Definitely agree on Route 7, much easier to get to the office and overall a good place to live. There are some apartments I know of called the Curb and One Glover (that’s the street name) in Norwalk that are at the bottom of Route 7, but I think they might be a bit pricier than what you’re looking for but worth a look!

People are generally nice but definitely not Irvine nice (my husband is from there!). Can’t comment on seasonal depression as that’s never impacted me thankfully. Feel free to DM with any other questions!