I'd use the forsythia as a back drop for a mixed shrub and perennial border rather than a boring green wall of arbor vitae. It would look like a garden as opposed to a fortification, but would fulfil the same purpose.

Creeping red fescue is being used more because it can be a ground cover with less water and no mowing. It falls over in low tufts.

I don't know if UConn does soil tests. UMass does, and I'd start with that. Being so close to the ocean, there may be some unusual soil issues that have to be addressed for a decent lawn. Don't make the mistake of 'digging up' the lawn. Soil disturbances lead to uneven settling, which makes bumps and divots in a lawn.

I wouldn't do much of anything else for a while. Learn the property - where are the sunny spots and the shady spots, is there anywhere that pools water after a major downpour - things like that. Think about where you might like shade trees.

Personally, I'm a big fan of forsythia as a screening plant. It grows fast, can be pruned back if it gets too big, and produces a lot of branches that provide decent screening even in the winter. Arborvitae are overused deer candy that grow faster than you expect, and can't be trimmed back down to a more human scale.

Congratulations on the new house. So nice to be so near the water. I am not a fan of forsythia. We had a hedge that was here when we moved in. They only look really nice when in bloom, I think, and that is not a long season. I replaced ours with Limelight Hydrangeas and could not be happier, although a few near the sidewalk have been nibbled by deer. They will grow to ~8 feet. they bloom through summer and then the flowers fade, but still look nice. I am also not a fan of a row of anything. I would do a mixed border including evergreen and deciduous plants that are varied in the way you plant them (not one long row!).

Have fun with it and come back to show us what you do!

Thank you

You have some screening from evergreens now. I'd add a few understory trees like a dogwood or redbud and that will look good and add to the screening.