I would really appreciate some help with finding the perfect place to live. I have recently accepted a job in the New Haven area but my territory will cover Milford up to Madison and over to Wallingford, Woodbridge and most areas in between. I am not interested in living in New Haven since I am a single female and will most likely be living alone. The main things I am looking for are: safety, fun, young (23-30s) people, bars, nice apartment complexes:confused.
I have toured a few places in Milford and have read a lot of threads saying that Milford is pretty young with a lively downtown. So I am looking to get more information on Milford, Branford, and maybe Hamden. Do younger people live and go out in Hamden and Branford?
Also I have looked in Spinnaker apartments in Avalon apartments in Milford so any information people have on that would be great!
Thank you in advance for your time and opinions.
I live in Branford, and it's definitely not a nightlife spot in CT. It's a hopping town in the summer with people out and about on their boats, etc., but Milford and New Haven definitely have the nightlife in the area. Hamden is a busy suburb but doesn't have much nightlife. Woodbridge, Orange, Madison and Guilford are all affluent towns that are more geared toward families.
I'd suggest you live in Milford. There is a lot of nightlife downtown, especially in the summer (Stonebridge, SBC, Archie Moores, etc). There is also access to Metro North Rail if you want to head down to Manhattan for the day or an evening. It's a well rounded community IMO.
Milford is a good choice, but I'm not sure why you aren't considering New Haven too? There are some nice, safe areas to live in New Haven and it has an awesome bar and restaurant scene, along with some great cultural amenities. Neighborhoods like Westville, East Rock, and Wooster Square are great. That said, being in Milford you're always a quick trip away. Milford's downtown is relatively quiet in the winter, but definitely hopping during the warmer months. New Haven tends to die down a bit in the summer as all the college students are gone, so you can seasonally alternate between the two.
Hamden would be my 3rd choice. It has a little nightlife, but most people go to New Haven for that.
Downtown Milford is a nice little spot. If you could find a place by the green or Milford hospital it would be ideal. A chick friend of mine lived right off the green a couple years ago and it was nice to be able to walk to the bars and not worry about a taxi or finding a way home. Also the train station is super convenient and the station that I prefer over New Havens.
SBC- nightclub/bar that gets outrageously packed in the summer, Lots of jacked "tatted" tough guys go there. Its a jammin place but the tough guy crowd is enough to make me only go there a couple times in the summer.
Seven Seas- An awesome little bar that is very local feeling, it gets busy but its a chill place. Not a place where you have to be dressed to kill to walk in. unlike SBC or Stonebridge.
Citrus- Right in Spinnaker plaza, a nightclub/bar that tries to be on the classy side, lot of young people go there. its ok.
The apartment building you are looking at is right on the middle of all of this so thats good, you have your own parking and you should get a very nice view with a good breeze too.
If your looking for more variety and more activity, New haven is the way to go. Im 26... I like to check out Milford every now and then but im probably only going to Seven Seas or Archie Moores....usually both since the parking lot is behind all of this. Other than that im in New haven every other week, sometimes more often.
New Haven shouldnt be out of the question for you, you can find great studios or whatever your looking for.
Once youve narrowed it down let us know theres always help here.
Stonebridge is pretty insane in the summer as well, but it's definitely a meat market. Great patio though.
Indigo is a decent spot, and has that great deck overlooking the harbor. It's gotten decently busy in the summer for a new place.
Colony should have a decent bar when it opens.
Rainbow Gardens and Bistro Basque have decent bars for a more relaxed setting, but definitely an older crowd.
There's also Crush, which isn't necessarily downtown, but is close enough and has gotten very popular. Beach House also has a nice bar away from downtown, and Plan B and Tengda also get busy.
Then, of course, there's tons of local dives to choose from.