Welcome! I think Stamford is a great place for families and it can be what you want it to be. You’re close to NYC but still feels far enough away when you want it to. We moved from Manhattan last spring and love living in downtown. We’re a 5-10 minute walk to the train station and in a great newish building. It’s a big mix of people. Lots of singles, families and retirees. As you mentioned, a “decent life” is relative and variable, but what I can tell you is that our building ranges from $3800 to about $4400 for a 2 bed/2 bath apartment. Generally speaking, I think that’s what you’ll pay in the downtown or Harbor Point areas. Harbor Point seems appealing for families because it’s not downtown proper, but there aren’t really any grocery stores or much to do. Personally we found the buildings there to mostly be the same. BLT properties are generally cheaply and very quickly built. The buildings in the downtown area definitely have higher end finishes and such, and you can feel the difference. But again, it all depends on what matters to you and your family.