Stars Hollow
Encyclopedia
Stars Hollow is a fictional small town in Connecticut
featured on the television show Gilmore Girls
. It is depicted as a close-knit small town with many quirky characters, located roughly thirty minutes by car from Hartford
. It is loosely based on the towns of Essex
, Wallingford
, and Washington, Connecticut
, but filming of the pilot was done in historical Main Street Unionville
in Unionville, Ontario
.
, complete with a gazebo
and a statue of Casimir Pulaski.
According to Luke there are "twelve stores [in Stars Hollow]... devoted entirely to peddling porcelain unicorns."
Luke also signs his divorce papers at a Mailboxes, Etc. where Kirk is working and Lorelai attempts to buy vintage TV sitcom stamps.
Other establishments include: Nancy's Cottage of Calico, a post office
, bank, travel agency
, vintage clothing
store, law firm, newsstand, filling station, a knitting store that Mrs. Kim frequents, a stationery store, a realtor, a shoe store, and, for a short time, a museum.
involves two star-crossed
lovers who seemed destined never to be together, until separate cosmological
phenomena involving star
s led them to each other at the spot where the town now exists. This is celebrated annually at the Firelight Festival, shown in 1st season episode "Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers" and 4th season episode "Nag Hammadi is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospels."
Another story of Stars Hollow's founding was presented in Season 5, episode 15, "To Live and Let Diorama." A talking display built in the new Stars Hollow Museum explained that a Puritan family first discovered the area while looking for a place to settle. They named it as such because of "the stars, so bright; this forest, so hollow!"
who never came. This battle is re-enacted
annually, shown in first season episode "Love and War and Snow" and in 5th season episode "Women of Questionable Morals." This second occurrence marked the beginning of the addition of the town prostitute, who slept with the British general to delay the troops.
On the town square's gazebo
is the town's Liberty Bell
sign, which reads:
is said to have existed there as well. On modern-day third street, one will find the newly-restored Dragonfly Inn.
Throughout its history, Third Street has also held various other names, aside from the aforementioned "Sores and Boils Alley," including "Constabulary Road," "Crusty Bulge," and a Nipmuc Indian name, "Chargogagogmanchogagogcharbunagunggamog." The Nipmuc Indian name is said to mean, "You fish on your side of the lake, I'll fish on my side and no one will fish in the middle."
Many of the sets for Stars Hollow were also used in The Music Man
, The Dukes of Hazzard
, and The Waltons
. The Dragonfly Inn was the Waltons' home. The town's high school was the Hazzard County Courthouse.
The set was subsequently used by Warner Bros. for Supernatural
, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Pushing Daisies
, and was also the setting for the town square in 2007's Norbit
.
It was also used for the drama Ghost Whisperer
after a fire at the Universal Studios
in June 2008.
It was also used for filming the ABC show Eastwick (TV series)
.
Unionville, Ontario
's Main Street was used as a stand-in for Stars Hollow in the show's pilot which became the first episode.
Currently the Gilmore Girls set is used for the ABC Family show, "Pretty Little Liars
". Luke's Diner is now used as Rosewood Cafe.
, Connecticut (located in the middle of the western half of the state, about 45 minutes from both Hartford
and New Haven
) which writer Amy Sherman-Palladino
once traveled through. Sherman-Palladino later said, "Now, I've never been there in winter, when you're snowed in and you can't go anywhere, and you and your husband want to kill each other because you can't go to a movie. But at the time I was there, it was beautiful, it was magical, and it was feeling of warmth and small-town camaraderie. . . . There was a longing for that in my own life, and I thought -- that's something that I would really love to put out there."
There are many clues given during the course of the show as to its location in Connecticut, but unfortunately no one town fits them all. Hartford
is supposed to be within 30 minutes, New Haven
is allegedly 22.8 miles (36.7 km) away and Woodbridge, Connecticut is 20 miles (32.2 km) away. Stars Hollow is mentioned not being in Litchfield County, negating all towns within. Towns mentioned as being close include Woodbury
, Litchfield
, Beacon Falls
(generally in the central southwest of the state), Groton
, and New London
(in the southeast). However, towns in eastern Connecticut are unlikely as they are farther from Woodbridge and Hartford. The most likely candidate would be Meriden
as it is 22.8 miles (36.7 km) from New Haven, around 20 miles (32.2 km) away from Woodbridge, and only 30 minutes away from Hartford. This information cannot be reconciled any better.
In the liner notes
for the show's soundtrack, Music from Gilmore Girls, a postcard
sent by Lane from South Korea
is pictured, and is addressed to Rory's home address of 37 Maple Street in Stars Hollow. The town's ZIP code
is shown as 06492, the same as the real city
of Wallingford
. That city
does not have a Maple Street, however they do have a Maple Avenue.
Washington Depot, the village Amy Sherman-Palladino
mentioned as inspiring Stars Hollow, also uses a town meeting
-style government and was founded in 1779. The homes and buildings in the town all match the style of that in Stars Hollow and the archetype
New England
town. In real life Woodbury is very close to Washington Depot. Plenty of other Connecticut towns have village greens, gazebos or small quaint shops and give a feel much like Stars Hollow to a visitor.
Rory began attending Chilton at the start of the series. Chilton is a prep school
that seems to be located in Hartford (in season 2, episode 5 Lane mentions a record store called Record Breaker, Inc. on 2453 Berlin Turnpike
, "ten minutes from your school", which narrows it down to Newington, CT). It is based on Wallingford's Choate Rosemary Hall
. Stars Hollow also is on a Connecticut Transit
route, as Rory commutes to and from the school using a bus from Stars Hollow's town square.
Greg Morago of the Hartford Courant
writes, "Unlike the Hartford depicted on Judging Amy
, the Stars Hollow of The Gilmore Girls rings true. The town's antiques shops, small businesses, schools, government and infrastructure look the part. But where Sherman-Palladino has truly excelled, despite her Clueless origins, is in her drawing of colorful Connecticut characters. The populace of Stars Hollow, from the town busybody to the town troubadour, is familiar to any Nutmegger
who ever attended a town meeting."
During Season 1 Episode 2, when Rory is on her way to her first day at school, they drive past the Gelston House, (located in East Haddam, CT) a restaurant next to the Goodspeed Opera House and East Haddam Bridge.
Connecticut
Connecticut 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...
featured on the television show Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
. It is depicted as a close-knit small town with many quirky characters, located roughly thirty minutes by car from 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...
. It is loosely based on the towns of Essex
Essex, Connecticut
Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,505 at the 2000 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.- History :- The Great Attack :...
, Wallingford
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
, and Washington, Connecticut
Washington, Connecticut
Washington is a rural town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. The population was 3,596 at the 2000 census. Washington is known for its picturesque countryside, historic architecture, and active civic and cultural life...
, but filming of the pilot was done in historical Main Street Unionville
Main Street Unionville
Main Street Unionville is a collector route that runs through the historical suburban community of Unionville, Ontario. Like most other Main Streets, the street serves as an important road for local tourism development. All along the road, the street has structures that are virtually unchanged from...
in Unionville, Ontario
Unionville, Ontario
Unionville is a suburban village in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is located 33 km northeast of downtown Toronto and 4 km east of southern Richmond Hill. Unionville is located between Woodbine Avenue as the western limit, alongside the Rouge River leading to McCowan Road as the eastern...
.
Establishments
In the center of the town is a town squareTown square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
, complete with a gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
and a statue of Casimir Pulaski.
| Luke's Diner | Owned and run by Luke Danes, his living space is upstairs in his father's forme office, almost a second home for Lorelai and Rory Gilmore |
| Miss Patty's Dance School | Dance school run by Miss Patty and venue of town meetings |
| Stars Hollow High School High school High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions.... |
The town's high school, whose sports teams are the Minutemen Minutemen Minutemen were members of teams of select men from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that allowed the colonies to respond immediately to war threats, hence the name.The minutemen were among the first... . |
| Kim's Antiques Antiques An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features... |
An antique shop which is also the home of Lane Kim and her mother. Contains living quarters above the shop. |
| Weston's Bakery Bakery A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake... |
Owned by Fran Weston, as is the Dragonfly Inn, which Lorelai and Sookie buy after Fran's death. |
| Al's Pancake Pancake A pancake is a thin, flat, round cake prepared from a batter, and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Most pancakes are quick breads; some use a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Most pancakes are cooked one side on a griddle and flipped partway through to cook the other side... World |
Competitor to Luke's, specializing in international cuisine, but retaining the "Pancake World" moniker despite no pancakes being on the menu |
| Gypsy's Garage / Hewes Brothers | Auto garage where Gypsy is the owner and chief mechanic |
| Sophie's Music | Owned by Sophie Bloom (Carole King Carole King Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S... ). Local shop where Lane buys her musical supplies and learns to play the drums |
| Stars Hollow Books | run by Andrew, where Rory once worked over spring break taking inventory |
| Black, White, and Read Bookshop | Another local bookstore, often converted into a casual small movie theater Movie theater A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures .... during evenings, where vintage films are screened |
| Churchogue | A shared house of worship where both Christian and Jewish services are held |
| Stars Hollow Beauty Supply | where Shane, Rory's one-time romantic rival worked. Kirk also works there in Season 4. |
| Gabby's Flower Flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs... s |
|
| Teriyaki Joe's | where Rory goes to lunch with her grandmother, Emily Gilmore, while giving her a tour of Stars Hollow |
| Faretta's Barber Barber A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop.... Shop |
|
| Doose's Market | The grocery owned by anal, controlling Taylor Doose, where Dean, Rory's first love, worked as a bag boy |
| Jojo's | Another restaurant. The Gilmore Girls comment that Jojo's has terrible food. |
| Antonioli's Restaurant | The pizzeria that Rory hired to make the "world's biggest pizza" for Lorelai's birthday. Kirk works here and had a cheese accident in which 1/3 of his body was burned. |
| Le Chat Club | Sells cat-themed gifts and products for pets, where Kirk buys supplies for his cat and Luke buys a gift for April, which Loralie makes him return. |
| Kirk's Diner | only seen or heard of in episode 7.02: That's What You Get, Folks, for Makin' Whoopie. |
| Stars Hollow Party Supply | A shopping bag from this store was carried by Sookie in season 5 episode 15. |
| The Hungry Diner | patronized by Lorelai and Rory after Luke leaves town on a fishing trip following the accident in which Jess crashes Rory's car, fracturing Rory's wrist. |
| Stars Hollow Video | Local video rental shop, put up a "Rory Curtain" after Rory asks them to move an explicit movie to a higher shelf. |
| The Independence Inn | venue for various parties and events, including weddings. Owned by Mia, managed by Lorelai. Lorelai and Rory lived in the potting shed on the property upon moving to Stars Hollow. This inn burns down, leading to The Dragonfly Inn to become a more prominent location. |
| The Dragonfly Inn | Formerly a bed-and-breakfast owned by the Weston family and purchased by Lorelai and Sookie, where Lorelai becomes manager and Sookie is chef. |
| Stars Hollow Baby | Where Lorelai and Rory buy supplies for Lane's baby shower during season 7. |
| Tricky's Dry Cleaner | Cleans the new uniforms of the Stars Hollow High basketball team in season 2, episode 10. Their motto: "If it's sticky, try Tricky's" |
| Bootsy's Newsstand | Local newsstand run by Bootsy, started by his father |
| Stars Hollow Library | Home of the Buy a Book Fundraiser where Rory purchased many items |
According to Luke there are "twelve stores [in Stars Hollow]... devoted entirely to peddling porcelain unicorns."
Luke also signs his divorce papers at a Mailboxes, Etc. where Kirk is working and Lorelai attempts to buy vintage TV sitcom stamps.
Other establishments include: Nancy's Cottage of Calico, a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, bank, travel agency
Travel agency
A travel agency is a retail business that sells travel related products and services to customers on behalf of suppliers such as airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and package holidays that combine several products...
, vintage clothing
Clothing
Clothing refers to any covering for the human body that is worn. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic and is a feature of nearly all human societies...
store, law firm, newsstand, filling station, a knitting store that Mrs. Kim frequents, a stationery store, a realtor, a shoe store, and, for a short time, a museum.
Founding
Stars Hollow was founded in 1779 with conflicting legends regarding how it got its name. Although some within the town doubt the theory, the traditionally accepted legendLegend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
involves two star-crossed
Star-crossed
"Star-crossed" or "star-crossed lovers" is a phrase describing a pair of lovers whose relationship is often thwarted by outside forces. The term encompasses other meanings, but originally means the pairing is being "thwarted by a malign star" or that the stars are working against the relationship...
lovers who seemed destined never to be together, until separate cosmological
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
phenomena involving star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
s led them to each other at the spot where the town now exists. This is celebrated annually at the Firelight Festival, shown in 1st season episode "Star-Crossed Lovers and Other Strangers" and 4th season episode "Nag Hammadi is Where They Found the Gnostic Gospels."
Another story of Stars Hollow's founding was presented in Season 5, episode 15, "To Live and Let Diorama." A talking display built in the new Stars Hollow Museum explained that a Puritan family first discovered the area while looking for a place to settle. They named it as such because of "the stars, so bright; this forest, so hollow!"
The Revolutionary War
There was also a "battle" fought in Stars Hollow where 12 men stood and waited for the RedcoatsRed coat (British army)
Red coat or Redcoat is a historical term used to refer to soldiers of the British Army because of the red uniforms formerly worn by the majority of regiments. From the late 17th century to the early 20th century, the uniform of most British soldiers, , included a madder red coat or coatee...
who never came. This battle is re-enacted
Historical reenactment
Historical reenactment is an educational activity in which participants attempt torecreate some aspects of a historical event or period. This may be as narrow as a specific moment from a battle, such as the reenactment of Pickett's Charge at the Great Reunion of 1913, or as broad as an entire...
annually, shown in first season episode "Love and War and Snow" and in 5th season episode "Women of Questionable Morals." This second occurrence marked the beginning of the addition of the town prostitute, who slept with the British general to delay the troops.
On the town square's gazebo
Gazebo
A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal, that may be built, in parks, gardens, and spacious public areas. Gazebos are freestanding or attached to a garden wall, roofed, and open on all sides; they provide shade, shelter, ornamental features in a landscape, and a place to rest...
is the town's Liberty Bell
Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American Independence, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House , the bell was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack in 1752, and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY...
sign, which reads:
Third Street
According to the Stars Hollow Historical Society, Third Street is among the town's worst historical landmarks to take your children. In the 18th century, it was known as "Sores and Boils Alley," where sick and suffering people throughout the region came to have sores and boils lanced. A small leper colonyLeper colony
A leper colony, leprosarium, or lazar house is a place to quarantine leprous people.-History:Leper colonies or houses became widespread in the Middle Ages, particularly in Europe and India, and often run by monastic orders...
is said to have existed there as well. On modern-day third street, one will find the newly-restored Dragonfly Inn.
Throughout its history, Third Street has also held various other names, aside from the aforementioned "Sores and Boils Alley," including "Constabulary Road," "Crusty Bulge," and a Nipmuc Indian name, "Chargogagogmanchogagogcharbunagunggamog." The Nipmuc Indian name is said to mean, "You fish on your side of the lake, I'll fish on my side and no one will fish in the middle."
Town set
The town square is located on the Warner Brothers studio back lot. It is just around the corner from the exterior set for the hospital from ER.Many of the sets for Stars Hollow were also used in The Music Man
The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to naive townsfolk before skipping town with...
, The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
, and The Waltons
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
. The Dragonfly Inn was the Waltons' home. The town's high school was the Hazzard County Courthouse.
The set was subsequently used by Warner Bros. for Supernatural
Supernatural (TV series)
Supernatural is an American supernatural and horror television series created by Eric Kripke, which debuted on September 13, 2005 on The WB, and is now part of The CW's lineup. Starring Jared Padalecki as Sam Winchester and Jensen Ackles as Dean Winchester, the series follows the brothers as they...
, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
, and was also the setting for the town square in 2007's Norbit
Norbit
Norbit is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Brian Robbins and starring Eddie Murphy and Thandie Newton. Produced by Davis Entertainment and Tollin/Robbins Productions, the film also stars Terry Crews, Clifton Powell, Lester "Rasta" Speight, Eddie Griffin, Katt Williams, Marlon Wayans, and...
.
It was also used for the drama Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...
after a fire at the Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in June 2008.
It was also used for filming the ABC show Eastwick (TV series)
Eastwick (TV series)
Eastwick is a 2009 screwball comedy series based on John Updike's novel, The Witches of Eastwick. The series was developed by Maggie Friedman, and starred Paul Gross as the infamous Darryl Van Horne, alongside Jaime Ray Newman , Lindsay Price, and Rebecca Romijn as the eponymous...
.
Unionville, Ontario
Unionville, Ontario
Unionville is a suburban village in Markham, Ontario, Canada. It is located 33 km northeast of downtown Toronto and 4 km east of southern Richmond Hill. Unionville is located between Woodbine Avenue as the western limit, alongside the Rouge River leading to McCowan Road as the eastern...
's Main Street was used as a stand-in for Stars Hollow in the show's pilot which became the first episode.
Currently the Gilmore Girls set is used for the ABC Family show, "Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars
Pretty Little Liars is a series of more than 10 young adult novels by Sara Shepard, from 1981–present, which have been made into a television show . The series follows the lives of four girls — Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily — whose clique falls apart after the disappearance of their leader,...
". Luke's Diner is now used as Rosewood Cafe.
Location
Stars Hollow was inspired by and is loosely based on the actual village of Washington DepotWashington, Connecticut
Washington is a rural town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. The population was 3,596 at the 2000 census. Washington is known for its picturesque countryside, historic architecture, and active civic and cultural life...
, Connecticut (located in the middle of the western half of the state, about 45 minutes from both 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...
and New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
) which writer Amy Sherman-Palladino
Amy Sherman-Palladino
Amy Sherman-Palladino is an American television writer, director, and producer who is best known as the creator of the television series Gilmore Girls.-Life:Sherman-Palladino is married to writer and producer Daniel Palladino...
once traveled through. Sherman-Palladino later said, "Now, I've never been there in winter, when you're snowed in and you can't go anywhere, and you and your husband want to kill each other because you can't go to a movie. But at the time I was there, it was beautiful, it was magical, and it was feeling of warmth and small-town camaraderie. . . . There was a longing for that in my own life, and I thought -- that's something that I would really love to put out there."
There are many clues given during the course of the show as to its location in Connecticut, but unfortunately no one town fits them all. 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...
is supposed to be within 30 minutes, New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
is allegedly 22.8 miles (36.7 km) away and Woodbridge, Connecticut is 20 miles (32.2 km) away. Stars Hollow is mentioned not being in Litchfield County, negating all towns within. Towns mentioned as being close include Woodbury
Woodbury, Connecticut
Woodbury is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 9,198 at the 2000 census. The town center is also designated by the U.S. Census Bureau as a census-designated place . Woodbury was founded in 1672....
, Litchfield
Litchfield, Connecticut
Litchfield is a town in and former county seat of Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is known as an affluent summer resort. The population was 8,316 at the 2000 census. The boroughs of Bantam and Litchfield are located within the town...
, Beacon Falls
Beacon Falls, Connecticut
Beacon Falls is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,246 at the 2000 census. The population increased to 6,049 at the 2010 census. Beacon Falls is also home to the national-known Meteorologist Jim Cantore. Settlers from Derby, Connecticut settled Beacon...
(generally in the central southwest of the state), Groton
Groton, Connecticut
Groton is a town located on the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 39,907 at the 2000 census....
, and New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
(in the southeast). However, towns in eastern Connecticut are unlikely as they are farther from Woodbridge and Hartford. The most likely candidate would be Meriden
Meriden, Connecticut
Meriden is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 59,653.-History:...
as it is 22.8 miles (36.7 km) from New Haven, around 20 miles (32.2 km) away from Woodbridge, and only 30 minutes away from Hartford. This information cannot be reconciled any better.
In the liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
for the show's soundtrack, Music from Gilmore Girls, a postcard
Postcard
A postcard or post card is a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended for writing and mailing without an envelope....
sent by Lane from South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
is pictured, and is addressed to Rory's home address of 37 Maple Street in Stars Hollow. The town's ZIP code
ZIP 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...
is shown as 06492, the same as the real city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Wallingford
Wallingford, Connecticut
Wallingford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 43,026 at the 2000 census.- History :Wallingford was established on October 10, 1667, when the Connecticut General Assembly authorized the "making of a village on the east river" to 38 planters and freemen...
. That city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
does not have a Maple Street, however they do have a Maple Avenue.
Washington Depot, the village Amy Sherman-Palladino
Amy Sherman-Palladino
Amy Sherman-Palladino is an American television writer, director, and producer who is best known as the creator of the television series Gilmore Girls.-Life:Sherman-Palladino is married to writer and producer Daniel Palladino...
mentioned as inspiring Stars Hollow, also uses a 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....
-style government and was founded in 1779. The homes and buildings in the town all match the style of that in Stars Hollow and the archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
town. In real life Woodbury is very close to Washington Depot. Plenty of other Connecticut towns have village greens, gazebos or small quaint shops and give a feel much like Stars Hollow to a visitor.
Rory began attending Chilton at the start of the series. Chilton is a prep school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
that seems to be located in Hartford (in season 2, episode 5 Lane mentions a record store called Record Breaker, Inc. on 2453 Berlin Turnpike
Berlin Turnpike
The Berlin Turnpike is a 4-lane/6-lane divided arterial road carrying U.S. Route 5 and Route 15 through the towns of Berlin, Newington, and Wethersfield, Connecticut, United States. The road begins at the Meriden-Berlin town line. The official length of the Berlin Turnpike is 11.02 miles but the...
, "ten minutes from your school", which narrows it down to Newington, CT). It is based on Wallingford's Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate Rosemary Hall
Choate Rosemary Hall is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school located in Wallingford, Connecticut...
. Stars Hollow also is on a Connecticut Transit
Connecticut Transit
Connecticut Transit is a bus system serving much of the U.S. state of Connecticut and is a division of that state's Department of Transportation. CT Transit provides bus service via contract providers for seven different metropolitan areas in the state, mostly concentrated in Hartford and New...
route, as Rory commutes to and from the school using a bus from Stars Hollow's town square.
Greg Morago of the Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
writes, "Unlike the Hartford depicted on Judging Amy
Judging Amy
Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
, the Stars Hollow of The Gilmore Girls rings true. The town's antiques shops, small businesses, schools, government and infrastructure look the part. But where Sherman-Palladino has truly excelled, despite her Clueless origins, is in her drawing of colorful Connecticut characters. The populace of Stars Hollow, from the town busybody to the town troubadour, is familiar to any Nutmegger
Nutmegger
Nutmegger is a nickname for people from the state of Connecticut. The official nickname for Connecticut is "The Constitution State", as voted in 1958 by the Connecticut state legislature; however "The Nutmeg State" is an unofficial nickname for the state, hence the nickname "Nutmegger".The origin...
who ever attended a town meeting."
During Season 1 Episode 2, when Rory is on her way to her first day at school, they drive past the Gelston House, (located in East Haddam, CT) a restaurant next to the Goodspeed Opera House and East Haddam Bridge.