I saw someone above mention Ridgefield. In the same vicinity is Bethel. They have some of the most pleasant people I have ever met and the Facebook group is a delight and overwhelmingly positive. If you live downtown, you have total walkability. We were right behind Dolan Plaza and had less than a half mile walk to a coffee spot, bagel spot, 3 pizza spots, several restaurants, a brewery, a local toy store, and the grocery store. My wife and I had a 1 year old while in the area and would take her in a stroller or walk all the time, even in mild winter conditions.

The commute to NYC is about 1.5 hours by car with fairly quick access to 84 then 684. The New Haven Line goes through town and you would have to hop another line in Norwalk if you wanted to take the train to the City. The NYU trip could be a bit tough if you need to get down there by Uber, but not sure if that is restrictive for you. I could see that being tough anywhere other than the southwestern portion of the state / southern Fairfield County.