Monroe

Newtown, in rural southwestern Connecticut, is home to just over 27,000 residents. The community is very tightly knit, and people not only gather throughout the year for events but also meet up at the parks and gardens to socialize. “Whenever I take my dog to the park, it’s hard to get around the loop because people always stop me to chat and pet my dog,” says Tricia Farin, Realtor with William Raveis, who has lived in Newtown for more than 26 years. In the center of town, New Heights Baptist Church’s tall steeple meets with Trinity Episcopal Church’s Gothic Revival stone belltower at a flagpole. “We use the flagpole to denote where things are in town,” Farin says. “Someone will ask — is it near the flagpole?” There are several annual events that not only define the community but also attract residents of other towns. “People from all over the state come to our Labor Day Parade,” Farin says. “We also have Christmas tree lightings all over town — carolers come from the high school, and businesses donate hot chocolate. On Halloween, homes on Main Street pass out candy, and everyone goes there. You bring a thermos of coffee and meet up with friends.” Off Elm Drive is Dickinson Memorial Park, which has a skate park, a playground with a rock feature for climbing, a wooden play structure, as well as fields and courts for sports. Near that is the Newtown Country Club, with a 9-hole golf course for members. “The central area for Newtown is Fairfield Hills,” Farin says. “It was an old mental hospital, which was in disrepair. Now, it has a community center with a fitness area and there are trails where you can bring your dog. There’s no day you won’t see people there. Kids play sports there, we have movies in the park and there is a victory garden where you can meet up with other gardeners.” In cooler months, the EverWonder Children’s Museum provides an excellent spot for kids to meet up and enjoy interactive exhibits. “We also have an old theater where tickets are three bucks apiece,” Farin adds. Locals can pick up groceries at Caraluzzi's Newtown Market or Big Y World Class Market, both of which are in town. Those who don’t feel like cooking have a variety of choices for dining. “We are bursting at the seams with restaurants,” Farin says. “There are Chinese, Indian, Italian and farm-to-table places.” Retail shopping options include a few locally run businesses; residents can browse Queen Street Gifts for unique home décor and baby clothing, and kids can head to the Toy Tree to spend their allowances. Danbury Fair in Danbury is less than 14 miles away; it’s a two-story indoor mall with stores such as Anthropologie and L.L. Bean. It even has a carousel. Newtown housing consists mainly of single-family homes. “Along Main Street, it’s very New England,” Farin says. Buyers may find homes dating back to the late 1700s, and yards are set more closely together. In other parts of town, “properties are larger, and you can keep goats and chickens if you want,” Farin says. Within the city limits, prices generally fall between $350,000 and $700,000, with a few outliers. Architectural styles include Cape Cods, colonials and colonial revivals, raised ranch-style and newer, traditional-style residences. Newtown children may attend kindergarten through fourth grade at Head O'Meadow Elementary School, which scores an A on Niche. They can continue on to Reed Intermediate School, which also gets an A and serves fifth- and sixth-grade students. At Newtown Middle School, which earns an A-minus, seventh- and eighth-grade learners can participate in intramural sports and clubs, including a ski and snowboard club and a drama club. A-rated Newtown High School is their final district school — it has a 97% graduation rate. Along Main Street, sidewalks allow for easy walks, but for those who don’t work in town, a car is required. Locals can access train stations in Bridgeport, Westchester or Fairfield, all of which are about 25 to 30 miles away. From there, they can take a train to Grand Central Station. The nearest airport is Tweed-New Haven, a 35-mile drive from Newtown. Hospital options include Bridgeport Hospital, 20 miles away, which has a Level II Trauma Center, and Yale New Haven Medical Center, which has a Level I Trauma Center. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) places Fairfield County at a high risk of ice storms, winter weather and strong winds. “We’re very well versed in how to handle all sorts of winter weather,” Farin says. “Our roads get plowed pretty quickly unless it’s a small side road. With a normal snow, things don’t get shut down.”