Riverside
Called Riverside because the Mianus River serves as its border to the west, this Greenwich neighborhood was once a small fishing and oystering village. Today, it’s a sought-after New York City suburb for house-hunters seeking a serene outpost less than an hour from midtown.
During the 1930s and 1940s, when houses began cropping up on large leafy lots, this neighborhood had some of the highest real estate values in the area. Today, the waterfront community is still wealthy, but buyers can find an impressive variety of options—both in housing styles and price points.
Along Riverside Avenue, you’ll find the neighborhood coffee shop as well as curving side streets that radiate out toward the water—either the Long Island Sound or the Mianus River. Riverside Commons, farther north on Putnam Ave. has a grocery store and post office as well as a handful of national chains like Chipotle and CVS.
Though Riverside has just over 8,400 inhabitants packed into approximately two square miles, the neighborhood offers slightly larger wooded lots and more room to breathe than in Old Greenwich next door. Residents enjoy the quiet and drive to the adjacent towns for more shopping and entertainment options.
Providing passage above the railroad tracks, the 19th-century cast-iron trusses of Riverside Avenue Bridge have earned this antique beauty a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge was actually built in Stratford in 1871 and moved to Riverside a few years before the turn of the century.
Interstate 95 is the dividing line. The massive estates between it and the Long Island Sound typically start around $2 million. (A waterfront listing with a private beach in a gated neighborhood could run over $10 million.) Above the highway, you might find an early 20th-century cottage or colonial for under $1 million.
Along with panoramic views of the Long Island Sound, the coast is home to Riverside Yacht Club. Established in 1888, it is the second oldest club of its type in Connecticut. It hosts major regattas during the summer and offers sailing lessons for all ages.