Moving to Waterbury: a practical guide
Housing and what it costs
Waterbury is one of the least expensive Orthodox communities on ShulMap — see the Census figures above — and that affordability, next to a major yeshiva, is a large part of its appeal to young families. Figures are approximate — use the home search above for live listings.
Picking an area
The community is compact. The Yeshiva Gedolah of Waterbury on Cooke Street, Ahavas Yisroel (the Shteeble) on Columbia Boulevard and K’hal B’nai Shalom on Roseland Avenue are within a few blocks of each other; the Avalon Circle Shul and K’hal Sharei Tefillah (the Blueridge Shul) are a little further north, and the Brookside Minyan is to the west. K’hal B’nai Shalom says the eruv encircles the shul and the surrounding community — ask about your street before you buy.
Kosher and daily life
K’hal B’nai Shalom lists a women’s mikvah, Mikvah Tcharna, by appointment on Roseland Avenue, and a men’s mikvah with a keilim mikvah behind it on Prospect Street. The community has its own Hatzalah and Chaverim, and What’s Doing in Waterbury is its magazine and directory.
Schools
The Yeshiva Gedolah of Waterbury anchors the community. Ask the shuls about current elementary and girls’ school options, and busing, before you move.
Who it fits
Families who want a close-knit, affordable community built around a yeshiva, and who are comfortable in a smaller city in the Naugatuck Valley rather than a New York suburb.