[debis9877]

I live in westchester now, and we're looking for a home at around $500K. I can't find anythign I like in Westchester, but saw some in Norwalk. I work in NYC so the commute is not bad. But the school?? Not sure. Any input would be great, thanks!

[JayCT]

Norwalk is a small city with some urban type issues. The schools are good but not great. Students perform under the state average on the Connecticut Mastery and Connecticut Academic Performance tests. Class sizes are generally around 20 students per class which is reasonable. For what I have been told the elementary schools are okay but the middle and high schools have issues.

If schools are your top priority, I would recommend considering Fairfield. It is located a little further from New York but the train ride is still reasonable (about 70 minutes). Fairfield has excellent schools and a great downtown area. There are a lot of shopping, restaurant and entertainment options and there are a lot of family acitivities offered. It has many nice parks and four town owned beaches for residents to use. I know people that moved to Fairfield because they were able to buy a nice home there at a more reasonable price and then stayed even when their fortunes improved significantly. They loved the town that much. You could get a nice home for $500k there. Hope this helps, Jay

[debis9877]

thanks, that helps

[jdhall1]

Have you also considered looking up in the Danbury area? I am sure you will be able to get a much larger home for the price than what you will find in Norwalk. We do have a fair amount of commuters that work in the NYC. Good luck!

[blueman]

I've been reading this forum for about a year now and have noticed a lack of love for Norwalk. The extra drive to either fairfield or danbury is not insignificant in the garbage traffic on 95.

In my opinion, it is a great place to live and there is plenty of character. I find Stamford very sterile in comparison. Rowayton is one of the best places to live in all of Fairfield County. South Norwalks attractions, beaches, marinas, beaches, Stew Leonards, and proximity to towns like New Canaan and Darien are big pluses.

Sorry, I had to throw in my 2 cents worth...

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by blueman

I've been reading this forum for about a year now and have noticed a lack of love for Norwalk. The extra drive to either fairfield or danbury is not insignificant in the garbage traffic on 95.

In my opinion, it is a great place to live and there is plenty of character. I find Stamford very sterile in comparison. Rowayton is one of the best places to live in all of Fairfield County. South Norwalks attractions, beaches, marinas, beaches, Stew Leonards, and proximity to towns like New Canaan and Darien are big pluses.

Sorry, I had to throw in my 2 cents worth...

Blueman - Do not apologize for your opinion. It is good to get someone else's perspective on Norwalk. You are correct that there are many great things about the city. Thanks for answering and keep replying to questions like this. Jay

[brattpowered]

Originally Posted by debis9877

I live in westchester now, and we're looking for a home at around $500K. I can't find anythign I like in Westchester, but saw some in Norwalk. I work in NYC so the commute is not bad. But the school?? Not sure. Any input would be great, thanks!

The schools in Norwalk are very similar to the schools in Stamford. The test scores are lower than in the surrounding districts, but much of the difference can be accounted for by looking at the "achievement gap" between poor and minority (black and hispanic) students, and middle or upper class white students. Among Stamford's fourth graders, for example, 76 percent of white students met the state goal in math in 2002, compared to 33 percent of blacks and 39 percent of Hispanics (Stamford Advocate). These disparities skew the averages that people like to go by when comparing school districts.

Not every student in Norwalk gets low test scores. For children of parents who have the time to be involved, the opportunities for success are very similar to those for students who attend school in the "better" towns. For children of parents who don't have time to be around, and have a lot on their plates, the opportunites may pass right by.

The resources and teachers available in Stamford and Norwalk schools are very similar to those in other places, but there is a disproportionate number of students that fall through the cracks depending on their home environments. In my opinion, where these kids come from is much more of an indicator of success than what schools they go to, especially schools in these two cities, which are more than adequate. If anything, the diversity your children would experience would make them that much more well-rounded and able to succeed in the real world.

Just my two cents....

[andthentherewere3]

Norwalk has a lot of fun places to visit, but we were sorely disappointed with the schools. It's rather scary when even little children are violent, and swear at you. (I used to volunteer in one of the elementary schools before we moved to a nearby town) True, many of the parents can't be bothered to get involved with their children's education in Norwalk, but the children of these parents are often disruptive and disobedient in class. It does not make for a good learning environment for the rest of the students. I think anyone considering moving to Norwalk should see all perspectives, so I'm just giving mine.

[leoberman]

I wouldn't try to buy a family in Norwalk if I were you.