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Long Island native looking to move to Fairfield or New Haven County (Any town with a commute under 2hrs to Brooklyn) I'm specifically looking for areas that's good for families, and a good school district. (I have a toddler) Diversity is important to me because I am black, but not high on the priority list. I'm more concerned about finding a town that's going to be friendly and accepting. My budget is no higher than 375K, single family home with at least 3 bedrooms and plenty of yard space.
What are your thoughts on Beacon Falls? My realtor wasn't familiar with the town, and it looked great on paper. A few other towns I have been considering are:
Shelton - for the low low taxes
Trumbull
Fairfield/New Fairfield
Milford
Guilford
Branford
Commuting isn't an issue because I work from home. Thank you so much for the comment
You work from home, but need a 2 hour commute to Brooklyn? Do you mean to visit family?
With traffic, east of New Haven towns can definitely be more than 2 hours to Brooklyn.
Beacon Falls is cheap. Slightly above average schools. 2 hours definitely pushing it with traffic to Brooklyn. It is not diverse. Seymour is worth looking at, similar value and a bit closer to NYC.
Fairfield is out of your price range and Trumbull is pushing it.
Trumbull and Milford are the most diverse on that list.
You work from home, but need a 2 hour commute to Brooklyn? Do you mean to visit family?
With traffic, east of New Haven towns can definitely be more than 2 hours to Brooklyn.
Beacon Falls is cheap. Slightly above average schools. 2 hours definitely pushing it with traffic to Brooklyn. It is not diverse. Seymour is worth looking at, similar value and a bit closer to NYC.
Fairfield is out of your price range and Trumbull is pushing it.
Trumbull and Milford are the most diverse on that list.
Thank you, yes to visit family in Brooklyn 1-2 times a month. I'm okay with traffic, as long as it doesn't make a normally 2hr commute into a 3hr commute. I'll look into Seymour
Two hours from Brooklyn??? I’m not sure there is any affordable place in Connecticut that is two hours from Brooklyn. I used to drive from Fairfield to Brooklyn (about 60 miles) to visit family and it took at least two hours. And that was after rush hour.
Given that, I’d say start in Fairfield. You can get a modest home there for your budget. Another option would be Trumbull. Both of these towns have great schools and a lot of great stores and restaurants to chose from. New Fairfield is about 70 miles from Brooklyn but because you are avoiding congested I-95 or the Merritt Parkway in Stamford, you are still about two hours from it. Beyond these towns, however, you are likely going to be more than two hours from Brooklyn.
Beacon Falls is an old Naugatuck River Valley mill town that has seen better days. It does not have a lot of stores or restaurants there and schools aren’t the best. If you want the Valley, I would instead suggest neighboring Seymour where there are more stores and restaurants and the schools perform a little better. Still you are 80 miles from Brooklyn so you likely are 2.5 hours away.
Shelton is nice enough but it’s schools are not in the same caliper as Trumbull or Fairfield. Taxes are low but that is because the city tends to not spend a lot on amenities like good schools, parks and libraries. It’s also not two hours from Brooklyn.
Milford has good schools and some of the best shopping in the state. I’d say you are just over two hours from Brooklyn. Branford and Guilford are wonderful but they are over 90 miles from Brooklyn. I’m thinking you are also 2.5 hours away. Good luck, Jay
Beacon falls is ok. Schools generally perform around state average. The several times I've driven through the town (along rt 42), I felt it had a rather run down feel to it. Diversity is lacking and the town is heavily blue collar (interpret that as you wish).
I would check out nearby Middlebury, Southbury, and Cheshire. All three towns have good schools/neighborhoods, commute ~2hrs to Brooklyn (assuming no traffic - I'd imagine easily an additional 1-1.5 hours during high traffic periods), and your budget should be workable. Orange might be pushing your budget depending on your wants, but worth checking out as well - it's the most convenient to Brooklyn. Diversity is again lacking, but FWIW Cheshire is the most diverse of the bunch.
Last edited by RiskReturn; 06-22-2020 at 09:33 PM..
Two hours from Brooklyn??? I’m not sure there is any affordable place in Connecticut that is two hours from Brooklyn. I used to drive from Fairfield to Brooklyn (about 60 miles) to visit family and it took at least two hours. And that was after rush hour.
Given that, I’d say start in Fairfield. You can get a modest home there for your budget. Another option would be Trumbull. Both of these towns have great schools and a lot of great stores and restaurants to chose from. New Fairfield is about 70 miles from Brooklyn but because you are avoiding congested I-95 or the Merritt Parkway in Stamford, you are still about two hours from it. Beyond these towns, however, you are likely going to be more than two hours from Brooklyn.
Beacon Falls is an old Naugatuck River Valley mill town that has seen better days. It does not have a lot of stores or restaurants there and schools aren’t the best. If you want the Valley, I would instead suggest neighboring Seymour where there are more stores and restaurants and the schools perform a little better. Still you are 80 miles from Brooklyn so you likely are 2.5 hours away.
Shelton is nice enough but it’s schools are not in the same caliper as Trumbull or Fairfield. Taxes are low but that is because the city tends to not spend a lot on amenities like good schools, parks and libraries. It’s also not two hours from Brooklyn.
Milford has good schools and some of the best shopping in the state. I’d say you are just over two hours from Brooklyn. Branford and Guilford are wonderful but they are over 90 miles from Brooklyn. I’m thinking you are also 2.5 hours away. Good luck, Jay
Thanks, are those commute quotes including potential traffic? Shelton, Branford, Guilford, & Milford were under 2hrs to Brooklyn when I plugged it into google maps. Thank you for the input, I'm trying to sort out what looks good on paper vs. reality. Shelton was on the top of my list, but now I am questioning my entire list.
Beacon falls is ok. Schools generally perform around state average. The several times I've driven through the town (along rt 42), I felt it had a rather run down feel to it. Diversity is lacking and the town is heavily blue collar (interpret that as you wish).
I would check out nearby Middlebury, Southbury, and Cheshire. All three towns have good schools/neighborhoods, commute ~2hrs to Brooklyn (assuming no traffic - I'd imagine easily an additional 1-1.5 hours during high traffic periods), and your budget should be workable. Orange might be pushing your budget depending on your wants, but worth checking out as well - it's the most convenient to Brooklyn. Diversity is again lacking, but FWIW Cheshire is the most diverse of the bunch.
I have not come across any of these towns during my search, thank you for the suggestions.
Thanks, are those commute quotes including potential traffic? Shelton, Branford, Guilford, & Milford were under 2hrs to Brooklyn when I plugged it into google maps. Thank you for the input, I'm trying to sort out what looks good on paper vs. reality. Shelton was on the top of my list, but now I am questioning my entire list.
Depends on where in Brooklyn. I’m in Milford and visiting Greenpoint takes anywhere from 80 minutes to 2 hours on weekends depending on traffic.
Does Milford need flood insurance? Some houses seem quite close to the water. Have you experienced any flooding in your area?
No I’m 45’ above sea level. It depends on elevation...
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