Sharon

Nestled in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains, Sharon offers a friendly, small-town atmosphere with stunning natural landscapes, endless outdoor recreational opportunities and historic architecture with New England charm. “It’s really unspoiled, that’s why people love it here,” says William Melnick, a sales agent at Elyse Harney Real Estate who sells homes in the community and bought a house there in 2013. “I had a weekend house on Long Island, and I wanted something that was a little more seasonless, somewhere I could come all year. I looked everywhere. I looked in upstate New York, in other towns on Long Island, in the Berkshires. I came up here one weekend and I bought a house that same weekend because I didn’t know there was anything like this two hours from New York City that was so beautiful and unspoiled, just the right amount of development.” Getting to New York City is a simple matter of driving 8 miles to catch a train at Wassaic Train Station and Boston is a few hours away, so Sharon is a popular home for people who travel to either city a few times a week or “weekenders” who live there during the week and return to Sharon on the weekends.

Sharon’s homes are often on larger lots of at least half an acre, stretched along roads that feel almost rural. Beautiful new constructions are available for those who want them, but Sharon’s true charm lies elsewhere. “There’s a core of beautiful original homes from the 1700s and 1800s,” Melnick says. “A lot of them have been restored, so you get that true New England feel.” These colonial-style homes start at about $700,000 and can climb to as high as $5 million, but the average home costs around $1 million. Just a few miles from the New York border, Connecticut’s lower taxes are also a huge bonus for residents. “The housing market remains strong,” Melnick says. “If something comes on the market, especially if it’s already been renovated, it still sells very quickly if the pricing is fair.”

Sharon belongs to Regional School District 1, operating its own school for kindergarten through eighth grade, Sharon Center School. This little school has a B on Niche and a student-to-teacher ratio of 5:1. Once they reach ninth grade, children move on to Housatonic Valley Regional High School, which Niche gives a B-plus and lists among the top 5 public high schools in Litchfield County. It offers its students a wide range of activities, including 19 sports and about 40 activities like musical theater, robotics and electrathon, where students build small electric vehicles. Nearby preparatory schools like The Hotchkiss School, which Niche rates among the top 2 private high schools in Connecticut, are also a major draw to the community and a huge force in its economy.

Sharon is surrounded by nature, including the 452-acre Housatonic Meadows State Park at its eastern border. The park offers hiking trails, including pieces of the Appalachian Trail, and the Housatonic River makes a perfect canoeing destination and a beautiful backdrop for camping. It’s also renowned for its freshwater fishing opportunities, particularly rich in trout and bass, with a 2-mile stretch dedicated to fly fishing only. During the summer, residents love meeting up with friends for a cookout at Sharon Town Beach, where they can fill the time between eating by playing on the playground, swimming in the lake or launching their boat out onto the water.

The Sharon Shopping Center’s locally owned stores offer small-town vibes, including the Sharon Farm Market, where many residents get groceries. The pharmacy and one of the neighborhood’s banks are also in the little shopping center, with a gas station, a second bank and the local thrift store right across the street. The Sharon Hospital is a rarity for such a little community, providing easy-to-reach medical care and checkups. When Pigs Fly is the go-to spot for locals to enjoy pulled pork and brisket, while JP Gifford Café and Catering Company provides coffee and a quick bite to eat. A fun night out often involves a trip to the Sharon Playhouse, which puts on new works, classic shows and musicals, like adaptations of “Pride and Prejudice,” “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” and “Guys and Dolls.” With so much beauty and charm, it’s easy to see why Sharon draws city-goers in and makes them fall in love.