Some general Information on Westport, CT
Westport is an affluent town located in Suburban Fairfield County, CT and offers residents so much more than I can describe here, but I'll do my best to provide a brief overview. The population of Westport, CT is approximately 26,000. The median income in Westport makes it one of the wealthiest towns in the U.S. (See more demographics by clicking here.) Westport is based on the east coast of the U.S. along the Long Island Sound. It is approximately 50 miles from NYC and is generally a one hour train ride to Grand Central. Westport was inhabited by the Pequot Indians over 7,500 years ago. They referred to it as the "beautiful land." The town was briefly known as Bankside in the late 1600's before it changed the name to Greens Farm and then ultimately incorporated as Westport in 1835. At one time, Westport was the leading onion-growing center in the United States and then, an artists' colony.
The picture above is of the Minutemen statue. In 1777, 1,850 British soldiers landed at Compo Beach with the intention of blowing up the Continental Army's supplies in Danbury. The Westport Minutemen launched an offensive from the rear after the soldiers had passed. The statue is looking north, with his back to the beach, as the Minutemen would have been doing almost 250 years ago. Many of these Minutemen that fought in this battle are buried at Compo Beach cemetery.
Westport is a beautiful place, with an incredibly vibrant downtown, new restaurants opening up constantly and most important, with a wonderfully diverse history. The commercial environment is strong with both trendy and long-serving, family-owned small, local businesses and some very large companies including a few Fortune 500 companies. The town is known as a Connecticut destination for marketing and financial firms, due its' diversity. As the town has continued to develop over time, it has done a great job of maintaining the classic New-England charm that it has possessed for centuries.
The zip code for Westport, CT is 06880 and the area code is 203. The town government consists of a 3-member Board of Selectmen, a Representative Town Meeting, a Board of Finance, a Board of Education, and a P&Z commission. There are of course many other boards and committees.
Many families have lived here for generations. Maybe it's time for you to consider doing the same. Please come take a look. I think you'll like what Westport has to offer.
Westport is an affluent town located in Suburban Fairfield County, CT and offers residents so much more than I can describe here, but I'll do my best to provide a brief overview. The population of Westport, CT is approximately 26,000. The median income in Westport makes it one of the wealthiest towns in the U.S. (See more demographics by clicking here.) Westport is based on the east coast of the U.S. along the Long Island Sound. It is approximately 50 miles from NYC and is generally a one hour train ride to Grand Central. Westport was inhabited by the Pequot Indians over 7,500 years ago. They referred to it as the "beautiful land." The town was briefly known as Bankside in the late 1600's before it changed the name to Greens Farm and then ultimately incorporated as Westport in 1835. At one time, Westport was the leading onion-growing center in the United States and then, an artists' colony.
The picture above is of the Minutemen statue. In 1777, 1,850 British soldiers landed at Compo Beach with the intention of blowing up the Continental Army's supplies in Danbury. The Westport Minutemen launched an offensive from the rear after the soldiers had passed. The statue is looking north, with his back to the beach, as the Minutemen would have been doing almost 250 years ago. Many of these Minutemen that fought in this battle are buried at Compo Beach cemetery.
Westport is a beautiful place, with an incredibly vibrant downtown, new restaurants opening up constantly and most important, with a wonderfully diverse history. The commercial environment is strong with both trendy and long-serving, family-owned small, local businesses and some very large companies including a few Fortune 500 companies. The town is known as a Connecticut destination for marketing and financial firms, due its' diversity. As the town has continued to develop over time, it has done a great job of maintaining the classic New-England charm that it has possessed for centuries.
The zip code for Westport, CT is 06880 and the area code is 203. The town government consists of a 3-member Board of Selectmen, a Representative Town Meeting, a Board of Finance, a Board of Education, and a P&Z commission. There are of course many other boards and committees.
Many families have lived here for generations. Maybe it's time for you to consider doing the same. Please come take a look. I think you'll like what Westport has to offer.
Primary Neighborhoods in Westport, CT
There are five residential neighborhoods in Westport. They are Coleytown, Compo, Greens Farms, Old Hill and Saugatuck. Each town has its own feel and character and I would highly recommend that you drive through each area to determine what suits you and your family best. Compo, Greens Farms and Saugatuck are near the water and Coleytown and Old Hill are inland...but never too far from the beach!
The Saugatuck Rowing Club is a popular destination for both children and adults.
There are five residential neighborhoods in Westport. They are Coleytown, Compo, Greens Farms, Old Hill and Saugatuck. Each town has its own feel and character and I would highly recommend that you drive through each area to determine what suits you and your family best. Compo, Greens Farms and Saugatuck are near the water and Coleytown and Old Hill are inland...but never too far from the beach!
The Saugatuck Rowing Club is a popular destination for both children and adults.
Schools
Westport has eight public schools. The Kindergarden through 5th grade schools are Kings Highway Elementary (pictured to the left and consisting of approximately 550 students), Green's Farms (approximately 600 students), Long Lots (approximately 680 students), Saugatuck Elementary ( approximately 560 students) and Coleytown Elementary school (approximately 600 students) which also offers grades pre-kindergarden. The middle schools (grades 6-8) are Bedford (approximately 800 students) and Coleytown (approximately 500 students.) There is only one high school, grade 9-12, which is Staples High School (approximately 1100 students.) There are two private schools as well, Greens Farms Academy and Pierrepont School. And of course, there are a large number of pre-schools in Westport and I list many of them under "Local Services" Tab on my site.
Westport has eight public schools. The Kindergarden through 5th grade schools are Kings Highway Elementary (pictured to the left and consisting of approximately 550 students), Green's Farms (approximately 600 students), Long Lots (approximately 680 students), Saugatuck Elementary ( approximately 560 students) and Coleytown Elementary school (approximately 600 students) which also offers grades pre-kindergarden. The middle schools (grades 6-8) are Bedford (approximately 800 students) and Coleytown (approximately 500 students.) There is only one high school, grade 9-12, which is Staples High School (approximately 1100 students.) There are two private schools as well, Greens Farms Academy and Pierrepont School. And of course, there are a large number of pre-schools in Westport and I list many of them under "Local Services" Tab on my site.
Transportation
Westport, CT is located one hour from NYC by car or train. MetroNorth Railroads New Haven Line runs trains on a frequent basis into NYC, serving both 125th in Harlem and Grand Central Station. There are two train stations in Westport. The most used station is Westport/Saugatuck, near the entrance/exit 17 of I-95. The other station is Greens Farms, located in between exit 18 and 19 off I-95. There is a waiting list for parking at either station. You should consider adding your name to the waiting list as soon as you move to town.
The Merritt Parkway and I-95 run through Westport. There are two exits off the Merritt Parkway (exits 41 and 42) in Westport and two exits off of I-95 (exits 17 and 18.) Exit 19 off of I-95 actually exits in Southport, on the border of the eastern portion of Westport.
Westport, CT is located one hour from NYC by car or train. MetroNorth Railroads New Haven Line runs trains on a frequent basis into NYC, serving both 125th in Harlem and Grand Central Station. There are two train stations in Westport. The most used station is Westport/Saugatuck, near the entrance/exit 17 of I-95. The other station is Greens Farms, located in between exit 18 and 19 off I-95. There is a waiting list for parking at either station. You should consider adding your name to the waiting list as soon as you move to town.
The Merritt Parkway and I-95 run through Westport. There are two exits off the Merritt Parkway (exits 41 and 42) in Westport and two exits off of I-95 (exits 17 and 18.) Exit 19 off of I-95 actually exits in Southport, on the border of the eastern portion of Westport.
The Arts
Westport began its cultural expansion in the early 1900's, when a number of authors, musicians and artists moved to town. F. Scott Fitzgerald was the first of many to arrive. Today, many celebrities live in the area including musicians, artists and athletes. The Westport Country Playhouse (pictured) was founded in 1930 and offers wonderful plays and musical performances year-round. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward helped turn the playhouse into one of the top summer theaters in the country. The Playhouse has produced hundreds of plays over the past decades, many of which have gone on to become major Broadway hits. In addition, the Levitt Pavillion, has been completely rebuilt, offers free performances all summer long, except for a couple of nights per summer to raise money for charity.
Some fun TV facts:
Darin and Samantha Stevens from Bewitched resided in Westport, CT on the show, and both Lucy and Ricky Ricardo and Fred and Ethel Mertz moved to Westport near the tail end of the show.
Westport began its cultural expansion in the early 1900's, when a number of authors, musicians and artists moved to town. F. Scott Fitzgerald was the first of many to arrive. Today, many celebrities live in the area including musicians, artists and athletes. The Westport Country Playhouse (pictured) was founded in 1930 and offers wonderful plays and musical performances year-round. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward helped turn the playhouse into one of the top summer theaters in the country. The Playhouse has produced hundreds of plays over the past decades, many of which have gone on to become major Broadway hits. In addition, the Levitt Pavillion, has been completely rebuilt, offers free performances all summer long, except for a couple of nights per summer to raise money for charity.
Some fun TV facts:
Darin and Samantha Stevens from Bewitched resided in Westport, CT on the show, and both Lucy and Ricky Ricardo and Fred and Ethel Mertz moved to Westport near the tail end of the show.
Beaches and Parks
There are a number of beaches in Westport. Sherwood Island State Park is a public beach and covers 230+ acres, offering access to softball fields, walking and biking trails, fishing and even clamming. Compo Beach, Old Mill Beach and Burying Hill Beach are town beaches. Compo Beach (pictured to the left) is the most popular beach for local residents. There are over a dozen recreational areas and parks, with leisure activities offering a diversity of baseball, soccer and other fields, dog parks, playgrounds and more for residents to enjoy all year long. Longshore Club Park offers local residents for a reasonable charge access to golf, swimming pools, tennis, paddle tennis and more. There is also a marina located there. Luciano Park offers a playground and baseball/softball field. Salmon Memorial Park offers picnic tables. Greens Farms Field offers baseball with night lights and is located next to the Greens Farms Elementary School. And of course, there are many others such as Wakeman and Winslow Park and more.
There are a number of beaches in Westport. Sherwood Island State Park is a public beach and covers 230+ acres, offering access to softball fields, walking and biking trails, fishing and even clamming. Compo Beach, Old Mill Beach and Burying Hill Beach are town beaches. Compo Beach (pictured to the left) is the most popular beach for local residents. There are over a dozen recreational areas and parks, with leisure activities offering a diversity of baseball, soccer and other fields, dog parks, playgrounds and more for residents to enjoy all year long. Longshore Club Park offers local residents for a reasonable charge access to golf, swimming pools, tennis, paddle tennis and more. There is also a marina located there. Luciano Park offers a playground and baseball/softball field. Salmon Memorial Park offers picnic tables. Greens Farms Field offers baseball with night lights and is located next to the Greens Farms Elementary School. And of course, there are many others such as Wakeman and Winslow Park and more.
Restaurants
Pictured above are three of the more than fifty restaurants located in Westport. To the left is Bar Taco, located right along the river near the former Save The Children headquarters. The center picture is of Spotted Horse and the picture on the right is of Julian's Brick Oven Pizza. I am not highlighting these restaurants over any others, since there are so many wonderful places to eat. These three are all great and there are plenty of other spectacular restaurants that I list in my Local Services page on this Westport CT Homes for Sale site. For many years, Westport offered just a handful of restaurants that were mainstays, but very little new establishments ever opened. Residents would frequently go to Fairfield or SONO in Norwalk to find a good place to eat - not due to a lack of good place, but simply due to the lack of restaurants. In each of the past few years however, there have been a handful of new restaurants added to the already great places here, making Westport a true destination for truly fine food. There are very high priced, top quality places that you could bring your significant other to for a very special occasion, and there are plenty of "shacks", including Shake Shack, that offer great food and at a great price. And of course, everything in between. No matter what kind of food you want, at all price points, with few exceptions you can now find it in Westport. There's no further need to head to NYC for a great dinner, since you can now find it right near your home.
Pictured above are three of the more than fifty restaurants located in Westport. To the left is Bar Taco, located right along the river near the former Save The Children headquarters. The center picture is of Spotted Horse and the picture on the right is of Julian's Brick Oven Pizza. I am not highlighting these restaurants over any others, since there are so many wonderful places to eat. These three are all great and there are plenty of other spectacular restaurants that I list in my Local Services page on this Westport CT Homes for Sale site. For many years, Westport offered just a handful of restaurants that were mainstays, but very little new establishments ever opened. Residents would frequently go to Fairfield or SONO in Norwalk to find a good place to eat - not due to a lack of good place, but simply due to the lack of restaurants. In each of the past few years however, there have been a handful of new restaurants added to the already great places here, making Westport a true destination for truly fine food. There are very high priced, top quality places that you could bring your significant other to for a very special occasion, and there are plenty of "shacks", including Shake Shack, that offer great food and at a great price. And of course, everything in between. No matter what kind of food you want, at all price points, with few exceptions you can now find it in Westport. There's no further need to head to NYC for a great dinner, since you can now find it right near your home.
