[Iska]

Nico7, how's Compton St @ Mansfield?

[Lizzie007]

Do you guys have jobs yet? If you are working in downtown New Haven, then Milford and Branford could be a little annoying as the traffic on I-95 in rush hour is a bear. Other than that, both are lovely places to live! I assume you do not have children (you did not mention them) so you are not concerned about schools?

I am 33 with two kids - but I moved to CT at age 25 with no kids and went through this decision.

North Haven is a great option - tons of shopping and restaurants, right on both main highways (rt 15 and 91), affordable and very safe.
Hamden - very easy commute to downtown but you'd want to avoid the side of town that borders New Haven. The areas called Mt Carmel and Westwoods are great. Again, affordable with lots to do and easy highway access, great parks, running paths etc.
Orange - it's Milford's neighbor but closer to New Haven and there are backroads into downtown. Someone mentioned the Post Road that runs through Milford and Orange which is retail/restaurant heaven! With that comes congestion on weekends but it is not terrible. Close enough to take advantage of both Milford and New Haven.

I agree with the person who said the decision to live in New Haven is a serious matter of safety - you'd have to do some serious research and visiting before you commit. I agree that Morris Cove is a nicer area but (in my opinion) there is nothing in that area that makes it desireable other than closer proximity to the water. In other words - Hamden, North Haven, Branford, Milford and Orange are as safe or safer and they just have more to offer.

[bjones2571]

Nico and Lizzie, many thanks for your suggestions!! I am going to be working for a law firm in downtown New Haven, so traffic is definitely a concern. How long of a commute would I be looking at from Branford or Milford? What is the name of the rail line that runs from Branford-New Haven? Thanks again everyone, this forum has been very helpful!!

Brendan

[JayCT]

The train from Branford is called Shoreline East. The downtown New Haven station is called State Street. That is most likely where you would get off. You will find its train schedule at the link below:

Shore Line East is Connecticut's Commuter Rail Service Between New Haven and New London

The train from Milford is Metro North's New Haven line. This service goes into Union Station which is on the outer edge of downtown. You would either have to walk, catch a bus or jump on a Shoreline East train to get into the heart of downtown. The Metro North schedule is at the link below:

mta.info | Metro-North Railroad

Hope this helps, Jay

[seymourct]

Many times people forget to suggest Derby , when talking about NewHaven suburban communities.

The town seems to have often gotten the shaft 'cause down town was run down, but it is now in redevelopment. Ok - -yes the redevelopment has hit a snag, but at least the blight is gone. Regardless there are some cute older homes, nice newer ones up on the hills, Rt 34 runs right in to downtown NH, many multifamily homes with apartments on a single floor of a home.
I think that there are a few brick buildings that have been re-purposed into modern apartments.

Welcome to Derby - Connecticut

I think the taxes are around 25 1/2 mils personal property.

[Lizzie007]

Originally Posted by bjones2571

Nico and Lizzie, many thanks for your suggestions!! I am going to be working for a law firm in downtown New Haven, so traffic is definitely a concern. How long of a commute would I be looking at from Branford or Milford? What is the name of the rail line that runs from Branford-New Haven? Thanks again everyone, this forum has been very helpful!!

Brendan

My personal opinion...I did not move to CT to have to take trains to work. I did that for years when I lived on Long Island and worked in NYC. It's just not for me personally. That's why I was very in tune to traffic patterns when picking a place to live. In these days of ludicrous gas prices though, it's a different story and it is a more viable option. Also, you'd have to consider where your office is in relation to the train station...would you save any time or money in the long run?
Both Milford and Branford would be about a 20 min commute from downtown New Haven without traffic. You would see more traffic living in Branford. You may hear about the "Q Bridge" which is an area on I-95 that crosses over the water and it's a nightmare during rush hour. They have recently started a project to rebuild the entire bridge but it is scheduled to take like 14 years or something, so there will be construction drama for that long. Milford is the other direction from New Haven - the traffic would be by the interchange of I-91 and I-95 where everyone crosses over. It is not as bad but it does exist and is something to be aware of epecially if you are working a standard 9-5 workday.

[Rich Lee]

With gas at $4.38/gallon, I wish I had the option of taking the train to work.

[nico7]

Originally Posted by bjones2571

Nico and Lizzie, many thanks for your suggestions!! I am going to be working for a law firm in downtown New Haven, so traffic is definitely a concern. How long of a commute would I be looking at from Branford or Milford? What is the name of the rail line that runs from Branford-New Haven? Thanks again everyone, this forum has been very helpful!!

Brendan

Probably the most challenging part about commuting on I-95 from Branford is that it's unpredictable. If the traffic is moving at 60-75 mph, you'll get to New Haven in 15 minutes. If there's an accident or construction activity it can be 40 minutes (worst case). The rush hour is something like 7:15-9:15 a.m., then 4:30-6:30 p.m. There has been ongoing construction between Branford and New Haven on I-95 for the last 20 years, so when they say it will finally be expanded to 3-4 lanes REALLY SOON, it's hard for me to believe that we'll see the end of construction. The construction companies stay in business by lobbying the state for continued modifications.

As for Milford, I can't say for sure. My guess is that it's similar, but probably more consistently in the 15-20 minute range because there are fewer construction projects.

The railroad is Shoreline East, which JayCT linked. I used to ride into New Haven from Guilford all the time, and it was the best part of my day. The scenery between Guilford and Branford is really beautiful, although you wouldn't see as much of that tidal marsh landscape between Branford and New Haven. If you take the rail into New Haven, it would always be about 15 minutes from Branford. Since there is no stop in East Haven, you have a straight shot from Branford station to State Street in New Haven.

[nico7]

Originally Posted by Iska

Nico7, how's Compton St @ Mansfield?

Iska, and anyone else with an interest in New Haven property:

Mansfield is a pretty good street -- a lot of Yale students live over there. Once you start heading west from there, it gets a bit shady. But I think you would probably be okay on Compton St. if you are near or at Mansfield.

The one caveat I would offer -- and for a long-term investment this is probably a good thing -- is that Yale is going to build its new residential colleges (ie, expanding the undergraduate housing) right near there. So in the short term there will be a lot of noise and commotion, but in the long term, property value and safety are almost certain to increase.

[notnewhaven]

You will totally regret moving to New Haven. The taxes are outrageous. The streets are filthy dirty and there are more potholes than pavement. There is a lot of CRIME. Street robberies, shooting, muggings, burglaries, petty theft, vandalism are common. You won't feel or be safe walking anywhere at night. In addition, the city will find any excuse to tow your car (that's how they make extra money). The police are corrupt as are the politicians. So unless you're going to Yale or planning on going on welfare or becoming a drug addict, I would NOT move to New Haven. Did I mention the parks are full of garbage and aren't safe either? East Rock is supposedly the "best" neighborhood in the city; however, it is basically a Yale graduate student ghetto, so, unless you're a Yalie prepared to be snubbed and kept awake by student parties. 3/4 of New Haven is a total slum. The school system is lousy too. Be warned.