Darien, CT

165 Apartments for Rent

"I thought I saw the still sun / Strike the side of a hammer in flight / And from it a sea bird be born / To take off over the marshes." - At Darien Bridge by James L. Dickey

Looking for places to rent in Connecticut? Why not try Darien? It's a favorite for commuters to the NYC area because it's right off the Metro-North train line just an hour outside the city. It's also close to Norwalk and Stamford, two exciting cities with a lot to offer as well. It's filled with mansions and luxury apartments and is a beautiful area of peaceful Connecticut. If you can afford one of the beautiful rental houses here, you'll enjoy a high quality of life and easy access to nearby hot spots.

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Moving to Darien

Finding an apt for rent in Darien won't be too difficult if you have the time to devote to looking for a place. But there are a lot of one-bedroom apartments in Darien and even some studios and two and three bedrooms if you look a little harder. You'll want to give it four to six weeks and maybe a little longer depending on the time of year you're moving -- there are usually more apartments opening up in the summer months when students vacate the area, whereas the winter months can be a little more difficult. It's good to make appointments to view quite a few different places to get a feel for what you like. Some people prefer living in small apartments or stand-alone houses while other people love high-rise buildings with a doorman and added luxuries. When you make appointments to see different places, show up in a timely manner -- no one likes to be kept waiting and, though there are a good number of apartments available, this is still a competitive market so you'll want to make a good impression.

What You'll Need

If you're looking for homes or townhouses for rent in Darien, you're going to want to put together all the necessary documents to have ready in case you see a place you love right away. Set up a few appointments and bring along a binder with all the stuff you're going to need: your credit report, copies of your ID, proof of income, letter of employment, letters of reference, pay stubs, bank statements, etc. Having all of this together beforehand will save you a lot of time and can sometimes make the difference between scoring an apartment and losing out to someone else! Oh, and don't forget to bring your checkbook with you at all times. You might want to write a deposit on the spot if you find a place that you're absolutely in love with!

Neighborhoods

Darien is home to about 20,000 people according to the U.S. Census, and they are scattered all around the area in different neighborhoods. The city varies greatly depending on where you are living. Here is a breakdown of the different neighborhoods.

Tokeneke: This is the area right on the waterfront of Long Island Sound, and houses here have gorgeous views of the sound and the jagged cliffs that make up the coastline. Real estate here is primarily large single-unit homes and small apartment buildings.

Hoyt Street / Camp Avenue: This is the northernmost part of town and the inland location is very grassy and bucolic. It encompasses the beautiful Woodway Country Club and is made up mostly of owner-occupied single-family homes.

Town Center: This area is where the Darien Metro-North stop is located so it makes a great choice for commuters or people who travel into New York City or Stamford very often for fun. I-95 also runs right into this area, which heads into NYC as well.

Living in Darien

Darien offers a very high quality of life, with its beautiful beaches, seaside views and picturesque small-town charms. It has a number of public parks and beaches, including Pear Tree Point Beach, Baker Park, Weed Beach and Cherry Lawn Park. It also has a number of private membership golf, boating and yachting clubs. Many residents own boats and yachts and dock them along the coastline for use in the warmer months. The city has a number of yearly events, including the Hindley Happening Fair in May, the Summer Annual Sidewalk Sale and the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival in the fall. It was the setting for Richard Yates' famous novel-turned-movie Revolutionary Road, as well as the Meryl Streep film, Hope Springs.

Proximity to New York City has no doubt increased the appeal of this little Connecticut town. Business folks who tire of the fast pace of the city often end up buying property out in Connecticut to live in part-time or full-time.