Moving to New Haven with the family. Thoughts?

Submitted by decimal_diversity t3_ypu8l1 in newhaven

I’ll be moving in the Summer with my wife and 3yo daughter for the next few years. I’ll be on a student loan income. Which neighborhoods would be ideal? Which ones should I avoid? Are there good options to live a commutable distance from Yale outside of New Haven? Thanks so much for any input you can offer!

(PS sorry if this question gets posted too often. Given that I have a family, I thought my situation might be different from the other posts I’ve seen here from younger students.

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eggheadslut t1_ivlaq9p wrote

Westville is a nice area of new haven and has its own cute downtown and it’s about 8 minutes to downtown. It has a lot of working families with young children and it’s very close to Yale bowl too.

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UrnOfOsiris t1_ivom38d wrote

I grew up in westville and wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. Excellent place to raise a kid!

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HeadyRoosevelt t1_ivpw9bg wrote

My wife and I just bought a home in Westville and it’s been great. Safe neighborhood, great neighbors, and close amenities. East Rock and Wooster would be good too if you can afford it.

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Womanjournalist t1_ivl6swa wrote

My husband, two year old and I loved Wooster square. Great place for a family!

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decimal_diversity OP t1_ivlakmi wrote

Perfect! I'll look into it. Thanks!

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brewski t1_ivoexza wrote

This is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city, but maybe you will get lucky. If living very close to downtown saves you the expense of owning a car, it might be worth it.

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fn0000rd t1_ivqlg1q wrote

William and Lyon streets are honestly the best-kept secret in New Haven. They’re an often forgotten part of Wooster Square.

Lower rents, same walkability, plus a community garden.

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Longhorns_ t1_ivmdfzi wrote

If you want New Haven and not a neighboring town:

East Rock

Westville

Wooster Square

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anamelesswanderer t1_ivljmxc wrote

I grew up in Westville and loved it. Very family friendly and less than a 10 min drive to downtown. Wooster Sq is also nice. Can walk into downtown and very close proximity to pizza! Both have their own weekend farmers market too.

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Winn-dot t1_ivm5hbq wrote

The best pizza can be found on Wooster

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dangstax2 t1_ivlty8o wrote

Spring Glen in Hamden, it’s about a little over 10 minutes from New Haven but very family friendly

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Up2littlegood t1_ivmtw1b wrote

I live in Morris Cove and am shocked that this neighborhood gets so little, if any, mention in recommendation threads like this. Genuinely curious as to why!

That said, I recommend the cove as a family friendly, picturesque part of New Haven that is worth exploring!

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tcopple t1_ivn1uh8 wrote

I live in Dwight and it’s effectively the same lack of mentions.

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fn0000rd t1_ivou1t4 wrote

Dwight had a bad reputation for a long time, it always makes me happy to see people recommend it now.

I will never understand why Morris Cove remains such a “secret.”

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curbthemeplays t1_ivlzbnl wrote

You could live in West Haven (cheap) or Milford (better schools) and either drive or train in.

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HappyProle t1_ivkz0se wrote

If you plan on having your daughter attend public elementary/middle school move to a residence within the Worthington Hooker school district.

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decimal_diversity OP t1_ivlap69 wrote

Hmmm definitely something to consider, by the time I'm done with school she'll be just starting kindergarten.

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DismalBadger t1_ivmwom7 wrote

Westville (esp in the square between Yale Bowl and Whalley Ave/forest road and Yale Ave) is very young-family friendly!

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lolaya t1_ivmsqym wrote

New Haven: East Rock, Westville, Wooster Sq

Branford?

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decimal_diversity OP t1_ivnbu19 wrote

I just want to thank you all for your input. Having this much advice has been amazing and makes me feel a lot better about making this move. You all are fantastic. :)

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Brewitt1 t1_ivp7d7m wrote

East rock has been wonderful for me, safe walking and plenty of restaurants, but predominately residential

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klalexis t1_ivpd93a wrote

we live in newhallville and bought a house actually — our payment is so much cheaper than rent

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SeldomWrong t1_ivlkamp wrote

My girlfriends family lives in Woodbridge and apparently they have a fantastic public school(Amity) and good private school (Hopkins). The commute is a bit farther to Yale and there isn’t as much to do in the immediate area. It may make more sense once you’re done with school and have a higher income.

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kryonik t1_ivp33pg wrote

Depending on his income, Woodbridge might be a little untenable unless he moves to the flats.

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Crafty-Cauliflower-6 t1_ivm6oa5 wrote

Wooster eat rock and westville are great.

East haven is mostpy nice south of 95.

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6th__extinction t1_ivo1yzm wrote

Hamden would be better with a small child, Spring Glen or Whitneyville.

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techfromheck t1_ivojyhn wrote

If you’re going to Yale try to get into student family housing up on Prospect Hill. Rent is cheap and utilities are included. If you are looking for childcare then I highly recommend the Children’s Preschool off of Whitney. They are relatively affordable and have scholarships too.

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guapomalo t1_ivlvsj8 wrote

As far as pre school you’ll be paying. I recommend Creating Kids( RIP Sandy) or Neighborhood Music School.

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mgr86 t1_ivm6plo wrote

Where are you moving from? And Do you want more rural or urban?

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decimal_diversity OP t1_ivm7ous wrote

No preference. Convenience and safety are top priority

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6th__extinction t1_ivo27ww wrote

Are you okay with petty crime (packages) and loud noises? Cross off Wooster if the answer is No.

Westville is tied to Whalley Ave, worst street in the city, and I wouldn’t make it part of my life with a 3 year old. Two people killed on Whalley in the past two weeks.

East Rock or a suburb.

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HartfordResident t1_ivuzyax wrote

Westville proper, like the part around the village and Yale Bowl, is not tied to any of the parts of Whalley Avenue with crazy drivers. I've lived in CT a long time and would say that's probably the nicest neighborhood in the state, all things considered. The main street through East Rock (Whitney) is much worse than that part of Whalley. To get from Westville to Downtown I think most people would take Edgewood, Chapel, Route 34, etc., on a routine basis over Whalley.

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6th__extinction t1_ivxsgmx wrote

Nope. The Edgerton side of Whitney is nicer and more expensive than any part of Westville.
Born and raised here too.

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HartfordResident t1_iw8mvew wrote

Expensive and rich never means nicer or more community friendly. But both are great areas! I think Westville has more resources (library, farmer market, several nice restaurants, cafes etc) - the area around Edgerton is a retail desert. It also has more typical-sized homes, bungalows, etc., than the area around Whitney does, so objectively speaking, you have a much larger number of typical families with young children living there. The area along Whitney and Saint Ronan Street has more of a mix of either 1BR condos or very large mansions.

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6th__extinction t1_iweucqm wrote

I think a lot of families try to be closer to Leila Day, Calvin Hill, Foote, St Thomas, Cold Spring, Hooker, etc.

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mgr86 t1_ivojzg3 wrote

If you want a more suburban feel, parts of hamden, Cheshire, Wallingford (decent electric rates), and Branford maybe options.

If you are a Yale grad student and want to be near others you might try science hill or east rock. The former seems to have more families. You will probably want a car here. But I’ve seen people do food deliveries from stop and shop and even Walmart. Though east rock does have some small markets. And definitely has more walkable restaurants. Science hill maybe closer to campus for you. Though the shuttles are decent.

I lived in new haven for over a decade on the edge between science hill and east rock. I was lucky and I loved it. My wife and I moved a half hour out of the city when she was pregnant three years ago. (It’s also a halfway point between our jobs).

Most of all the towns I listed are within 5-10 mins of either 95, the Merritt (state rt 15), 91, or 84.

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greysuru t1_ivmo8bh wrote

If you drive, then check surrounding areas for affordability. East Haven, Foxon area, West Haven Hamden all have nice spots (and not so nice) and each have a bus line or two going in and out.

Take your time and check frequently. as you find listings, try posting again asking about specific neighborhoods.

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thimblemeller t1_ivmtk3b wrote

Chiming in for East Haven - especially the area south of 95. My family (kindergartener) just moved to east shore/Morris cove in new Haven. If you can find a spot there, Nathan Hale is known as a good school and there’s a real sense of community. We often do things in east haven and it’s also a nice, safe, and convenient area to live.

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JezebelLane t1_ivmxa4y wrote

Student loan income? I hope that means 3,000/mo because that’s what you’ll be paying

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brewski t1_ivoes8o wrote

Check out Whitneyville section of Hamden. A little cheaper than Spring Glen and East Rock. Good bus route on Whitney Ave.

Good luck and welcome to New Haven!!

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Background-Milk7255 t1_ivokimd wrote

If youre looking for a sleepier suburb within 30 minutes check out Wallingford, Cheshire, and North Haven. Hamden is closer but still more of a small city...the taxes are wicked high there too.

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brewski t1_ivqm27h wrote

One more important consideration. Daycare can be very expensive, if you need it. You can enroll in the public preschool program for ages 3-4, and then start kindergarten if you decide to stay. It is free but you need to enter the lottery system to get in. There are different options for families living in New Haven or in the suburbs, but opportunities for both. Applications are due at the end of February. This was a great experience for us.

https://www.newhavenmagnetschools.com/

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