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Living in 06870

Photographs by suzy allman

On July 18, 1640, English settlers fled puritanical New Haven and found more hospitable drinking grounds along the shores of Monakewago (“Shining Sands”) in what is now known as Old Greenwich. They promptly purchased the place from the local Siwanoy Indians for “Twentie-five coates” and lifetime passes to the beach they intended to create there. Four years later, deciding that there are limits to lifetime passes, the English, joined with Dutch soldiers, marched northwest (possibly to what’s now the Ward Pound Ridge Reservation) and wiped out all 500 Siwanoys who had the misfortune to have settled there. Old Greenwich’s tolerance for unwelcome beach visitors has not improved since.

But residents can and do enjoy the beach (locally known as Tod’s Point) all year-round. Along with the village itself, it’s the focal point of this section of Greenwich. Almost every house south of the village is within walking distance of the beach, and if it isn’t, its value suffers. Not that many people actually walk, mind you; it’s the possibility of doing so that’s the draw.

So what does Old Greenwich offer residents and visitors alike? A nifty little library that overlooks Binney Park (named for the Crayola family who donated funds for its creation), a bookstore, a coffee shop, a bread store, a couple of decent restaurants, a railroad station and a grocery store (at least until it succumbs to the competitive pressure of the huge, new ShopRite across the border in Stamford). It’s all pretty much self-contained; leave your SUV in the garage.

What is impossible to find is privacy. Old Greenwich was developed as a summer colony of cute little bungalows stacked on top of each other, and while the zoning has been upgraded most of the lots have not. So your neighbors will know exactly who’s coming for dinner and what you’re serving. However, your kids can open the back door and play with friends—no carpools, no chauffeuring and no whines of boredom until they’re in their teens. It’s a grand place to raise a family.

Christopher Fountain, a Realtor and author (Greenwich Mean Time), writes about Greenwich on christopherfountain.com.