[CoffeeCheesecake]

Well as the title says, we are moving from Boston to CT. Starting job in New Haven, looking for a place to raise a family, reasonable commute time (25 min or so), good schools, coffee shops, restaurants. Would prefer a neighborhood feel (somewhere with sidewalks and the sort...). Any ideas?

I have thought about Guilford, Madison. Orange and Woodbridge seem very woodsy for us. North Haven? Wallingford? Other thoughts?...

Also any opinions on maybe renting first just to get a feel and maybe buying later?
Not sure what to do... oh decisions decisions decisions...

[BobNJ1960]

I think Milford would fit the situation well. Since unfamiliar, rent for a while. Explore.

[kidyankee764]

If Orange is too woodsy for you, Guilford and Madison surely will be too, although they have great little downtowns.

It seems to me that Milford and Branford are good starting points for you. They have nice downtown areas with solid school systems. They are suburban and not too rural, and are both close to lots of amenities.

Definitely rent in one of the communities before buying, if you can. It will help you become more familiar and get a good feel for the area.

[nico7]

Renting in Branford would put you in a town that checks off your boxes, and you could easily explore the other towns east of New Haven at your leisure. My opinion has always been that if you don't know an area well already, you are better off renting for a year while you learn about the possibilities. You can zero in on specific neighborhoods and watch what comes onto the market, acting quickly once you are confident in what you're looking for.

[WestRiverTraveler]

Familiar situation...lol. Spring I got a job in New Haven and moved from Boston.

I wouldn't write off Madison and Guilford as too woodsy. It can, especially way up north, but that's only part. Having grown up, in Old Saybrook I knew the area already and focus my search on these two towns. My family is in Ivoryton and Old Lyme. This more or less ruled out anything west of New Haven for me. I wanted a great school system and town on the water. Guilford and Madison were the obvious choices - both are great schools, on the water, and shot trip to New Haven for work or play. The are similar towns. Guilford has the prettiest town green in that state. Madison has the surf club. They are both amazing in their own way. Guilford has more restaurants. Madison has slightly lower taxes.

Both town have woodsy areas and areas that feel more suburban/exurban feel. For both towns, it gets more rural north of RT 80. I live in North Madison, about 1 mile south of 80. I thought I might find it to woodsy, but I'm just fine with it now. There are some real advantages to being up near Rt 80. It takes me 7 minutes to get to 95 and 10 minutes to downtown. I'm 25 minutes door to door to work. If you are closer to down , subtract time. Easy peazy. It used to take me that long to get from Hyde Park to Jamaica Plain.

Branford is worth a look. As mentioned, there are more rentals in Branford than some of the other towns. Stony Creek, just over the line from Guilford, is my favorite area. Schools are good, but they don't have the reputation of Madison or Guilford. Personally, I think that stuff is overrated.

West of New Haven, Milford is a great town. The weakness of Madison and Guilford is amenities and shopping. The nearest Whole Foods is Milford. Target in North Haven. Guilford has Walmart . Milford all the shopping you could ever want. Milford has everything - Target, Whole Foods, Total Wine, REI, etc. It also has a great beach and easy commute to New Haven. The downside is that all the shopping on Rt1 brings traffic, and it's not a cute and quaint as Madison and Guilford. I'm not sure where in Boston you are coming from, but Milford would be less culture shock compared to Boston suburbs..

North Haven is fine. I shop there all the time. I work with a lot of people from there. The town doesn't sing to me, though. Others can give better feedback on Wallyworld or Woodbridge.

[Stylo]

Milford has the mix you want, including lots of sidewalks in the coastal areas. Check out this site for info: https://discovermilfordct.com/

I would say Branford would be the other to check out, not quite as many sidewalks but close.

[JayCT]

Are you buying or renting? What is your budget and what do you expect for it? What type of community do you want? Can you tolerate being in a quieter area or do you want to be close to entertainment and major shopping? How important is being near a beach to you? Is being in an affluent community important?

There are many great communities in greater New Haven to consider and others here have noted them. If you want a more mature denser suburb near major shopping and entertainment, then a Milford would be a good option.

If you want a quieter life in a beach oriented town, then Branford, Guilford or Madison would fit your bill.

If you want lower taxes and electricity rates, a more middle and working class community and don’t mind being inland then Wallingford would be good. North Haven is a bit more affluent and the schools perform better but note that taxes and electric rates are higher. Let us know more so we can help you more. Jay

[SteveM85]

If you can find a rental, rent. Good luck though. Don't buy at the top of the market and then get another job transfer in a few years and have to sell at big loss when the bubble pops. It will. History is on it's side.

[CoffeeCheesecake]

Thanks for the comments.

Will probably rent for a year, while the whole covid situation settles down, and then look into the housing market.

Crazy times I guess...

[nrod7169]

I would look into Cheshire.