You Ask, We Answer: Why Is Moving to Connecticut a Good Idea Right Now?
Maybe it’s the dream of closet space that started it. Perhaps it’s the school districts that have you perusing the Calcagni Real Estate website. Or maybe it’s the thought of growing your own vegetable garden that tipped the scales and had you yearning to trade concrete for…Connecticut? Though many homebuyers have tucked the thought of moving out of their respective cities to greener pastures, the challenges COVID-19 has brought with it have helped spur many to action. We’re exploring our top four reasons why moving to Connecticut is a good idea right now—and we look forward to calling you “neighbor”!
More space, less money
For anyone paying rent in a major city, the thought of paying less money for more space seems like something out of an old—fictional— “Friends” episode. The bruising cost of city living is tolerated for a myriad of reasons, among them job opportunities, access to cultural institutions, world-class restaurants, and the unique social contact that comes with living in close quarters with millions of other people.
COVID-19 has changed all that, however, requiring those who are fortunate enough to work from home with now limited or no access to all the “benefits” city dwellers clung to in order to justify the expense. Now, renters are considering making the leap to becoming homebuyers—and Connecticut offers them the opportunity to have more space for less money. From closets to eat-in kitchens to yards where they and their families can stretch their legs and grow their veggies, while Connecticut’s cost of living ranks high on the national scale, those moving from a major metropolis may find it a much more affordable tradeoff.
New construction townhomes like City Point Landing in New Haven offer ample space for working/living/learning from home, with the benefits of being just minutes to downtown New Haven’s award-winning restaurants, indie boutiques, cultural offerings —and Union Station, home to Metro-North and Amtrak train lines. In central Connecticut, Spring Village in Meriden offers reasonably priced townhomes with 3 bedrooms and decks—attractive assets to those moving to Connecticut in search of fresh air and outdoor living space.
A great place to raise a family
According to WalletHub, Connecticut is a great place to raise a family. In fact, as of January 2020, the Nutmeg State ranked overall number nine out of 50 for “five key dimensions in 1) Family Fun, 2) Health & Safety, 3) Education & Child Care, 4) Affordability and 5) Socio-economics.”
Those seeking wide(r) open spaces for their little ones may fall in love with Connecticut’s New England charm, from winding roads flanked by antique stone walls to covered bridges and hiking trails. When choosing a home, many homebuyers gravitate toward private yards for their children to run free, but Connecticut also offers 139 state parks, public beaches, rivers, lakes, and biking and hiking trails to take advantage of the great outdoors.
In addition, parents who want to move to Connecticut to take advantage of the schools have more reason than ever, thanks to Education Week ranking the state the third best in the nation for metrics such as graduation rates, test scores, and positive prospects over the long term. Moving to Connecticut is a good idea for families—perhaps now more than ever!
Brains and beauty
With 37 universities, colleges, and community colleges throughout beautiful Connecticut, it’s quite accurate to say this New England state has brains and beauty. Whether you duck into a Gothic Revival courtyard at Yale University in New Haven or take in the view of the Thames River at the United States Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut’s beauty mixes old New England charm with Mother Nature’s splendor—and because it enjoys all four seasons, Connecticut’s beauty is constantly changing, delivering fresh reasons to fall even more deeply in love.
With no shortage of natural and architectural beauty and all the educational, employment and cultural benefits that these institutions of higher learning provide, moving to Connecticut in 2020 is a good bet, particularly as life makes its way back to “normal” and we can once more enjoy all that it has to offer.
Centrally located to New York City, Boston and Washington, D.C.
While many homebuyers are now working from home, Connecticut’s location is appealing to those who need easy access to major cities like New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. Even if offices remain closed for the foreseeable future, the ability to visit these hubs for future work or pleasure is a high selling point for Connecticut homebuyers.
With the Metro-North commuter rail-based out of New Haven and Amtrak and Acela service throughout the state, Connecticut enjoys “centrally located” status between these cities while still providing that “world away” feeling that today’s homebuyers seek.
Moving to Connecticut is a good idea right now because it offers homebuyers more space, good schools, access to major cities, and a quality of life—especially during COVID-19—that they might not have enjoyed over the last six months in particular. Now more than ever, Connecticut has its benefits—and all this beauty, too.
