Cher

I will be going to Danbury, CT on business soon and am looking for suggestions for some things to do ...especially to give me a "feel" for the area. I'll be arriving Saturday late afternoon and will have Saturday evening and all day Sunday free. (Ill have a car; flying into LaGuardia and driving to Danbury.) I'm staying at the Hilton Garden Inn ... what type of area is that in?

Is there a "happening" area in Danbury to check out? Anything interesting culturally or entertainment wise? Thanks.

HowardR

The Hilton Garden Inn is right off I-84 and in a commercial area.
If the weather is good, there are a lot of destinations that are not that far away where you could spend Sunday.
If you want to go shopping, Woodbury Common, one of the best outlet malls in the country is within driving distance. There's also the Danbury Mall, which is a couple miles from your motel.
There are a lot of worthwhile sites within driving distance. You're very close to the NY state line and the Hudson Valley. Or, drive north to the Berkshires in Massachusetts.
PS: There's not that much to see or do in Danbury itself....but the suggestions offered here will easily make up for that!

Cher

Thanks Howard. It sounds like most of what you are recommending is in the surrounding area. I wanted to also get a feel for Danbury itself because this trip is for a job interview and one of my concerns is that the area may not offer much to do, without having to go into NYC. (It would be me and my hubby moving there - no kids.) So, I wanted to get a preliminary feel if I could picture ourselves living in that area.

HowardR

Sorry, but I can't help you there. I am not that intimately knowledgeable about Danbury itself, except for its shopping opportunities.
I do know that its suburbs are quite nice.

zootsi

There is a winery trail you can drive not too far from Danbury, I believe it passes thru Sandy Hook Ct. You'll see some nice countryside, and be able to sample some interesting wines.

steviegene

Cher,
I am from the greater danbury area and think it is a wonderful place to live. What I love about it, is that you are so close to a huge variety of activities...NYC, Boston, Skiing in winter, the beach in the summer, etc.There are great work opportunities on the "Gold Coast" of Fairfield County, yet many beautiful, very rural areas to live in Litchfield County.

What kind of "things to do" or other info are you looking for?

BostonGal

I grew up in CT about 30mins from Danbury and my husband grew up just outside Danbury, in Bethel.
Danbury is not a great place to visit, there's not much to do right in Danbury, but it's a fine place to live.
Bethel is an adorable quaint little town that is no more than 10 minutes from Danbury. My sister lives in Southbury, 10ish minutes further east and it's a very nice town.
Good luck!

J62

For culture/entertainment, You could head S to the CT coast for the day. Nice aquarium in Norwalk (~30min S of Danbury).

Hilton Garden Inn is a highway roadside hotel. Nothing in the immediate area. Trader Joe's nearby, but that's it. Stew Leonards (local 'gourmet' market) is about 15min away.

As for restaurants - sorry to report but there ain't nothin worthwhile actually in Danbury proper. "Downtown" Danbury isn't a happening place in any terms.

Ridgefield (20min from hotel, S of Danbury on Rt 7) has a couple really good places.

Danbury Mall is your typical mid end mall - nice mall w/ Macys.

Danbury is a nice place to live, but not necessarily a place to visit.

Depending on where you'd work, living on the West, East or S. surrounding areas will greatly affect your commute, as morning traffic along I84 and Rt 7 can be slow.

Cher

Thanks for all the feedback. This is one of those situations where the job prospect actually looks very good, but I'm concerned that the location may not be a good fit for my husband and I. We would be moving from Rochester, NY (mid 40s, no kids,) and it seems like they area may have less to do than Rochester (without having to travel to NYC or Boston), although with not as much snow (which is a positive). I'm picturing the area as scenic, with very nice bedroom communities/suburbia ... but not much else going on (?). Is this what I'm generally going to find?

So I want to at least check things out with an open mind before jumping to any conclusions and am looking to get a feel for the area to judge whether we may want to explore more this opportunity more seriously.

Ideally, in order to consider a relocation, we'd be looking for: Good economy (hubby will be looking for work); good cultural scene (non-chain restaurants, concerts, local theater/orchestra), some local sports teams (like to go to sporting events occasionally), good outdoor activities (especially skiiing), nice scenery, and relatively close to an airport. We'd also like reaonably priced housing, however I know that housing and COL is higher in this area.

suze

For cultural, at least New York City is close by. I don't think housing costs are reasonable in that part of Connecticut.

susannah

We have lived in Danbury for 30 years. Corporate family, similar to you. THere are many "things to do" just have to make an effort sometimes to find them. Local theater, outstanding public golf course listed in the "top 25 courses" Variety of restaurants. We hop on the train and in the city in an hour for a theater, exhibits etc but it is always nice to get back to the country!Found it a big help to get involved/volunteer in the community. Chuck's Steak House is not far from the Hilton GArden..also more upscale is Cafe on the Green at Richter Park. Enjoy the visit..may sound corny, but bloom wherever you are planted.