ASML is about three miles from my home and I’ve lived here for over 50 years. I come from a southern family, so I have a bit of perspective. Let’s take a look at your concerns and see if I have some answers for you.
Serious scratch is needed for rents around here, but income is high too, so it balances out somewhat. I’m guessing a small commute of ½ hour is ok. You don’t say if you are alone or bringing family, so I’m just going to point out areas. Wilton, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien, Ridgefield, Norwalk, Weston and Westport are all close by and within ½ hour at rush hour. Stamford and Norwalk are the larger cities probably have the greatest rental potential for condos, apartments and such. The other towns are smaller, geared towards houses with two acre lots, and while beautiful, are very expensive and are pretty much upper-middle to upper class bedroom communities. You can find one bedroom apartments and Studios for $1500 - $2000 depending on location, amenities, etc. Slightly more for high end and slightly less for.... ahem...the other side of the tracks.
Churches abound, and while the Catholic population is at about 40%, this area is extremely diverse, and you can find everything from Hindu temple to Seventh Day Adventist. Based on your description, you would find yourself at home at Black Rock Church in Fairfield (or one of its satellites), or perhaps at Word Alive in Norwalk. Muscular Christianity at both, and welcoming communities also. I know both well.
Regarding Sandy Hook... some explanation of the area needs to be discussed. This part of Connecticut has two distinct populations – native and transient. Only 50 years ago, this was pretty much farm country north of the Merritt Parkway, five miles inland from Long Island Sound. The native population stays to itself for the most part, and forms the bedrock of church life, town politics, the trades, etc. and can be considered by outsiders to be insular or unfriendly. This is New England, despite its proximity to New York, and true Yankees can be taciturn, but not overtly unfriendly. The transient population are rather opportunistic and come and go according to their work, fortune, destiny, whatever. We natives pay them little mind and do our best to outvote them.
Sandy Hook struck a blow in that almost everyone native to the county personally knew at least one family affected by this. There was great grief in our area. But ashamed? That may have come from the non-natives who have no roots in the area and are naturally fearful of everything. Many come from the city, and are completely bowled over and shocked by a pro-gun culture. There are lots of them, and they vote.
CT is a shall issue state, and most natives own firearms of some sort – fewer rifles and more shotguns due to the shortage of land. There are fewer and fewer places to shoot near the coast but outside of the cities, there is some excellent hunting. Duck, inland birds, turkey and deer are all plentiful.
You WILL wish you were down south again, particularly during January. Spring comes late and trees don’t get buds until late April. It stays cold and bare from November to April. Spring is glorious and summer is warm and verdant. Fall is where we shine and there is almost nothing as beautiful as a New England autumn. Our BBQ is amateurish for the most part, but you cannot touch our seafood and the diverse palate will have a field day here. You will find restaurants representing every corner of the earth with 15 miles, and CT pizza puts both New York and Chicago to shame.
That’s it – Good luck!
Thank you so much Soxy.
I was hoping someone with a local view might comment.
The scratch is a possible issue for me. In that I’d have to pony it up, up front. And my FICO is not gorgeous. But again this is not my first rodeo getting started in motels. Which don’t look as bad as I feared.
The other issue is what in the world would I drive, my car having croaked on the way to where I am now, and my budget nowhere near enough to buy one yet, and my FICO stopping me from normal rentals. Well I’ve made U-Haul pickups do for me in rural and free wheeling Gainesville, but I don’t know how my proposal to do that long term will come across to Yankee land. Officially the parent company doesn’t do that. Unofficially the locals are tickled every color of the rainbow to get my money and see their truck utilization rate pushed way up.