[connecticutbound]

We are moving to Connecticut this summer. Have been there and decided to move to Middlebury, for the high school. (We have one child, and he's in high school.) Job is in Trumbull. But ...... am now having second thoughts about Middlebury. We live in a small metro area where we are used to a more urban lifestyle (i.e., kids walk to school, we walk or bike to shops, restaurants, library, etc.), and I worry that Middlebury will be too rural. I accept that a move to New Haven would require us to find a private school, and we're ok with that. So, I am curious to hear people's thoughts on New Haven ......... can a family have a safe urban lifestyle there, with a teenager? We are prepared to spend $400-500k for a house, but do not want to be anywhere I'll hear gunshots, or even worry about that. Any thoughts?

[jjbradleynyc]

New Haven city limits has 2 very good neighborhoods, in my opinion: East Rock and Westville. Much of the downtown area is also decent, with some good area, but it is very urban, and problems are associated with that--typical problems anyway.

Most of urban New Haven is unfortunately crime-ridden and rough and tumble. Those two neighborhoods are quaint, safe (for the most part), and have some great neighborhood "spots" like cafes, bars, pubs, restaurants, etc.

[connecticutbound]

Stamforder, thank for your reply and I am glad to hear you say that, as I have looked into Westville and East Rock and I agree that they appear to be the best areas of New Haven. East Rock is the most appealing to me, and I love what I read about the neighborhood, but I just checked the New Haven Independent and was disappointed by the incidents of crime I read about. It may be more than we're willing to deal with ............

[jjbradleynyc]

Yeah, those neighborhoods are nice. If picking anywhere inside city limits of New Haven, those are excellent choices. But, I do understand that the crime may be a bit much to deal with, inside New Haven. You might want to consider some suburbs surrounding New Haven. But I am not familiar enough to be able to suggest some good ones. Others on the forum are more well-versed in those suburbs...

[maak1]

We have lived in the new haven area for the past 7 years. We really like it and I agree Westville (close to Hopkins-an excellent but very $$$$ private school) and East Rock are the nicest parts of New Haven. East Rock has alot of Yale faculty living there and is safe but can be busy with Yale traffic. Yale and downtown New Haven have alot to offer. The houses can be very pricely around Foote School along St Ronan Street. Houses in the lower bracket are older and close together in the East Rock Neighborhood. I also think Whitneyville (near Hamden Hall another good private school) and Spring Glen are nice neighborhoods in Hamden and North Haven (good public schools) near Ridge road is nice also. These are all close to East Rock Neighborhood and New Haven. I have never really felt the crime in these areas was that bad. Good Luck. There is so much to see and do here.

[JayCT]

Keep in mind that though Connecticut cities are small, they are more comparable to major urban areas than small cities. They are small because of geographical limitations and do not incvlude the suburbs surrounding them like other large cities do. Also note that there are more urban towns you could consider to get the best of both. I would recommend Milford to start. the schools are very good and there is just about everything you will need nearby. Plus if you want the city, you can visit New York quickly. Anothe option may be Fairfield. It is more upscale and a little pricy but you can get a decent home in your price range there. I would also consider Trumbull itself which is a very nice town with everything you will need. Plus the commute would be minimal. Jay

[KirkCTDel]

We're wondering if Madison or Guilford are viable alternatives to living in New Haven proper? The mileage doesn't look too bad on MapQuest, but we have no clue what traffic would be like, since we're just starting to research CT.

Are both of these towns walkable, especially if you live within a few blocks of their centers? How are the schools? We're started to look through the state's comparison, but it doesn't always tell the full picture.

http://www.csde.state.ct.us/public/d...07/dist039.pdf


We are considering a possible move to CT in about two years, and we're grateful for all the great info in this forum. Thanks!

[JayCT]

Madison and Guilford are beautiful towns with excellent schools but are located over 35 miles from Trumbull and you would have to travel through New Haven. This would add a lot of time to that commute. Without traffic you are talking 45 minutes, With traffic figure an hour to an hour and a half. Plus if you are thinking that towns that are more urban like you said earlier, these towns are not for you. Again, I would consider Milford, Orange, Trumbull or even Fairfield. Jay

[maak1]

Madison and Guilford have outstanding schools. I was told by a friend Guilford public schools were even better than the pricey private school he was sending his children to in New Haven. If you move there and dont work in the towns themselves you will spend lots of time driving. There are town centers and are walkable and nice but much of the housing is semi rural and away from the centers. There is not much major shopping (although no problems with essential and small local shops) in the immediate area and the bridge (the "Q") that leads from Madison and Guilford to anything south is very very congested at times. They are building a new bridge but that is years away and may in itself cause more delays. I do know people love Madison and Guilford (end property values seem to be holding there) and are just not bothered by driving. I do think it is nice to be close to the sound and once the bridge is built drive times may go down.