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I loved Ridgefield when I visited but I hated the location. Even without a Manhattan commute, it seemed far from anything. Maybe I am wrong but when I looked there, there didn't seem to be any nearby highways. It was 20 minutes to 684/84 and 30 minutes to I95. I only spent one day so I am no expert at all but when I put my GPS on, there were no highways within 20-25 minutes and that is not for me. That being said, the town was really beautiful and the houses were relatively inexpensive. I was there on a weekday and the traffic in town in the middle of the day was brutal (much worse than Chappaqua). However, the town is lovely and if you do not commute and are are fine staying nearby than it is a very nice town.
I loved Ridgefield when I visited but I hated the location. Even without a Manhattan commute, it seemed far from anything. Maybe I am wrong but when I looked there, there didn't seem to be any nearby highways. It was 20 minutes to 684/84 and 30 minutes to I95. I only spent one day so I am no expert at all but when I put my GPS on, there were no highways within 20-25 minutes and that is not for me. That being said, the town was really beautiful and the houses were relatively inexpensive. I was there on a weekday and the traffic in town in the middle of the day was brutal (much worse than Chappaqua). However, the town is lovely and if you do not commute and are are fine staying nearby than it is a very nice town.
It's close to peace and quiet. There are restaurants galore and lots of shopping. Danbury mall is just up the road. If you ignore the Manhattan commute what do you need to be closer to? (I'm assuming that most people looking at Ridgefield are family oriented, not singles looking for nightlife - it's pretty far from that!)
It's close to peace and quiet. There are restaurants galore and lots of shopping. Danbury mall is just up the road. If you ignore the Manhattan commute what do you need to be closer to? (I'm assuming that most people looking at Ridgefield are family oriented, not singles looking for nightlife - it's pretty far from that!)
I like to be closer to highways because I do many things outside of my area. I know other people are very different and spend a lot of time in their town and wouldn't mind being far from highways. For me, I wouldn't enjoy it because I like to visit friends, family, museums, aquariums, beaches, zoos, etc. I spend my weekend doing many things outside my town and none of them include nightlife. I know people have different lifestyles and I wanted to give the op a different perspective. She is coming from far and may not realize how difficult it will be to get from Ridgefield to most other areas. I know many people that would love that. Others would hate that and I do not know the OP's lifestyle.
I like to be closer to highways because I do many things outside of my area. I know other people are very different and spend a lot of time in their town and wouldn't mind being far from highways. For me, I wouldn't enjoy it because I like to visit friends, family, museums, aquariums, beaches, zoos, etc. I spend my weekend doing many things outside my town and none of them include nightlife. I know people have different lifestyles and I wanted to give the op a different perspective. She is coming from far and may not realize how difficult it will be to get from Ridgefield to most other areas. I know many people that would love that. Others would hate that and I do not know the OP's lifestyle.
Got it, that's fair. And you're right, Ridgefield is pretty isolated. If a lot of one's time is spent in the general region - vs the local area - it's not nearly as convenient as towns along the I-95 or Merritt Pkwy corridors. I'm reminded of the old seatbelt public service ad. The message was along the lines of wear your seat ALL the time, even locally, cause 90% of accidents occur within 35 miles of home. Well, duh! Most people rarely drive more than 35 miles from home.
Without a traffic jam, you're only about 20-25 minutes from Katonah, and I-684. Danbury and I-84 are about 20 minutes away, as is the Merritt Parkway. Westport is about 30 minutes, and White Plains is about 45 minutes. I've not encountered anyone who grew up/lived in Ridgefield who felt isolated in the town, but I can understand not wanting to drive across Route 35 to get to 684, as it does add time to wherever you're headed, though it's not as isolated in feel as an area like Litchfield.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
One thing to mention about Ridgefield, while it really is a fantastic town, the traffic can be AWFUL at times.... much worse than anything I have seen in Chappaqua
Property taxes, yes, but they have a car tax, too, which we don't. And while their governer is actively raising taxes, ours is trying to cut them.
Don't know about Ridgefield, but when we looked in Greenwich, home prices were easily 40%+ more, and with nearly double the commute we decided it just wasn't worth it. And yes, traffic almost anywhere in southern CT is a nightmare.
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