The Gold Coast Standard and Darien Real Estate » Schools

The Gold Coast Standard and 2012,There Is Much to Learn, Grasshoppers…

Karen Brewer — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:05:52 +0000

Well one way or another you have found your way to this blog.As advertised I try to write about news and views of living here in Darien,CT. Yes,I am a Realtor and yes I do want your business. But I could go about prospecting for business by advertising on say Facebook,Trulia,Zillow etc which, from time to time, I do indeed tinker with.

But what I hope to really accomplish here is to fill in a much needed gap between information and insight…Information is everywhere.You know how it goes…3 bedrooms, two baths, dead end street… misleading photos.If you ask me its dead end information.

What is it like to live on that “dead end” street? Does it lead to the town dump? Or a nice little park? And what about those three bedrooms? Does the master bedroom face train tracks. You get the idea. I’ve posted about this before and its all about context baby. When you’ve gotten your Zestimate or whatever they are calling it these days come to www.TheGoldCoastStandard.com to find out what the neighborhood is like,how long your kid will have to ride on the bus and whether the highway is expanding into your backyard.I also provide links to Darien Patch and local newspapers to increase your feel for the place. After all you cant live in a Zestimate. And that’s what I hope to accomplish in 2012. If I sell you a home in the process, well, win-win. Call me. 203-554-0951 or just keep tuning in here. There is much to learn grasshoppers.

Which School District in Darien,Ct is the Best?

Karen Brewer — Mon, 16 May 2011 23:57:11 +0000

There are five elementary schools in Darien, Tokeneke,Royle,Ox Ridge,Hindley and Holmes.Those schools all feed into the Middlesex Middle School and ultimately to Darien High School.Almost everyone I know who has looked for a home,knows someone already here in town.Invariably, they tell me they want to buy in oneschool district or another because they were told it was the best one. Mind you I’ve heard this about every one of the five elementary schools. . Come to Darien but don’t worry about the schools districts. They are largely the same….excellent.

Darien Ct, School Budget 2011….It’s that time of year again

Karen Brewer — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:31:37 +0000

I have written in the past about the excellence of the Darien, Ct school system. The town of Darien boasts one of the highest average SAT scores and percentages of grads going to 4 year colleges. in the state.Those numbers are the result of an annual rite known as “school budget season”. For as long as I’ve lived here the issues have been the same.

Half day kindergarten or whole day. (right now its whole day). Then there is enrollment projections and facilities.(we’ve got all new schools now,although we are outgrowing them-again),teachers aides (can we afford them?), teacher salaries and benefits (always going up,never down) and special education funding.

This year is no exception and I want to recommend reading Darien Patch and their coverage of events in order to get a real flavor of what’s in the offing this year.

I could write about it endlessly but Patch and its reader blog do a much better job.

In the end, first ,a budget is proposed,then people gnash their teeth,parents cry foul and finally the budget gets approved with a modest increase over last year.In between,great drama and wringing of hands. Dont take my word for it. Follow the goings on and decide for yourself.

Ultimately, the kids and the town of Darien win out, but its always a tussle.

New Darien Town Video

Karen Brewer — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:36:26 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a brand new town video produced by my office at William Pitt Sothebys International Realty in Darien.I helped with the production and personally I think it turned out well. It gives a good feeling of what Darien, Ct is all about . Im even in the video a couple of times.See if you can spot me.

Darien Public Schools,The Numbers Dont Lie….

Karen Brewer — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:56:12 +0000

One of the first things people ask me about when searching for real estate in Darien is the schools. How are they? How big are the classes? Are all the Darien Elementary schools equal? etc.

Well,I am a mother of three children all of whom have gone through the Darien Public School system.In fact, my youngest, Andy graduates from the High School next week.

All of my children were very different students with different interests ranging from basketball and rugby to musical theatre and a capella singing.In addition to excellent academics,they all had great after school and social experiences.

This week the Darien Times published the results of a report given to The Darien Board of Education.It showed that 85% of Darien High Schools graduating class will be attending a four year college. Just over 5% will be attending a 2 year school and three students will be attending a college prep school.The remainder of students will take a job after graduating and the remainder of 13 students are undecided.

Within,the group attending four year colleges,72 will attend “the most competitive”, 80 will attend highly competitive schools and 39 will attend very competitive institutions.The ratings are based on Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges.

You can find more specific school information at http:www.schooldigger.com.

For those of you with little ones,I have written a comprehensive article on Nursery schools in town.Click here to read it.

Circus Yoga Anyone? Darien Childrens’ Activities

Karen Brewer — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 00:46:03 +0000

I can’t say enough about the amount and quality of kids activities in town.If you buy a home in Darien your children will never be bored.

In addition to a full program for kids at the fabulous Darien Library,organizations such as the YMCA, YWCA and Darien Parks and Recreation and Darien Arts Center offer a full plate of activities for kids.

This years Spring catalog from Darien Parks and Rec just came out and there is something for every kid in town.Little League,Soccer,Lacrosse Hockey,Sailing Golf,Softball,Tennis,Swimming,Music lessons,Karate and even Fly Fishing for kids.

Some of the more unusual activities include….. a course called Jump Around.Then there’s Rocketeering,Green Engineering,Little Scientists and yes, folks CIRCUS YOGA.

Circus Yoga it seems, combines the flexing, and stretching poses of yoga combined with circus skills like pretend tight rope walking,peacock feather balancing,and juggling scarves.

But Circus Yoga shouldnt be just for kids! Maybe we can do sometihng like, Darien Realtor Arabian Stallion riding, or Trying to Stuff as many Realtors as possible into a Volkswagen. How about No Practice Trapeze for Loan Officers?

Seriously however, when you buy a home in Darien, you get an unparalled choice of kids activities..(peacock feathers not included).

CNN Money….Top Earning Towns,Darien Ct

Karen Brewer — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:22:55 +0000

Below is a link to a 2010, CNN Money Report showing New Canaan,Darien and Westport as the Top Earnings towns is their Best Places to Live report.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/moneymag/0807/gallery.bplive_topearners.moneymag/2.html

Darien Neighborhoods:Tokeneke

Karen Brewer — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 16:46:54 +0000

South of Interstate 95,the area known as Tokeneke is an exclusive enclave within the town of Darien.The homes are prized for their privacy and access to the inlets and bays around Long Island Sound.Most of the oldest homes were built as part of the original Tokeneke Park development, which took its name from a Native American sachem who is said to have led a tribe that hunted and fished in the area. An Indian’s silhouette is used to mark the park boundaries.

Prospective Tokeneke Park buyers were invited to stay at Eagle Rock, a colonial-style inn constructed by the development company. The inn, which overlooks picturesque lagoons at the bridge crossing to Contentment Island, has been extensively renovated for use as a private residence. .

More modest Darien properties can be found farther inland, though prices rarely dip much below $1 million.Homes in the Tokeneke area can sell for as much as $7million.

Tokeneke families also benefit from Darien’s well-financed (school spending is $11,500 per student),and state-of-the-art school facilities. Children attend nearby Tokeneke Elementary School, one of five schools in town for kindergarten to Grade 5. Built in 2008, the $23 million building is a technologically advanced, fully air-conditioned school.The current enrollment is 450 students.

Students in Grades 6 through 8 attend Middlesex Middle School, where a recent addition provided a new cafeteria and media center, a second gymnasium and a music technology lab. Middlesex students are divided into 10 ”academic teams,” each of which is guided by the same five teachers all year long. After school, students may choose from more than 50 clubs and an inclusive intramural sports program.

A new $73 million building l replaced Darien High School in 2007. Designed to maximize the use of technology by both teachers and students, the building is wired to enable every classroom to receive video and data streams for instructional use.

In addition to a rigorous core curriculum, the high school offers a wide variety of optional academic programs, including television production, a United States/China student exchange, and a technology training program involving construction of a fuel-cell-powered vehicle.The rich school environment is reflected in Darien’s SAT scores, which consistently come in near the top of state rankings.

Tokeneke families have access to many recreational facilities in Darien, including a thriving Y.M.C.A., two town beaches, a community center for teenagers, and numerous private tennis, boating and golfing clubs.

Closest to home is the Tokeneke Club, a members-only beach club that took possession of the inn’s private beach and casino building in 1909. The Darien Historical Society’s histories of Tokeneke note that the club’s original wooden buildings burned to the ground in 1932 during a Saturday night party, and that replacement buildings were later battered by hurricanes. The club has since sought permanence in concrete.

A lesser-known Tokeneke landmark is the Convent of St. Birgitta, a lone holdout against development on a large waterfront plot with a panoramic view of Scott’s Cove. The convent, which houses a Swedish order of nuns, offers reasonably priced rooms to guests or small groups seeking a spiritual retreat.

Portions of this article were reprinted from the real estate section of The New York Times,2005.

Advertise on NYTimes.com

Neighborhoods: Noroton and Noroton Heights, Darien Real Estate

Karen Brewer — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:14:58 +0000

This article was written several years ago and published in The New York Times Real Estate section . With minor adjustments to number of pupils enrolled in the schools and the median price of a home,this is a very accurate picture of the area. It was also where I lived when I first came to town!

If You’re Thinking of Living In/Noroton and Noroton Heights; A Haven for Both Sailors and Commuters

By LISA PREVOST

Published: December 14, 2003

The Noroton section of Darien is defined by two peninsulas that reach into Long Island Sound. They provide many inlets and coves to create lovely areas for sailors and beachgoers alike.From there Noroton spreads inland across the Boston Post Road,past I95 and into the inland neighborhoods of Noroton Heights.

The shorter of the peninsulas, Noroton Neck, is divided into shore communities like Noroton Bay and Pratt Island, both notable for their multimillion-dollar properties. A new four-bedroom colonial on the Pratt Island waterfront was recently listed at $5.69 million. The peninsula is also home to the world-renowned Noroton Yacht Club, whose former members have included two America’s Cup skippers. The club currently runs the largest junior sailing program in Fairfield County.

Long Neck peninsula, which extends farther into Long Island Sound, providing westerly views of Manhattan, is just as exclusive. Accessed by the Ring’s End Landing bridge, a graceful stone structure that marks a major shipping point for early settlers, Long Neck became a summer destination for the wealthy when rail travel made it accessible during the mid-1800′s. Many houses from that era still grace the two roads that run lengthwise: Long Neck Point and Pear Tree Point. Children attending the private Pear Tree Point School (which serves prekindergarten through fifth grade) regularly troop around the peninsula for hands-on lessons in marine science and local history.

Craig Ferguson, a retired insurance broker, and his wife, Linda, have lived in one of Long Neck’s earlier houses for 26 years. ”Our house was built in 1908 as a summer house, but a very elegant one, with heat and sleeping porches,” Mr. Ferguson said. ”We are only the fourth owners, and that is true of many of the houses here, in that they have had relatively few owners.”

The opposite is true of the houses in Noroton Heights, the inland neighborhood that grew up around the Noroton Heights train station and housed the European immigrants who serviced the old estates. The modest Capes and colonials along these densely populated streets generally sell in the $600,000 to $700,000 range, making them ”a more affordable variety for Darien.” ”There are more choices in the central range of pricing for the town, plus they’re close to the train station and they’re paying significantly less in taxes than they would in Westchester.”

Housing styles are a ”total mix,” from standard Capes to 1920′s colonials to an old dairy building redone in a contemporary style. ”Some of the older homes are just adorable. The young people come in, clean them up and make them really lovely.”

Kerri and Patrick Larkin did just that after moving out of their rented carriage house into a 1,400-square-foot Cape they purchased in Noroton Heights. Having spent a year looking at and bidding on houses throughout the Heights area, the Larkins were undaunted by the Cape’s dated wallpaper and worn carpeting. They ripped up the carpets, redid the floors and painted throughout.

”There are some unbelievably gorgeous homes in Darien, but this area has more of a small-town feel to it” said Mrs. Larkin, a sports marketing consultant who works less than two miles away in Stamford. ”The day we moved in, our neighbors were at the door asking us to come over for a drink.” She added, ”The reputation of the school system and the youngness of the community were the real driving factors in our decision.”

The rental market in the Heights area expanded considerably when the Avalon Darien development opened. Next to the train tracks on Hollow Tree Ridge Road, the 189-unit town house style apartment complex is a in demand amenity.

Rents start at $1,900 a month for a one-bedroom unit with an attached garage; the largest unit, with three bedrooms and 1,800 square feet, rents for $3,600. One-quarter of the units have been set aside as affordable housing; rents for those units range from $1,000 to $1,400. For a two-person household in a two-bedroom unit, the income limit would be $48,256.

The neighborhood hub is the busy business district across the street from the train station on Heights Road. This area caters to commuters, providing easy access to dry cleaners, a post office, banks, two supermarkets and a new health club. Traffic here has become an increasing problem in recent years, partly because Noroton Avenue, the main thoroughfare running through the Heights, serves as the primary route to both the middle and high schools.

Of even greater concern to the many residents who rely on the train, however, is the deteriorating condition of the Noroton Heights train station, said Evonne Klein, Darien’s newly elected first selectwoman. The first Democrat elected to the town’s top leadership post in 14 years, Mrs. Klein made the station’s condition a key issue in her campaign. In one survey conducted last year, she said, rail travelers rated the Noroton Heights station the worst on Metro-North’s New Haven line. She advocates an increase in the fee for station parking permits (currently $235 a year) to pay for improved lighting, safety and overall maintenance at the station.

In recent years, the town has focused on updating school facilities to accommodate a rapidly growing school population. An addition to the Middlesex Middle School, serving Grades 6 through 8, completed in January 2000, provided a second gymnasium, new cafeteria, media center, three computer labs and a music technology lab. Enrollment is close to 1,000, but students are divided into academic ”teams” of about 80 members led by five teachers each all year long.

Middlesex also prides itself on a year-round, all-inclusive intramural sports program. ”Everyone can participate — there are no tryouts,” said Debi Boccanfuso, the school principal. ”This goes along with our philosophy of ‘try new things.’ ”

A $73 million high school replaced the existing high school and provides enough classroom space to accommodate a projected enrollment of 1,100 to 1,200 students. The new building includes a wireless mobile computer system and in-house television station,astro turf playing fields and areas designated specifically for students working on independent study projects, according to Doug Rubin, an assistant principal at Darien High School.

The high school’s current enrollment is 960. Average scores on the SAT reasoning tests last year were 576 in the verbal section and 595 in math; state averages were 512 and 514, respectively. Of the 195 graduates in the class of 2003, nearly 92 percent planned to go on to higher education.

OUTSIDE of school, teenagers can hang out at the Depot, a community-run club in the former Noroton Heights train station. Open until midnight on weekends and 9 p.m. during the week, the Depot regularly sponsors alcohol-free dance parties and movie nights.

Teens also have the opportunity to try out for Boy Scout Explorer Post 53, an all-volunteer emergency medical services crew that works in cooperation with the town police and fire departments. Supervised by adults trained in advanced life support, Post 53 selects 15 students a year, both boys and girls, to join the crew. Each student receives at least 150 hours of training for basic certification as emergency medical technicians; by their senior year, some even qualify to drive the ambulance.

Family recreational facilities in Darien run the gamut, from the Y.M.C.A., offering more than 300 programs, to numerous private golf and swim clubs. The Ox Ridge Hunt Club, on 37 acres, is considered one of the area’s premier equestrian centers. Residents have access to two town beaches (Weed and Pear Tree Point), both in Noroton. Beach parking permits are $20 per vehicle annually.

The town harbor master, Robert Price, oversees the assignment of some 300 boat moorings, most located near the Darien Boat Club and the yacht club in Darien Harbor. Darien is the only town in the county that does not charge for use of the moorings, Mr. Price said. Nevertheless, the average wait for a mooring is much shorter than the wait for train station parking — four months versus four years. ”GAZETTEER” POPULATION: 7,651 (2000 census). AREA: 3.38 square miles. MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME: $123,955. MEDIAN PRICE OF ONE-FAMILY HOUSE: $873,500. TAX ON MEDIAN HOUSE: $9,783. MEDIAN PRICE A YEAR AGO: $880,750. MEDIAN PRICE FIVE YEARS AGO: $590,000. SCHOOL SPENDING PER PUPIL: $11,019. DISTANCE TO MIDTOWN MANHATTAN: 36 miles. RUSH-HOUR COMMUTATION TO MIDTOWN: 58 minutes on Metro-North New Haven line.

A version of this article appeared in print on December 14, 2003, on page 115 of the New York edition.

Darien Ct Homes for Sale,Property of the Week, Sunset Road

Karen Brewer — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:53:49 +0000

I’ll try to select specific properties each week that for one reason or another strike me as worth noting. This weeks’ pick is located on Sunset Road,in Darien,CT. I’ve chosen it because of its’ location which is on a much sought after street in town.

I live around the corner and know a bit about this street first hand. Sunset Road is one of those streets that is truly a neighborhood. Everyone on the street knows each other and there are families of all shapes and sizes. Growing families,empty nesters even singles. Sunset Road in Darien has upwards of 25 kids living there and many of the backyards feed into a cul de sac where they congregate, ride bikes and yes-PLAY! There are Memorial Day barbecues,frequent cocktail parties and Santa comes to Sunset Road in Darien,EVERY YEAR! Further, Sunset Road is located one block away from Royle Elementary School. Everyone,moms.kids,dogs take the morning walk to Mansfield Ave where the school crossing guard awaits.

Homes are typically on .3-.5acres so homes are close but not too close. Before the market downturn, homes for sale on Sunset Road in Darien were infrequent and sometimes even traded among the neighbors themselves.

The house that came on the market this week has a nice flat yard,finished basement, and new downstairs including the kitchen. The home itself was built in 1999. Upstairs are 4 average sized bedrooms.The master suite is nice but bathrooms could use a little updating. There is enough value here already to justify updating the baths or even an addition if you really needed the room.Pricing at $1.695 is a little ambitious but, as we know everything is negotiable. It’s a great starter home on a super street.

Contact me if you would like to see this one….kmbrewer2@aol.com or 203-554-0951.

http://dar.mlxchange.com/Pub/EmailView.asp?r=943083769&s=DAR&t=DAR