SperlingViews - Monroe, Connecticut

Monroe is an old Fairfield County village, considered the "boonies" as late as 1978, that has grown into a medium size town. The influx of transients- mostly corporate transfers- and locals looking to upgrade from Bridgeport or Stratford have accounted for most of its growth. It is a young town with a strong orientation to recreation and programs for school-aged children. The proximity to Stamford and New York (and more recently the explosion of corporate offices in Shelton) are major advantages. While it may lack some of the charm of lower Fairfield County towns, it also lacks most of the expense and pretense. You do not have to drive a BMW or Lexus to live here, though many residents do. A favorite pasttime in town is the annual budget vote. Here residents get to vote on the budget, often as many as five times a year. A few years ago it seemed Monroe stood alone in Connecticut for its budget-rejecting habits, but it now has become the norm statewide, even among towns known for their greater affluence and propensity to vote for budget increases. Taxes have increased significantly in the past twenty years. There is virtually no industry and a seeming lack of interest in economic development. Then again, it is part of Connecticut, the most anti-business state in America. One more point...twenty five years ago there were about three "restaurants" in Monroe. Since then we have become a mecca for Chinese and pizza restaurants as well as nail salons. Wolfe Park and Great Hollow are gems...the envy of many more exclusive towns in Fairfield County. [read more...]

Monroe is lacking the usual New England charm that many surrounding towns have. While parts of the Town are pretty, there are many run down shacks and unpleasant business storefronts. The schools are good and the town is a safe town in terms of crime. But it lacks the sophistication and charm of many other Fairfield Towns. For some reason, there seems to be little interest in how the town appears. In other towns such as Fairfield, many businesses plant flowers and keep their areas clean and attractive. There's not a lot of that in Monroe. It doesn't seem to be a priority. I live in Monroe, but it is hard to get used because aesthetically it seems to be a mishmosh of ugly busineses mixed with run down homes while also having some lovely neighborhoods. It used to be more redneck than it is now, with many corporate types moving into town with more money, but at this time, the Town still isn't sure what identity it wants. This is my opinion, though I have heard similar remarks from others. [read more...]

Half the town's government is made up of school teaches, so naturally, 90% of the budget goes to them. Property taxes are typically $8000.00, and then you add personal property taxes on a car, boat etc. My home decreased in value $50,000.00. The town just increased my assessment by $40,000.00! And, as bad as things are now-a-days, they want to increase the budget 6.7% so the teachers can get a pay raise![read more...]

Schools, Churches, near to NYC but no traffic. [read more...]

Very cold and wet in the winter. Hot and muggy in the summer. Spring and Fall are beautiful![read more...]