[bolehboleh]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

The cheesy people in those cheesy Hallmark movies don’t exist in real life. The people in most small towns close to business centers in CT are very much a part of the rat race. Stratford is nothing like anything in those movies.

Maybe check out Vermont. But then, you wouldn’t be near employment centers.

Of course they don't exist, but some towns are nicer than others than others.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

The cheesy people in those cheesy Hallmark movies don’t exist in real life. The people in most small towns close to business centers in CT are very much a part of the rat race. Stratford is nothing like anything in those movies.

Maybe check out Vermont. But then, you wouldn’t be near employment centers.

I do not think the OP has to go as far as Vermont to find a charming small town. I agree Stratford is not one. Off hand I can think of several but they may not be considered affordable or commutable to Stratford.

Towns they could consider include Monroe, Newtown, Seymour, Prospect, Bethany, Oxford, Southbury, Middlebury, Watertown, Thomaston, Litchfield, Bethlehem, Woodbury, Bridgewater, Roxbury and the town that served as the model for the Gilmore Girls hometown of Stars Hollow, Washington. The Huntington section of Shelton is very charming but again may not be considered affordable. Milford has a charming town center but is not a small town. Without a better idea of what affordable means to the OP and how long of a commute they are willing to take, it is hard to offer real suggestions. Jay

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by bolehboleh

What about smaller towns? My wife is a hopeless romantic for those cheesy Hallmark specials and she said she'd love to live in one of those quintessential American/New England towns that have a great community spirit.

It would also have to be affordable. The only one I can think of that may match our criteria AND be near a job center is Stratford. What am I missing?

Nearby Milford has more New England charm than Stratford IMO. It’s affordable with plenty of homes around 300k. It’s not a small town but has charm in downtown with the green, old homes, duck ponds, etc. It MAY feel like a smaller town if you’re used to a city. You can see photos here http://discovermilfordct.com/gallery/

To me, though, those quintessential charming towns in CT are Guilford, Essex, Chester, Kent, Litchfield, etc. All further from employment centers, though.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I do not think the OP has to go as far as Vermont to find a charming small town. I agree Stratford is not one. Off hand I can think of several but they may not be considered affordable or commutable to Stratford.

Towns they could consider include Monroe, Newtown, Seymour, Prospect, Bethany, Oxford, Southbury, Middlebury, Watertown, Thomaston, Litchfield, Bethlehem, Woodbury, Bridgewater, Roxbury and the town that served as the model for the Gilmore Girls hometown of Stars Hollow, Washington. The Huntington section of Shelton is very charming but again may not be considered affordable. Milford has a charming town center but is not a small town. Without a better idea of what affordable means to the OP and how long of a commute they are willing to take, it is hard to offer real suggestions. Jay

You’re right, they don’t, but if you’ve ever seen those Hallmark movies, the residents in CT are nothing like that. Those communities in CT near major employment centers have grown to be affluent suburbs.

The closest thing to those movie towns I can think of would be Essex, or maybe Guilford or Litchfield. By aesthetics, Ridgefield, but residents there are too cosmopolitan to embrace the small town lifestyle.

[seymourct]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I do not think the OP has to go as far as Vermont to find a charming small town. I agree Stratford is not one. Off hand I can think of several but they may not be considered affordable or commutable to Stratford

Towns they could consider include Monroe, Newtown, Seymour, Prospect, Bethany, Oxford, Southbury, Middlebury, Watertown, Thomaston, Litchfield, Bethlehem, Woodbury, Bridgewater, Roxbury and the town that served as the model for the Gilmore Girls hometown of Stars Hollow, Washington. The Huntington section of Shelton is very charming but again may not be considered affordable. Milford has a charming town center but is not a small town. Without a better idea of what affordable means to the OP and how long of a commute they are willing to take, it is hard to offer real suggestions. Jay

Seymour does have it's downtown themed as an antiques district with a tea shop and a pink themes knick knack shop, glass blowers, etc but there's no real walkable rentals around it.. Not really.. The old Lopresti school maybe? But not much ..so yeah the Gilmore girls Hallmark Hollywood portrayal of a laid back life were everyone just “thinks they’ll walk” is a fairy tale false hood ..move to CT suburbs and buy a car people ..

[hvexpatinct]

Originally Posted by bolehboleh

What about smaller towns? My wife is a hopeless romantic for those cheesy Hallmark specials and she said she'd love to live in one of those quintessential American/New England towns that have a great community spirit.

It would also have to be affordable. The only one I can think of that may match our criteria AND be near a job center is Stratford. What am I missing?

How far are you willing to commute?

Bethlehem has a ton of community spirit (sweet Christmas festival, popular harvest fair, great parks & rec), reasonable housing costs (most houses are between 250-400k) and low taxes, but it's a good hour from Stratford/Shelton or Hartford, 35 min from Danbury.

[JGBigGreen]

I always found it funny that the aerial shot of "Stars Hollow" they used in the intro to the Gilmore Girls is actually a Vermont town and not a Connecticut town.

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

You’re right, they don’t, but if you’ve ever seen those Hallmark movies, the residents in CT are nothing like that. Those communities in CT near major employment centers have grown to be affluent suburbs.

The closest thing to those movie towns I can think of would be Essex, or maybe Guilford or Litchfield. By aesthetics, Ridgefield, but residents there are too cosmopolitan to embrace the small town lifestyle.