Greenwich, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Greenwich is a town
in Fairfield County, Connecticut
, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge fund
s and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes by train (express) from Grand Central Terminal
in Manhattan. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money
magazine ranked Greenwich 12th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. Money magazine also ranked Greenwich #1 in the "Biggest Earner" category. The town is named after (and pronounced the same as) Greenwich
, England, a borough
of London
in the United Kingdom
.
s: as Cos Cob 06807
, Riverside 06878, Old Greenwich 06870, Glenville 06831 and Greenwich 06830 (sometimes referred to as Greenwich proper, central, or downtown Greenwich).
The town has three Selectmen
and a Representative Town Meeting
(RTM). The RTM must approve all budgets, and consists of 230 elected representatives. RTM members are not paid. The three selectmen are elected on a town-wide basis, although each person can only vote for two members. This assures that there will almost always be one Democrat and two Republicans or two Democrats and one Republican. While voter registration is skewed in the Republican's favor, they do not have a lock on the First Selectman's chair, and Democrats have held the seat recently. Many of the other town committees have equal representation between Democrats and Republicans, regardless of the vote breakdown, since each individual can only vote for half as many seats as are available.
The town of Greenwich was settled in 1640. One of the founders was Elizabeth Fones
Winthrop, daughter-in-law of John Winthrop
, founder and Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
. What is now called Greenwich Point was known for much of the area's early history as "Elizabeth's Neck" in recognition of Elizabeth Fones and their 1640 purchase of the Point and much of the area now known as Old Greenwich
. Greenwich was declared a township by the General Assembly
in Hartford
on May 11, 1665.
During the American Revolution
, General Israel Putnam
made a daring escape from the British on February 26, 1779. Although British forces pillaged the town, Putnam was able to warn Stamford
.
In 1983, the Mianus River Bridge
, which carries traffic on Interstate 95 over an estuary, collapsed, resulting in the death of three people.
For many years, Greenwich Point (locally termed "Tod's Point"), was open only to town residents and their guests. However, a lawyer sued, saying his rights to freedom of assembly were threatened because he was not allowed to go there. The lower courts disagreed, but the Supreme Court of Connecticut agreed, and Greenwich was forced to amend its beach access policy to all four beaches.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Greenwich's location as the first Connecticut town off Interstate 95
and the Merritt Parkway
meant that when New York City-area residents wanted to buy Powerball
lottery tickets as the jackpot rose above $100 million, they crowded into Greenwich stores to purchase them, creating traffic jams in the business areas. The Connecticut Lottery
introduced special rules for such situations. This no longer was a problem after Pennsylvania
joined Powerball in 2002; those living west of the Hudson River no longer cross it to buy Powerball tickets.
The ESPN special The Decision was aired from the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich. In the special basketball player LeBron James
declared he would sign with the Miami Heat
for the 2010–11 NBA season
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 67.2 square miles (174 km²), of which 47.8 square miles (123.8 km²) is land and 19.4 square miles (50.2 km²), or 28.88%, is water. In terms of area, Greenwich is twice the size of Manhattan. The town is bordered to the west and north by Westchester County, New York
, to the east by the city of Stamford
, and to the south by Long Island Sound
.
Calf Island
, a 29 acres (117,358.9 m²) island about 3000 feet (914.4 m) from the Byram shore in Greenwich, is open for visitors, although as of the summer of 2006 it was getting relatively few of them.
More than half of the island (on the west side) is a bird sanctuary off-limits to members of the public without permission to visit. The island is available for overnight stays for those with permits, otherwise the east side is open from dawn till dusk.
Great Captain Island
is also off the coast of Greenwich, and is the southernmost point in Connecticut. There is a Coast Guard
lighthouse on this island, as well as a designed area as a bird sanctuary.
Island Beach or "Little Captain Island" once was the venue for the town's annual Island Beach Day. Ventriloquist Paul Winchell
and his dummy, Jerry Mahoney, once came for a show, and on another occasion the National Guard
let adults and children fire machine guns into the water, according to an article in the Greenwich Time.
Island Beach has changed over the decades. The bathhouse once on the island's eastern shore is gone, and erosion is slowly eating away at the beaches themselves.
(Köppen climate classification
Dfa). During winter storms, it is common for the area north of the Merritt Parkway to receive significantly heavier snowfall than the area closer to the coast, due to the moderating influence of Long Island Sound.
force. The volunteers staff a total of 9 Engines (usually ending in the number "one", i.e. Engine 31), Ladder's 4 and 5, a Dive Rescue Unit, 3 Squads(Including an air cascade unit), 2 Utility Units, 2 Fireboats, and 1 Mini-Attack Unit. Each piece of volunteer fire apparatus can also be utilized by the paid fire department as reserve pieces of apparatus, or specially-called units. The paid Greenwich Fire Department is commanded by a town-wide Deputy Chief, as well as an Assistant Chief and Chief of Department. Each volunteer fire company has their own officers, including a Chief, who is considered a "district" chief, who commands each individual volunteer fire company. Neighboring Banksville, New York operates their own volunteer fire department. Although it is under the command of Westchester County, New York
and utilizes its fire department numbering system, the Banksville Fire Department responds to incidents in the northern-most sections of the Back Country. The In town, there is also a fire police force, known as the Cos Cob Fire Police Patrol, operating out of the Cos Cob Firehouse. The fire police operate a Patrol Unit and a Squad. The paid Greenwich Fire Department responds to, on average, around 5,000 emergency calls annually.
Fire station locations and apparatus
Greenwich Public Schools operates public schools. Greenwich High School
is the district's sole high school.
: Greenwich Point, Byram Beach, Island Beach (Little Captain's Island), and Great Captain Island
.
A single-visit beach pass for non-residents to Greenwich Point (locally termed "Tod's Point" after the previous private owners), which is on a peninsula and so includes picnic areas, a beach and small marina, is $5 per person and $20 per car. Tickets must be purchased at the town hall or the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center. However, anyone can go to the point for free between November and April. The point has views of Manhattan
, the bridges connecting the Bronx
and Queens
, and newly-built hi-rises in New Rochelle, New York
.
There is also a community sailing center and rental area located in the park. Bicycling and rollerblading are popular sports on the trails and paths in the summer.
The town owns the Griffith E. Harris golf course. The 18-link course is named after "Griff" Harris, first selectman from 1952 to 1958. There are also eight country clubs in town with golf courses, and the Dorothy Hamill
Rink is also in town.
's New Haven Line (the four stations, from west to east, are Greenwich
, Cos Cob
, Riverside
, and Old Greenwich
) and is approximately a 40 minute train
ride to Grand Central Terminal
in Manhattan
on the express train and a 50 minute ride on the local. Amtrak
stops in the adjacent city of Stamford.
Interstate 95
goes through the southern end of town, and there are four exits from I-95 in Greenwich, exits 2 through 5. The Boston Post Road
(also known as East or West Putnam Avenue or simply Route 1
) also goes through town, as does the Merritt Parkway
, although the Merritt Parkway is a considerable distance from the downtown area. Interstate 684
passes through Greenwich, but cannot be entered or exited there, and the nearest interchange is at the Westchester County Airport in New York State.
Two bridges in Greenwich were among 12 in the state listed in "critical" condition by state safety inspectors as of August 2007. The Riversville Road bridge, built in the 1950s, now has a weight limit of 3 tons, but as of August 5, 2007, the bridge had not been inspected in over two years (in March 2005), according to state records obtained by the Hartford Courant, although a state official said the bridge was inspected in August 2005 and would be inspected again in August 2007. In the March 2005 inspection, the bridge's above-ground structure was deemed to be in critical condition, with other components in poor condition. The Bailiwick Road bridge in town was closed in April 2007 and remained closed as of August 2007 due to storm damage. The ratings for the two bridges were worse than the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, which collapsed during rush hour on August 1, 2007.
of 2000, there were 61,101 people, 23,230 households, and 16,237 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,277.6 people per square mile (493.2/km²). There were 24,511 housing units at an average density of 512.5 per square mile (197.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.02% White, 1.66% African American, 0.09% Native American, 5.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.46% from other races
, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 6.29% of the population.
There were 23,230 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $99,086, and the median income for a family is $122,719 (these figures had risen to $117,857 and $168,779 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males have a median income of $95,085 versus $47,806 for females. The per capita income for the town is $74,346. About 2.5% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
Both the Official AENGLC Wealth Value and the CPR AENGLC Wealth Value show Greenwich as having the highest wealth value in Connecticut at over $430,000 per person. The AENGLC is based on the value of residential and commercial real estate and measures the town's tax base available to pay for public education(see Conn. Dep of Ed). It is not a measure of the personal wealth of individual residents. New Canaan is the wealthiest town in Connecticut, with a per capita income of $82,049, second is Darien at $77,519 and Greenwich third at $74,346 per the 2000 Census.
Greenwich was the highest income place with a population of 50,000 or more in 2000. However, using the list of the 100 richest places in the United States with at least 1,000 households yields a different result. This is the most common list used for referring to the richest communities in the country, as it eliminates any places with unsubstantial populations. On this list Greenwich ranks 56th after New Canaan at 32nd, Darien at 44th, and Weston at 55th.
The median price for a single-family home in town was $1.7 million in 2006, when about 140 properties sold for $5 million or more, according to Prudential Connecticut Realty. In 2007, the highest asking prices for residential property in town were $39.5 million for the 76 acres (307,561.4 m²) estate of actor Mel Gibson
on Old Mill Road, $19.7 million for a 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²) mansion on 8.7 acres (35,207.7 m²) with a private lake, and $38 million for an estate with formal gardens and a greenhouse the size of a cottage.
List is in reverse chronological order of movies filmed (or partially filmed) in Greenwich:
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge fund
Hedge fund
A hedge fund is a private pool of capital actively managed by an investment adviser. Hedge funds are only open for investment to a limited number of accredited or qualified investors who meet criteria set by regulators. These investors can be institutions, such as pension funds, university...
s and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes by train (express) from Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
in Manhattan. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money
Money (magazine)
Money is published by Time Inc. Its first issue was published in October 1972. Its articles cover the gamut of personal finance topics ranging from investing, saving, retirement and taxes to family finance issues like paying for college, credit, career and home improvement...
magazine ranked Greenwich 12th on its list of the 100 Best Places to Live in the United States. Money magazine also ranked Greenwich #1 in the "Biggest Earner" category. The town is named after (and pronounced the same as) Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, England, a borough
London Borough of Greenwich
The London Borough of Greenwich is an Inner London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the present borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan...
of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Government
Greenwich has one local government but consists of several distinct sections, some of which have their own mailing addresses and ZIP codeZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s: as Cos Cob 06807
Cos Cob, Connecticut
Cos Cob is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. It is located at 41.033 north, 73.6 west, on the Connecticut shoreline in southern Fairfield County. It had a population of 6,770 at the 2010 census....
, Riverside 06878, Old Greenwich 06870, Glenville 06831 and Greenwich 06830 (sometimes referred to as Greenwich proper, central, or downtown Greenwich).
The town has three Selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
and a Representative Town Meeting
Town meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
(RTM). The RTM must approve all budgets, and consists of 230 elected representatives. RTM members are not paid. The three selectmen are elected on a town-wide basis, although each person can only vote for two members. This assures that there will almost always be one Democrat and two Republicans or two Democrats and one Republican. While voter registration is skewed in the Republican's favor, they do not have a lock on the First Selectman's chair, and Democrats have held the seat recently. Many of the other town committees have equal representation between Democrats and Republicans, regardless of the vote breakdown, since each individual can only vote for half as many seats as are available.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 26, 2010 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
13,325 | 467 | 13,692 | 37.68% |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
8,884 | 410 | 9,924 | 25.57% |
Unaffiliated | 12,309 | 702 | 13,011 | 35.80% |
Minor Parties | 325 | 19 | 344 | .95% | |
| Total | 34,743 | 1,598 | 36.341 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
History
- For more information, see History of Greenwich, ConnecticutHistory of Greenwich, ConnecticutThe history of Greenwich, Connecticut.-Colonial times:On July 18, 1640, Daniel Patrick and Robert Feake, along with Feake's wife Elizabeth Fones Winthrop Feake, in the name of New Haven Colony, bought all the land between the Asamuck and Potommuck brooks, in the area now known as Old Greenwich,...
.
The town of Greenwich was settled in 1640. One of the founders was Elizabeth Fones
Elizabeth Fones
Elizabeth Fones Winthrop Feake Hallett was an early settler in the Massachusetts Bay Colony where her father-in-law John Winthrop served as Governor...
Winthrop, daughter-in-law of John Winthrop
John Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
, founder and Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
. What is now called Greenwich Point was known for much of the area's early history as "Elizabeth's Neck" in recognition of Elizabeth Fones and their 1640 purchase of the Point and much of the area now known as Old Greenwich
Old Greenwich
Old Greenwich is a neighborhood/section and census-designated place in Greenwich in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,611. It was founded in 1641 and has been a long-time beach community...
. Greenwich was declared a township by the General Assembly
Connecticut General Assembly
The Connecticut General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is a bicameral body composed of the 151-member House of Representatives and the 36-member Senate. It meets in the state capital, Hartford. There are no term limits for either chamber.During...
in Hartford
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
on May 11, 1665.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, General Israel Putnam
Israel Putnam
Israel Putnam was an American army general and Freemason who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War...
made a daring escape from the British on February 26, 1779. Although British forces pillaged the town, Putnam was able to warn Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
.
In 1983, the Mianus River Bridge
Mianus River Bridge
The Mianus River Bridge carries Interstate 95 over the Mianus River in the Cos Cob section of Greenwich, Connecticut. The bridge suffered a 1983 collapse, killing several motorists. The replacement span is officially named the Michael L...
, which carries traffic on Interstate 95 over an estuary, collapsed, resulting in the death of three people.
For many years, Greenwich Point (locally termed "Tod's Point"), was open only to town residents and their guests. However, a lawyer sued, saying his rights to freedom of assembly were threatened because he was not allowed to go there. The lower courts disagreed, but the Supreme Court of Connecticut agreed, and Greenwich was forced to amend its beach access policy to all four beaches.
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Greenwich's location as the first Connecticut town off Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
and the Merritt Parkway
Merritt Parkway
The Merritt Parkway is a historic limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The parkway is known for its scenic layout, its uniquely styled signage, and the architecturally elaborate overpasses along the route. It is designated as a National Scenic Byway and is also listed in the...
meant that when New York City-area residents wanted to buy Powerball
Powerball
Powerball is an American lottery game sold in 44 jurisdictions as a shared jackpot game. It is coordinated by the Multi-State Lottery Association , a non-profit organization formed by an agreement with lotteries. Powerball is a game whose advertised jackpot starts at $20 million and can roll into...
lottery tickets as the jackpot rose above $100 million, they crowded into Greenwich stores to purchase them, creating traffic jams in the business areas. The Connecticut Lottery
Connecticut Lottery
The Connecticut Lottery Corporation, also called the CT Lottery, is the official lottery in Connecticut. It was created in 1971 by then-Gov. Thomas Meskill, who signed Public Act No. 865. The first tickets were sold on February 15, 1972. The Connecticut Lottery offers five in-house drawing games...
introduced special rules for such situations. This no longer was a problem after Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Lottery
The Pennsylvania Lottery is operated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The lottery was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly on August 26, 1971; two months later, Henry Kaplan was appointed as its first executive director...
joined Powerball in 2002; those living west of the Hudson River no longer cross it to buy Powerball tickets.
The ESPN special The Decision was aired from the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich. In the special basketball player LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
declared he would sign with the Miami Heat
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
for the 2010–11 NBA season
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
.
Geography
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 67.2 square miles (174 km²), of which 47.8 square miles (123.8 km²) is land and 19.4 square miles (50.2 km²), or 28.88%, is water. In terms of area, Greenwich is twice the size of Manhattan. The town is bordered to the west and north by Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
, to the east by the city of Stamford
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
, and to the south by Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
.
Neighborhoods and sections
Greenwich is unofficially divided into several sections, or neighborhoods, including:- Back Country
- Belle Haven
- Byram
- Chickahominy
- Cos CobCos Cob, ConnecticutCos Cob is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. It is located at 41.033 north, 73.6 west, on the Connecticut shoreline in southern Fairfield County. It had a population of 6,770 at the 2010 census....
- Fourth Ward (Fourth Ward Historic DistrictFourth Ward Historic DistrictThe Fourth Ward Historic District in Greenwich, Connecticut is a historic district that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. It includes examples of Queen Anne, Italianate and other architecture....
) - GlenvilleGlenville (Greenwich)Glenville is a neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Greenwich in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 2,327. It is located in the western part of Greenwich at the falls of the Byram River, which provided waterpower when...
- Greenwich (Downtown Greenwich)
- Greenwich Cove
- Holly Hill
- Mianus
- Milbank
- Millbrook
- Municipal Center District
- North Mianus
- North Street (refers to the neighborhood surrounding North Street)
- Old GreenwichOld GreenwichOld Greenwich is a neighborhood/section and census-designated place in Greenwich in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,611. It was founded in 1641 and has been a long-time beach community...
(Sound Beach) - Palmers Hill
- Pemberwick
- Pine Hill
- Riverbank
- Riverside
- Riversville
- Rockridge
- Round HillRound Hill Historic DistrictThe Round Hill Historic District is a historic district in the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996....
- Stanwich
ZIP codes
Greenwich is covered by five ZIP codes:- 06807 - Cos Cob, Mianus, eastern Mid-Country
- 06830 - Downtown, Byram, Belle Haven, central Mid-Country
- 06831 - Glenville, Pemberwick, Back Country, western Mid-Country, Round Hill, Rock Ridge, Riversville, Banksville, Stanwich, North Greenwich
- 06870 - Old Greenwich, Palmers Hill
- 06878 - Riverside, North Mianus
Notable points
- Cos Cob, Greenwich, Old Greenwich, and Riverside each have their own ZIP CodeZIP CodeZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
s and Metro NorthMetro northMetro North can refer to either of* Metro-North Railroad, a commuter railroad serving parts of New York and Connecticut in the United States* Dublin Metro#Metro North, a branch of the proposed Dublin Metro, in Dublin, Ireland...
stations. - American Lane (in the extreme western corner of Greenwich) is separated by Interstate 684Interstate 684Interstate 684 is a 28.4 mile-long north–south Interstate Highway in the states of New York and Connecticut. The highway connects I-84 with I-287 and the Hutchinson River Parkway, primarily serving commuter traffic to and from the northern suburbs of the New York metropolitan area...
from the entire rest of ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and can be reached only from New York State. - Round Hill, with an elevation of more than 550 feet (167.6 m), was a lookout point for the Continental ArmyContinental ArmyThe Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolution. The ManhattanManhattanManhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
skyline is visible from the top of the hill.
Islands
Calf Island (Connecticut)
Calf Island, between and island about from the Byram shore in Greenwich, Connecticut it is connected at low tide to the Greenwich Land Trust's Shell Island...
, a 29 acres (117,358.9 m²) island about 3000 feet (914.4 m) from the Byram shore in Greenwich, is open for visitors, although as of the summer of 2006 it was getting relatively few of them.
More than half of the island (on the west side) is a bird sanctuary off-limits to members of the public without permission to visit. The island is available for overnight stays for those with permits, otherwise the east side is open from dawn till dusk.
Great Captain Island
Great Captain Island
Great Captain Island, also known more familiarly as "Great Captains Island," is an island off the coast of Greenwich, Connecticut, and is the location of the 19th-century Great Captain Island Lighthouse....
is also off the coast of Greenwich, and is the southernmost point in Connecticut. There is a Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
lighthouse on this island, as well as a designed area as a bird sanctuary.
Island Beach or "Little Captain Island" once was the venue for the town's annual Island Beach Day. Ventriloquist Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell was an American ventriloquist, voice actor and comedian, whose career flourished in the 1950s and 1960s...
and his dummy, Jerry Mahoney, once came for a show, and on another occasion the National Guard
Connecticut National Guard
The Connecticut National Guard consists of the Connecticut Army National Guard and theConnecticut Air National Guard. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard is the only United States military...
let adults and children fire machine guns into the water, according to an article in the Greenwich Time.
Island Beach has changed over the decades. The bathhouse once on the island's eastern shore is gone, and erosion is slowly eating away at the beaches themselves.
Climate
Greenwich experiences a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfa). During winter storms, it is common for the area north of the Merritt Parkway to receive significantly heavier snowfall than the area closer to the coast, due to the moderating influence of Long Island Sound.
Greenwich EMS
Greenwich Emergency Medical Service, Inc. (or "GEMS", as it is often referred to) is contracted as the primary service area responder (PSAR) for the Town of Greenwich. GEMS operates out of four strategically located stations throughout the town, and has mutual aid agreements with Stamford and Port Chester/Rye/Rye Brook. Each GEMS unit is operated at the highest level of advanced prehospital care, utilizing highly trained and experienced paramedics. GEMS was the first service in New England to make use of 12-lead EKGs in the prehospital setting, and continues to lead the region with advanced life support tools and equipment.Fire department
The town of Greenwich is protected 24/7 by a combination fire department, made up of paid firefighters and a large volunteer staff. The 100 paid firefighters that make up the Greenwich Fire Department, or GFD operate 6 Engines(Including 2 Engine/Rescues), Tower 1, a Special Ops./Mobile Command Unit, a Haz-Mat. Unit, 2 Decon. Units, and cross-staff Rescue 5, the town's heavy rescue unit. The paid staff share quarters with the six volunteer fire companies in town, as well as one fire policeFire Police
Fire Police are Volunteer Fire Brigade/Company members who have sworn police powers. They receive special police training and are responsible for traffic control, crowd control, fire and incident scene security, apparatus security, and station security during calls for service.They also assist...
force. The volunteers staff a total of 9 Engines (usually ending in the number "one", i.e. Engine 31), Ladder's 4 and 5, a Dive Rescue Unit, 3 Squads(Including an air cascade unit), 2 Utility Units, 2 Fireboats, and 1 Mini-Attack Unit. Each piece of volunteer fire apparatus can also be utilized by the paid fire department as reserve pieces of apparatus, or specially-called units. The paid Greenwich Fire Department is commanded by a town-wide Deputy Chief, as well as an Assistant Chief and Chief of Department. Each volunteer fire company has their own officers, including a Chief, who is considered a "district" chief, who commands each individual volunteer fire company. Neighboring Banksville, New York operates their own volunteer fire department. Although it is under the command of Westchester County, New York
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
and utilizes its fire department numbering system, the Banksville Fire Department responds to incidents in the northern-most sections of the Back Country. The In town, there is also a fire police force, known as the Cos Cob Fire Police Patrol, operating out of the Cos Cob Firehouse. The fire police operate a Patrol Unit and a Squad. The paid Greenwich Fire Department responds to, on average, around 5,000 emergency calls annually.
Fire station locations and apparatus
| Engine Company | Truck Company | Special Unit | Command Unit | Address | Neighborhood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine 1, Engine 31 | Tower 1 | Special Ops. 1, Squad 1, Haz-Mat. 1, Decon. 1 | Car 5(Deputy Chief) | 15 Havemeyer Pl. | Greenwich |
| Engine 2, Engine 21 | Patrol 2, Squad 2, Utility 2, Marine 2 | Car 201(District Chief) | 200 E. Putnam Ave. | Cos Cob | |
| Engine/Rescue 3 | Rescue 3, Utility 3 | Delavan Ave. & Mead Ave. | Byram | ||
| Engine 4, Engine 41 | Ladder 4 | Squad 4, Utility 4 | 266 Glenville Rd. | Glenville | |
| Engine/Rescue 5, Engine 51 | Ladder 5 | Rescue 5, Rescue 51(Dive Unit) Squad 5, Marine 5 | Car 501(District Chief) | 207 Sound Beach Ave. | Old Greenwich/Sound Beach |
| Engine 61, Engine 62 | Tanker 6, Squad 6 | 166 W. Old Mill Rd. | Round Hill | ||
| Engine 71, Engine 72, Engine 73 | Rescue 7, Tanker 7, Mini-Attack 11 | Banksville Chief | 33 Bedford-Greenwich Rd. | Banksville, New York Banksville, New York Banksville is a hamlet in the town of North Castle, New York. Banksville is known as the "Eastern District of North Castle". It is located in the eastern part of the town, close to Connecticut... |
|
| Engine 8 | Decon. 2 | 669 North St. | Back Country |
Police department
Located at 11 Bruce Place, GPD has 87 Police Officers, 19 Sergeants and 4 Lieutenants, with 12 Civilian Dispatchers and includes a K-9 unit. The current Chief of Police is David C. Ridberg while the First Selectman is Police Commissioner.Public schools
Greenwich High School
Greenwich High School is a four-year public high school in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. The school is part of the Greenwich Public Schools system and serves roughly 2,700 students....
is the district's sole high school.
Private schools
- Brunswick School, a non-sectarian boys' school (the brother school to Greenwich Academy) (preK-12)
- Greenwich AcademyGreenwich AcademyGreenwich Academy is an independent, all-girls preparatory day school in Greenwich, Connecticut. Founded in 1827, it is the oldest girls' school in Connecticut. Greenwich Academy's motto is Ad ingenium faciendum, "Toward the Building of Character."...
, a non-sectarian girls' school (the sister school to Brunswick) (K-12) - Eagle Hill School (K-10)
- Convent of the Sacred Heart, a girls' school with Catholic affiliation (preK-12)
- Greenwich Catholic School (preK-8), 471 North Street
- Greenwich Country Day SchoolGreenwich Country Day SchoolThe Greenwich Country Day School is a co-educational, independent day school in Greenwich, Connecticut, founded in 1926. As of 2005, it has some 840 students from nursery to the 9th grade level....
(K-9) - Greenwich Japanese School, the New York Nihonjin gakkoNihonjin gakko, also called Japanese School, is a full day school outside of Japan for native speakers of Japanese. It is an expatriate school, designed for children whose parents are working on diplomatic, business, or educational mission overseas and have plans to go back to Japan for good.The schools offer...
, a Japanese expatriate school (K-9), sharing the former Rosemary HallRosemary HallRosemary Hall may refer to:*Rosemary Hall , former campus of all-girls school, listed on the NRHP in Fairfield County, Connecticut*Rosemary Hall , listed on the NRHP in South Carolina-See also:...
campus with Carmel Academy. - The Stanwich SchoolStanwich schoolThe Stanwich School is a private, coeducational PK-12 college prep school, in Greenwich, Connecticut, established in 1998. It is accredited by the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools, and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools....
(K-9, adding one grade each year until twelfth grade.), located at 257 Stanwich Road - Carmel Academy (K-8), a Jewish school sharing a campus with Greenwich Japanese School. In 2010, the school changed its name from Westchester Fairfield Hebrew Academy.
- Whitby SchoolWhitby SchoolWhitby School is a private day-school located in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. The school starts at Primary and includes a Lower School and a Middle School . The Head of School is Douglas Fainelli. The school was founded in 1958 as the first American Montessori School...
(Nursery-8), a Montessori and International Baccalaureate World School (IB).
Recreation
The town has four beaches on Long Island SoundLong Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
: Greenwich Point, Byram Beach, Island Beach (Little Captain's Island), and Great Captain Island
Great Captain Island
Great Captain Island, also known more familiarly as "Great Captains Island," is an island off the coast of Greenwich, Connecticut, and is the location of the 19th-century Great Captain Island Lighthouse....
.
A single-visit beach pass for non-residents to Greenwich Point (locally termed "Tod's Point" after the previous private owners), which is on a peninsula and so includes picnic areas, a beach and small marina, is $5 per person and $20 per car. Tickets must be purchased at the town hall or the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center. However, anyone can go to the point for free between November and April. The point has views of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, the bridges connecting the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
and Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, and newly-built hi-rises in New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle, New York
New Rochelle is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state.The town was settled by refugee Huguenots in 1688 who were fleeing persecution in France...
.
There is also a community sailing center and rental area located in the park. Bicycling and rollerblading are popular sports on the trails and paths in the summer.
The town owns the Griffith E. Harris golf course. The 18-link course is named after "Griff" Harris, first selectman from 1952 to 1958. There are also eight country clubs in town with golf courses, and the Dorothy Hamill
Dorothy Hamill
Dorothy Stuart Hamill is an American figure skater. She is the 1976 Olympic champion in Ladies' Singles and 1976 World Champion.-Early life:...
Rink is also in town.
Arts and culture
- Greenwich Symphony Orchestra. Begun in 1958 as the Greenwich Philharmonia, it became fully professional by 1967. The orchestra's 90 members perform at the Dickerman Hollister Auditorium at Greenwich High School. It also performs a pops concert in the summer. David Gilbert has been music director and conductor since 1975 and is also the director of the Bergen (NJ) Philharmonic and the Senior Concert Orchestra of New York.
- Greenwich Choral Society, founded in 1925, has performs locally and elsewhere, including in New York City and Europe. It has also performed several times with the Greenwich Symphony, New Haven Symphony, New Haven Chorale, and Stamford Symphony, as well as at the Ives Festival in Danbury. The chorus previewed Dave Brubeck'sDave BrubeckDavid Warren "Dave" Brubeck is an American jazz pianist. He has written a number of jazz standards, including "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "The Duke". Brubeck's style ranges from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother's attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills...
La Fiesta de la Posada, and has commissioned works by James Furman, Stephen Paulus, Rob Mathes, and Michael Schelle. In 2000 the chorus premiered a work by Adolphus HailstorkAdolphus HailstorkAdolphus Hailstork is an American composer and educator. He grew up in Albany, New York, where he studied violin, piano, organ, and voice....
, Songs of Innocence, commissioned especially for the 75th anniversary season. The current music director and conductor is Paul F. Mueller. Notable past conductors include Lowell Beveridge, Jack Ossewaarde, Vernon de Tar, Louie L. White and Richard Vogt. - The Bruce MuseumBruce Museum of Arts and ScienceThe Bruce Museum of Arts and Science is a small institution in downtown Greenwich, Connecticut with both art and science exhibition space. "The Bruce," as it's more familiarly known, has holdings of about 15,000 objects, including fine art, decorative art, natural history and anthropology.A second...
is a town-owned institution with sections devoted to art and natural history. - Greenwich Arts Council
- Putnam Cottage (Knapp Tavern) historic house museum
Business
- Antares Investment Partners headquarters, 333 Ludlow St.
- AQR CapitalAQR CapitalAQR Capital Management is a hedge fund founded in 1998 by former Goldman Sachs trader, Clifford S. Asness.-Description and history:The firm invests in public equity and hedges markets across the globe...
headquarters, 2 Greenwich Plaza. - Arch Capital Group, Ltd. headquarters
- Belpointe Asset Management a wealth management firm
- Blue Sky StudiosBlue Sky StudiosBlue Sky Studios is an American CGI-animation studio which specializes in high-resolution, computer-generated character animation and rendering. It is owned by 20th Century Fox and located in Greenwich, Connecticut...
1 American Ln. Academy Award-winning animation studio, creators of the popular animated films: Ice Age, Robots, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Horton Hears a Who!, and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. - Blyth, Inc. (BTH) headquarters, 1 East Weaver St.; the nation's largest candlemaker, the company designs and markets home fragrance products, seasonal decorations, home décor and household convenience items internationally; 5,500 employees company-wide, 45 in Connecticut; $1.6 billion in annual revenues (2005); CEO Robert B. GoergenRobert B. GoergenRobert B. Goergen is an American corporate executive, entrepreneur and philanthropist. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of Blyth, Inc. He is also the founder and chairman of The Ropart Group, a private-equity investment firm. Goergen earned a bachelors degree in physics from the University of...
- Cambridge SolutionsCambridge SolutionsCambridge Solutions is a leading Business Process Outsourcing provider in the information technology industry.Cambridge Solutions' U.S. headquarters is in Greenwich, Connecticut and its India headquarters is in Bangalore, India. It employs over 4,500 people in 62 worldwide locations...
headquarters, 340 Pemberwick Road; is a strategic global outsourcing firm, one of the largest BPO companies worldwide; 4,400 employees companywide; CEO Christopher A. SinclairChristopher A. SinclairChristopher A. Sinclair is an American businessman. He is the current Chairman of the Executive Committee of Mattel, Inc., the world's largest toy company. He is the former Chariman and CEO of Pepsi-Cola and the former executive chairman and CEO of Cambridge Solutions Ltd. the second largest...
. - First Reserve CorporationFirst Reserve CorporationFirst Reserve Corporation is a private equity firm specializing in leveraged buyouts and growth capital investments in the energy sector. First Reserve was founded in 1984 and is the oldest private equity dedicated to investments in the energy sector.....
headquarters, a private equity firm with $12.5 billion under management that buys energy-related companies, founded by CEO William Macaulay. - Interactive BrokersInteractive BrokersInteractive Brokers Group, Inc. is an online discount brokerage firm in the United States. The company traces its origin to 1977 when Thomas Peterffy bought a seat on the American Stock Exchange as an individual market maker, and formed T.P. & Co. the following year...
- headquarters, 2 Pickwick Plaza - Mars & Co headquarters, 124 Mason Street; an international consulting firm that serves Fortune 500 clients
- Nestle Waters North AmericaNestléNestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
, division of the "world's biggest water bottler" (headquartered in Switzerland; Nestle Waters world division headquartered in Paris) accounting for 48 percent of its water sales and 10 percent of its revenue; with "Poland SpringPoland SpringPoland Spring is a brand of bottled water manufactured by a subsidiary of Nestlé and sold in the United States. It was founded in 1845 by Hiram Ricker. Despite the name, the water does not come from the country of Poland...
, Deer ParkDeer Park Spring Water Co.Deer Park Spring Water Co. is a company that produces natural spring water. It is a division of Nestlé and was established in 1873. The bottled water was originally primarily sold in the New York market, but now can be found along most of the East Coast....
, PerrierPerrierPerrier is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated...
, S. Pellegrino and other brands it has 43 percent of the U.S. single-serve market. (All figures as of August 2006.) - United Rentals Inc.United RentalsFounded in 1997 by Bradley S. Jacobs and seven others, United Rentals, Inc. is the largest equipment rental company in the world, with more than 600 rental locations throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Their diverse customer base includes construction and industrial companies,...
(URI) headquarters, 5 Greenwich Office Park; the largest equipment rental company in the world, with more than 750 rental locations in 48 states, Canada and Mexico; 13,400 employees companywide, 400 in Connecticut; $3.6 billion in annual revenues (2005); CEO Wayland R. Hicks - Urstadt Biddle Properties, Inc. headquarters, 1 East Weaver St.
- W.R. Berkeley Corp. (BER) headquarters, 475 Steamboat Road; a holding company for subsidiaries that sell property-casualty insurance; 4,961 employees company-wide, 319 in Connecticut; $5 billion in annual revenues; CEO William R. Berkley
Transportation
The town is served by the Metro-North RailroadMetro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
's New Haven Line (the four stations, from west to east, are Greenwich
Greenwich (Metro-North station)
The Greenwich Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of Greenwich, Connecticut via the New Haven Line and is the first station on that line in the state of Connecticut...
, Cos Cob
Cos Cob (Metro-North station)
The Cos Cob Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Cos Cob area of Greenwich, Connecticut, via the New Haven Line.Cos Cob is from Grand Central Terminal. The station has 567 parking spaces, 361 owned by the state....
, Riverside
Riverside (Metro-North station)
The Riverside Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Riverside area of Greenwich, Connecticut via the New Haven Line.The station is 30.2 miles from Grand Central Terminal. The station has 324 parking spaces, 307 owned by the state...
, and Old Greenwich
Old Greenwich (Metro-North station)
The Old Greenwich Metro-North Railroad station serves the residents of the Old Greenwich section of Greenwich, Connecticut via the New Haven Line.The station is from Grand Central Terminal. The station has 578 parking spaces, 397 owned by the state...
) and is approximately a 40 minute train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
ride to Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
on the express train and a 50 minute ride on the local. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
stops in the adjacent city of Stamford.
Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
goes through the southern end of town, and there are four exits from I-95 in Greenwich, exits 2 through 5. The Boston Post Road
Boston Post Road
The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts that evolved into the first major highways in the United States.The three major alignments were the Lower Post Road The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York...
(also known as East or West Putnam Avenue or simply Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Connecticut
In the U.S. state of Connecticut, U.S. Route 1 is a major east–west state highway along Long Island Sound. It has been replaced by Interstate 95 as a through route, which it closely parallels, and now primarily serves as a local business route...
) also goes through town, as does the Merritt Parkway
Merritt Parkway
The Merritt Parkway is a historic limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The parkway is known for its scenic layout, its uniquely styled signage, and the architecturally elaborate overpasses along the route. It is designated as a National Scenic Byway and is also listed in the...
, although the Merritt Parkway is a considerable distance from the downtown area. Interstate 684
Interstate 684
Interstate 684 is a 28.4 mile-long north–south Interstate Highway in the states of New York and Connecticut. The highway connects I-84 with I-287 and the Hutchinson River Parkway, primarily serving commuter traffic to and from the northern suburbs of the New York metropolitan area...
passes through Greenwich, but cannot be entered or exited there, and the nearest interchange is at the Westchester County Airport in New York State.
Two bridges in Greenwich were among 12 in the state listed in "critical" condition by state safety inspectors as of August 2007. The Riversville Road bridge, built in the 1950s, now has a weight limit of 3 tons, but as of August 5, 2007, the bridge had not been inspected in over two years (in March 2005), according to state records obtained by the Hartford Courant, although a state official said the bridge was inspected in August 2005 and would be inspected again in August 2007. In the March 2005 inspection, the bridge's above-ground structure was deemed to be in critical condition, with other components in poor condition. The Bailiwick Road bridge in town was closed in April 2007 and remained closed as of August 2007 due to storm damage. The ratings for the two bridges were worse than the Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis, which collapsed during rush hour on August 1, 2007.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 61,101 people, 23,230 households, and 16,237 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,277.6 people per square mile (493.2/km²). There were 24,511 housing units at an average density of 512.5 per square mile (197.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 90.02% White, 1.66% African American, 0.09% Native American, 5.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.46% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 6.29% of the population.
There were 23,230 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.4% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.1% were non-families. 24.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $99,086, and the median income for a family is $122,719 (these figures had risen to $117,857 and $168,779 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males have a median income of $95,085 versus $47,806 for females. The per capita income for the town is $74,346. About 2.5% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.1% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
Wealth
Greenwich was the highest income place with a population of 50,000 or more in 2000. However, using the list of the 100 richest places in the United States with at least 1,000 households yields a different result. This is the most common list used for referring to the richest communities in the country, as it eliminates any places with unsubstantial populations. On this list Greenwich ranks 56th after New Canaan at 32nd, Darien at 44th, and Weston at 55th.
The median price for a single-family home in town was $1.7 million in 2006, when about 140 properties sold for $5 million or more, according to Prudential Connecticut Realty. In 2007, the highest asking prices for residential property in town were $39.5 million for the 76 acres (307,561.4 m²) estate of actor Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
on Old Mill Road, $19.7 million for a 13000 square feet (1,207.7 m²) mansion on 8.7 acres (35,207.7 m²) with a private lake, and $38 million for an estate with formal gardens and a greenhouse the size of a cottage.
Notable people, past and present
Due to its affluence and convenient location near New York City, Greenwich has long been associated with or has been home or birthplace to well-known people in various fields.Sister cities
Greenwich currently has three sister cities:| City | Municipality | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitzbühel Kitzbühel -Demographic evolution:-Personalities:*Karl Wilhelm von Dalla Torre , entomologist and botanist*Alfons Walde , expressionist painter and architect*Peter Aufschnaiter , mountaineer and geographer... |
Tyrol Tyrol (state) Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of... |
 AustriaAustria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
1961 |
| Vienne Vienne, Isère Vienne is a commune in south-eastern France, located south of Lyon, on the Rhône River. It is the second largest city after Grenoble in the Isère department, of which it is a subprefecture. The city's population was of 29,400 as of the 2001 census.... |
Isère Isère Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné... |
 FranceFrance The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
|
| Nacka Nacka Nacka is the municipal seat of Nacka Municipality and part of Stockholm urban area in Sweden. The municipality's name harks back to an 16th century industrial operation established by the Crown at Nacka farmstead where conditions for water mills are good... |
Nacka Nacka Municipality Nacka Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located at Nacka. The municipality is situated just east of the capital Stockholm and the western parts are considered a suburban part of the Stockholm urban area.The present municipality was created in... |
 SwedenSweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund.... |
Newspapers and print
- Greenwich Time - daily newspaper based in Greenwich; published by Hearst CorporationHearst CorporationThe Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
, which also owns The Advocate of Stamford. Some sections are identical to the same sections in The Advocate, including the arts and business sections. - Greenwich Citizen - the older weekly in town, tabloid-sized and a part of the Brooks Community Newspapers chain, now owned by Media News Group Inc., which also owns the daily Connecticut PostConnecticut PostThe Connecticut Post is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves the greater Bridgeport area, Fairfield County, and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Bridgeport, Ansonia,...
in BridgeportBridgeport, ConnecticutBridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. - Greenwich Post - weekly broadsheet, part of the Hersam Acorn chain of local weeklies.
- Greenwich Magazine, owned by Moffly Publications, which publishes other local magazines, including *New Canaan-Darien Magazine and Westport Magazine.
- Vivapop, publishes local news, charitable events and calendars.
- Greenwich Kids News Greenwich Kids News A kids newspaper by and for kids.
- Another Financial Publishing Company
Films shot in Greenwich
- All Good Things (2010)
- The Best Laid Plans (2009)
- Listen to Your Heart (2009)
- Old Dogs (2009)
- A Smirk of Satisfaction (2009)
- Revolutionary Road (2008)
- The Accidental Husband (2008)
- The Life Before Her Eyes (2007)
- Person of Interest (2007)
- Borrowing Rebecca (2006)
- The Accidental Husband (2006)
- The Good Shepherd (2006)
- Holes in My Shoes (2006)
- The Path of Most Resistance (2006)
- After Roberto (2005)
- Domino One (2005)
- The Family Stone (2005)
- Figment (2005/II)
- Filmic Achievement (2005)
- R.I.P. (2005/I)
- The Stepford Wives (2004)
- Chubby Kid, A (2002)
- Fabled (2002)
- The Ice Storm (1997)
- Ransom (1996)
- Deadtime Stories (1986)
- Danny (1977)
- Time Piece (1965)
- Open the Door and See All the People (1964)
- The American Venus (1926)
- Via Wireless (1915)
- Two Little Waifs (1910)
- The Golden Supper (1910)
- The Cardinal's Conspiracy (1909)
- A Change of Heart (1909)
- The Country Doctor (1909)
- Sweet and Twenty (1909)
- Tender Hearts (1909)
- The Message (1909)
- The Little Teacher (1909)
Television filmed in Greenwich
- Teachers (2008) - TV movie
- "The Apprentice" (2004)
- "Wickedly Perfect" (2004)
- "Made in America" (2003)
- "Rich Girls" (2003)
- "TV Nation" (1995)
External links
- Town of Greenwich official website
- Greenwich Public Schools
- Greenwich Chamber of Commerce
- Local Guide to Greenwich
- Living in Chickahominy - slideshow by The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...