If I were you I would look for places along the route 7 corridor in between South Norwalk and the ASML factory. You should be able to find something under 2k a month for a 1br. You’ll also be close to nightlife in South Norwalk, a huge mall, grocery stores, restaurants, etc.

I say route 7 because the Merritt Parkway and I95 traffic can get very bad at times. If you can avoid driving those daily I would recommend it.

CT will probably be different culturally but ASML will have a lot of opportunities to meet people from all over.

Either Stamford or Norwalk would be my first choices. Bridgeport would mean battling a fair amount of rush-hour traffic. One thing to remember: traffic is crazy in lower Fairfield County, so if you're not used to driving, you might want to at least temporarily consider lodging close to work. Feel free to msg me for any local info. Congrats!

I would not recommend Bridgeport if only for the fact that traffic in the morning coming down 95 or the Merritt Pkwy will be a nightmare. Anywhere between Stamford and Westport should give you under a 25 minute commute. People say Norwalk is a little cheaper, but honestly when I've looked it's never been that much different in price. A few years ago I lived at The Curb on Glover Ave. It's really nice and super close to ASML but I know they've jacked their prices up since I left. They did have a slight discount for ASML employees at least when I was there, so it might be worth a look.

If you've never lived anywhere with a true winter season it will definitely be a change, but I wouldn't be too paranoid about seasonal depression. My advice would be to keep busy, which is definitely more difficult when the weather isn't so nice. ASML hires a lot of new grads and there are a lot of internal clubs and activities, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a group with similar interests. PM me if you have more questions about ASML.

we are in our early 20s as well just moved to South Norwalk from Florida, my partner commutes to his job in Wilton in about 15 minutes if you take 7. People in CT have been much friendlier than where we moved from and as for seasonal depression we just try to get outside every weekend on hikes and have a cup of coffee before the sun sets at around 4-5 but it was not bad at all to get used to

100% stamford If you're 24.

You're posting in StamfordCT so there's a bias toward Stamford, but maybe for good reason!

I got two general pieces of advice to add to others:

1. If you are south of Wilton then you will have a reverse commute. No traffic going to work and no traffic coming back. You could drive from Stamford to Wilton in under 20 minutes. If you're coming from Bridgeport, it might literally be an hour both ways. Stamford also has an express train to New York City if you want to visit without taking up too much time (45 minutes to Grand Central).

2. I'm from the east coast and lived in California for a few years. I absolutely hated everyone on the west coast. Assuming reverse logic applies, I would guess you may not immediately "appreciate" east coast personalities. Biggest distinguishing factor is people's relationship with politeness. On the West Coast, it's more polite to not be rude. On the East Coast, it's more polite to be honest. California is like everyone is a waiter at a restaurant. You can't distinguish if they're pretending to be nice or actually connect with you. Over here, people will tell you things straight. It can come across as rude or too forward, but it's just a stylistic difference. Especially if you're working with engineers at ASML.

With that in mind, although seasonal depression is a real thing it sounds like something you're overblowing. It's not like we live in Norway where the sun stops coming out for 3 months. It's a little darker and a little colder, but that just provides the opportunity for many indoor activities. I wouldn't be too concerned about that.

Definitely agree on Route 7, much easier to get to the office and overall a good place to live. There are some apartments I know of called the Curb and One Glover (that’s the street name) in Norwalk that are at the bottom of Route 7, but I think they might be a bit pricier than what you’re looking for but worth a look!

People are generally nice but definitely not Irvine nice (my husband is from there!). Can’t comment on seasonal depression as that’s never impacted me thankfully. Feel free to DM with any other questions!

Norwalk guna be cheaper than Stamford but can still get both night life (south Norwalk & Stamford) easily. I wouldn’t do bridgeport personally cause it’s not the greatest city and traffic is miserable on I-95.

I’d prob go stamford because it s got the more city feel but I moved to Norwalk 3 years ago and no complaints. It’s more of a suburb feel to me.

As many others have said I'd look at South Norwalk or Downtown Stamford. I'd avoid Bridgeport personally, although it may be more affordable.

As for the weather, it's beautiful in the spring and summer. The fall can be nice, but yeah, the winters suck. It's cold and dark. But people from New England/the Northeast just kind of deal with that. There are fun seasonal things in winter to brighten your mood, but I definitely feel you on the seasonal depression part.

South Norwalk would be a good bet...easy access to Route 7 by car. The Danbury branch on Metro-North could be an option. Merritt 7 station would be the closest; I'd check with ASML to see if they run an employee shuttle from there. You can also take the 10-20 Westport Rd shuttle run by Norwalk Transit or the HARTransit Route 7 Link from central Norwalk

https://www.hartransit.com/routes/citybus/7-link

https://norwalktransit.com/route/10-20-westport-rd-shuttle/

Good luck and welcome to the area!

28M here who grew up in the area. I’d recommend looking in South Norwalk or downtown Stamford.

Congrats! Did you happen to go though the guys at BrightHire? I know they do a lot of placement for ASML.

As others have said, nothern Norwalk is going to have your shortest commute and will fit your budget while having decent amenities nearby. South Norwalk will have a livelier nightlife though.

I know some good real estate agents in the area who’d be happy to help you out if you want any recommendations.

Norwalk is probably your best bet. It’s a little cheaper than Stamford and it’s still a nice place to live for someone in their 20s!

Your best bet is Norwalk, or Wilton itself. Stamford you would still be fighting traffic (even if it is a "reverse commute"), but I know of at least one person that lives in Stamford and commutes to Wilton every day for work. Bridgeport would not make sense. I could refer you to a realtor to put you on an MLS search, just to see what's available, if you aren't already working with one.

Living in Wilton, you are going to want to put getting that license and car on the top of your to-do list. It’s a village built for automobiles, not people. Good luck!

Living in Wilton, you are going to want to put getting that license and car on the top of your to-do list. It’s a village built for cars, not people. Good luck!

its bad very bad and terrible u shouldn't come here