Stratford Apartment Renter's Guide
Stratford Apartment Renter's Guide
Katharine Hepburn, James Earl Jones, Paul Newman and Jessica Tandy have graced the stage of Stratfords Shakespeare Festival Theater.
Located on the Long Island Sound, Housatonic River, and a stop on the Metro-North train line, Stratford is an old-fashioned new England town originally settled by Puritan immigrants in the mid 1700s
Katharine Hepburn, James Earl Jones, Paul Newman and Jessica Tandy have graced the stage of Stratfords Shakespeare Festival Theater.
Located on the Long Island Sound, Housatonic River, and a stop on the Metro-North train line, Stratford is an old-fashioned new England town originally settled by Puritan immigrants in the mid 1700s. Religious freedom was the name of the game when the Puritans settled. Today, ancestors of the original settlers of the area still live there, and feel strong historical ties to their hometown. The town is a beach town, though it feels more like a picturesque suburb than somewhere you go to vacation and get a tan. Its home to five islands in the Housatonic river, as well as 3 "public" beaches, which you can go to for free as a resident or pay a fee per summer as a lowly non-resident. It doesn't only have water, though; Stratford also has swampland and treesparticularly in a place called Roosevelt Forest, which was set aside as a public park in the 1930s. Stratford is a place with tons of public transportation and its easy to get into and out of, and it also has fantastic schools, great stores and restaurants, and a really high quality of life. If you've got extra dough laying around, its definitely a place that lots of people are happy to call home.
Moving to Stratford
If you decide to move to Stratford, youre going to want to decide what kind of residence for which youre looking. Finding rentals here is not easy, mostly because the area is made up of nearly 80% owned homes and 20% rented. Homes are only 5 percent vacant in Stratford, so its not going to be so easy to just blow into the city and miraculously find the perfect place. If you do want to find a rental in Stratford, plan to commit a good amount of time and energy looking--it will be exhausting, you have been warned. You might want to find a real estate broker to help you find the place that is the right size and in your budget.
Once you do start your apartment hunt in Stratford, be sure to compile all the necessary documents youll need to submit a completed application. Coming to your search with everything prepared helps ensure that you can apply for something you want right away and that you dont miss out on your dream home because someone else was ready to apply more quickly than you were. What youll need to look for an apartment is a copy of your IDs, tax returns, bank statements, proof of employment, former landlord references and anything else that your broker or potential landlord might specify. Check and make sure that you see what the prerequisites are for your specific state or area. Unless you stumble upon hidden treasure, be sure to save up a good amount of money before you move. Movers are expensive, and youll want to pay someone who knows what theyre doing to get all your belongings to the right place in good shape. On top of the cost of moving your stuff, youll want to be sure you have the funds to secure your place right away. Upfront, youll probably need to give your landlord at least two months rent, sometimes in addition to a security deposit. Also, if you use a broker to help you find that coveted dream home in Stratford, youll also have to pay them a fee, which usually costs about a months rent or 15 percent of your homes annual rent.
Neighborhoods
To be honest, nearly every neighborhood in Stratford is on the most wanted list. At least more so than most places in the U.S. But there is a little variation in the houses and people in each area of the town. Read below to find out more about each of Stratfords specific neighborhoods.
Putney:Putney is by far one of the safest neighborhoods in Stratford and all of Connecticut. Homes there are expensive, and its nearly all houses. This isnt the place youll want to come as a young person looking for an apartment. $$$$
Lordship:Lordship is the southern most area of Stratford, and its located on the water. The beach front property in this area makes it desirable for all kinds of people. It also makes it really expensive. So, you can definitely find apartment rentals here, just not ones that you can afford if you don't make a lot of money. $$$$$
Town Center:Its called town center even though its more in the southern part of the town. But this is the historic commercial and business district in Stratford, and it sits on the beautiful Housatonic River. It has a good mix of houses and apartments, and nearly all the homes there are old and historic. Its a walkable area, too, so you don't need a car to get to everywhere you'd want to go. $$
Oronoque:Oronoque is the northernmost part of Stratford. It has a mix of really expensive and affordable housing, and people here both live with their families and as young singles. Its not right on the water so its a little bit more affordable than some of the nice areas in Stratford, but its still really nice. $$$
Living in Stratford
Stratford is a beautiful and quaint town. If you like the beach and the river, you'll be happy here theres not really any reason to want to leave that is, unless you desperately crave the excitement of a big city. Stratford does not have big city excitement for the night crawlers. While you can find shops and restaurants and entertainment here, it can definitely get boring. Luckily, its easy to get out of Stratford and get somewhere else exciting with all of the different transportation options in the area. Stratford is on the Metro North line, so its easy to hop a cheap train and get into New York City for a night in the Big Apple or to New Haven to visit the beautiful Yale University campus whenever you feel like you need to escape. There is also a bus service around the area if you want to get around in town. A lot of people here have their own cars, though. A car can help you get groceries and run errands, since the town really is a sprawling suburb and you cant really walk anywhere if your house isn't right in the town center. A lot of people here bike, toomostly to the beach. If you own a set of your own wheels, getting to the beach and home again is a great way to have a short vacation day on a whim.
If you move to Stratford and want to spend some time in your hometown, obviously the beach is a huge draw in the summer. There are three public beaches Short Beach, Long Beach, and Russian Beach. While the latter is more marshy, the first two offer traditional summer beach experiences like you'd see in any New England beach town. But theres more to do than go to the beach in Stratford. If you like history, you can drop by the Perry House, which was originally the home of Benjamin Beach in the mid-1600s, and is now a museum of local history. If you're into flying, Stratford is the home of the National Helicopter Museum, which displays old helicopters and educates about their development through the years. Also, if you like to play golf, Short Beach Golf Course is a stunning 9-hole golf course inspired by the best Scottish courses across the pond.