Just one hour north of Manhattan, Westport, Connecticut is well known throughout the country as being one of the wealthiest towns on the East Coast, with a median household income of $129,132(1) and home to both Wall Street financiers and some of Hollywood's elite. This may explain the home values in Westport, where the median home price is $933,107 and the 2-5 year annual home price gains equal 13.88 percent.(2) For these and other reasons, the tony enclave was selected by CNN Money in 2005 as one of the country's best places to retire. According to the 2006,
Coldwell Banker® luxury home sales report, Westport ranked number 22, with a sales volume of $407,841,177, a 12 percent increase over the previous year.
Westport has a long history, dating back to pre-Revolutionary times. In 1637, John Mason, Roger Ludlow and a group of soldiers entered the area to battle the Pequot Indians in the Great Swamp. Two years later, several families led by Ludlow returned to the area and purchased land from Fairfield to Norwalk from the Indians, building churches and log cabins. It was officially incorporated as a town in 1835.
Westport is perhaps best known for The Westport Country Playhouse which opened on June 29, 1931 as a summer stock theatre. The playhouse originally was a red barn, formerly the Kemper Leather Works, and was located in an apple orchard. When the barn was redesigned, the stage was built to match the specifications of Broadway's Times Square Theatre on 42nd Street. In continuous operation for the last 75 years—thanks to the intervention in 2000 by Westport resident Joanne Woodward, The Westport Country Playhouse has played host to some of the theatre's most renowned talent, including: Vincent Price, Ethel Barrymore, Paul Sorvino, Lynn Redgrave, Henry Fonda, Liza Minelli, Christopher Plummer, William Shatner and Paul Newman. Among the many Playhouse apprentices who have gone on to stardom include composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, screenwriter Frank Perry, television host Sally Jesse Raphael, composer Mary Rodgers, actor Carey Elwes, and actress Tammy Grimes.
Situated on Long Island Sound on what is known as Connecticut's Gold Coast, Westport is home to such elegant country clubs such as The Inn at Longshore and Birchwood Country Club. Other recreational facilities include The Levitt Pavillion for the Performing Arts, Sherwood Island State Park, Compo Beach, Winslow Park, the Saugatuck Harbor Yacht Club, and the Nature Center for Environmental Activities.
The town center in Westport, running along the Saugatuck River, is home to such high end stores as Tiffany & Company, Pierre Deux, Simon Pearce and Patagonia.
For more information on homes available in Westport, please visit www.coldwellbankerpreviews.com.
(1) CNN Money
(2) Ibid
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