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Fairfield County in nice weather could be a postcard destination. The landscape is ideal for waking, the waterfront is accessible, and you can easily hop on i95. I recently discovered waterfront properties in Fairfield CT. https://www.google.com/search?q=fair...rfXkpfVUBya6IM
This made me wonder a few things
1. How many public beaches are there in this county?
2. What other towns have waterfront homes?
3. Are they trying to make Fairfield and other towns vacation destinations like Cape Cod with hotels?
Any input here is appreciated. I usually visit the Cape Cod islands during the spring, however now I am thinking about spending time here.
I could be wrong but the only truly "public" one I know of in that anyone can come in is Sherwood Island State Park (free for cars with a CT plate, I believe $15-25 per car for out of state plates depending on the day and time. Some like Tod's Elbow in Greenwich (I don't know the actual name of the park), or Cove Island Park in Stamford, or Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk or even Seaside Park in Bridgeport are either residents only or charge an enormous fee to non-residents to discourage (for example I think Seaside Park is something like $40 or $50 a car).
COVID has also caused some places like the one in Greenwich I mention to strictly limit to residents though before that between the parking and entrance fees it could easily cost well over $100 for a non-resident family of four.
There is no 100% free beach in Fairfield County in-season. The only currently free state park is Silver Sands, just outside FFC, but that will likely change as they're building booths there.
Many town beaches charge an exorbitant amount of money for parking, because they want to limit the amount of people at their beaches. You can find free parking to beaches if you're clever and don't mind walking, but it's not easy for the average beachgoer to figure out.
So no, not much of a desire to create a vacation destination. In fact, quite the opposite. Most towns want to maintain exclusivity.
Fairfield County in nice weather could be a postcard destination. The landscape is ideal for waking, the waterfront is accessible, and you can easily hop on i95. I recently discovered waterfront properties in Fairfield CT. https://www.google.com/search?q=fair...rfXkpfVUBya6IM
This made me wonder a few things
1. How many public beaches are there in this county?
2. What other towns have waterfront homes?
3. Are they trying to make Fairfield and other towns vacation destinations like Cape Cod with hotels?
Any input here is appreciated. I usually visit the Cape Cod islands during the spring, however now I am thinking about spending time here.
There are waterfront homes in all the towns on the CT coast. There are state beaches too like the poster above said. You can look on craigslist or the realtor websites and see the home rentals on the water.
The nicer beaches are east of New Haven. Madison has beautiful beaches and they have a hotel right on the water. I am sure there are other towns with water front hotels too. https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/mpe...on-beach-hotel
The nicer beaches are east of New Haven. Madison has beautiful beaches and they have a hotel right on the water. I am sure there are other towns with water front hotels too. https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/mpe...on-beach-hotel
IMO New Haven is an arbitrary border. I would say Sherwood Island east. That's a solid beach, and Fairfield, Stratford, Milford, and West Haven have excellent beaches. Anything east of Sherwood tends to be a little underwhelming, but the views are great. Speaking of Stratford, the owners of Little Pub just renovated this: https://www.thesurfside.com/
East of New Haven is a mix too. For example many towns have tiny, rocky, or nonexistent beaches.
The best beaches east of New Haven are specifically in Madison, East Lyme/Niantic, and Waterford.
Rocky Neck might be the nicest sand in the state. Gorgeous.
IMO New Haven is an arbitrary border. I would say Sherwood Island east. That's a solid beach, and Fairfield, Stratford, Milford, and West Haven have excellent beaches. Anything east of Sherwood tends to be a little underwhelming, but the views are great. Speaking of Stratford, the owners of Little Pub just renovated this: https://www.thesurfside.com/
East of New Haven is a mix too. For example many towns have tiny, rocky, or nonexistent beaches.
The best beaches east of New Haven are specifically in Madison, East Lyme/Niantic, and Waterford.
Rocky Neck might be the nicest sand in the state. Gorgeous.
I think that article means New Haven area which is what New Yorkers think of the entire area east of New Haven lol.
That little beach at Surfside (the old Marnkick's) is really big sand box with a lot of rocks. I do go there during the summer to sit at a beach when I want to take a 15 minute ride and put my feet in the sand.
To me Fairfield County near the beaches is to commercialized and it doesn't really feel like a vacation until east of New Haven. To a New Yorker it might not feel commercialized though. And I grew up in Stamford (in Fairfield County) with two nice big beaches.
IMO New Haven is an arbitrary border. I would say Sherwood Island east. That's a solid beach, and Fairfield, Stratford, Milford, and West Haven have excellent beaches. Anything east of Sherwood tends to be a little underwhelming, but the views are great. Speaking of Stratford, the owners of Little Pub just renovated this: https://www.thesurfside.com/
East of New Haven is a mix too. For example many towns have tiny, rocky, or nonexistent beaches.
The best beaches east of New Haven are specifically in Madison, East Lyme/Niantic, and Waterford.
Rocky Neck might be the nicest sand in the state. Gorgeous.
I think you meant (typo?) anything WEST of Sherwood tends to be a little underwhelming.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stylo
There is no 100% free beach in Fairfield County in-season. The only currently free state park is Silver Sands, just outside FFC, but that will likely change as they're building booths there.
Many town beaches charge an exorbitant amount of money for parking, because they want to limit the amount of people at their beaches. You can find free parking to beaches if you're clever and don't mind walking, but it's not easy for the average beachgoer to figure out.
So no, not much of a desire to create a vacation destination. In fact, quite the opposite. Most towns want to maintain exclusivity.
1) I thought Sherwood Island was free if you live in CT?
2) Regarding free parking and walking, yeah it is crazy to figure out. Cove Island in Stamford is a good example. All the streets around it have lots of parking regulation signs that are different for different days and times in a manner that gives Manhattan parking signs a run for the money. Of course all the street spaces are "legal" at night, some are only "illegal" on weekends, others "illegal" during daytime hours any day of the week. Now you will see cars still parked there because the people who live there get permits that still let them park there all the time of course.
I once tried it on a weekday and found parking only a few blocks away but on a weekend you'd probably have to literally go a mile or two or more away to "legally" park on street for Cove Island Beach. But no one will stop you from walking in.
As others noted, there are public beaches in every town but the rules and costs for non residents vary so you will need to check each town’s website to them.
Every town also has waterfront homes. Fairfield County has a long coastline and it is pretty much all developed one way or another. If you are asking about beach cottages though, there are some west of Fairfield but it is less because of past development trends and terrain.
Fairfield has had seasonal beach cottages for more than 100 years. If anything there are less today than there were in the past. That is because many cottages have been upgraded to Malibu-style year round homes that carry $1 million plus price tags. It’s crazy. I remember when they were practically giving those cottages away. They were seasonal so they didn’t have heat and weren’t insulated. Many were rented out to college kids over the winter or at affordable rents year round. It was a different world.
The rents on these places are insane today. Depending on the place, I’ve seen rents going for $10,000 to $30,000 a month. Wealthy New Yorkers like them because you could spend a month or the summer on the beach but still commute into the city if they want to. Also note that demand for these places is very high. I’ve read and been told that demand in unprecedentedly high this year. If you haven’t already booked a place you are likely out of luck. Jay
Fairfield County is tri-state energy and ebullience. Maxed out. The coast is commercial and private residential. Not an extended stay destination.
For a more relaxed vacation vibe head east out to Madison, the New London area, and Mystic. You'll love it. I have no doubt.
I think you meant (typo?) anything WEST of Sherwood tends to be a little underwhelming.....
1) I thought Sherwood Island was free if you live in CT?
Yes I meant West.
All state parks are free if you live in CT. Well, not really "free" as you pay for it on your car reg. I was saying Silver Sands is the only one that's free to out of state, but again, that's changing imminently.
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