New Canaan Town Profile
New Canaan, CT is a unique town, replete with natural beauty and quaint charm. Conveniently located 8 miles northeast of downtown Stamford — a major financial center — New Canaan retains its small-town sensibility. It’s affectionately known as “The Next Station to Heaven.” One of the most affluent communities in the United States, CNN Money ranked New Canaan first in the nation with the highest median family income in 2008. The downtown area offers a robust shopping experience, including one-of-a-kind boutiques and award-winning restaurants.
Another hallmark of the town is its first-rate school system. The New Canaan public schools are considered to be some of the best in Connecticut. In the 2018-2019 academic year, New Canaan recorded the highest SAT scores in the state. A recent edition of Forbes magazine rated New Canaan as the third-ranked district in the United States for home value. New Canaan is served by the Merritt Parkway, and has two Metro-North stations (Downtown and Talmadge Hill). Both stations are a branch of the New Haven Line. It takes about an hour to get to Grand Central from either.
New Canaan’s historic past is evident in the hundreds of antique homes which have been preserved throughout the town. Nothing conveys this sense of history better than a visit to the Roger Sherman Inn, known for its scenic atmosphere and gourmet dining.
New Canaan was an important center of the modern design movement, from the 1940s through the 1960s. Prominent architects known as the “Harvard Five” built 80 renowned modern homes in New Canaan. These internationally acclaimed architects used New Canaan as both their homes and the drawing board for their creations. Most notable is the “Glass House” by Philip Johnson, which is now part of the National Trust of Historic Preservation, and draws tourists from all over the world. Several homes by Frank Lloyd Wright and Elliot Noyes also dot the New Canaan landscape.
Pastoral Waveny Park, 300 acres developed in 1912 by Lewis Lapham, is the site of the annual Fourth of July celebration, which draws thousands of New Canaanites. It also houses the Lapham Community Center, the Carriage Barn Art Gallery, the Powerhouse Theater, hiking and cross-country ski trails, soccer fields, paddle-tennis courts, and the Olympic-sized New Canaan Town Pool. Recreational facilities include the newly renovated New Canaan YMCA, the beach at Kiwanis Park, baseball fields and tennis courts at Mead Park, and hiking and cross-country ski trails at the New Canaan Nature Center and Irwin Park.
Real Estate and Neighborhoods
New Canaan has a variety of real estate opportunities from new construction to luxury condos. Popular areas include New Canaan center, the four Ridges — Ponus, Oenoke, Smith, and Brushy Ridge — as well as Talmadge Hill and Silvermine.
