[tigerstrp1]

Hey Everyone,

May move to Norwalk in the next few months and wanted some suggestions on cool towns to live. Not looking for a huge house, but a small cottage would be cool.

It seems like there are a ton of very expensive, cool looking homes and then there are some sketchy ones in Norwalk itself.

What are are some cool towns within driving distance to Norwalk?

[FutureTown]

Well, we'd need a budget to start out with and a general preference you'd like. If family/schools matters, being coastal, # of bedrooms for a house, commute tolerance, etc.

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by tigerstrp1

Hey Everyone,

May move to Norwalk in the next few months and wanted some suggestions on cool towns to live. Not looking for a huge house, but a small cottage would be cool.

It seems like there are a ton of very expensive, cool looking homes and then there are some sketchy ones in Norwalk itself.

What are are some cool towns within driving distance to Norwalk?

Welcome to Connecticut !

Norwalk is small city located in lower Fairfield County in western part of the state. Fairfield County is one of most expensive area to live in the entire country due to available of jobs, good schools in most towns, approximate to New York City. Most of Norwalk is fine but the area south of South Norwalk train station is sketchy with issues. Norwalk rents and real estate can be pricey compare to Kansas City which have lower cost of living. In Connecticut don't expect big cities quality our cities are small but not that small. We need budget of price range you looking to buy a home or rent a apartment because FFC is expensive place. Norwalk has two main train stations South Nowalk and East Norwalk they both take you to Manhattan, NYC.

[JayCT]

Norwalk is in lower Fairfield County which is one of the most expensive parts of the country. Be prepared to pay BIG bucks for housing anywhere commutable to there. As FutureTown noted we would need more information to help you. What is your budget and what do you expect for it? What type of community do you want? Cool to one person may be different to someone else. Also just how far are you willing to commute? Keep in mind the roads in this area are very congested because you are on the our ring of New York City. There is however mass transit that you can use if your office is near the train station or on a bus route.

Norwalk itself is "cool" since it has a nice bar and restaurant scene and some very nice neighborhoods but if you have a family and good schools are important you may want to look elsewhere. Rowayton and East Norwalk have some nice neighborhoods on or near the water but again they will be pricey. South Norwalk has some very nice apartments and is walkable to decent bars and restaurants. But you will need to watch where in South Norwalk you live since generally south of the train station gets a bit sketchy.

If Norwalk is too pricey, you may want to consider the Black Rock section of Bridgeport. It is a cute urban village and is more affordable than Norwalk. You might even consider downtown Bridgeport which is up and coming as many of the older commercial buildings there are being converted to housing. The commute by car from Bridgeport though can be difficult though.

If your budget allows you could live in Stamford and do the reverse commute to Norwalk. Stamford is a nice mid-sized city with a lot of apartments, bars and restaurants. It might be worth a look as well.

Another area you might want to consider is Danbury to the north. It is a nice but somewhat quiet city with a lot of more affordable apartments. There is good shopping and some good restaurants and bars there. Not sure if you would consider it "cool" though. In addition to these, there are a lot of really nice suburban towns to consider. Westport and Fairfield could be considered cool but they can be pricey. Westport is VERY pricey actually. Again we would need to know more to help you with this. Good luck, Jay

[tigerstrp1]

The price may vary once or if I find a job. My BF is the one who has the job so two incomes will of course adjust price, but we will aim for $200,000-$500,000. I would prefer an older home and really would only need 2 bedrooms. So a small home. No children yet.

One other questions....is it common to live in Norwalk, but work in NYC? I was born and raised in the Midwest so no idea about commutes to the city.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by tigerstrp1

The price may vary once or if I find a job. My BF is the one who has the job so two incomes will of course adjust price, but we will aim for $200,000-$500,000. I would prefer an older home and really would only need 2 bedrooms. So a small home. No children yet.

One other questions....is it common to live in Norwalk, but work in NYC? I was born and raised in the Midwest so no idea about commutes to the city.

A lot of people who live in lower Fairfield County work in Manhattan and use trains to commute to work. You may be able to find a home in the upper end of your price range in Norwalk or at the mid-point in Fairfield. Fairfield has some small homes around $300,000 but they will be on the east side of town (not bad area at all, just considered slightly less desirable) and in need of some work. The schools in Fairfield are very good so if kids are in your future, it may be a good option. Jay

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by tigerstrp1

The price may vary once or if I find a job. My BF is the one who has the job so two incomes will of course adjust price, but we will aim for $200,000-$500,000. I would prefer an older home and really would only need 2 bedrooms. So a small home. No children yet.

One other questions....is it common to live in Norwalk, but work in NYC? I was born and raised in the Midwest so no idea about commutes to the city.

340k you can get a decent home in East Norwalk which is nice area. It very common for people to live in Fairfield County or Greater New Haven area go to work in NYC. The commute to NYC on train can be long East Norwalk to Grand Central is 1 hour 07 mins train ride to Grand Central. Metro North trains are packed sometime with no seats. NYC to Norwalk commute is almost 1 hour 40 mins with addition of subway ride to the other side of Manhattan.

[BPt111]

Originally Posted by JayCT

A lot of people who live in lower Fairfield County work in Manhattan and use trains to commute to work. You may be able to find a home in the upper end of your price range in Norwalk or at the mid-point in Fairfield. Fairfield has some small homes around $300,000 but they will be on the east side of town (not bad area at all, just considered slightly less desirable) and in need of some work. The schools in Fairfield are very good so if kids are in your future, it may be a good option. Jay

I would say Stamford can work too the trains ran more often there aleast 5-7 times a hour compare to New Haven twice a hour.

[Stylo]

East Norwalk is a good option. The train is about 60 minutes to NYC there and it's relatively affordable and pretty safe.

With your budget, you're pretty much priced out of Darien, Westport, etc.

Stamford is worth considering too, although it's a bit more expensive than Norwalk.

[kidyankee764]

You're going to have to spend at the high end of your budget to live in the Norwalk area. There are quite a few neighborhoods in Norwalk where you can get a home for under 400k, but generally they will not be the best areas. The surrounding towns (Darien, New Canaan, Wilton, Westport) have starter homes at the very top end of your budget, but more than likely, a starter home in those towns will be over the top end of your budget.

Up the line, Fairfield, Trumbull and Monroe are cheaper options, but these would require a commute on very congested highways. 95 and Merritt Parkway traffic can be downright horrific - think an hour to go less than 15 miles.