Stamford CT

[Steve Frank]

Hi All,

Interview coming up in Stamford next week. Interested in hearing about the least expensive options for living near there. I figure a commute will be necessary, so probably within 20-30 miles would be a good radius to search.

Anyone have any ideas about nice, modest, not-so-expensive places to live within 20 miles or so of Stamford? Any and all thoughts welcome!

Wish me luck on the interview. Could be a bona-fide NEFAite soon.

Thanks!

[Kmanoni]

i would recommend Bridgeport. Its the only affordable place near Stamford and 95 makes it an easy <or> commute.

Bridgeport has had a bad reputation, but has made some GREAT improvements in the last 10-15 years.

of course, there will be some ghetto spots ... just stay away from those.

anywhere between Bridgeport and New Haven would be fine.

BTW lived in CT my whole life, live in North Haven, work in Stratford, went to UCONN.

[Shawn Mullen]

i would recommend Bridgeport. Its the only affordable place near Stamford and 95 makes it an easy <or> commute.

Bridgeport has had a bad reputation, but has made some GREAT improvements in the last 10-15 years.

of course, there will be some ghetto spots ... just stay away from those.

anywhere between Bridgeport and New Haven would be fine.

BTW lived in CT my whole life, live in North Haven, work in Stratford, went to UCONN.

My brother just moved into the Black Rock Harbor section of Bridgeport. A lot of improvements have been made. It's a nice area where he is and affordable considering what else is out there.

[Steve Frank]

So, a less populated area like the Redding areas are completely out of the average Joe's league? Multimillion $ houses and such?

Thanks for the input, keep it coming.

[Shawn Mullen]

So, a less populated area like the Redding areas are completely out of the average Joe's league? Multimillion $ houses and such?

Thanks for the input, keep it coming.

Not sure about many of the surrounding areas but I know the cost of living is high down there.

[Will Kriewald]

I live in weston (not low cost living), and am looking to move to stamford in the upcoming months (work related as well). Suggest getting a couple roomates and eating ramen. My company reimburses me for an extended commute (outside of stamford, we have to visit clients 99 times more than the office) so living there is highly advantageous. Good Luck in your search. Commute from bridgeport, trumbull, or north of there is 1.25 to 1.5 hrs on avg.

[Dave McHale]

There's a lot of well-paying tech jobs in the Stamford area, but myself nor any of my friends are willing to take the jobs there. If you live right in the area, the cost of living alone pretty much nullifies the pay raise you get from working most other parts of the state. And if you try and live outside the "expensive" area, as Will said you're talking about more than an hour commute. Of course, I understand for some people that's just where the best opportunities are... I'd recommend getting a place as far away as you can stand to commute, and take rush hour traffic into consideration for "how far" you're looking or willing to drive on a daily basis. Some people don't mind a 45min or more commute one-way, but that KILLS me.

[J_Disc]

Some thoughts:

Your commute is definitely a huge consideration in moving to Fairfield County area. Will your office be closer to I-95 and the train or the Merritt Parkway? If you can take the train to work (even if only some of the time), that will be a consideration. If the train is an option, you won't want to be too far North, away from the train stations.

I grew up in Westport and Fairfield and lived in Black Rock (bridgeport) for a while. There are some good values, but Fairfield and Black Rock area a tough/long commute to Stamford (and getting worse every year) -- mostly because you're going with all the NYC traffic. Something much closer to Stamford is Norwalk which has some expensive, but also some reasonable areas. South Norwalk is a tough area (City/Urban) setting. It's been revitalized lately and has some good party night life, but I'd still stay away from "SoNo". If you can find something in Norwalk up near the Merritt, you'll be right near Cranbury Park disc golf course and a very happy camper.

Another option to consider is the Purchase / Westchester area in New York. You can commute to Stamford from there on back roads or the Merritt and would have a reverse commute (against the NYC traffic). Mt Kisco has another great golf course which would be close by. Note that many of the towns in that NY State area are also very expensive. They are also commuter towns to NYC.

There are people that commute to Stamford from as far North as Danbury / Bethel area, typically traveling down Route 7 (which can be painful since it's only 1 lane each way and gets busy). Danbury used to be a good value, but has been going up in price for some time.

I also have a friend that lives right in Stamford, so there are certainly opportunities there as well.

Some of the most expensive ($$$$$) towns are Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Weston, Rowayton, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield and Wilton. Unless you're making some big bucks, you'll likely be priced out of those areas. Then again, you can always find deals in any town -- especially if you're just looking to rent, not buy.

Good luck.

[Adam Goodman]

If any avid disc golfers live in Stamford, I have the perfect place to put 9 or more fun holes near downtown. I would do myself, but its always preferred when a resident spearheads this effort.

[Sjur Soleng]

You do not want to live in Bridgeport and work in Stamford. 12 minutes not traffic, 45 for rush hour!
Live in portchester, or stamford itself.

[Josh Polur]

If any avid disc golfers live in Stamford, I have the perfect place to put 9 or more fun holes near downtown. I would do myself, but its always preferred when a resident spearheads this effort.

Might I ask where in Stamford you were thinking. I have GOOD contacts in town.