<p>H is being considered for a job in Stamford, CT.** If** it happens, it would involve a relocation for us (from the Philly, PA area).</p>
<p>Fortunately, we are pretty much empty nesters, with the youngest halfway through college.</p>
<p>I would love suggestions on towns to consider, just so I can be somewhat prepared *if *we get an official offer. We are ready to downsize from a conventional house on an acre of land to something more low maintenance. I would consider a townhouse as long as there was some gardening area in front for flowers and in back for some veggies. I really want sidewalks and to be able to walk to do most errands – grocery shopping, library, etc. So walking distance to an attractive, functional business district is a priority. A small “in town” low maintenance house would also be OK. We are turning 60 and hope to keep things simple but appealing. </p>
<p>We have always lived in aesthetic, beautiful areas so are spoiled and hope for the same in the future.</p>
<p>When first married (3+ decades ago) we lived in Rye, NY, just over the border from CT, so have some familiarity with the area. I know Fairfield County, CT is the “gold coast” and very pricey. We would probably choose to live on the side of Stamford away from NYC (no need to pay up for convenience to NYC since H would not be commuting to there.) We are hoping to find someplace not too “stuffy/snobby” and with at least some income diversity (or at least not all wealthy). Do we need to go more inland for that? My H has been to Ridgefield and thinks I would like that town.</p>
<p>Any input would be MUCH appreciated. THANKS!</p>
<p>There are residential areas in Stamford where you can buy a house that should meet your criteria. Stamford, while not as pricey as other areas on the Gold Coast, can be pretty expensive, particularly for houses with 1,500+ sq. ft. You may want to take a look at the Glenbrook area of Stamford. It has a variety of housing options and has a shopping center (I’m not sure how easy it is to find a house in walking distance, though).</p>
<p>Stamford’s pretty diverse both ethnically and socioeconomically. The surrounding towns: Greenwich, New Canaan, and Darien are more upper-middle class areas and are a little more homogeneous (particularly for the latter two). I’m not very familiar with some of the areas in north Fairfield County, so I unfortunately cannot give any perspective in regards to those areas.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. We are made our peace with pricey, especially as our current house is mortgage free so we can go in to a new situation with good equity, and can handle a healthy mortgage on top of what we put down. We know we will have to pay in the very high six figures for a home in the area, but are hoping that not all the people in town will be investment bankers, lawyers or doctors. We would love to have some teachers and social workers, etc., living in the community too. </p>
<p>Top priority for me is being able to walk to do my errands. A really good business district (more than just a shopping center) is what I envision. That is why we are considering some of the towns, rather than Stamford itself.</p>
<p>I was not looking for relocation, even though I worked in Stamford for 3 years and was commuting from New Jersey. However, I got familiar to the area a little bit. I think if you go towards Bridgeport, you will find more affordable homes or condos. I was in Stamford at the time of the housing boom, so my advise may out dated.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you would consider the town of Fairfield to be close enough, but when DH and I were younger we came very close to purchasing a home there. It’s about 20 minutes north, if memory serves, and had many of the features of the other towns with more actual business amenities. I think it was on the list of Money magazine’s top-ten best places to live a couple of years ago.</p>
<p>DH had a sudden job transfer and so we never closed on the house. I’ve always regretted it 'cause it seemed like a neat town.</p>
<p>I would not have enjoyed living in Stamford or Norwalk. We actually rented a home in Greenwich for two years. I don’t know how much of a business district you want, but I usually drove to Stamford for much of my shopping since Greenwich only had a sort of “uptown” downtown.</p>
<p>I’m very familiar with this area, and I think wanting to be able to walk to a really good business district means most of the suburban towns around Stamford, including Ridgefield, just won’t work for you, and you may be looking at urban living. New Canaan has homes, including condominiums, that are walkable to a very charming downtown, but I think the prices will blow you away (probably one of the most expensive towns in the country)–take a look at the realtor dot com website and see if it’s anywhere in the ballpark for you. Fairfield is about 30 minutes from Stamford, but can be twice that in commuter traffic. If you tell me how long a commute (timewise) is acceptable for your husband (commuting from the less expensive areas to Stamford involves nasty traffic, since all the NYC commuters are on the same roads) and how far you are willing to walk to do errands (distancewise), I may be able to make some suggestions.</p>
<p>Another thought–look at Westchester County towns. Housing is cheaper because taxes are higher (it all kind of comes out even). I’m not knowledgeable about what towns may have residential areas that are walkable to a downtown, though. Rye Brook may be one possibility. The trip to and from Stamford is a reverse commute and probably a lot easier that coming from any of the Connecticut towns. (Also, I sent you a PM.)</p>
<p>Re commute, H now has about an hour commute (worked quite locally when we bought this house but since changed jobs) and I would love to improve on that aspect of his life, especially as we age. Half an hour would be great. I guess I was hoping to simplify all around if we make this move. I am well aware we will be paying more and getting less for housing. </p>
<p>Re walking business district, what I really want is access to a supermarket and the library. Perhaps a cafe or two as well? Other shopping (clothes, furniture, etc.) is done rarely by me and I would be quite willing to drive for that. I am not that good about working out at a gym and walking to do daily errands is exercize I could count on doing regularly. So I would be happy to walk daily to a grocery store for that night’s dinner supplies. I also frequent the library so a good local one is important to me. Guess I am looking for a New England village type of situation.</p>
<p>I love to garden and for once even appreciated weeding today, as I contemplated leaving my beloved plants. Perhaps I am not that ready for townhouse living after all.</p>
<p>jyber - I don’t know you (or your husband) well enough to make specific recommendations … but I can make some general observations that may guide your search.</p>
<p>First of all, if a later-in-life relocation to CT is in the cards, Stamford is probably the best place to “land.” It’s a safe and well-managed small city with a sophisticated populace. It’s close (relatively) to NYC, and it has a train stop within easy walking distance of downtown. Commuting by train is worth considering … especially since I95 can resemble a parking lot during rush hour.</p>
<p>There are many wonderful towns in southwest CT. I’d recommend figuring out the commute first, and then searching for the right town to live in. Good luck with the move … and welcome to Connecticut!</p>
<p>I agree with MommaJ. I’m not sure you can get what you want without spending a bundle in the towns immediately surrounding Stamford. (If cost isn’t a factor, you might look at Old Greenwich.) If you go further out, you might find what you want, but you let yourself in for a potentially hellish commute. You can certainly find a very nice townhouse or luxury condominium in Stamford itself (not sure about the gardening space, though). The Shippan section of Stamford is lovely, very much it’s own community, and five minutes from downtown. No shopping area in walking distance, though. You might also try looking at the Rowayton section of Norwalk.</p>
<p>I currently live in Stamford and think that Glenbrook and the Cove area too are very nice. I’m not too sure about the surrounding towns but Norwalk (about 15 minutes away) has cheaper houses than us. (I think) It’s also a nice city and has a lot of stores.</p>
<p>For a charming walkable downtown with a great library you cannot beat New Canaan. There are townhouses/condos and smaller houses on smaller lots tucked in all around. One can drive to virtually any location in Stamford without going onto a highway from New Canaan. Or he might luck out and be able to take the train to his office.</p>
<p>Fairfield would be more diverse and less expensive, but it has multiple business areas, some of which are strips. You’d have to pick and choose. Again, ideally he could take the train to Stamford.</p>
<p>Ridgefield is a possibility, but more strung out and less walkable than New Canaan.</p>
<p>There are some interesting neighborhoods along the shore in Norwalk/South Norwalk and Stamford, which range from the area where William F Buckley lived to some much more modest and much more diverse neighborhoods. And since ou don’t have to worry about school quality, you can look more freely. Walking to the library and stores from them is something I don’t know about, though.</p>
<p>Katonah (Westchester, NY) is rather lovely, walkable, (but pricey) and not too far a commute to Stamford. I have family in both Stamford and Westchester; the drawback is tax messiness when you work in one state and live in another, but I’m partial to Westchester (I think it’s prettier…)</p>
<p>Ridgefield has some nice in-town condos. Wilton as well. Absolutely New Canaan. Check out Westport, Darien. </p>
<p>I live in one of those towns I just mentioned, and have a shop in another. I’ve been in this area for 25 years … you can also find what you are looking for in Stamford proper or Greenwich.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the feedback, and the PMs as well.</p>
<p>We have been getting quite an online education about this area. Because I read that area traffic during rush hour is really difficult, and I want to spare my H a stressful commute, I am now thinking we should choose a location either in Stamford or with a great train commute. The office would be within walking distance from the Stamford train station. </p>
<p>From what I understand Westport has excellent train service. I have been checking condo listings there. Several do have grounds included where I could garden.</p>
<p>Can anyone suggest appealing neighborhoods in Stamford that would offer walking access to both grocery shopping and a library (either the main library or a branch)? Then I could look at condos in those neighborhoods.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the input! If things progress further this week we may make a trip to CT next weekend.</p>
<p>If he can walk from Stamford Train Station … look at New Canaan. The NC line runs like every 30 minutes. He could do the Danbury Line … but there are fewer trains and it takes longer. I’d use the WPSIR dot com real estate site and draw your search area around the station. There are in-town condos, and also smaller homes that are close to downtown.</p>
<p>You might also check out Darien … short drive avoiding highway … and Fairfield which could involve taking the train on the main line.</p>
<p>jyber: Fairfield County is a wonderful place to live.<br>
**I strongly urge you to consider Greenwich, which is a hop away from Stamford. It’s much less expensive than you’d think (or much more, depending on the particular neighborhood). It’ll be easier commute since you’re “against the traffic”. </p>
<p>*<em>Stamford itself offers tons of condos, at a variety of price ranges.<br>
*</em>Darien is extremely small and homogeneous.
*<em>Westport is great. Much more current. Great beaches.
*</em>Fairfield is less expensive, but further from NYC.</p>
<p>North of Stamford (Weston, Wilton, New Canaan, Ridgefield) is much more country-ish. NC is probably the most cosmopolitan of the group, great downtown, but it’s pricey and much smaller than Greenwich.</p>
<p>**Westchester County, in NY is much more diverse, but the taxes are outrageous.</p>
<p>You should also look to see what “you get” (especially compared to mill rate/taxes). Check out community perks, like the beaches, library, special events, symphony. Although your kids are not in the school system, some towns offer great HS events you might want to attend. Many of these towns have pockets of communities have their own “special flavor”, so be sure to ask your realtor about that aspect (like North Stamford vs beach area). And then there’s the resale value, which is often based on the school system.</p>
<p>Stamford, Greenwich, Old Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Norwalk and Fairield all have town maintained salt water beaches with an annual sticker fee ($10 ish or free for residents depending on the specific town); I believe Wilton has a reciprocity agreement with Westport for a slight upcharge. Ridgefield, New Canaan and Weston are landlocked and Ridgefield and Weston have town maintained lake access for residents.</p>
<p>Stamford, Norwalk, New Canaan, Fairfield all have town maintained dedicated dog parks if that’s of interest. Ferguson Library in Stamford is the largest locally, and has two branches. The Stamford branch of UCONN is three blocks from the main Ferguson, and has interlibrary exchange for state residents. Stamford, Norwalk, Greenwich and Ridgefield each have paid professional symphony orchestras, with many musicians of note from NYC orchestras, Broadway pit musicians, “go to” session/studio players and free lancers. Exceptional big name ensemble/chamber music throughout the area at fairly low cost in some incredible intimate venues.</p>