[East of the River]

I would sat East Lyme but that puts you near a Nuke plant.
Guilford is worth a look.
I honestly like Westerly/RI Pawcatuck CT for a shoreline town but it's not near much.
Deep river/ Essex may be options. Or for a way from it all Chester.
For a little more suburban away from the coast maybe Simsbury CT. In the same vain Glastonbury CT. Both would be commutable to some of the bigger school districts in CT.
Your money goes a lot further in Eastern and Central CT.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by MountainsAreCalling16

My husband does IT so we just need a good internet connection. I am certified science teacher. The market is absolutely awful on the Island and I've only been able to get long leave replacements. Nothing tenure track has popped up and I know several people who have been excessed. Enrollment on the island is on a downward trend, so the market is going to just get worse. I am fine working part time in some other field at this point.

There is a great need for science teachers here in Connecticut. I know a retired science teacher who is always getting calls to return. I am not sure what certifications you would need though. You might talk to this agency for help:

http://fairfieldteachers.com/

As for places to look, there are MANY, The first that comes to mind are the suburbs east of New Haven: Branford, Guilford and Madison. Another area to consider would be outside Danbury. Brookfield, Bethel and New Fairfield would be good as well as Newtown, Southbury and Oxford.

In the greater Hartford area, there are many towns that may interest you. In the beautiful Farmington River Valley are towns like Farmington, Simsbury, Avon, Canton and Granby. Glastonbury and South Windsor offer a lot too. I hope this helps. Jay

[Lalalally]

Originally Posted by MountainsAreCalling16

I am looking to move off Long Island.

I need suggestions where to look in CT.

I have 3 children, 3 dogs, and 5 chickens. I am looking for a family friendly neighborhood with low crime and good schools. I want more open space. I currently only have 1/4 acre and would like to have an acre so I can have a buffer between myself and neighbors, Don't get me wrong, I like neighbors, I just don't their deck looking into my back yard. A neighborhood that is safe to walk around and the kids could play with neighborhood kids would be nice. A consistent neighborhood is crucial...I don't want a good street and then a few streets over a bad area.

As far as politics go, I would want somewhere moderate to conservative.

Town: Mainstreet town where you could walk around, get food, walk to the library, go to community events like movies in the park or a parade. If you are familiar with Long Island think Port Jefferson Village, Northport, Sayville etc. I like New England villages.

The following stores within like 20 minutes would be good: BJs or Costco, Target or Walmart, Lowes or Home Depot or a large Ace Hardware, a movie theater.

Environmental: no superfund sites or sites were nuclear power plants have leaked into the ground water.

House: 2,000+ sq ft, acre yard (could settle for half acre), 4+beds, 2+ baths, basement, garage

Budget: up to 425k

Where should I look?

You can check out New Fairfield. Hits on all your requests, with the exception of a having walkable downtown village feel like you describe... However, it does have sidewalks in town center connecting all of the shopping plazas and you can walk to the library, to parks, to casual dining spots with outdoor seating in the summer months, to Starbucks, etc. The town also sponsors monthly family movies @ Memorial Field Park in the summer, which is right downtown next to the library. The local Lion's Club puts on a great Fourth of July Parade and an old time carnival, and the volunteer fire departments started a Christmas Light Parade a few years ago, which has grown remarkably in a short period of time and is lots of fun. It's always the Saturday after Thanksgiving and coincides with the Town's Tree Lighting festivities.


This year also welcomed the first annual Town-wide "Sip and Stroll," which was held in early May. So yes, while you can certainly walk the town, it does not have an old school quaint New England village feel like say a Ridgefield does.

[SWCT_NY_PRIDE_]

I first said New Fairfield but someone thought different... he said there wasn't a walkable town center. Which I would think it's pretty walkable

[Lalalally]

Originally Posted by SWCT_NY_PRIDE_

I first said New Fairfield but someone thought different... he said there wasn't a walkable town center. Which I would think it's pretty walkable

Yes it’s walkable now. Sidewalks went in almost a year ago so they’re new and maybe whoever commented didn’t realize. it’s a very nice addition to town and nice to see people out there walking around in this weather. It’s no downtown like Ridgefield or New Milford, but it’s a great addition to NF

[SWCT_NY_PRIDE_]

Lalalally, Deffenetly

[Kelann]

Glastonbury has great schools, lovely farm areas in South Glastonbury and shopping, Home Depot, restaurants etc in North part of Glastonbury. I am from the Boston area and though I don't love CT in general, Glastonbury is a town I would pick up and take with me if I had to move away. School system is great. My sons in their 20's love Glastonbury. You can walk in areas closer to the center but like any suburb, there are unwalkable streets. It's a great combination of town and village. You should visit on a sunny day.

[Kelann]

Also, the Center is walkable with many restaurants, the library, Riverfront Park with park area and boat launch.

[CTartist]

"Yes, CT would be appealing because I could easily take the ferry over to visit family. It also has open space, unlike Long Island which is getting over developed."

"If you are familiar with Long Island think Port Jefferson Village, Northport, Sayville etc."

From your quotes it looks to me like you want to get to Port Jefferson on the ferry to see relatives. The fastest ferry would be out of Bridgeport. I also see you have chickens. I don't know about other towns near Bridgeport but my town of Trumbull has 1 acre+ zoning in some parts and you can have chickens. You can also have chickens in Monroe where my mom lives. They are close to the ferry in Bridgeport because there is a connector right down into 1-95 to Bridgeport. Trumbull and Monroe does not have the little town center you desire though. Fairfield borders Bridgeport and in the northern part of the town they have houses on larger lots. Fairfield also has a nice area in and around the Post Road (Route 1) that is a very nice downtown area.

I am not sure if you could have chickens in Fairfield but if you could, it would probably be a great town for you because it is so close to the Ferry in Bridgeport. Jay the moderator grew up in Fairfield. He might know if you can have chickens there.