[Moving3!]

We are trying to decide between Rye vs. Darien. My husband will be commuting to NYC. The two towns seem very similar, but I'm trying to get a sense for the community feel. It appears you get a bit more house for your money in Darien and cheaper taxes, but a longer commute. Both offer beach access, but Rye also offers a pool and golf for residents. Do most residents use this or end up at private clubs? Any recommendations for preschools? Thoughts on either town would be appreciated.

[MikefromCT]

Hi Moving,

Everything you said is pretty much correct - they're both REALLY expensive, but if you're willing to put up with a slightly longer commute then Darien may work. From there, you're looking at a 1-hour train-ride to Grand Central Station, and the nice thing is there's a train station that runs right through the town center. Rye is in Westchester, and though it's closer to the city, housing and property taxes are higher. We've actually had a good number of people leave Westchester for Darien and other towns in lower Fairfield County. From what people have said, the cost of living is lower here, and from what people have said, they like the quality of life here more. Darien has multiple private country clubs as well, some of which are the town's biggest tax generators. If you have an opportunity to come out here, you may want to see for yourself to get an idea of what works best. Others here can probably recommend prechools and chime in with their own $0.02. Good luck!

[Stylo]

There are other towns to consider in both CT and NY. Curious why you are limiting yourself to Rye and Darien?

[kidyankee764]

I agree with Stylo - why don't you look into Greenwich? Darien is very nice and the schools do perform a little better, but Greenwich is a great town.

[SVTJayC]

The tax difference alone is worth passing on Rye. The commute difference between the 2 is minor.

[Capital Guy]

Are taxes in New York really that much higher than CT?

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by Capital Guy

Are taxes in New York really that much higher than CT?

According to Zillow, 2 homes recently sold for $2,000,000 in Greenwich and Rye:

Greenwich taxes: $14,552
Rye taxes: $28,857

[Capital Guy]

OMG. A 15k difference to live 6 miles away? That is ridiculous. Why would ANYONE live in New York? Even if you're well off??!

I thought CT was bad...

[kidyankee764]

Greenwich taxes are damned low. I pay 1k a month on a house that's probably less than 70% of Greenwich's median home price, and much less than $2 million. Ha.

[SVTJayC]

And that's because Rye isn't terribly exclusive. Try Briarcliff Manor, 1M house probably pays 40k in taxes.