Moving to Connecticut (Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich: to rent, how much, house)

shoejungle · 10-13-2009, 02:25 PM

Hi everyone,
Ok here is my situation. Just sold my house Long Island, moving to CT in a month or so. Husband's job got relocated, he is now working in Stamford. I have 2 pre school age children (one with a speech delay), and one entering HS. I am looking to rent first, then buy a home once I get to know the area. Good schools are of course important to us. We are open to areas outside of Stamford. I also would like a bit of diversity, as we are mixed races black/white/hispanic. Have been looking in Darien, Norwalk, New Canaan and of course Stamford. Still not sure.

I would welcome any suggestions.

Thank you all in advance, these forums have been very imformative and helpful.

KH02 · 10-13-2009, 02:39 PM

Stamford would be more diverse then any of the others but the schools aren't as good as the other towns you listed. Unfortunately, most of the really good school districts don't have tons of diversity.

shoejungle · 10-13-2009, 02:45 PM

thank you KH02, for your reply, I kinda imagined that. Guess its a choice between diversity and good school district hmmm

Stratford, Ct. Resident · 10-13-2009, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoejungle

Hi everyone,
Ok here is my situation. Just sold my house Long Island, moving to CT in a month or so. Husband's job got relocated, he is now working in Stamford. I have 2 pre school age children (one with a speech delay), and one entering HS. I am looking to rent first, then buy a home once I get to know the area. Good schools are of course important to us. We are open to areas outside of Stamford. I also would like a bit of diversity, as we are mixed races black/white/hispanic. Have been looking in Darien, Norwalk, New Canaan and of course Stamford. Still not sure.

I would welcome any suggestions.

Thank you all in advance, these forums have been very imformative and helpful.

Have you modified your initial housing budget that you mentioned this past summer? $400K barely buys a decent house in Norwalk or Stamford. $600K minimally in Darien/New Canaan.

JayCT · 10-14-2009, 07:09 AM

The Stamford area is one of the most expensive in the country. The nicer towns adjacent to it are among the most desirable in the country. Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan are great towns with excellents schools. Here is a link to information on the schools here in Connecticut.

Strategic School Profiles by District

Strategic School Profiles by School

Jay

FLASHcard · 10-14-2009, 11:11 AM

Would you consider Fairfield to be too far? I'm not sure if it is more diverse racially, but it seems more economically diverse than New Canaan & Darien. They also have a good schools.

Are the schools in Shippan good? That neighborhood seems to have a lovely mix of people.

shoejungle · 10-21-2009, 07:15 PM

thank you everyone for your replys. We are still looking but Im happy that Im getting to know Ct a lil better.

roxyrn · 10-25-2009, 02:01 PM

Actually, $1,000,000 is barely a starter house in New Canaan.

kidyankee764 · 10-25-2009, 02:06 PM

I don't know how much you can spend, but of the towns with excellent schools, I'd suggest you consider Greenwich. It's pretty diverse, economically as well as racially. It will be very expensive though.

mimf · 10-27-2009, 03:09 PM

Stamford is definitely the most diverse of these towns. As such, our schools are the most diverse, catering to students of all abilities. Our graduates go to Ivy League colleges and we have a great support program for students who need support. And, I've always said, your school is as good as your child's teacher. You need to be involved. There are great resources here. Find yourself a really good, competent realtor to show you the area.