[kattygirl27]

After a few years of struggle my husband and I are looking for a nice coastal community to move to. We had originally thought along the coast of Maine because we enjoy solitude but from what we have found out there would just be no work. So now we are looking at Connecticut. Could anyone reccomend a midsized city or town along the coast that would be small enough to allow it to feel like a community but big enough to find work? I appreciate any advice.

[JayCT]

Well a lot will depend on what type of work you are looking for and how much you can afford to spend. The New London area is nice with some great coastal towns (Stonington, Groton, Waterford, East Lyme and Old Lyme) but employment is somewhat limited.

You could look at the shoreline towns east of New Haven (Branford, Guilford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook and Old Saybrook) which are very charming. These towns are a bit more expensive but within commuting distance to New Haven which is a major city.

Fairfield county has many great shoreline towns and there are great employment opportunites but these towns are among the most expensive in the country. Consider more affordable towns like Fairfield, Stratford or Milford. Jay

[GrotonMan]

I agree with Jay entirely. The towns along the coast get more and more expensive as you move further west, however employment opportunities open up dramatically as well. There are many jobs to be had here in New London County, however they are pretty specific. If you happen to be an engineer, draftsman, medical worker, chemist, tourist industries, or have experience working in or with the military or federal government then you will probably be able to find a job here; however outside of those markets career jobs tend to be less available.

With more information about job selection and price ranges we should be able to help you find a great area to look into.

[kattygirl27]

My work history is mainly in sales and insurance but I have tourist services in the past as well.

[7 Wishes]

Hartford is nicknamed the "insurance capital of the world" and many (Aetna, Travelers and the aptly named "The Hartford" for example) are HQ'd there (though there's been significant job cuts in the last year or two), but it's about 40 miles from the shore. But maybe you could live on the shore in the New Haven area and commute......some have secondary HQ offices in the suburbs so if you got an insurance job in a suburb south of Hartford (I don't remember which companies, but I've seen such offices in Newington and Rocky Hill.....I've seen another one in Bloomfield but that's further away) you'd have an easier commute from the coast.

[Lincolnian]

There are a number of factors to consider when deciding where to live. Most important would be employment followed by budget. Whether or not you have school-aged children is another big factor.

I have a small home in West Haven 300 ft from a private beach with beautiful views of the sound. The area is quite affordable. Move that same home into nearby Milford and the price goes up a minimum of 50% due in large part to a better-rated school district. If you don't have children West Haven offers a lot of conveniences for more attractive prices. Taxes are another issue being higher in West Haven. However, areas like Milford are phasing in their higher taxes which will make the tax advantage less of an issue.

As far as small coastal communities, I would recommend considering Niantic, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Clinton or Madison. Essex isn't on the coast but it has the coastal feel being near the mouth of the Connecticut river and within a few miles of the coast.