Things To Do In Westport, Weston and Norwalk!
 Market at the FarmWESTPORT
The Great Outdoors
Westport has been known as a place to
"summer" since the turn of the century, due in part, to its three lovely
beaches and a multitude of parks. There are many waterfront activities to
enjoy, from sunbathing on the beaches, to fishing, to active town marinas to
sculling on the Saugatuck River. Sherwood Island, a Connecticut State park with
beautiful beaches right on the sound, is now home to the State of Connecticut
memorial to those residents lost on September 11, 2001.
Longshore is a very special park. Once a
private residence, then a private country club, Longshore was purchased by the
town in the 1960s for a unique, public, all purpose park. There are three
swimming pools, an 18 hole golf course multiple handball and tennis courts, a
marina, a sailing school, an inn with a ballroom, a gourmet Pacific Rim
restaurant, and even an ice skating rink in the winter!
The Nature Center for Environmental
Activities, just renamed "Earthplace," is a 62 acre reserve which welcomes
80,000 visitors each year. There are miles of interconnecting trails and a
building for exhibits and interactive educational displays that show the
center's devotion to public environmental education, preservation, and
conservation. The Westport YMCA is very active and has its own outdoor center,
Camp Mahacakno, which offers a variety of active summer camp programs including
tubing, cycling, rafting and caving at their Westport facility and
beyond.
 A summer day at Compo
BeachDevotion to the Cultural Arts
In the 1920s and 1930s many artists of all
sorts found their way to Westport-and Westport has always nurtured its artists.
The Westport Arts Center is a working home for close to 40 artists, with a
professional gallery, a performing hall, and community rooms that serve as home
for over 100 cultural and educational events annually. The Westport Arts Center
moved into their new home on the Saugatuck River in 2002.
Artists past and present have been generous
with their talents giving to the town and its students. There are revolving art
exhibits with original pieces by various Westport artists on display at the
schools, the library and the Historical Society.
Free concerts, for all tastes and ages, are
given almost every night of the week during the summer at the Levitt Pavilion.
Even the very active public library-the second busiest in the state-encourages
artists with their visual exhibits and a popular brown bag lunch lecture series
where local authors tell of their latest books. The library's free audio/visual
collection is the largest in the state and numbers 13,000 videos and 10,000
books on tape.
 Westport Library from across the
riverThe Play's the Thing
Westport has long been a hotbed for the
performing arts, evident in its three main venues-The Westport Country
Playhouse, the White Barn Theater and the Westport Community Theater. Nearly 70
years young, the Westport Country Playhouse, now under the leadership of Joanne
Woodward, remains one of America's foremost summer theaters. The 160 year old
red barn which houses the playhouse is listed on the Connecticut Register of
Historic Places. Its stage was constructed with the same dimensions as the
Times Square Theater, so that New York productions could be staged and exported
to New York City without a hitch. Past playbills displayed in the lobby of the
theater read like the "Who's Who" of stage and screen. The Playhouse is also
well known for its equally professional and heavily attended Children's Series.
 The Westport Country PlayhouseThe intimate White Barn Theater was founded
by well known Lucille Lortel of Broadway. Although Lucille is no longer with
us, the Theater goes on introducing readings of new plays, debuting playwrights
of drama, comedy, and experimental theater. Its performances offer an exciting
and unusual experience and another chance to see famous actors.
The Westport Community Theater produces five
major productions each year on a professional level rivaling some Broadway
productions.
WESTON
Weston is a community of friends and
neighbors dedicated to their families and each other in a rural and residential
atmosphere. There are such community activities as the Norfield Grange. Granges
were popular as the community's social and civic organization when the
community was mostly agricultural. The Norfield Grange continues to be one of
the most active Granges in the state, its membership drawing from a wide
variety of backgrounds. The Weston Library is also a community hub that has
provided a magnet for gatherings of all kinds, including programs and events
for children. The Weston Historical Society is also very active.
 Weston's classic Town HallAlmost one quarter of Weston is permanently
devoted to open space uses and virtually every neighborhood can claim some
piece of recreational land nearby as its own. The Bisceglie-Scribner Park
offers an outdoor community pond fed by natural underground springs. There are
also natural swimming pools in the various rivers where residents can be seen
fishing or tubing down the rivers. Keene Park on River Road is undeveloped land
threaded by walking trails.
The most famous open space in Weston is the
Lucius Pond Ordway, more commonly called, Devil's Den Preserve, with 1,746
acres of wilderness. You'll find traces of earlier inhabitants, if you look
closely enough. There are 21 miles of trails where you are encouraged to stay
on the path, as the protection of nature is a high priority.
The Weston Recreation Commission operates a
comprehensive youth program including the usual tennis, swimming, soccer, golf,
football, and basketball, along with not-so-usual judo, horseback riding,
snorkeling, and scuba. There is also an active Little League program. Residents
can enjoy access to Compo beach in Westport at a cost of $100 a season and
enjoy many of Westport's other parks.
NORWALK
Norwalk has 22 miles of shoreline on Long
Island Sound, much of it public beaches and marinas. There are 16 islands
ranging in size from the 1.1 acre Ghost Island that is mostly submerged at high
tide, to the 70.2 acre Chimon Island, containing the only heron rookery in New
England. Parks on the mainland are active with well-equipped playgrounds, ball
fields, picnic areas, bicycle riding trails and jogging paths. There are over
40 city tennis courts and Oak Hills, an 18 hole municipal golf course, plus
several private country clubs including Silvermine and Shorehaven. There are
two public marinas, a public boat launch at Veterans Park, and two private
yacht clubs.
Norwalk is home to some wonderful museums
including the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, a 50 room National Histoic
Landmark built in 1854 which rivals the Newport Mansions. It is a showcase of
period decorative art and has a fantastic music box collection. Adjoining the
grounds of the mansion is a new and highly touted Children's Discovery Museum
with state of the art exhibits. South Norwalk is the home to the Maritime
Center, an aquarium and museum devoted to telling the story of Long Island
Sound's history and Marine life. The Center, along with its spectacular IMAX
Theater, has become the state's second ranked tourist attraction. The
Historical Society of Norwalk has a museum that includes the original Raggedy
Ann and Andy who were "born" in Norwalk.
 The SoNo Maritime CenterThe town really comes alive with the many
festivals that occur during this year in its various parks, including the
Scottish Games in July, the SoNo Arts Festival in August, the Oyster Festival
in September, and one of the largest in-water boat shows on the East Coast in
the fall. There are also many movie theaters, restaurants, and a well regarded
symphony orchestra. There's always something to do or see in
Norwalk!
Request my Free Westport, Weston and Norwalk Relocation Package. It's packed full of useful and important information about the Westport, Weston and Norwalk, Connecticut area. Don't move here without it! Remember: I'll send it to you for free and without obligation. Just fill out the form and I will send it right out...
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Time to Move >When Your House Gets Too Big
As the Baby Boomers of the 1950s send their children off to college, they join the part of the market called "empty nesters". At this point they no longer need six bedrooms and three baths, a family room and a gigantic yard. Many "empty nesters" are trading in the family home for something that is smaller, easier to maintain and has the amenities that are important to their more carefree lifestyle.
If you are considering such a move, start out by consulting a good Realtor whom you like and trust. The good news is--- when you sell your primary residence, you are not taxed on your profit if (1) you have lived in the home for two out of the last five years and (2) your gain does not exceed $250,000 as a single taxpayer or $500,000 as a married couple filing jointly. These capital gain exclusions apply whether you "buy up" to a more expensive home or "buy down" to a less expensive one. If you are moving downtown from the suburbs in order to be close to cultural centers, theaters and restaurants, there may be "quality of life" issues, such as noise or parking. Your Realtor can help you find a home that has all the conveniences and amenities you desire.
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| Q |
What economic factor can make the purchase of a home an excellent long-term investment?
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| A |
Home price appreciation can result in a substantial return on the buyer's investment as a house increases in value over time. |
 See More Real Estate Trivia > |
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