Time does fly, but in one fast-paced decade, we’ve certainly come a long way. Ten years ago, George W. Bush was just settling into his first term as president, Lady Gaga was shopping stilettos for her sweet sixteen birthday, social networking was something we did primarily over drinks and dinner, and the debut issue of New Canaan Darien & Rowayton was hitting newsstands. Yes, a lot has changed in what feels like a short period of time, but fortunately for those of us who call these towns home, many things have only improved with age.
For proof, see “10 Reasons to Love Our Towns” on page 101. We asked writer Mary Kate Hogan to help us celebrate the magazine’s anniversary by counting all the things we cherish most about where we live. Narrowing down those points to the top ten was no easy task, but in the end, we’ve compiled a hot list that will wow you. Community pride has long been the engine that drives our towns to be the best, yet after reading this story, you’ll come away knowing that residents of New Canaan, Darien and Rowayton rarely rest on their laurels. If you thought your neighborhood was a great place to put down roots ten years ago, wait until you see how far we’ve come.
When we’re not creating better communities with nationally ranked schools for our children, we’re greening the environment with smart preservation strategies and cutting-edge architecture; or showing a swell of support for the arts; or giving an incredible amount of time and money to a staggering number of philanthropic organizations, some of which were founded by people who live just down the street from you.
I suppose you could call this special anniversary issue a swoon-fest of sorts, but that’s what happens when you get a group of locals talking and thinking about where we live and why we stay put. Sure, we all kvetch about rising taxes and, yes, we occasionally complain about keeping in step with the upwardly mobile neighbors, but we gripe good-naturedly because we care. In the long run, we end up asking ourselves “What’s not to love?” The past ten years in these towns are worth celebrating and reason to look forward to the next decade.