[marintoct]

Hi there,

We may possibly have to relocate from San Francisco Bay Area, CA to Connecticut mid school year... specifically, within commuting distance from Milford, CT (max 40 mins). Would love to hear any inside scoop or suggestions on areas to check out.

We currently live in Marin County, CA so are used to high housing prices, but we'd like to stay between $750K and 1M if possible. We are hoping to find an area where folks are well educated but down to earth. We have been spoiled up to now being close to San Francisco with much to do, great restaurants, progressive political climate and all that it culturally has to offer. We've also been lucky to be in a great neighborhood here where we can walk our kids to school and are hoping for a similar situation out there.

We have two elementary aged kids and (of course) are interested in great schools. We would love to be in a family friendly neighborhood where other houses are in close proximity and our kids will have a better chance of meeting other kids, especially since they will be uprooted mid school year. It would be a plus to be walking distance to town center or to an area with coffee houses or shops...

Would love to hear any suggestions as I have only ever driven through Connecticut and (yes) I know I'm going to freeze!

[kidyankee764]

I'd suggest Fairfield for you. It's a few towns west of Milford, down to Earth and inexpensive compared to the affluent suburbs further down the line. In your price range you can get a nice home in a good neighborhood. Schools in Fairfield are excellent. I would have suggested Westport but it's more expensive, though it is absolutely beautiful. Check it out.

If you want more middle class where your money will go much further, look into Woodbridge. It's a suburban town next to New Haven home to many doctors, lawyers and professors. It does have a large Jewish population, and the folks are generally friendly. They also have excellent schools, shared with neighboring Orange (which is also a decent, more middle class suburban community). Only thing is these towns are very woodsy and don't have a town center.

I live just northwest of LA and am moving to back to CT in a few months. Can't wait.

[marintoct]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it!

[JayCT]

I agree that Fairfield is a great town but i would also suggest looking a bit closer to Milford. Check out Woodbridge or Orange. They are 10 to 15 minutes from Milford and are considered wonderful upscale suburbs of New Haven. These towns are more rural in character though and do not have the town center you would like (if that is important then Fairfield would be a better choice). You will find a great house there in your price range and will be close to all the amenities and culture that New Haven has to offer. Keep in mind though that New Haven is a small city and is not going to have as much as San Francisco. On the other hand you will be living about 95 minutes from Manhattan and you will certainly enjoy all that New York has to offer. Jay

[dazzleman]

I'd suggest Orange. I live in Fairfield and love it, but it's significantly more expensive than towns further east. If you'll be working in Milford anyway, it makes more sense to go to a nice town just east of Milford than to go west, where the prices rise with every mile you travel.

If I worked in the Milford-New Haven zone, I'd probably live in Orange myself. It's a great town, and it's near a lot things like restaurants, movie theaters, etc. Woodbridge is a bit more rural, and it gets more rural as you travel north from the coast.

[marintoct]

Thanks... makes sense about the prices going up as you go West but I must admit that Fairfield is pretty inviting...My husband has now expressed interest in coastal towns. What are the coastal towns like East of Milford?

[marintoct]

And how long is the commute from Fairfield to Milford with traffic?

[Lowerdeck]

Originally Posted by marintoct

Thanks... makes sense about the prices going up as you go West but I must admit that Fairfield is pretty inviting...My husband has now expressed interest in coastal towns. What are the coastal towns like East of Milford?

Milford borders West Haven on the water. So if you're looking for good schools, we're looking on the other side of the Havens: Branford, Guilford, Madison, Clinton.

The farther east you go, the longer the commute to Milford - especially with the mess around Long Wharf on I-95 and the reconstruction of the 95/91/34 interchange plus construction of a new Q Bridge. There's no real good way to get around this either, without going out of your way through North Haven.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by marintoct

And how long is the commute from Fairfield to Milford with traffic?

If you're commuting during the regular rush hours then traffic shouldn't be too bad going 95 N from Fairfield to Milford in the morning. Traffic generally goes south and west in southern Connecticut (toward Stamford and Manhattan) and north and east in the evening. You'll be going against traffic.

Now that you're considering coastal towns, I'd continue to look into Fairfield and Westport. IMO it seems like Westport is more what you are looking for, but Fairfield has a lower price tag. Westport does have top public schools, among the best in the country. Fairfield's are very good too.

I'd suggest Branford, Guilford and Madison but getting over the Q Bridge in the morning can be pretty difficult. 95 traffic can be rough, but as I said, if you're looking into Fairfield/Westport area, you'll be going against the traffic.

Maybe the better thing is to list towns in the area I don't think you'd like - Bridgeport, West Haven and New Haven. *ducks*

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by kidyankee764

Maybe the better thing is to list towns in the area I don't think you'd like - Bridgeport, West Haven and New Haven. *ducks*

No need to duck.

I'd probably be inclined to agree that Stratford, Milford and East Haven would also not be the most ideal choices for this particular OP.