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Can someone please describe the town of Branford CT and it's reputation? Considering moving there for work. Thanks!
I live in the next town west of Branford, but spend a lot of time in Branford. It is a great town, walkable Main St. downtown with lots of restaurants and coffee shops. Nice green, flanked by several churches; concerts held on the green in the summer and a big festival in June. Fireworks around the 4th of July. Branford Hill, a part of US Route 1 is wall to wall commercial, a WalMart nearby and a Kohl's. Nice public beach and several nice parks. They are building a big new fire station. Where would you be working? I-95 has several entrances and exits in town. Housing is pricier than in my town, but it gets more expensive as you head east to Guilford and Madison.
Great little town. Beautiful town center, convenient to basic shopping, near New Haven for culture and restaurants, not a ton of sandy beaches like Milford/Madison - but its own unique, beautiful and rocky shoreline with the Thimble Islands. Stony Creek/Pine Orchard is a gorgeous area.
I moved to Branford a few years ago and love it. I made this post in another thread but feel it could help you here:
Quote:
Originally Posted by kidyankee764
Well, I don't want to try to convince you - you'll probably be convinced yourself once you take a drive from downtown down 146 along the water.
The great thing about Branford is it's a nice mixture of people. You have apartments and condos right up to multimillion dollar mansions on the water, and everything in between. There are multiple areas: Short Beach (more middle class), Indian Neck (upper middle class), Stony Creek and Pine Orchard (both more affluent).
Schools are good, the population is generally well-educated, and the police department is accredited and is a model for others in the state (which means highly educated officers, in turn leading to better community relations). The shoreline is dotted with marinas, good seafood shacks/restaurants, nice views of the Thimble Islands/LI Sound and parks. Downtown has a good mixture of places, from coffee and bagel shops to pubs and boutiques.
Route 1 can be a bit of an eyesore, especially on the western side of town (Branford Hill), but you can live in town and almost never have to drive along it.
Guilford, Madison and Clinton are all nice towns too, but they are less diverse economically and you'll have to travel quite a ways to shop. IMO, Branford's pace of life is a little faster (not surprising seeing you can be in busy New Haven in 7-10 minutes from the Branford town center), and there is more to do than in, say, Madison.
Branford is a very nice mix of everything. Something for everyone, with very safe residential areas, lots of activities, close ties to Yale, beautiful shoreline. The only down-side in my mind is the traffic congestion that sometimes rears its head on Route 1 (Boston Post Rd) and Interstate 95. There are some condo/apartment complexes that might be "less desirable" but most are very good. If you'll buy or rent a house, there is a wide range of options, all the way up to a private island of your own.
Branford is a very nice mix of everything. Something for everyone, with very safe residential areas, lots of activities, close ties to Yale, beautiful shoreline. The only down-side in my mind is the traffic congestion that sometimes rears its head on Route 1 (Boston Post Rd) and Interstate 95. There are some condo/apartment complexes that might be "less desirable" but most are very good. If you'll buy or rent a house, there is a wide range of options, all the way up to a private island of your own.
Traffic in Branford is rarely, if ever, bad. It's nothing like Route 1 in Milford/Orange. 95 does get congested though, especially in the summer, but IMO, being familiar with traffic south of New Haven, it's nothing up here.
Wow! Branford sounds great! The schools sound solid and there seems to be a wide variety of neighborhoods. We are a family with children that like to be outdoors as much as possible. If you have any more suggestions about the different areas to buy a house, it is wonderful to read all of the advice, very helpful. Thanks
Branford has one of the most scenic areas in the state: the Thimble Islands. The coast of Branford is beautiful and there are a series of tiny islands just off the coast which people have built homes on. they range from shacks to stunning mansions. You can take a boat tour from the Stony Creek section of Branford which is particularly stunning in the evening. As others noted it is a very ncie area. Jay
but that's not to say any part of Branford is particularly worth avoiding.
Agreed. There really isn't a bad section of Branford. I personally would avoid the area of Short Beach, primarily because to get to 95N, you have to drive all the way to the center side of town (exit 54). It's a little inconvenient. If you're looking at condos, avoid the ones near Walmart. They don't have the best reputation.
Other than that, you're good.
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Thanks
