[kgwustl]

My boyfriend and I have recently moved to the area for my job. Originally I'm from Cape Cod and after living in St. Louis and Dallas for the past 5 1/2 years I was excited to move back to the East Coast. But Westchester/Fairfield is not the coastal New England area I envisioned.

My offices are in Stamford and he commutes to Tarrytown. We'd like to keep our commutes to 45 minutes or less and are only considering rentals at the moment.
We are both intrigued by the Harbor Point development in the South End of Stamford for the new construction and its proximity to work, transportation, Fairway (better than Central Market!), and the sound. But after lots of research and several visits we are nervous that it won't develop into the new neighborhood it is designed to be for quite some time.
Danbury seems like another possibility and we'd love to have lake access for kayaking and swimming, but are there rentals in Danbury? and would our commutes be miserable?

I'd appreciate any suggestions of towns or neighborhoods. We'd like new construction, but would sacrifice that for a location on the water (sound or lake).

[JayCT]

Danbury would not be convenient to either Stamford or Tarrytown. I would not recommend living there.

You do not mention your budget for a rental. As you may know Fairfield County and Westchester County are very expensive. If you want to commute to Tarrytown and to be near the water you might want to consider a coastal town in Westchester like Port Chester or New Rochelle. I suggest posting on the Westchester Board for help.

As for Stamford, the Harbor point area will be under construction for years. It is a massive project. Still it is a nice area and the rentals there are nice too. Jay

[jdhall1]

I have clients that commute to Stamford and Tarrytown. They live up in Danbury because of more affordable pricing, modern housing selection and less & hustle and busle lifestyle of lower Fairfield County.

[Stylo]

There's plenty of rentals in Danbury. I lived in the area and was bored out of my mind. If you're young and have lived in cities I think you'll like Stamford MUCH better.

If you want things like good restaurants, nightlife and activities - it's not the place. It does have its upsides - safe, good shopping with one of the best malls in the state, Candlewood is a nice lake (although I wouldn't swim in it - yuck).

Also, Danbury to Stamford is a terrible commute. I know a few people that do it. Apparently their tolerance for traffic is much higher than mine. And the train is very slow to Stamford, so it's not even worth taking over driving.

Between the 2, Stamford 100%. Keep in mind it's more expensive than Danbury, but you get what you pay for.

Don't think there aren't coastal New England-ish towns in Fairfield though. Westport and Fairfield have that feel. And many towns in New Haven county, starting with Milford and ending with Madison. Unfortunately, living in Westport/Fairfield/Milford would be great for a Stamford commute, but torturous for a Tarrytown commute.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by jdhall1

I have clients that commute to Stamford and Tarrytown. They live up in Danbury because of more affordable pricing, modern housing selection and less & hustle and busle lifestyle of lower Fairfield County.

The problem with living in the Danbury area is that it is about an hour to both Stamford and Tarrytown WITHOUT traffic. During rush hour it will be longer. The OP mentioned that they do not want a commute of more than 45 minutes to either workplace. Living in Danbury would not provide that. Jay

[Stylo]

Consider Greenwich too, it's a nice town and while expensive, rentals are no more expensive than Stamford generally speaking.

[kgwustl]

Thank you all for your responses. I've heard Westport, Fairfield, Darien and Rowayton have a more New England feel, but are there apartment complexes in these towns?

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by kgwustl

Thank you all for your responses. I've heard Westport, Fairfield, Darien and Rowayton have a more New England feel, but are there apartment complexes in these towns?

Apartments are rarer in those towns, but you'll probably have the most luck in Fairfield. Darien and Rowayton don't really have much in terms of rentals. There are some in Westport, but they are very expensive.

A commute to Tarrytown from any of those places would be absolutely horrific, with the exception of maybe Darien - but again, you're not finding rentals there.

If you want a more New England feel than Stamford, and want to keep a sane commute - I recommend Greenwich.