Allison Frusciante remembers the moment two years ago when she and her husband, Richard – both originally from The Bronx – arrived in Danbury, Conn., and found the house of their dreams.
“It was like something out of a movie – that picture-perfect moment,” she says. “We felt like we were in ‘Pleasantville.'”
The Frusciantes’ three-bedroom raised Ranch, which sits on an acre of land and has a pool and a deck, costs less than $400,000.
Danbury “is the perfect place where we plan on fulfilling our dream to start a family,” Frusciante says.
The seventh-largest and one of the fastest-growing towns in Connecticut, Danbury is located at the foot of the Berkshire Mountains. It has a dense downtown area, rural upper edges and a long, wide Main Street lined with historic buildings. It also has a busy performing-arts schedule (including outdoor concerts at the Charles Ives Center’s amphitheater).
Known as a town with great amenities, Danbury has far more diversity than its southern neighbors – in everything from culture to population to properties -offering affordable and quite varied housing stock.
“You’ll find lots of single-family Capes, split-levels, raised Ranches and Colonials,” says Coldwell Banker Danbury’s Madeleine Lamberton. “We also have multi-families.”
These 1,200- to 5,000-square-foot properties range from $250,000 to $800,000 (up to 80 percent less than in southern Fairfield County). Standard amenities such as basements, garages and yards add to the value.
“Some houses need total revamping, but most only a bit of sprucing up,” says Chris Horky, manager of Century 21 Scalzo Group’s office in Bethel, Conn.
Danbury also has a number of beautiful Queen Annes, Arts & Crafts, Greek Revivals and Victorians. Many feature wraparound porches, crown molding, turrets, gingerbread trim, hand-crafted railings and fireplaces.
But if you want something new on both the inside and out, recently built homes generally range from 2,000 to 6,000 square feet and go for as much as $2 million, according to Lamberton.
The other booming residential component of Danbury is the large condo market. Three-story townhouse and apartment-style condo complexes abound. Many developments, which have been built within the past 20 years, have clubhouses, pools and fitness centers.
One-bedrooms range from $175,000 to $225,000 for an average of 1,000 square feet, while 1,200- to 1,500-square-foot two-bedrooms run from $225,000 to $300,000.
“These are your typical white-box condos,” says Horky.
But luxury condos have been popping up, too. Poet’s Landing opened in 2006 as a “waterfront resort community” on the shores of Candlewood Lake. With marble baths and Sub-Zero refrigerators, units sell from$600,000 to just under $1 million.
There are also rentals available: Some are in rental buildings, but many are in condominiums and multifamily homes. One-bedroom rentals go for $700 to $800 a month. Two-bedrooms run $800 to $1,200.
Helen Schmidt, 27, an editor for a Brazilian magazine, and her husband, painter/ musician Rafael Santos, rent a one-bedroom apartment in a multi-family house near the downtown area.
“There’s great diversity here,” Schmidt says. “It’s so artistic, too. We were surprised at how many young couples live here.”
Danbury at a glance
Population: 80,000
Houses: $250,000 to $800,000 for older stock; up to $2 million for new construction
Rentals: $700 to $800 for a 1-BR
Distance to Manhattan: 65 miles