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This is my first post here but I have been browsing for a few weeks now and found some great information thanks to everyone's informative responses.
There's a high probability that my husband will transfer within his current company from Cleveland to NYC to help start up their office in Manhattan. (We will almost certainly be moving should they offer him enough money. We should know within the next month or so.) After doing much Internet research and wanting to be within a reasonable commute by train to Grand Central Station, we're most interested in Fairfield, CT, especially based on how great the school system is there.
Just a few quick questions...
1) What would be the best airport to fly into should we need to go out that way to explore Fairfield and its real estate?
2) Compared to many posts that I have read, I feel like we're the "poor" people moving to Fairfield! We've figured out we can afford up to a $550K home. Is it possible to live in at least a 3-bedroom home (we're open to condominiums, though we prefer a single family home) in a nice section (not that there are "bad" sections, of course) of Fairfield and not too far from the train station? Is it best to not live too close to the university, or does it not matter?
Also, are there any developments in Fairfield or are most homes on individual streets?
3) A silly question, I know, but how is the shopping there? Are there any malls within a half hour? How is the "downtown" Fairfield area?
Please feel free to offer any other information that newcomers might find helpful.
Westchester County (NY) Airport is a good option- at about 26 miles west from Fairfield. You may have to fly into this airport after making a secondary connection at Newark, La Guardia, or JFK- Tweed in New Haven to the east up I 95 is a few miles closer but is limited to US Air as the only Carrier.
550k will buy a 'step up from a starter' home in Fairfield- 3-4 bedrooms,1-2 baths on a small lot in a pleasant neighborhood. Homes closer to the shoreline will demand a premium however. Median home price in Fairfield is over 450k. The same home in Cleveland would cost around 115K.
As an established New England town, Fairfield will have limited new developments for single family homes; There may be luxury townhouses and age restricted communities (55+). Fairfield has limited space for new SF developments, except multi unit condos. The town has many gentrified neighborhoods with Cape Cods and Colonials.
New Luxury Townhouses-1700- 2100 square feet with 3-4 bedrooms 2-3 baths and garage with many upgrades around 450-520K.
You might try Realtor.com- and key in the information you desire to see what is available in your price range.
Living near a University- in this case Fairfield Univ. & Sacred Heart Univ. should not present a problem, but be prepared for more traffic, and local businesses catering to that population.
US 1 -the Post road in town- which is Fairfield's 'center' has very nice non chain store shopping and several fine restaurants. The downtown has a very pleasant New England ambiance. The Trumbull shopping park to the north 7-8 miles away is a conventional Mall with the usual national stores. Nearby Westport offers additional upscale shopping with unique stores, cafes and restaurants. The Connecticut Post Mall , lies about 15 miles north up I 95 in Milford.
Hope this is helpful-good luck and welcome!!
Last edited by skytrekker; 03-09-2008 at 07:54 PM..
Good morning! You'll have no problem, whatsoever finding a home in Fairfield with a budget up to $550k. Although this amount will not buy a brand new, large home, it will have enough buying power to get a decent sized (1500-2000 sq ft), 3 bedroom, 2 bath home in a very quiet, pretty, suburban neighborhood.
I'd recommend as skytrekker did, and fly into Westchester, if possible. It's small, and parking can be a nightmare, but it is convenient and Jet Blue flies into Westchester (if it goes into Cleveland).
There are several malls close, and downtown Fairfield is a nice, quaint, and somewhat bustling little downtown with a nice, dense throwback to how downtowns used to (and should) be. Lots of little mom and pop stores and lots of chain places too (Borders, Victoria Secrets, etc). It's a truly great town for families.
Skytrekker and jjbradleynyc did a great job answering your questions. To add to what they said, Fairfield University is well buffered from adjacent residental areas (it is set on a large lushly landscaped site that were formerly private estates). The university area is considered a prime neighborhood and you will often see real estate ads prominently note a home when it is located there. Sacred Heart University is set away from any residental neighborhoods as well. It is surreounded by institutional uses like convalesant homes, a Catholic high school and a large public golf course.
$550k would buy you a nice but not large home on a nice lot in a good neighborhood. You could also buy a nice condo for that price. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Jay
I forgot to add a little on shopping in Fairfield. the town has just about everything you would need within its borders. There is a lot of shopping along the Post Road and King's Highway (Route 1) and there is a nice shopping district on Black Rock Turnpike that has almost everything you would want or need in a 2 mile stretch of road. Very convenient.
Fairfield Center is a nice walkable business center. It recent years some national companies have moved in but there are still many small local shops and restaurants remaining. Located in the center is the library, banks, shops, restaurants, the Post Office, train station and the wonderful old Community Theater which is an old movie house that now shows second-run or old movies at a reasonable price.
As was noted, if you can't find what you are looking for right in town, you could travel a few mile to the mall in Trumbull. It is a large regional shopping center with most of the typical mall retailers you would find (Macy's, Lord & Taylors, etc.). Be aware though the mall is set in a primarily residental area right off the Merritt Parkway so you will not find the usual sea of big-box stores that surround most major malls in the country. Big-box stores tend to be spread around the region and built on wherever they could find a site large enough with zoning that does not restric them (zoning in Conecticut is pretty strong, so you do not see a lot of sprawl like other parts of the country). Jay
Is it best to not live too close to the university, or does it not matter?
Actually, over the years there have been numerous articles in the Connecticut Post regarding college students, especially in the Fairfield Beach area. There have been a lot complaints from angry Fairfield residents. Apparently there are a lot college students who have loud parties there in their rental homes and condos. The university and police have tried to control the issue, but it's a battle. I think in general, when you live near a college, you might run into that issue from time to time.
Just to add to Jay's post, a Target is being built adjacent to the Trumbull Mall, and there is also a Circuit City there.
The cottages on Fairfield Beach have been rented to Fairfield University students since the school was founded in the 1940's. Most of the owners rent to students to help pay the taxes which have skyrocketed due the steep increase in value of waterfront property.
In the last 25 years, many cottages have been rebuilt making the beach area into an eastern version of Malibu. The homes there now go for big $$$, so it is a rub that there are still some cottages that are still old and rented out to college students. The ones that are still rented out are owned by the original well-off but hardly wealthy families and the only way they can afford to keep these places is to rent them out part of the year. Without that income they would be forced to sell. It is not a great situation but eventually the old-timers will sell out. Too bad because it was a fun place to hang out when you are young. Jay
Please feel free to offer any other information that newcomers might find helpful.
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Hi Karen,
Your questions have been answered by the ones that know better but as a newer resident of FF I'd only like to contribute and confirm that there are no bad areas there. Some areas are more affluent than others but that does not mean there is something wrong with the less affluent. The entry level areas in town are Tunxis Hill and Grasmere. At 550K you are in position to get a nice house with three bed/2 bath or a nice newer condo townhouse. I personally have not experienced any noise or issues with college students and think University area is a nice area in town and a bit closer to the train (Metro North). Being as close to the train as you can afford it will be helpful since commuter parking lacks and being able to walk there is actually a luxury. In case you have not seen it, here is the town's web site with links that can be helpful :Town of Fairfield, Connecticut
Best wishes if you do move!
Hi Karen,
Your questions have been answered by the ones that know better but as a newer resident of FF I'd only like to contribute and confirm that there are no bad areas there. Some areas are more affluent than others but that does not mean there is something wrong with the less affluent. The entry level areas in town are Tunxis Hill and Grasmere. At 550K you are in position to get a nice house with three bed/2 bath or a nice newer condo townhouse. I personally have not experienced any noise or issues with college students and think University area is a nice area in town and a bit closer to the train (Metro North). Being as close to the train as you can afford it will be helpful since commuter parking lacks and being able to walk there is actually a luxury. In case you have not seen it, here is the town's web site with links that can be helpful :Town of Fairfield, Connecticut
Best wishes if you do move!
With 550k you can probably get more than that, and definitely in an area "nicer" than Tunxis Hill. I use "nicer" in quotes because it is subjective -- the areas aren't physically, economically or demographically very different from one another, but it is more by reputation than anything. A close friend bought a 3BR 1.5B in a cul-de-sac with about .4 acres in the university section in Jan 2007 for 580k. I bought a 5BR 2.5B in a cul-de-sac with just over .5 acres in Apr 2007 for 570k. Original asking price a year earlier was ~750k, but we got lucky and the owner wanted out with a quick close (under 30 days). We are in the Fairfield Woods section, about 7-10 mins to the train. Granted, we looked at about 30 houses and put a bid on a couple before we stumbled on this one. It's very dated but very solid.
The moral of my story is that there are definitely good deals out there, especially knowing how bad the market is for sellers. You just have to persevere, do a LOT of research, and keep a tight eye on the new houses as they pop up. A good agent should be able to do a lot of that with you. Don't restrict yourself to just that agent's website though -- keep an eye on places like realtor.com and the other MLS sites. Also keep an eye on zillow.com -- that's a great place for comparisons, even though their prices are a bit inflated. And don't just settle unless you have to move quickly. Play a little hardball if you need to. Remember - with more sellers than buyers oftentimes you are in the power seat!
1) Airport- Fly into white plains- the code is HPN. You could take the Hutchinson/Merrit Parkway (also know as rt 15) right up to Fairfield- it takes me about 40 minutes to get to my home in Fairfield from the airport (on a weekend). I haven't visted hotels in Fairfield, but there is a Marriot Residence Inn in nearby Trumbull that is very nice and has good weekend rates.
2) There are definitely nice 3-4 bedroom homes in your range in my neighborhood- in the Stratfield elementary school district. All the elementary schools int he district are great, but Stratfield is supposed to have high test scores, etc. Also, my neighborhood is very close to the Bridgeport town line, and you can take Park Avenue right down to the Bridgeport train station (12 minutes from my house), where there is plenty of monthly parking and there are express trains to and from Grand Central. We are a bit farther from the Fairfield station, but there are no monthly passes available at the Fairfield station- waiting list.
3) My neighborhood is also right near a nice stretch of the Black Rock Turnpike- we are about a 5-10 minute drive to Old Navy, Gap, Trader Joes, shoe stores, harware stores, grocery stores, starbucks, etc. The Trumbull Mall is a 10 - 15 minute drive from my house too, because I can get on the Merritt parkway and go down two exits and be there. That mall has an indoor playground for kids, which has been a major attraction for my family.
Furthermore, I am selling my 3-4 bedroom house- 1910 colonial with lots of cute windows, on a great street, walk to playground, etc. My house isn't listed yet, but if you are interested in seeing it please feel free to send me a message.
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Great place for a family
