In Greater New Haven, the town of East Haven is a matter of minutes east of its big sister, but very much its own place. In summer the town’s beach is a blissful spot to kick back by Long Island Sound. I’m a big fan of the great little seafood restaurant, conveniently located just behind. …
Inhabited by Europeans from the end of the 17th century, the small town of South Windsor is on the east bank of the Connecticut River, close to Hartford. Tobacco was once a lifeblood for the town, and was grown in the Connecticut River Valley since colonization. The industry reached its zenith here in the first …
A residential suburb in Greater Hartford, Newington has plenty of things I want to share with you. Amateur radio operators will already know it as the hometown of the American Radio Relay League and the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station. Newington is also the proud owner of America’s littlest waterfall. This can be found in …
If I had to pick a perfect small town to sum up the best of New England, Glastonbury on the east bank of the Connecticut River would come close. The town is flush with beautiful colonial-era houses. Some of these go back to the 17th century, and its main Historic District is on a classic …
The prosperous town of New Milford rests on the northeastern shore of Lake Candlewood. Generations of wealthy New Yorkers have set up second homes in these parts. One such estate belonged to the industrialist Frank Harden in the middle of the 20th century. This has since become the genteel Harrybrooke Park, with its own museum …
On the east side of the Connecticut River Valley, the town of Vernon is only 15 minutes from Hartford via I-84. But when I walked Vernon’s trails it seemed impossible to me that a big city could be so close. Arcing through the town, the Vernon Rails to Trails Park is a narrow strip of …
The city of Norwich grew up in the 17th century where the Yantic and Shetucket Rivers converge at the head of the Thames. This spot was primed for a port and by the 18th century Norwich had lively shipping and shipbuilding trades. Nowadays there’s a picturesque riverside park where the docks used to be. The …
Founded in 1633, the first English settlement in the state of Connecticut is the town of Windsor a few miles up the Connecticut River from Hartford In Windsor you can investigate this storied past at the local historical society and the Oliver Ellsworth Homestead. This was once the residence of one of the men who …
On the northern edge of Bridgeport, Trumbull is a well-heeled suburban town crossed by the Pequonnock River. This beautiful watercourse flows through a succession of parks in a long green corridor. As it happens, Trumbull has more open space and recreational areas per capita than any town in the state of Connecticut. Many of these …
East Hartford is a residential and industrial town set right on the Connecticut River where Hartford’s skyline comes into view. It takes little more than five minutes to reach one downtown from the other, across the Founders Bridge. So a lot of the best things to do locally can be found a couple of miles …