train between Stamford and Fairfield or Wilton

Thanks to advice in a previous post, we have done some more research regarding a place to live which is commutable to Stamford...figured out that DH%26#39;s potential workplace is an easy walk from the Stamford train station....looking on the schedule for metronorth....looks like both Wilton and Stamford are between 25-30 if you grab the right train....so puts his commute around 40 which is ok though not great.....so we are looking there (and upped our limit to $1M for a house)

We are also considering Darien and Westport (although he would drive not take the train)

Does anyone know of other towns we should consider that have great schools and are 30 minutes or less on train from stamford....looks like we really cant consider new york at all (too far?)

Thanks

Theresa

Tha

train between Stamford and Fairfield or Wilton

I grew up in Fairfield, and moved back there a few months ago - It has a great school system, and, depending on what train you catch, is about 30 minutes to Stamford - plus most companies in Stamford have shuttles to the train.

It is a great town - it%26#39;s very family and neighborhood oriented - lots of young families in the area. If you have any questions, feel free to ask

train between Stamford and Fairfield or Wilton

Hi again. We currently live in Wilton and have three kids. The train to Stamford from Wilton is a ';spur'; (not the main metro north that runs into NYC). You would have to transfer in South Norwalk which isn%26#39;t difficult, just a bit of a pain. Many families living in Wilton look to be close to an easy commute into Norwalk so they can take that train, and avoid the time lag with a transfer. Also if you look in North Wilton (close to the NY state line) there is a back road into New Canaan which some use to hop on the Merrit Parkway a little further south, or take the New Canaan train into Stamford or NYC. I generally budget about 40-45 minutes to get me to Stamford and have rarely a problem driving. Heck, I live in wilton and delivered my youngest in Greenwich even further without any traffic problems! At your price point you should have plenty of choices in Wilton, a lot of 15-20 year old colonials, some more updated others. New construction will be over a million. Good luck

Something to think about in these towns is how to get husband to the train. If you plan on driving him, that is okay but I know that parking is VERY tight at the fairfield train station. I think the waiting list is like 4 years long or something. There are other lots where you can pay 6 a day but those also fill up quickly. I used to take the 7:09 am train from fairfield and those spots were often already all gone. I used to get one of the last spots at the kinights of columbus parking lot.

They are in the process of building another train station on the border of bridgeport but I dont think it will be open for at least a year or two. I dont know what the parking is like in other towns.

Not trying to dissuade you, just trying to give you all of the information - I think Fairfield is a great place to live.

There is a bus that goes along the post road and one can be dropped off near the station though it is not scheduled to meet the trains.

Parking at the Fairfield train is a pain - but you can easily park at Bridgeport, and take the train from there - it is only a few minutes longer of a ride.

There is no problem parking in the Wilton lot. There is probably a wait in New Canaan. Neighbors tell me there is plenty of parking in South Norwalk also. But it is a point to keep in mind. Most foks in Wilton drive to Stamford with the train as a back up (i.e. a car in the shop etc). Depending on where in Wilton you live it would be 30-45 minutes to drive.

If you love the water, consider Westport or Southport (part of Fairfield). Both offer nice downtowns, good schools, and easy commuting options (train or highways) to Stamford.

thanks for all the info....the commute is such a huge factor and distances seem to be meaningless when considering the stamford area!!!

What can you say about the feel of these towns: Fairfield, Wilton, Darien, Westport....snooty, down to earth, upscale, family oriented?

Theresa

Well, you may be opening a can of worms with that one. I think it is fair to say that all four of the mentioned towns are very family oriented, with professional, high achieving families. They all have pride in good schools. None of them are as metropolitan as Austin, TX and all have a pretty high percentage of commuters into New York as well as New York transplants. Wilton has least built up ';downtown'; shopping districts of the towns mentioned. There is a considerable amount of disposable income in all four towns as well. Fairfield has two well respected universities and therefore can have a ';younger'; feel walking around town etc. Westport has an excellent Playhouse, an active shopping area (going more chain store than in the past, but very busy). I won%26#39;t jump into the discussion of snootiness, (Wilton and Fairfield probably fall lower on that scale), but I will say that like any town you can find others whose values are more in line with your own. It can take some time as New Enganders are not known for being immediately open and the cold winter will keep most people inside. You really should walk around the shops, talk to store keepers, go to the schools and request tours of your kids prospective schools. See what ';vibe'; your getting. Once you make the move jump in real fast to PTA, church activities or new comers groups and you%26#39;ll find your niche. As a transplant from PA I was surprised how many families with only one parent working outside the home had nannies or au-pairs. Just not what I was used to!

Very tactfully put, Yankeemom - There are definitely differences in opinions regarding the level of snootiness.

I can say that growing up in Fairfield, I saw a higher level in some towns than in others - even in Fairfield, it depended on what side of town you lived on.

As an adult, watching my sister raise 4 boys in Fairfield, I definitely see a sense of community and family environment - Their social calendars are booked full and the boys are thriving - very involved in sports and activities, and have tons of friends. I believe it also depends on the neighborhood you live in - Some are more widespread than others.

thanks for the responses...really helpful....I should probably update my profile one of these days...we are now in Rochester NY and grew up on Long Island so CT is about as close to coming home as we are willing to get :)

I think that we have narrowed our prospects down to wilton and Fairfield...those towns seem like what we are looking for....does Fairfield have a fairly extensive downtown...is it walkable....restaurants and shops? We have vacationed near mystic and loved the new england feel...will I have that feeling in those areas?

Theresa