Old Greenwich, Connecticut

Old Greenwich is a coastal neighborhood/section and census-designated place in Greenwich in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is among America's wealthiest communities.[1] As of the 2010 census it had a population of 6,611.[2]

Old Greenwich
Census-designated place
Location in Fairfield County and the state of Connecticut.
Country United States
U.S. state Connecticut
CountyFairfield
Metropolitan areaNew York City
TownGreenwich
Time zoneUTC-5:00 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4:00 (Eastern)
Area code(s)203/475

The town of Greenwich is one political and taxing body, but consists of several distinct sections or neighborhoods, such as Byram, Cos Cob, Glenville, Mianus, Old Greenwich, Riverside and Greenwich (sometimes referred to as central, or downtown, Greenwich). Of these neighborhoods, three (Cos Cob, Old Greenwich, and Riverside) have separate postal names and ZIP codes.

History

One of the founding settlers of Old Greenwich was Elizabeth Fones,[3] niece and 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 its early history as "Elizabeth Neck" in recognition of Elizabeth (Fones) Feake Hallet and her 1640 purchase of the Point and much of the area now known as Old Greenwich.[4]

The Old Greenwich Railroad Station, originally called the "Sound Beach Railroad Station", built in 1894 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1989, serves commuters in the neighborhood. The town's largest beach is on a long, thin peninsula at the southwest end of the neighborhood. The town's local beach is called Tod's Point after a former resident. The beach is now public property, which belongs to the town of Greenwich. Residents can purchase a seasonal beach pass. Non-residents can purchase a one-day pass for $7 per person and $35 per vehicle. During "off season", Innis Arden, a local golf club, is a popular sledding destination for kids in Old Greenwich and neighboring Stamford.

Old Greenwich was known as "Sound Beach" in the 19th century, and the main road through the small downtown business section is Sound Beach Avenue.

Old Greenwich had an industrial presence back in the 1950s and 1960s when Electrolux had a vacuum manufacturing facility on Forest Avenue, opposite "ECCman Center" (now Greenwich Civic Center). The Civic Center also hosted a very fine swamp where local kids would pick cattails and search for frogs and turtles.

The town of Greenwich has one political body (RTM – Representative Town Meeting). It has several distinct sections each with its own mailing address and ZIP code, such as Byram, Cos Cob, Glenville, Mianus, and Riverside and Greenwich proper (downtown Greenwich). The original "well to do" population lived mainly in "The Back Country" (north of the Merritt Parkway) or in the exclusive Belle Haven area on the waterfront. The town was founded there in 1641.

Wealth

Residents in Old Greenwich are wealthy, making it among the 15% highest income communities in America.[5] in 2018, the median household income was $233,519 and the per capita income was $104,542. [6] The average household income in 2018 was $336,692. [7]

Notable residents

Pictures
  • Sound Beach Avenue, east side
  • Old Greenwich Railroad Station
  • Arch Street tunnel under the railroad tracks
  • "The Castle", about 1908

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Old Greenwich, Connecticut
  2. "Race, Hispanic or Latino, Age, and Housing Occupancy: 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File (QT-PL), Old Greenwich CDP, Connecticut". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  3. Mead, Spencer P. Ye Historie of Ye Town of Greenwich (New York: Knickerbocker Press, 1911), pp 4-9
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 17, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Old Greenwich Greenwich, CT 06870, Neighborhood Profile - NeighborhoodScout". www.neighborhoodscout.com. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  6. "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Old Greenwich CDP, Connecticut; Connecticut; United States". www.census.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-30.
  7. Warren, Katie. "People aren't buying the iconic, sprawling mansions in one of America's richest cities, a haven for Wall Street types an hour from NYC. I spent a day there — here's what it was like". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-06-30.

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