RATED BESTTOWN IN CONNECTICUT
AND ONE OF THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES

Greenwich continues to being rated as Connecticut’s Number One place to live.

Connecticut Magazine rates towns based on Education, Economy, Leisure, Crime and Cost of living. Greenwich was rated The Best. "Although Greenwich has grown into a city of 58,000, the classic suburban town retains much of its cachet. If you can afford the price of admission, it outclasses the other cities as the best place to live in Connecticut."

The Robb Report rated Greenwich as number one in its list of the top 10 communities in the UnitedState. "Greenwich, Conn., might be the country’s biggest small town. It offers all the conveniences of a city without sacrificing the quaintness of a New England hamlet...It has superior shopping, dining, cultural attractions, and health-care facilities, yet Greenwich still manages to maintain a small-town atmosphere...Some of society’s most influential members, including writers, artists, financial wizards, and top-level corporate executives, call this bucolic town home."

Greenwich is the 10th oldest town in Connecticut. Named after Greenwich, England, the town began as a temporary trading post founded by Captain Adrian Block in 1614. Greenwich was established in 1640 when the area now known as Old Greenwich was purchased from the Indians as part of the New Haven Colony. At that time the town’s allegiance was to England.

The settlers grew restless under the Puritan influence, and in 1642 the settlers withdrew their allegiance to England and transferred it to the more liberal Dutch. At this time, the Cos Cob section of Greenwich was occupied by the Siwanoy Indians and a toll gate was set up between them and the central part of Greenwich, called Horseneck. In about 10 years the town was forced back under the domination of the New Haven Colony.

In 1672, the Horseneck portion of Greenwich was purchased from the Siwanoy. It was called Horseneck because the neck of land now known as "Field Point" was commonly used as a horse pasture. Greenwich supported the British during the French and Indian war; however, during the Revolution, the town was sacked several times by the King’s troops.

The advent of the New Haven Railroad in 1848 began the transformation of Greenwich into a residential community. This period saw many wealthy New Yorkers, including Boss Tweed, building summer homes. In the twenties the town began to grow rapidly and land values began to soar. By 1928, Greenwich led the nation in per capita wealth. Although the population growth has abated (primarily because of the scarcity of buildable land), the property values have continued to climb.

AT A GLANCE