Danbury, CT
 

Anyone familiar with the area. We will be visiting schools there in the next few weeks.

What schools are in the Danbury area?

Good area with lots of hotels and things to do.<BR>There is a huge haunted house in the area around hallowen if you can wait.<BR><BR>Westcon is a good schools as well

Do you mean West Conn (Western Connecticut State University)?<BR><BR>They have 2 Danbury locations Exit 4 and Exit 5 off of I-84

Danbury is average among large school districts in CT, but below average compared with all school districts, esp those in western CT.<BR>Connecticut Magazine ranks all sorts of things each year, education, among them.<BR>Here's the current list for large towns only (there are separate lists for smaller towns):<BR>Name Education <BR>(lower # is better)<BR>1. West Hartford 1.0 <BR>2. Greenwich 2.0 <BR>3. Fairfield 3.0 <BR>4. Milford 4.0 <BR>5. Manchester 5.0 <BR>6. Hamden 6.0 <BR>7. Bristol 7.0 <BR>8. Norwalk 8.0 <BR>9. Danbury 9.0 <BR>10. West Haven 10.0 <BR>11. Stamford 11.0 <BR>12. Meriden 12.0 <BR>13. Bridgeport 13.0 <BR>14. New Britain 14.0 <BR>15. Waterbury 15.0 <BR>16. New Haven 16.0 <BR>17. Hartford 17.0 <BR><BR>Danbury has a rather blue collar feel to it. It's a working class town.<BR>

Jan<BR><BR>What do you mean by Blue Collar?<BR>I hope working people do not offend you, because we are Blue Collor ...and proud

Many people in Western CT, esp the farther south you go, are very affluent. You should be aware of the various flavors of the different towns in the area if you move there.<BR>Ridgefield is only a few minutes south of Danbury and feels very different. Westport, same thing.<BR>Hartford is split east vs. west.<BR>Not a negative comment toward working class people. But if you are "working class and proud", you would hate some of the towns south of Danbury and may be very comfortable in Danbury.<BR>

I don't think Dad wants to move there. I read the post to mean he's looking at higher education places in the area.

Danbury is relatively dumpy and not the safest place in the area. No one else wants to say it but...it has to be said. If you had to rate the top dumps in CT, it would have to go something like this:<BR><BR>1) Bridgeport/New Haven - tie, but a fierce battle<BR>2) Waterbury<BR>3) South Norwalk<BR>4) Hartford<BR>5) Danbury<BR><BR>Maybe I missed a couple...<BR><BR>The area is weird like someone else mentioned. You can get a house in Danbury for $150k and drive 10 minutes down the road to Ridgefield and the same house is $750k.<BR><BR>My fiancee is a high school teacher and the school system there is somewhat poor, again as someone else demonstrated. Do some homework and spend some time in the area. I've lived in CT for 30+ years, a large portion of it in Bridgeport, my #1 rated dump. I bring friends from college who grew up in affluent midwestern/southern suburbs and they're somewhat nervous in these cities so it all depends what you're used to and what you expect. Dig around for data on Danbury and you're certain to find it sub-par in many areas.

OK Maybe I did not make myself clear.<BR><BR>I am taking my kids to visit colleges. One of the ones we want to see is WestConn in Dabury. <BR>We are not looking to move or anything.<BR>What can you tell me about the area?<BR>Tell us more about that haunted house thing someone mentioned.

Great mall there, lots of restaurants, the only hotel I recall is Quality Inn, but I'm sure many more. Pop into Ridgefield for a taste of "the way life should be". Not really a "college" town, but there are restaurants, etc if the kids want off campus. There is a small airport in New York (anyone help me with the name) which is about 45 min and VERY easy to get in and out of if having to fly home for visits, much better than Hartford, etc and comporable prices. Also you can catch a train into NYC from RIdgefield, takes about an hour.

Thanks Dad. I thought I was the only one with a reading comprehension problem. What other schools beside Western Conn. are you looking at. Are you in-state residents?

White Plains is the airport in NY.<BR><BR>From Danbury, Hartford is just about as close and is much cheaper.

Since Robin Leach lives in Danbury, surely there must be at leat ONE upscale neighborhood there, no?<BR><BR>How does Westport fall on this scale as per "upscale living?"

I thought Robin Leach lived in Las Vegas.

Westport is definitely upscale. That's where people like Letterman and Newman live. Cute quaint shops, and tons of fancy homes. About 30 min from Danbury due to all the traffic.

Letterman does not live in Westport.<BR>He's in New Canaan which is more upscale than Westport.<BR>But on a scale of 1-10, 1 being dumpy, Westport is about an 8 IMO.<BR>The interesting thing about it is that it's upscale but in a relaxed, unostentatious way.

But I still want to know where Robin the Leper lives.

In terms of House prices an indicator for lower Fairfield County from highest to lowest - Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien, Weston, Westport, Fairfield, Ridgefield, Stamford.<BR><BR>In terms of average personal income, from highest to lowest - New Canaan, Weston, Darien, Greenwich, Westport, Ridgefield, Stamford.<BR><BR>Letterman moved out of New Canaan several years ago. Lot's of celebrities all over FFld county, most of them are in Greenwich, Westport and Weston. New Canaan has more of the independantly wealthy, master of the universe types.

Average home price in New Canaan last year was rougly 1.6 million. Average income (per capita -, $ 82,000, with an average household income of over $ 200K.

OK, how did this thread go from Dad wanting to know about visiting the Danbury area while looking at colleges to a discussion of real estate and property values in southern Connecticut? <BR><BR>And now the really important question of the day: Did either Letterman or Leach go to Western Connecticut State College?

<BR>Airport in New York is Westchester airport in White Plains New York. <BR><BR>As others have said the area around Danbury varies greatly.

When you visit Danbury, come to Newtown 15 minutes away. We have a beautiful historic Main St. with a flag pole in the middle, a $2.00 movie at the townhall, and have dinner at the Hawley Inn on Main St. Also, an old general store next to the townhall

In response to question from poster above - Letterman went to Ball State (Indiana I think). I have no idea how I happen to possess that totally useless piece of information.

Thanks, Gail. I do hope you realize that was asked tongue-in-cheek in response to the way this thread has veered off topic.

I have lived in Danbury for 30 years, and unfortunately, I must agree with many of the previous posts. It isn't what it used to be. As far as Wescon, hmmm.... One of my sons attended for his first year, then moved on. It has a large commuter population, something to serously consider. As far as academics,fair. Lots of hotels in the area, and Chucks Steak house is 5 minutes from the West side campus. You do know that there are 2 campus, the original "downtown campus on White Street" and the newer westsdide campus. Students are bussed back and forth. Lots of evening adult students. As you can tell, I wouldn' knock myself out to see it.. sorry just telling it like it is...

If you are thinking of state schools in Ct. these are a few good choices. University of Conn, Storrs, Ct.; Central Conn. State College, New Britain Ct., Southern Conn. State College, New Haven; and Eastern Conn. State College, Willimantic, Ct. These are all very good schools!

Betty - <BR>Westport is not ostentatious?!!! You must live either live in Westport or live in a dreamworld....

Ostentatious is and showy/pretentious.<BR>Westport, though a very nice area, features homes which are mostly traditional, not flashy, not gaudy.<BR>Places like Naples FL, Miami's better areas, and places that border on being tacky by excess are ostentatious IMO.<BR>There is very little in New England which is ostentatious.

Hey Jan<BR><BR>Danbury has a rather blue collar feel to it. It's a working class town.<BR><BR>it's a working class town<BR><BR>oh excuse me snotface<BR><BR>someone has to mow your lawn and weed your flowerbeds - we all know you sure as hell ain't going to do it cause your busy running up your credit cards at pottery barn and being a little martha stuart wanna-be.<BR><BR>When does wine tasting class start??? <BR><BR>She must be from ridgefield!<BR><BR>funny stuff, lmao<BR>

Excuse me, did you day Pottery Barn? POTTERY BARN??? Bite your tongue! I wouldn't be caught dead in that middle class haven, or at least not without the excuse that I thought I was going into Lillian August but I opened the wrong door. Really!!!<BR><BR>You know what, as a matter of fact we are heading to a wine tasting tonight (no classes). I have to get ready, we're tasting Italian reds at 6:30. Ciao!

yep, this is why I hate this state..

Pottery Barn is the Gap of home stores.<BR>I'd never be seen in a Pottery Barn.<BR>(Nor a Gap. Very Bridgeport, unbecoming).<BR>I've worked hard to get where I am in life and I'll not compromise my standards that way when it comes to home interior design.

jan. or you meried too Denis the TYCO bumm.. are you missing your $7000 shower curtain.. <BR><BR><BR>

I bet Jan felt very special saying that. <BR><BR>I can almost see her puffing out her chest with as she smuggly types out her post.<BR><BR>What a pompous blowhard.

I agree, Jan's a phoney. I on the other hand, am the real deal (or at least I live amongst them, so I can walk the walk and talk the talk.)<BR><BR>I just want to clear something up. We don't want to BE Martha Stewart, we just want to marry Martha Stewart (well, maybe just a man who is successful as she). I mean, if we were Martha, we'd have to W-O-R-K.

BRAVO, JAN!! I'm with you 100%!!!

Little Miss Jan's Post:<BR><BR>Not a negative comment toward working class people. But if you are "working class and proud", you would HATE some of the towns south of Danbury and may be VERY COMFORTABLE in Danbury.<BR><BR>to all the blue collar scumbags let's head over to ridgefield from danbury in our pick up trucks with our brown teeth and with our flannels on and go hang with miss jan cause she is sooooo worldly that she knows all about what people look for when they move to a community .......<BR><BR>because she worked sooo hard...... i mean her husband kissed so much butt and brown nosed his way into a community where "working class and pround people" would HATE to live.<BR><BR>also....all blue collars...... <BR><BR>You should be aware of the various FLAVORS of the different towns in the area if you move there.<BR><BR>Flavors - what you favorite?...mine's stuck up and phoney.....kind of like cookies and cream<BR><BR>but must be eaten with a silver spoon provided by mummy and daddy from the preppy handbook.......<BR><BR>i love the way Jan trys to wiggle her way out of her original post...by saying to old dad.... its not a negative statement towards working class people.....lmao<BR><BR>How's that foot taste???<BR><BR>one again lmao at Jan!<BR>

Mr. Brown Teeth:<BR>From a psychological standpoint your comments clearly display your own jealousy and sense of inferiority. You are either young and have not yet met your own financial goals, or from an underprivileged background and self conscious about it, or currently are underachieveing relative to your own expectations.<BR>Sorry about that.<BR>But that's your problem and you need to figure out how to deal with it.<BR>Have a nice day.

Jan don't worry the bourgeoisie will revolt once again.. Volvos and Utility trucks will clog the turnpike... violine music will blare out of the cars.. where too go, where too escape <BR>Fairfield will be siezed.. CEO's hang from the gallows.<BR><BR>no more Hamptons for you..<BR><BR>ANYWAYS for the original poster Dambury is not verry centrolized. maybe a school around the New haven area would be a bit better.. of course you may be looking for a mor rurul ciry.. <BR><BR>