A reader question:
Hi Muffy—As you have one of the best online communities around, I wondered if I can pose a question?
I am watching the once quaint and beautiful place my family has called home for generations being destroyed in real time. Overdevelopment, over crowding, insane traffic and aggressive drivers everywhere. As we are in proximity to NYC, we are being inundated by transplants leaving Manhattan and the boroughs and It’s only going to get worse. I am looking to get out in the next few years and have been eyeing a few towns in CT that remind me of what my area used to be like.
In researching, the best matches for my needs have been Essex, Old Saybrook, East Lyme and Niantic. Does your community have any suggestions for someone at mid life starting over in this area, or other suggestions? My most important factors are going to be quaint, quiet —but some sense of community- and coastal. Parks to walk the dogs and equestrian facilities in proximity are ideal. I promise not to be an obnoxious transplant like the people ruining my hometown!
New Haven
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of towns in Eastern Connecticut that have not been inundated by “city-its.” But you will never find one on the shoreline. Sorry. Maybe if you go up Down East there might still be places that fit your aspirations. But you won’t find the shoreline town you’re looking for in Massachusetts, Connecticut, or Rhode Island. “Congestion” is the word that describes anyplace on the shoreline. “Quaint” left the barn decades ago. You might eventually find a small inland village that appeals to you. They’re out there. And if you really, really, want to get off to a good start in that small town, join the volunteer fire department or, if there is one, the ambulance squad. If you’re aged out of either then donate a lot of money to each group. You will be genuinely be welcomed and respected by the local community. .
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