[SWP]

I wish to move to the New England area from the PNW. I have lived here for three years and gotta leave. I will be purchasing a home and value safety. I'm a self-employed artist and need to be near water, parks, zoo, botanical gardens, and nautical scenery. I'm also interested in an area that has a singles population.

[KH02]

What do you consider being "Near" a zoo?? less then 30 mintue drive, less then 10, or less then an hour or so??

[SWP]

Originally Posted by KH02

What do you consider being "Near" a zoo?? less then 30 mintue drive, less then 10, or less then an hour or so??

Well, I do not go to the zoo all the time. Within 30 minutes would be nice. I go there to take wildlife pics, part of my work. On average I probably visit 3-4 times per year.

[KH02]

The only Zoo in CT is located in Bridgeport, CT though I would NOT recommend you live there.
As far as botanical gardens there are some allover the state. Being within a half hour of the ocean would limit your search to the southern areas of CT.
Fairfield county which is along the southwest corner of the state on the water is the most expensive.
I would look into New Haven County areas. that way you are near the water (within 30 min) and close enough to commute to the zoo a few times a year.
With a price point I could give you some towns.
But since you like safety it definitely rules out many cities.

[superk]

I was thinking about maybe a place like Mystic.

[UnschoolerinCT]

Originally Posted by SWP

I wish to move to the New England area from the PNW. I have lived here for three years and gotta leave. I will be purchasing a home and value safety. I'm a self-employed artist and need to be near water, parks, zoo, botanical gardens, and nautical scenery. I'm also interested in an area that has a singles population.

The only zoo in CT is in Bridgeport and is not worth visiting, IMO. The Bronx Zoo in New York and the Providence, RI zoo are both nice zoos.

New England is a wonderful region to live, IMO. I am a transplant and love it here. I wish CT had a better zoo though.

[StarlaJane]

I would suggest somewhere near New Haven--Stony Creek, Guilford and Madison are all on the water; Hamden, Cheshire and North Haven are more suburban but there is a state park (Sleeping Giant) in Hamden; Cheshire is what I think of when I imagine a charming NE town [in that area] but it is not on the water.
All of those towns are within 30-45 minutes of New Haven, where there is Yale University, a singles population, great restaurants (especially pizza) and the Peabody Museum of Natural History. No botanical gardens nor a zoo, though...
My rec would be Guilford, although it would require a commute to neighboring towns for all the activities that you wish to do.

[usmcfamily]

You don't specify a price range. My first suggestion (and priciest) would be Darien. You'd be an hour from the Bronx Zoo, on the water, and close to Stamford and Norwalk for singles activities.

Mystic would be my second suggestion.

The Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport is very small, geared towards younger kids and nothing like the Bronz Zoo. It probably wouldn't have what you need. However, it's a nice zoo to visit with young children.

[JayCT]

There could be some good photo opportunities at the Beardsley Zoo. It is a small zoo and the animals are pretty close up to you most of the time. It als has a great carousil that has horses that date back nearly 100 years. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by SWP

I wish to move to the New England area from the PNW. I have lived here for three years and gotta leave. I will be purchasing a home and value safety. I'm a self-employed artist and need to be near water, parks, zoo, botanical gardens, and nautical scenery. I'm also interested in an area that has a singles population.

Westport, if you can afford it.