Have friends on both sides of the river who all bought their homes there in the same decade. It’s an area with neighborhood spirit and a lot of beauty along the water. It was an Oyster Village originally and much of that is preserved. All those walk out basements on the front of houses on Front Street and on Q Ave have oyster shucking stations just inside - usually a counter and sink.

You can get to know people pretty quickly in the neighborhood and they care a lot about the neighborhood and take pride in it.

For some reason it’s never been able to support a neighborhood gourmet grocer but has had a nice wine shop for years now. The restaurant on the Q Ave side that opened recently is well reviewed.

On the Front Street side, there is the famous (or notorious) Waucoma Yacht Club, a marina, which you should definitely join if you move there. You’ll meet everyone that way. ( I like to call it the Glaucoma or just, the Coma Yacht Club.) it’s not expensive and has a bar. There is also a nice breakfast place over there.

You’ll meet lots of interesting people and it has that village feel you get in Westville too.

I would avoid south of the waterfront on Quinnipiac but up the hill from the water on the Q side has many options.

Front St traffic is less crazy than Q Ave traffic. Rush hour on Q Ave sucks.

Up the hill off East Grand there is a wonderful Friends Meeting House.

There are some nice houses all over the hill and of course on the Front St side too.

If you don’t find anything in that whole area, people have been piling in somewhat less so, into the Chatham Square area for quite a while now and it’s sort of a sister neighborhood.

Rocco’s Bakery is good too and there is a supermarket in Grand near Front.

Bring your canoe

Edit: There is a farmers market in the park along the river. Forgot to mention that.