[hconstan]

Hello,

My husband just got a job in New Haven and we will be relocating there in January. I've been researching towns on City Data and through rent.com, apartmentguide.com and Zillow, and so far Wallingford, North Haven and Hamden really stick out to me as far as being affordable, safe and close to New Haven. But Wallingford strikes me as being far away now, and I'm trying to cut down on my husband's commute time. It really sounds like if he takes I-91 southbound every morning it is going to get old, really fast. Stuck in traffic and whatnot...

So, that seems to exclude Wallingford, for us, because I can just imagine traffic coming to a standstill and what Google calls a 13 minute trip turning into something like 30-45 min. Am I right?

I certainly like the sound of places like Wallingford and Cheshire, but North Haven and Hamden are appealing to me more and more because of proximity to New Haven.

Then I started researching, and there's a really nice set of apartments in Shelton. I did a search and this thread: https://www.city-data.com/forum/conne...dbridge-5.html seems to say that Shelton is a great place. Good for kids, low prices, small city feeling. We are coming from Lake Forest, CA and that is a small city, and we really like how low key it is.

We are excluding coastal towns like Branford, Guilford, Milford etc.

Thanks for reading...am getting excited about Shelton because it sounds like taking I-34 would be better for my husband's commute, and give us everything else we are looking for, too. Safe city/good prices, close to New Haven, etc.

Thanks for any input,

Heather

[SeaDoo342]

34 isn't an interstate. It's a road with businesses and lots of lights.

There are better towns than Shelton. I would reconsider North Haven again because it's affordable and also reconsider Milford and Branford. Like I said Shelton is nice but there are towns that are just as nice that are more convenient.

[hconstan]

Yes, I was afraid that 34 might go through a lot of stoplights. Thanks, we will take a look at as many towns as possible when we arrive in early January.

[Stylo]

Why are you excluding coastal towns?

Sorry but I think your expectations of Shelton are off. It's not really a city at all, that's only a municipal differentiator. The downtown is small and doesn't offer a whole lot and is still very much in the process of being revitalized. The best parts of Shelton feel more rural with large lots separating the houses.

Your best bet for something closer to what you're looking for is the coastal towns. Things get less densely populated and more wooded as you go north from 95 generally.

Also, 34 is not a fun commute to New Haven. It especially backs up in Derby.

Are schools a priority for you?

[hconstan]

Seems like it would be more expensive....and my husband drove along 95 to get to his interview and said it was terrible. He won't consider Milford for that reason. When I look at the Branford side, it seems like getting to New Haven would lead you through a tangled mass of highway.

I don't discount the possibility that we will reconsider once we SEE those places, though.

Lurking here for 2 weeks off and on it seems like many people prefer Wallingford. Especially those w/kids.

[Stylo]

95 from Milford to New Haven is far from terrible. I do the drive every day and it's a cakewalk compared to commuting south to Westport/Norwalk, which I used to do. My commute is 15 minutes, on average.

No matter where you go in the New Haven area, you're going to hit traffic approaching the city. Luckily New Haven traffic isn't nearly as bad as Stamford/Norwalk or even Hartford traffic, and nowhere near as bad as LA traffic. You're talking a 10-15 minute delay on the very worst days.

In fact, a Shelton commute via 34 is probably the worst out of all options you've mentioned. You'd be better off commuting via 8>15>95 from Shelton. 34 in Derby is miserable and it's a slow commute through New Haven.

Where is the job located?

Bottom line, Milford to New Haven is pretty much a reverse commute. I see cars in the other direction and it looks miserable. When I go 91 South to connect to 95 South in the afternoon, the onramp to 95 North is almost always backed up. This would lead me to believe this is one of the more favorable commutes to New Haven. Friday afternoons are bad in every direction unfortunately.

Milford schools perform a bit better than Wallingford's too. It's a tad more expensive, but you get what you pay for, including direct train access to NYC. If you want the small city feeling, a decent commute, family-friendliness, good schools, I really don't see a better option. Here are some apartment options:

http://www.spinnakerapartments.com/M...apartments.asp
http://metrostarproperties.com/categ...ct-apartments/
http://www.avaloncommunities.com/con...valon-milford/

You should also consider Orange and Branford. Branford would require going over the Q bridge, which is a bit of a pain - but will be much better once the expansion is done in 2015/2016.

[7express]

34 from Shelton will take forever to get to New Haven. It is 45 MPH on the Ansonia-Orange stretch and can get through that fairly quickly once you get outside downtown Derby, but once you get into West Haven, it'll slow down considerably. And depending on where in New Haven he's going, you should probably add on another 10-15-20 minutes.

[Mr_250]

Originally Posted by hconstan

Shelton because it sounds like taking I-34 would be better for my husband's commute, and give us everything else we are looking for, too. Safe city/good prices, close to New Haven, etc.

I did the commute from Shelton to New Haven for a year and a half. It was horrible. You will not have a nice commute in. I also did the commute from 91 to New Haven (which includes Wallingford) and it was a breeze. Granted I was at my desk at 7a, but the drive was not bad. I would not cross out Wallingford or towns up 91.

Shelton really isn't a city either. It has a small downtown area and mainly box stores. IMO, some parts are ok but some parts are really run down.

[JayCT]

The others are correct. Commuting on Route 34 into New Haven from Shelton would not be fun. It is basically a 2 to 4 lane road with a lot of businesses and traffic signals. Plus I would think Shelton would be more expensive than other towns in the New Haven area.

Whether you should look north of New Haven or not kind of depends where in New Haven your husband will work. If he will be working in the Long wharf area or the medical district, it will take longer than if he worked downtown or at Yale University.

I also would not rule out looking into shoreline towns. The commute is not as bad as some people claim but you also have the option of taking trains into New Haven. If you lived in Milford, you could use Metro North and if you lived in Branford, Guilford or Madison there is Shoreline East. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Wallingford, while nice, is not one of the top rated suburbs of New Haven. Shelton is similar to Wallingford but further out. Schools in both towns are solid, but are definitely outranked by other suburbs like Madison and Woodbridge.

I second the others opinions to reconsider Branford, Milford, Madison, Guilford, Orange, Woodbridge (shares school district with Orange) and North Haven.

Traffic in New Haven is not nearly as bad as traffic in Fairfield County. It can still be terrible, but not horrific.