If you're looking for a town with water I would recommend Milford, CT. While it doesn't count as coastal it does have multiple beaches, good schools, safe neighborhoods, a mall, a movies, and a train station that can get you directly to NYC.

Downtown Milford is a great place to rent. There's a beautiful green, lots of restaurants, and the train as I mentioned (your boyfriend might want to visit Brooklyn or even just Manhattan).

It's just something I wanted to throw out there.

My old hometown of Trumbull is 72, my current hometown of Shelton is 81, and my side hometown (because I have a lot of family there) of Milford is 99.

I would have put Milford higher. I love living in Shelton, but if I could afford it I'd be in Milford. I don't have kids, but there's great schools for people that do, there's beaches, a mall, a movies, a great downtown, and a train station that gets you directly to New York.

Shelton has a train station at Home Depot called the Shelton/Derby stop, that gets you to Bridgeport, and then you can switch to an NYC train. I'd rather have a direct train stop though.

Trumbull is very nice, and I was lucky to live in a safe place, but the taxes are horrendous, and both Shelton and Milford offer more to people of all ages. Milford more than Shelton though.

Norwalk is 92. It's a tough one. South Norwalk is great, but other parts of Norwalk aren't. Honestly though I can't figure out how this list works at all.

Trumbull. I grew up there. I'm 30 now, and not special needs, but the program seemed nice growing up. As far as I know it's still great.

Its not very built up. It's schools are comparable to Milford, but Milford has more to do and a train station that goes right to NYC, so more people move there, but Milford is more expensive.

New London is better. They have an Amtrak train station.

If you have kids New London has a magnet high school right there in town. I think they are trying to make the whole district a magnet district. So if you have kids New London is the only choice.

Overall schools aren't great out that way though. Shelton and Milford are affordable with great schools. Way over in Fairfield and New Haven County.

If you don't have kids New London is best.

The issue is the public schools have gone downhill. They have great magnet schools down there, but better public schools are available in other towns.

Unfortunately Stratford public schools have gone downhill academically. You can go to magnet schools of course, but you can get the same priced house in Shelton with better schools attached.

I recommend Trumbull over Fairfield though. Better taxes and just as good of schools.

I mean neither one is bad so they could both move around academically by a few points.

I grew up in Trumbull and our middle schools did the same thing. I went to Madison and sometimes Hillcrest was better and sometimes it wasn't.

I live in Shelton now after growing up in Trumbull. Shelton is great, but I think Milford is better as well. If you are looking at something like Fairfield try Trumbull. Slightly cheaper homes and better taxes than Fairfield.

I grew up nearby and live in Shelton now. I visit a lot. There's no horrible section, but Devon is seen as less desirable. My grandparents lived there two years ago for a year though, and there were no problems. They got into an apartment by the beach which is obviously seen as better, but Devon still wasn't that bad.

Agreed. I grew up in Trumbull, but visited a lot for family. I loved Milford. I know the Trumbull school system is seen as better, but overall I think Milford gives you more bang for your buck. A great downtown, the mall, the movies, a good school system for lower taxes than Trumbull, nice people, the train station, and beaches.

Milford is my favorite one. One high school (Foran) is considered better than the other (Johnathan Law), but both are good. There's a train station to get you right to NYC, or to Bridgeport here in CT for events. I visited a lot growing up and I still do. Very nice city.

Shelton is close by. My current hometown. I love it here. You get the privilege of saying you live in Fairfield County for incredibly low taxes. I think the schools are seen as slightly less good than Milford, but they are still very good. There's a bunch of farms here. There's a also a train station to get you between Waterbury and Bridgeport. You can switch in Bridgeport for a train to NYC.

I grew up a town over in Trumbull. They have an amazing school system, a great music department, and great sports teams. The taxes are very high though, but if you want an expensive town with a great school system this is the one to choose. The really expensive ones such as Westport, Fairfield, Wilton, Darien, Greenwich, Easton, and so on are rip offs in my opinion. If it came down to it your kids would be able to apply to the agriscience program at Trumbull High someday. Milford high schools are good enough though. I know people with kids at Johnathan Law (the one seen as less good). No problems.

Overall I vote for Milford. Nice people, the mall, Dave & Busters at the mall, the movies, a train station with a train directly to NYC, but also stopping in Bridgeport for events, and a great downtown area.

They're in a very tough spot, but I'm guessing these are very good jobs. I still think my answer of Milford is the best option. One metro north train down to NYC, and a 60 to 90 minute drive to West Hartford.

I'm spoiled taking it out of Bridgeport (I live in Shelton). Just one train down.

I'm still concerned about the train thing. They OP would still have to ride down to South Norwalk and switch to a different train.

If this person wants a richer town than Milford, as I recommended, than I would say go with Trumbull. Fairfield to West Hartford would be traffic heavy, since they have to get past Bridgeport first. The drive from Trumbull to the Bridgeport train station is really quick, and there's a parking garage (OP's post said company covers parking and the train). The drive from Trumbull to West Hartford is a little better too, and I'm kind of biased because I grew up in Trumbull, but I think it's better than Fairfield for a fraction of the price.

What town would you recommend? Milford like me? Danbury like someone else said? Somewhere else?

It does, but you have to switch off at the South Norwalk station for a second train. Out of Milford you only need one train. Danbury schools are ok, but the Milford ones are better, if this person has kids.

Milford.

There's a metro north station right there in downtown. Plenty of restaurants for you and your wife to try as well. If you have kids the school system is good. There's beaches too.

I usually take the train from Bridgeport for 75 to 95 minutes depending on if it's a weekday or the weekend, so my guess is that Milford is 1 hr, 45 minutes. It can't be more than 2 hours, since that's the distance from New Haven.

I googled the drive to West Hartford. It says 57 minutes, but I would say 90 minutes realistically. No more than 2 hours if traffic was awful. I went to college close to West Hartford over in New Britain, and sometimes drop off day had traffic, but it never took us more than 1 hr and 45 minutes from Trumbull.

I would recommend Plainville or Bristol first. You can get cheaper apartments there too, in the $900 to $1000 price range (sometimes less), and live in a safer area, while also having access to the FastTrack bus. I will get you to Hartford for events, or for work, and to the bowling alley and movie theater in Plainville.

New Britain works too for cheaper apartments, but you have to know the neighborhood. Living near the college or a neighboring suburb is better.

If you want beaches and water I recommend Milford. The actual coast is kind of secluded from anything good.

If you're not in Fairfield County, New Haven County, or Hartford County you don't have very good public transportation or access to fun events like the wonderful sports teams we have.

I go to New York a lot. Many of the people are very nice. Do not interact with the CD sellers or the fake monks. If they try to hand you something, don't take it. This usually happens in Times Square.

Take the CT Rail from Hartford to New Haven, and switch to a Metro North train for NYC.

If you only want one train I would drive down to Milford (no offense, but it's nicer than New Haven and West Haven). I take the Metro North out of Bridgeport. It's very nice in that specific area, but kind of a drive for you guys.

This is random, but here's a list of public bathrooms in NYC.

Between the train station and Times Square

Grand Central. Downstairs. Multiple options. There's usually a line, but it moves fast. Cleaner than expected, but not great.

Bryant Park. It's this random building at the edge. It's actually really nice.

The New York Public Library. Somewhere upstairs. They have signs to follow.

Disney Store in Times Square.

M&M store in Times Square. I have seen it be closed before though. It's usually dirty.

Over in Rockefeller Center

FAO Swartz. Top floor. Clean, but small.

The American Girl Doll Store. Bottom floor. Very clean.

Bottom of Central Park

If you walk into the park at the bottom, toward the middle, and just kind of keep going there's this random public bathroom. It's a big grey building near some play systems. It's hard for me to explain. I kind of just know where it is when I get there.

There's another public bathroom across from The Central Park Zoo. I remember the food court attached to the zoo had a bathroom, but after COVID sometimes it kept being closed. Either way you can go to that one across from the zoo.

Below 42nd Street

The Harry Potter store. If you go down 5th Ave to around 22nd street the epic Harry Potter store is there. The bathroom is on the bottom floor. The bathroom is single person, so there's always a line. You see the Flat Iron building first, walk slightly past it, and there's the Harry Potter store.

Macy's on 34th over on 7th Ave I believe it is, has a bathroom. You have to go up a certain amount of floors. There are signs to follow.