judge you by your race, they judge you by your bank account. If you have a chance to explore Darien and New Canaan and see for yourself, you should do so. They're both beautiful towns, and if it isn't for you, about 2 towns to the east is Westport where you find a bit more diverse.

Just looked it up. I never heard that term before. Still there are not a lot of Asians in Darien today. If the OP is concerned about this then they may want to consider another town like Greenwich which has a higher Asian population. Jay

[Raider111]

They are all sundown towns, but the more pertinent color now is green, not black and white.
The "welcoming you" part will depend on how "green" you are and how well your kids perform at sports.

[Konig1985]

Originally Posted by Raider111

They are all sundown towns, but the more pertinent color now is green, not black and white.
The "welcoming you" part will depend on how "green" you are and how well your kids perform at sports.

whats green?

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by Konig1985

whats green?

$$$

[Wilton2ParkAve]

There goes Raider with his hyperbole.

[tax_tax_tax_tax]

There's a reason it's called 'Aryan Darien'.

The most overpriced cesspool in the country, if you ask me.