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Our annual state for real estate report is here. The goods news is that we are still
the rewards of a highly in-demand Greenwich market. But low inventory has
Here’s what you should know.
of Realtors has a
of intel on our town. In celebration of its 100th anniversary, we explore notable events that have impacted how we buy and sell, look at major changes in real estate trends and peek at some properties that famous faces have called home.
16 EDITOR’S LETTER
20 FOUNDER’S LETTER
Of Messing About With Houses
23 STATUS REPORT
BUZZ Looking to add a real buzz to your next gathering?
Top Hops Half Pint has got you covered. SHOP Highfashion for the littlest fashionistas comes to the Avenue. GO Colombia is making its way onto many traveler’s bucket lists—and we know why. Explore this majestic gateway to South America. HOME Southwestern terracotta tones; Keeping spring cleaning stylish; A chic linen shop that’s worth the drive DO We take a look at the progress being made in the fight against Alzheimer’s and talk to the people at the forefront; Is Connecticut the next Blue Zone? EAT Flour Water Salt Bread brings its decadent pastries, breads and sandwiches to Cos Cob.
54 G-MOM
Binney Park, with its small-town charm, is a true treasure. We’ve got some fun ideas for exploring its nooks; Greenwich Moms has some great ways to spring into April.
61 PEOPLE & PLACES
Bruce
Awards; Junior League of Greenwich, Enchanted Forest; Asian American Dream Foundation; Make-A-Wish Connecticut, Wish Night; Orthopaedic Foundation; Jeanne Collins book signing
74
The details that matter to you, matter to us.
For over 100 years, Cummings & Lockwood has been building meaningful and lasting relationships with our private clients, their family offices, businesses and charitable entities, serving as trusted advisors throughout their lifetimes and providing sophisticated legal counsel at every important stage of their lives.
Our core services include:
■ Estate planning and administration
■ Estate, income and gift tax planning
■ Wealth protection planning
■ Trust formation and management
■ Philanthropic giving
■ Generational wealth transfer
■ Probate and estate settlement
■ International estate and tax planning
■ Executor and trustee services
■ Business succession planning
■ Residential and commercial real estate services
■ Corporate and finance services
■ Trusts and estates litigation and tax controversy
■ Business litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution
For a private consultation, please contact one of our attorneys by visiting our website at www.cl-law.com.
www.cl-law.com
We
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LIFE TO LIFESTYLE SINCE 1 9 47
vol. 77 | no. 3 | april 2024
editorial
editorial director
Cristin Marandino–cristin.marandino@moffly.com social editor
Alison Nichols Gray–ali.gray@moffly.com founding editor
Donna Moffly–donna@moffly.com
contributing editors
Melinda Anderson–editor, stamford
Megan Gagnon–editor, athome
Elizabeth Hole–editor, custom publishing
Eileen Murphy–editor, new canaan • darien
Samantha Yanks–editor, westport copy editors
Terry Christofferson, David Podgurski senior writers
Timothy Dumas, Chris Hodenfield, Jane Kendall, Bill Slocum, Riann Smith contributing writers
Eileen Bartels, Valerie Foster, Beth Cooney Fitzpatrick, Kim-Marie Galloway, Chris Hoddenfield, Mary Kate Hogan, Layla Lisiewski
editorial advisory board
Susan Bevan, Susan Moretti Bodson, Alyssa Keleshian Bonomo, Bobbi Eggers, Kim-Marie Evans, Muffy Fox, Lisa Lori, Jessica Mindich
art
senior art director
Venera Alexandrova–venera.alexandrova@moffly.com production director
Tim Carr–tim.carr@moffly.com
assistant art director
Lisa Servidio–lisa.servidio@moffly.com
senior photographer Bob Capazzo
digital media audience development editor
Kaitlin Madden–kaitlin.madden@moffly.com
digital marketing manager
Rachel MacDonald–rachel.macdonald@moffly.com digital assistant
Lloyd Gabi–lloyd.gabi@moffly.com
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Jeffery Garay–jeffery.garay@moffly.com
Calendar@Moffly.com
Editor@GreenwichMag.com
Weddings@GreenwichMag.com
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publisher Jonathan Moffly jonathan@moffly.com
sales & marketing
Gina Fusco publisher; new canaan•darien & rowayton gina.fusco@moffly.com
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Hilary Hotchkiss account executive hilary.hotchkiss@moffly.com
Morgan Howell account executive morgan.howell@moffly.com
Kathleen Dyke partnership and big picture manager kathleen.godbold@moffly.com
Emily Klaeboe interim partnership and big picture manager emily.klaeboe@moffly.com
Lemuel Bandala sales assistant lemuel.bandala@moffly.com
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business president Jonathan W. Moffly editorial director Cristin Marandino business manager Elena Moffly elena@moffly.com
cofounders John W. Moffly IV & Donna C. Moffly
It’s been a longstanding tradition that every April this magazine takes a look at our ever-changing real estate market. Some years the news is better than others. Take those Covid days. They did more for our property value than if Taylor Swift herself moved here. And as skeptical as many of us may have been, the market shows no signs of slowing in these maskless, lockdown-free days.
In “Let’s Make a Deal” (page 76), writer Chris Hodenfield conducts his annual investigation of the market and talks to experts in the field to explore all things real estate. Sellers are still getting—at a minimum—asking price, buyers are waiving inspections and offering all cash, and the speed at which these deals are happening is about as fast as that of the aforementioned pop star’s ticket sales.
As fierce as the competition may be, the payoff is worth it. And by payoff we don’t necessarily mean just the economic sort. The intangible rewards of living here—a
thriving downtown, our vibrant social and cultural scene and, of course, the interesting neighbors we meet along the way—may not be exactly monetizable, but you’ve gotta admit they make living here a pretty rich experience.
That brings us to another feature in this issue, “A Centennial Celebration” (page 88). In it, Valerie Foster taps into the Greenwich Association of Realtors’ 100 years of town intel. Here, we explore the events that have impacted how we buy and sell homes, our ever-evolving style and location trends, and the steadily impressive increases in property values. We also take a peek at some of the properties that famous faces have called home.
Our little corner of the world has certainly changed a lot over the years. But one thing hasn’t and I don’t think ever will: This town is still rocking it. And we’re all lucky to be enjoying the show.
“The whole house looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.”
As Water Rat said to Mole in The Wind in the Willows: “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats … or with boats. In or out of ’em, it doesn’t matter.”
Houses, too. People renovate them, decorate them, knock them down and build them up. Today more than ever—and bigger than ever.
Here are some examples, starting with my husband.
Jack’s first job out of college in 1949 was with Gunnison Homes, a pioneer in prefab houses kept very busy mass-producing them for returning G.I.s. Part of his duties was training crews, like the unseasoned construction workers putting up their first prefab when it was trucked in to Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. But coming back from lunch that day, he found that they’d somehow failed to plumb the first panel, so the whole house looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The front door opened with a crash, and it took the muscles of Hercules to close it.
Another time Jack accompanied his boss to the home of an irate woman who flipped down her baby’s diaper to expose a rather red rear end. The boss promptly announced: “Oh, waffle bottom!” Again. The furnace was in a crawl space under the living room floor, and apparently the toddler had sat down on the hot wrought-iron grate.
I think Jack was happy to end up in publishing.
Old Greenwich resident Marge Curtis recalls when she and Bob wanted a skylight in their bathroom ceiling. So they hired a carpenter who was cutting away with his buzzsaw when she heard him say, “Uh-oh!” Uh-oh is right. He had carved a hole way too big for the skylight. Later they learned he was on drugs.
Janet Kirwan hired some college students from a reputable firm to paint her house while
she was on vacation. Upon returning, she found the job half done and a note on the front door reading: “Sorry. My girlfriend and I decided to go to the Bahamas.”
On another occasion Janet got a bill for replacing shingles on her slate roof, and though a few needed help, she’d never hired anybody to do it. Mowing the lawn while listening to music on his headphones, her teenaged son had noticed some guys on the roof but had failed to mention it. As it turned out, they were meant to be at the house next door.
And Netty Schieferdecker said: “Did you ever hear about the time I took a shower with my electrician?” While redoing a bathroom, she’d asked him to step into the shower stall so she could show him some connection she was concerned about. His belt hooked on the handle that turned on the water, and they were both drenched.
Then there was the crew of Irishmen working on her house. Netty, who was born in the Netherlands, couldn’t understand a word they were saying, “But, of course, I have an accent, too,” she admits. In any case, she came home from shopping and found one of them fast asleep in a chair in the master bedroom—in just his underwear. While she was out, he’d decided to take a swim in their pool.
But one story says it all about today’s times. A nice builder I know was working on a house in Riverside when a nosy neighbor started asking him all kind of questions—like where he was putting the boundary stakes, etc. The next thing he knew, he looked up to see a drone buzzing over the property. Apparently not satisfied with his answers, Nosy Neighbor had sent it to check things out.
Ah, me. We all have colorful tales from the home front, especially in Fairfield County, where real estate is king. G
SBP
TEL:
SBP
Dreaming of summer soirees, grad parties, backyard barbecues? Any event can be elevated by the presence of the TOP HOPS
HALF PINT truck, a one-of-a-kind portable party bar that makes hosting a piece of cake. Custom-made from a three-wheeled Piaggio Ape Classic, this vintage-inspired Italian tap truck and libation service first put its wheels into motion during the pandemic.
Beer expert TED KENNY already had a thriving tasting bar and bottle shop on the Lower East Side of Manhattan called Top Hops. He opened it in January 2012 after shifting from a career in finance to one that centers around his passion—craft beer. Fellow beer aficionados loved to frequent Top Hops to sample pours and local bites while tapping into Ted’s expertise. But then Covid shut down the social scene, along with bars and restaurants. Suddenly everyone was entertaining outdoors at home.
So, Ted and his wife, Christina, came up with the idea of a spinoff for their business—the Half Pint party truck.
“We could bring the barroom to your backyard,” says Ted, recalling the couple’s plans and their move as a family to Greenwich.
Today there are two trucks, one based in the Hamptons for the summer and one that’s spreading the fun around Fairfield and Westchester counties. Each truck is equipped with six taps, allowing the host to pick a range of brews. Ted can access hard-to-source seasonal and specialty beers from craft brewers, thanks to his strong industry connections. And he enjoys engaging with guests, sharing his enthusiasm and expertise.
Half Pint has worked several Oktoberfest events, including Burning Tree Country Club and the Rye Nature Center, and Ted played the part fully—wearing authentic lederhosen.
If you’re not a beer person, you’re still covered: Taps can be dedicated to getting wine, margaritas and other cocktails flowing. During the warmer months, one of the most popular pours is Summer in a Bottle rosé from Wolffer Estate. They’ll also serve ranch water, Aperol spritzes as well as alternative beverages like limonada soda, hibiscus mocktails and Athletic Brewing’s non-alcoholic beer.
Happy to support local charities, they have worked a car show in South Hampton to benefit the Fresh Air Fund and offered their services as an auction item for a local school fundraiser, among others. The team is also able to source from local breweries and handle special requests.
The imported Italian vehicle seems to be a conversation starter no matter where it goes. “People light up, it makes them happy,” Ted says. “It establishes the vibe and makes a party.” tophops.com
They’re only young once” and “don’t blink, they grow up so fast,” are words almost every parent will hear. Katerina Azarova, founder of Petite Maison Kids, believes in cherishing kids’ moments big and small, dressing them in outfits as special as they are.
“The art of children’s fashion isn’t celebrated enough,” says Katerina, surrounded by the most adorable yet elegant dresses in her Greenwich Avenue store, all pieces she designed and had made to her exact specifications. Each dress, garment and accessory in the shop is crafted using beautiful fabrics (velvets, satins, organza, cashmere and more) and finished with unique details such as handstitched embroidery, gold buttons, ostrich
feathers, layers of ruffles. These are dresses fit for a princess and, in fact, royals and celebrities are among her clients; thanks to Instagram, she has a large following and ships pieces around the globe.
Katerina first started Petite Maison when she was pregnant with her daughter, who’s now five. She realized she couldn’t find the styles she was seeking, the kind of highquality children’s clothing that can be passed down to the next generation—the opposite of fast fashion.
Having moved to New York from Ukraine at age nine, Katerina was still drawn to European style and initially bought her baby clothing abroad. Then she decided to embark on a creative endeavor and design her own children’s line. During Covid, her company’s business boomed online. Not only was she shipping orders around the world, but she also started selling to Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus.
Last year she opened her flagship store in Greenwich where customers can enjoy a very personal shopping experience along with children’s book signings and other special
SHE REALIZED SHE COULDN’T FIND THE STYLES SHE WAS SEEKING, THE KIND OF HIGH-QUALITY CHILDREN’S CLOTHING THAT CAN BE PASSED DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION—THE OPPOSITE OF FAST FASHION.
events. Katerina and her team work with parents and their kids to find the perfect special-occasion wear for weddings, holidays, birthday, baptisms as well as great pieces for every day, matching siblings outfits, cozy knitwear and shoes. There are plenty of styles for boys, too, as well as Mommy-and-me items. Describing her collections, Katerina says, “Everything has to be a work of art.”
71 Greenwich Avenue; petitemaisonkids.com
White Plains Hospital is proud to be acknowledged for our outstanding quality, safety and patient experience. Visit wphospital.org/awards
by kim-marie galloway
Colombia has had quite a glow-up since her break-up with Pablo Escobar. The drug lord has been gone for 30 years, and in that time, the country has become one of the trendiest destinations for travelers.
The literary style of magic realism was born here under the pen and imagination of Gabriel García Márquez, one of history’s best-known Latin American novelists. It makes sense that the port city of Cartagena is where he dreamed up the much-imitated trope of integrating elements of fantasy into realistic settings.
Founded in 1533, Cartagena de Los Indios was one of the most important Spanish colonial cities in the New World. Its maze of Crayola-colored colonial houses, the UNESCO-protected walled city is deliberately confusing, designed to confound marauding Caribbean pirates. Marquez mused of his birthplace: “In spite of the oppression, the plundering and the abandonment, we respond with life.” This feels like just the energy we all need right now.
Because we can’ t cover everything there is to do and see in this enchanting country, we've set out to give you a primer of highlights for your first visit.
greenwichmag.com
VENERA ALEXANDROVA
Cartagena is a city where the mystical and the mundane are easy bedfellows. The city's walls have stood since 1586, when Spanish King Philip III ordered the nearly seven miles of thick stone walls built after Sir Francis Drake plundered the town. Near the westernmost stretch of the wall, the sun descends right over the Caribbean. Watch the sunset from Café del Mar, a restaurant beside the wall. Or join the locals by bringing provisions and finding a spot on the wall's warm stones, a practice they call murallando ("walling").
Head to the Getsemani neighborhood— a funkier-in-a-good-way version of the city’s Old Town. With its thriving art scene of galleries, museums and street art, it’s a vibrant barrio just beyond the Old Town walls that’s quietly been repositioning itself as the city’s coolest counterculture quarter. Getsemani feels more like the gritty, rumsoaked Cartagena that Márquez fell for.
Stay at Casa San Augustin in the middle of Old Town. This boutique hotel was created by combining three 17thcentury homes. It has retained some of the original frescoes and an unearthed aqueduct. In addition to the courtyard pool, guests can access the hotel’s privately owned beach on the Island of Baru.
A few facts that may surprise you
• Colombia is closer the U.S. than New York is to Los Angeles.
• There are more species of birds in Colombia than in North America and Europe combined.
• It's always 82 degrees—always.
• Colombia is the second-most biodiverse country in the world, after only Brazil, ten times its size, and one of only 17 “megadiverse” countries.
• Colombian-born Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the second-bestselling Spanish language author in the world. The first? God. (Well, the Bible.)
• Colombia has a coast on the Pacific Ocean as well as the Caribbean Sea.
• Colombia is home to the Rainbow River, a 60-mile-long river with multiple naturally occurring vibrant hues.
DON’T MISS: If you want to do a little shopping, Silvia Tcherassi, one of Colombia's most recognized fashion designers, has an Old Town shop. And a must-visit is Parque del Centenario, an open green space between the Old Town and Getsemani, where locals hang out alongside monkeys and sloths hiding in the trees.
Medellin might be suffering from too much popularity. Time magazine once called its Comuna 13 “the most dangerous neighborhood in the world.”
Now that cable cars bring visitors up the mountainside for an easy and safe visit, it’s become a slightly overhyped tourist must-see.
Though some visitors are disappointed, as they expect more, Medellin is a modern city with fantastic museums (all the Botero sculptures you could ever want), street art and a modern hip-hop vibe. If you fly into Colombia via Medellin and decide to stay a night, book the five-star architectural darling Click Clack Hotel.
Just ninety minutes from Medellin is a new and spectacular eco-lodge, Cannúa. The rooms hang suspended over the rolling San Nicolás Valley in the foothills of the Andes.
The cloud forest cabanas seem surreal, jutting out of the mountainside in the middle of nowhere. You can head out on a tropical bird expedition or a hike. Or just take some binoculars to your hammock and say you did.
The nation's capital has been a highaltitude metropolis since the early 1500s. Sitting at 8,660 feet above sea level, this is a destination you'll want to prepare for.
Stay at the Four Seasons Casa Medina in the heart of Bogotá’s Zona G district. Book the helicopter experience and visit Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, 30 miles north of the capital. The Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church built in 1995. But this is not just any church. It is 650 feet underground, using the tunnels of a salt mine with deposits formed 250 million years ago. Or take a trip to any one of the coffee plantations for an unforgettable horseback ride.
If planning a trip to Colombia sounds daunting, look at the excursions offered by Abercrombie and Kent and the brand-new river cruise from AmaWaterways.
With nearly 2,000 species of birds, Colombia is a bird-watchers paradise.
The Rainbow River in the province of Meta The Four Seasons Casa Medina
INVITE WARMTH WITH SUN-BAKED TERRACOTTA TONES by
1
FLAT VERNACULAR
Folded wallpaper in Peach Melba; $65 per yard. flatvernacular.com
4
OYOY
5
POTTERY BARN
Halldale
Westport; shopterrain.com
6
SOHO HOME Garret armchair in Velvet Antique Rose; $2,995. sohohome.com
7 INDUSTRY WEST Pim console table; $1,995. industrywest.com
3
CÔTÉ BOUGIE Rue Yves Saint
Laurent candles; starting at $68. Bungalow, Westport; bungalowdecor.com
“terracotta is definitely the new blush. it’s warm, earthy and rich. it adds history and complements warmer wood tones.
—michelle
SPRING CLEANING NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD
3
5
Interiors, New Canaan; cobblecourt.com
STEAMERY
“we aimed to design our new redon toilet brush holder in a way that complements an array of bathroom designs. it’s an attractive cleaning tool that redefines form and function, blurring the lines between beauty and domestic chores.”
2 chores.” 1
Pilo 2 fabric shaver; $65. Williams-Sonoma, Westport; williamssonoma.com
HAWKINS NEW YORK
Lurex sponges; $6 for set of three. hawkinsnewyork.com
NORMANN COPENHAGEN x OLE
JENSEN
Dustban + broom; $35. aplusrstore.com
CURIO
The ionic palm brush; $38. curiohomegoods.com
ALESSI
7
Handheld vacuum cleaner; $240. us.alessi.com
GARRETT WADE
Better whisk broom; $15.95. garrettwade.com
CB2
Squeegee in brass or black metal; $39.95. cb2.com
ANDRÉE JARDIN
French standing broom sweep set; $189. Pottery Barn, Westport; potterybarn.com
For 20 years, Fig Linens and Home has been the premier location for luxury bedding, towels and table linens. Now, the iconic shop has made its way to Westport’s Church Lane. The idyllic brick lane houses many beloved 06880 businesses, including Sorelle Gallery and Pink Sumo Sushi, and offers the kind of quiet charm that draws people from all over the state to downtown Westport. Fig Linens and Home’s relocation has added
another gem to its ranks.
The new Church Lane location offers Fig Linens and Home the opportunity to expand its custom offerings. “We are so thrilled about the space for a design center in our new store. Our range of custom bedding and bath linens has so much room to grow in the location,” says Fig founder Carlin van Noppen. “Even better, the new shop is filled with natural light, perfect for comparing fabric samples and paint chips to help
of fabric samples offering seemingly endless home textile options.
Furthermore, Fig Linens and Home is design-led, meaning that you can expect much more than white sheets. The shelves are full of bright colors and stylish patterns from celebrated designers, including John Robshaw and Ryan Studio.
Best of all, it’s a one-stop shop where you can source everything from down comforters to duvets, and sleep pillows to silk masks, all within the homey walls.
you find the perfect match for your home. We can’t wait to welcome new and familiar faces!”
Anyone who has visited Fig over the past two decades knows the shop is a joy. The cozy, womanowned boutique is home to walls and walls of beautiful linens featuring some of the most coveted names in the industry: think Matouk, Sferra and Frette. Special orders and custom bedding are Fig Linens and Home’s bread and butter, with thousands
greenwichmag.com
Despite the big names on the shelves, Fig Linens and Home retains its charming brick-andmortar feel. A visit is likely to land you in conversation with van Noppen, the brains behind the brand. With her quick wit, sharp eye and Southern drawl, she offers unparalleled expertise in the industry. A Fairfield County local for over 20 years, she has worked with many of the area’s best interior designers and homeowners to decorate beautiful local homes.
We can’t wait to see what this next chapter holds.
7 Church Lane, Westport, figlinensandhome.com
ALTHOUGH ALZHEIMER’S RATES SEEM TO CLIMB, SO TOO DOES OUR CAUSE FOR HOPE. WE DIVE INTO THE PROMISING NEWS AND TALK TO THE PEOPLE MAKING IT HAPPEN
The news on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can still be viewed through a grim lens. There is still no cure. It’s a terminal illness. And by 2025, the Alzheimer’s Association of Connecticut predicts 93,000 Connecticut residents will be living with a diagnosis. That’s the bad news. But Kristen Cusato, director of communications for the Alzheimer’s Association of Connecticut and its New England Research Champion, has her pulse fixed on the good news. And she begins by explaining all the treatment breakthroughs with the clinical acumen of a veteran research scientist.
8FOX RUN LANE, GREENWICH, CT
Spectacula r custom new construction finished to the highest standard. Open floor plan, modern design on over five private acres with main house, guest house, tennis court, pool, spa on a private lane in one of Greenwich’s most coveted neighborhoods less than two miles from Greenwich Avenue. Floor to ceiling windows throughout flood the home with natural light. Double height entry. 12 foot ceilings first floor; 11 foot ceilings second floor. Top drawer Bulthaup kitchen with double islands, Gagganau and Sub Zero appliances. Poliform Butler’s pantry serves as second kitchen. White box lower level finished with wood floor and walls open canvas for everything that can be imagined. Two bedroom/two bath poolside guest house. 20x50 pool with separate spa. Hard surface court.
8FoxRunLa ne.com | Offered at $20,850,000
Elevate your heart rate.
“Strive for a half-hour of moderate exercise five times a week,” says Dr. Fredericks. “You don’t need to run a marathon. Something as simple as a brisk walk can mak a big difference.”
Follow a Mediterranean diet. Cusato notes that eating a diet rich in heart healthy fats (such as olive oil), nuts, seeds, lots of green, leafy vegetables paired with moderate amounts of lean protein can be a recipe for prevention.
Give your brain a workout.
“It doesn’t have to be a daily dose of the crossword puzzle,” says Cusato. “Try something new. Take a dance class. Be social. Learn a language. The idea is to fire up those brain circuits with a challenge or new experiences.”
Protect your noggin. Brain injuries (such as concussions) have been linked to Alzheimer’s diagnoses. “I always tell people to wear a helmet when riding a bike and always wear your seatbelt,” says Cusato. “Anything you can do to avoid head injuries is good prevention.”
Don’t smoke. The habit has been linked to Alzheimer’s rates.
She points to the new generation of breakthrough medications that target the disease in its early stages. By removing beta-amyloid plaques from the brain, these drugs slow the cognitive and functional declines that are the hallmarks of memorydepleting illnesses.
There is lecanemam, the first FDAapproved treatment that addresses the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s. Coming on its heels is aducanumab, which has been fasttracked for government approval. At press time, donanemab, yet another promising medication that appears to accelerate the pace of plaque reduction, was awaiting approval and is expected to be available for patients sometime this year.
“No, they are not cures,” says Cusato. “But the exciting thing is that each generation seems to be performing better than the one before. And that’s the hope—that each step we take brings us a little closer to that cure.”
That is why the eleventh annual Celebrating Hope gala, set for Friday, April 26 at the Delamar Greenwich Harbor, seems more prescient and necessary than ever. Funds raised from the festive celebration, along with the Alzheimer’s Association’s signature Walk to End Alzheimer’s events, help support research along with personal support for the victims, their loved ones and caregivers.
“Events like this are critical because, yes, they do bring in a great deal of money and a lot of it goes to research,” says Cusato. “But the most important thing is that we get a chance to get the message out that we don’t want people to go through this journey alone.”
For Cusato, her partnership with the Alzheimer’s community also means championing research in a personal way. The former WTNH news anchor and Ginge Cabrera, Greenwich resident and Chair of the chapter’s Board of Advisors, recently volunteered as healthy participants in association-funded clinical research at Yale that’s focused on understanding atypical forms of dementia.
Eleven years ago, Cusato lost her mother, Linda, to Lewy body dementia, a disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s.
Events like this are critical because, yes, they do bring in a great deal of money and a lot of it goes to research. But the most important thing is that we get a chance to get the message out that we don’t want people to go through this journey alone.
—Kristin Cusato on Celebrating Hope
It follows Alzheimer’s as the nation’s second-leading cause of dementia. Her role includes making presentations on the status and impact of research throughout the region.
“What excites me is the research, because I’m able to go out there and say, ‘Look at where we are. Here is the hope.’ And then, I can encourage them to get involved in research, too,” says Cusato. The Yale study she volunteered for is just one of many promising association-funded investigations that she hopes will yield meaningful results.
“We’re also doing research in collaboration with UConn–Storrs, where we are looking into the role that things like inflammation and gut health may play in the disease. These things are all pieces of the puzzle that we need to explore.”
Because there is no cure yet, the nonprofit’s commitment to support disease sufferers and their frequently overburdened caregivers is also something that will be highlighted at the April gala.
“When you walk with us or you join us at Celebrating Hope, you are helping us make sure that no one goes through this on their own,” says Cusato. “We want people to know they are cared for and that there are so many ways to help.” alz.org/ct
Dr. Carolyn A. Fredericks is an assistant professor of Neurology and the Henry F. McCance Scholar in Neurodegeneration at the Yale School of Medicine. She is just one of many Alzheimer’s Association-funded researchers working at Yale and throughout Connecticut on projects that could offer new clinical breakthroughs. We spoke recently about the impact the Alzheimer’s Association has had on her work and in her patients’ lives.
Finding Help
The Alzheimer’s Association offers free resources to patients, family and caregivers through a helpline staffed by licensed social workers. They can answer questions and connect patients and their loved ones with support groups and other forms of help. Call: 800-272-3900.
GM: YOUR LAB HAS A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN STUDYING ATYPICAL FORMS OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA. CAN YOU EXPLAIN MORE?
DR. FREDERICKS: Our primary interest is in trying to understand Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases in areas where the presentation and symptoms are a little different from what you might expect. For example, in some Alzheimer’s cases language and spatial reasoning or even movement tremors–rather than memory—are the first signs something is wrong. We’re interested in finding out what these less common types of presentations can teach us about the disease.
GM: DO THESE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS MEAN WE MAY COME TO THINK OF ALZHEIMER’S AS A CONSTELLATION OF DISEASES IN THE SAME WAY WE NOW UNDERSTAND THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF BREAST CANCER, FOR EXAMPLE?
DR. FREDERICKS: It’s such an interesting question. We know in the clinical sense that this is a disease we develop in the brain cells, but there are some differences in the way it develops, especially when we look at patients with less common symptoms.
In them, we see that disease may not be housed in the memory circuit of the brain, but in other parts. So, through our research what we’re hoping we’ll be able to show—and what we think is true—is that the disease spreads along lines of functional circuitry in the brain; whether its circuitry for language or spatial reasoning or other functions.
GM: SOME MEMBERS OF THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATIONS’ CONNECTICUT CHAPTER TEAM ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS RESEARCH. HOW DID THEY HELP?
DR. FREDERICKS: They have been involved as healthy participants, along with other research volunteers. We’re comparing them with patients who have variants of the disease where language and spatial reasoning have been impacted. We are doing MRIs and studying their brains and how they use oxygen when they do certain activities, like watching a movie or doing some sort of a test.
We’re then using a special PET scan to look at how [brain proteins known as] tau is spreading in the brain and the differences in the healthy participants versus those with the disease. [In Alzheimer’s, tangles of tau and beta-amyloid plaques are evidence of the disease.]
GM: HOW IS FINDING THESE ANSWERS BENEFICIAL TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH ALZHEIMER’S TODAY OR IN THE FUTURE?
DR. FREDERICKS: All this research helps us to not only understand how to treat the disease, but it
also helps us understand its progression. When we see patients, the one question we always hear is, “What’s going to happen next?”
Most people confronting this disease—and the people who care about them—want that answer. And for a lot of them, having that information is helpful. It gives them a sense of control, in a situation where they don’t always have a lot of control. And it gives them an ability to prepare for the future, to talk with their families, to plan and talk about their wishes.
GM: YOU’VE RECEIVED RESEARCH FUNDS FROM THE ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION, BUT I’M CURIOUS IF YOU ALSO USE THOSE RESOURCES TO HELP YOUR PATIENTS.
DR. FREDERICKS: Association services are one of the best things I can offer them. The care coordination they provide is extraordinary, and it’s a free resource, available throughout New England. Patients and their families can have deep and meaningful conversations about what they need to cope with this diagnosis. And it may be things they haven’t thought of like estate planning or the need for more advanced levels of care down the road.
They have some amazing support groups for caregivers that I highly recommend. It may be the most important thing, in some instances. They help answer questions I often hear like, “How can I, as someone who has never been a caregiver, possibly manage in this role?” As a caregiver, it can be amazing to have that kind of one-on-one support, especially when you can feel very alone.
GM: THERE IS STILL NO CURE FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE. WHAT GIVES YOU HOPE FOR THE FUTURE?
DR. FREDERICKS: There is a large group of us right here at Yale doing work that gives us so much hope. Right now, we are about to publish work that looks at the brain circuitry of women and menopause as it relates to Alzheimer’s. Since two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients are women, it’s really important to understand the role estrogen seems to play in the brain circuitry of women. Understanding that gives us access to more treatment opportunities.
I also find hope in the things the Alzheimer’s Association does every year like the gala and Walk for a Cure. Everyone who walks gets to hold a flower in memory of someone who has died from the illness or is living with the disease.
One person in the walk always holds a white flower to represent the person who will be the first one cured. I got the honor of holding the white flower in New Haven’s walk, and it was really inspiring to represent that hope.
If drinking an elixir of bone broth, dehydrated pig blood, and celery juice while cold plunging in 39-degree spring and sea water could potentially extend your life, would you try it?
Chances are, you would, because the pursuit of longevity has become mainstream, with the global market expected to reach $183 billion by 2028.
But what if it was as easy as, say, living in Connecticut?
That’s what NowPatient’s newest index—inspired by the 2023 Netflix series Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones—suggests, as it aims to predict the next ten states to become Blue Zones.
Blue Zones are where some of the world’s oldest people live, characterized by lower chronic disease and significantly longer life expectancies. Currently, there are five Blue Zones globally, located in Italy, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica and Loma Linda, California.
According to the index, Connecticut is the eighth most likely state to become the next Blue Zone.
So we asked an expert for his take.
“We have to remember that Blue Zones are something researchers have been looking at for years, but the man who popularized it wasn’t a researcher, but a journalist,” says Andrew Garritson, vice president of education at the Nutritional Coaching Institute and founder of Argentum, a quality information control organization.
“By nature, his job is to capture attention. So when we see one of the Power 9 criteria for a Blue Zone being ‘Wine at 5’, we should be skeptical,” he says.
Research is pretty well established around alcohol consumption being associated with all-cause mortality, he adds, so to claim that moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers is misleading.
“It’s correlation, not causation,” he says. “That said, everything is a trade-off. Moderate alcohol consumption can be the mechanism indicating that a community is more socially fulfilled—and social fulfillment and belonging has been shown to increase longevity.”
“So the physical trade-off of alcohol consumption can be offset by the social benefits that come from the environment it’s consumed in,” says Garritson.
In the new index citing Connecticut as a promising Blue Zone candidate, researchers looked at mental health, diet, exercise, religion, plant-based diets, sleep and life expectancy.
When asked for his take, Garritson largely agreed with the criteria observed to increase longevity. “It’s not necessarily about religion ... per se,” says Garritson. “Religion might be the mechanism that shows you're plugged into a social community.”
He adds that recent research showed that there was decreased all-cause mortality with a plant-based diet, but notes that people who follow
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plant-based diets can be at higher risk of nutrient deficiencies, which can lead to sickness.
“The key is to eat complete sources of protein in a plant-based diet, which requires a more mindful food selection,” he says.
So, does Connecticut have a shot at becoming the next Blue Zone? Yes, but the criteria for getting there might need a bit of a deeper dive.
WHEN IT COMES TO DIRECT, NO-NONSENSE, SCIENCE-BASED FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES, ANDREW GARRITSON DRILLS IT DOWN TO THESE FIVE HABITS:
Having a strong sense of purpose Strength training three to five times per week
Getting seven to nine hours of sleep
Drinking at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day
Managing obesity
Andrew Garritson has helped more than 2,000 people lose 40,000+ pounds of fat, gain 4,600+ pounds of lean body mass, and eliminate 100+ medications You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
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Connect with BK and Amanda today for more information on these properties and for all your real estate needs.
by mary kate hogan
Life’s too short for low-quality calories,” says Robert VanKeuren, owner of Flour Water Salt Bread, a bakery that opened in Cos Cob last fall (its flagship is in Darien). “If you’re going to have a croissant or donut, it should be amazing, something you’re dreaming about a few days later.” Sure enough, this is the case with just about anything you can savor at Flour Water Salt: These are carbs well worth the splurge.
The new Flour Water Salt occupies the front of Fjord Fish Market’s new location, next door to the former Fjord space. The two companies had already been partners for four years, with Fjord selling baguettes, cookies and other goods baked by Flour Water Salt. When Rob was looking for a place to open in Greenwich, he says, it was natural for him to reach out to Fjord. “It’s been a great relationship,” says
in addition to the fresh-baked pastries such as cinnamon rolls, cardamom buns, bomboloni, chocolate croissants, bagels and sandwiches, FWS has a freezer case where you can pick up some favorites at half price.
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Rob. He started his baking business in 2017 and has expanded to a staff of 15 with a large commissary kitchen. “We have similar clientele, people who don’t mind paying a little more for a top-quality product.”
Among the most popular items in Flour Water Salt are the coffee cake (a New Yorkstyle cinnamon swirl made with brioche dough that’s like an upscale version of Entenmann’s);
left: New York style cinnamon swirl coffee cake right: Robert VanKeuren
• photography by venera alexandrova & garvin burke
Personal cake of caramelized bananas, walnuts and dark chocolate chunks
Cinnamon roll made with naturally leavened croissant dough and topped with orangeinfused icing
Sourdough bagels
Kouign-Amann, a salted caramel croissant-muffin
Kouign-Amann, a salted caramel croissantmuffin hybrid; croissants; chocolate chip cookies and the sourdough bread. That bread has a following. It’s made using a longfermented, three-day process, baked on the dark side for maximum flavor, and it’s also low-glycemic so easy to digest. This sourdough is the choice of local restaurants; L’Ostal in Darien uses it as a vehicle for paté. The shop also carries fresh-baked baguettes and other varieties of sourdough bread and brioche.
In addition to the fresh-baked pastries such as cinnamon rolls, cardamom buns, bomboloni, chocolate croissants, bagels and sandwiches, FWS has a freezer case where you can pick up some favorites at half price. Also in the freezer are take-and-bake croissants, cinnamon rolls and bake-at-home sourdough pizzas, all options for that fresh-out-of-theoven experience.
Flour Water Salt serves Sey coffee from Brooklyn with espresso drinks, lattes and cappuccino. Teas from Kettl (try the matcha latte) are available as well. You can order a bagel toasted with one of the housemade cream cheese “schmears” and enjoy it at the bar space or sit at one of the outdoor tables in season. The shop also carries select condiments and dry goods such as Fine & Raw hazelnut spreads, Divina preserves and Le Beurre Bordier, an imported French butter. Keeping only the freshest items in store, FWS donates daily to Food Rescue, where the breads and pastries are very well appreciated.
“Food lends itself to nostalgia and memories,” Rob says. “This is a business that allows me to be creative and learn constantly and try to do the same thing a bit better every day.” G
160 E. Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob
flourwatersaltbread.com
HOURS
Tuesday–Saturday 8 a.m.–2 p.m.
Greenwich boasts some impressive open spaces, but few host the array of opportunities offered at Binney Park. Tucked inside this local gem’s 32 acres, visitors will find a children’s playground, sports fields, tennis courts, nature trails, charming bridges, fields of daffodils and wildlife. It’s the perfect spot for a short break or an entire afternoon.
The park was established in 1930s by summer resident Edwin Binney. The land had initially been intended for housing lots, but Edwin’s daughters Mary Binney Davis and Helen Binney Kitchel persuaded him to purchase the swampy area and donate it to the town for recreational space. It took four years to develop and officially opened in 1933, a year before Edwin’s death. Over time it grew to include parcels of the Hillside area, the acres between the park and railroad tracks, as well as the ten acre
natural section along Harding Road, now known as the Helen Binney Kitchel Natural Park.
Edwin Binney was a successful inventor, businessman and cofounder of Crayola Crayons. He and his wife, Alice Stead Binney, have a rich Greenwich history and are buried in the First Congregational Church Cemetery across from the park. Alice was a founding member of the Greenwich Historical Society. Daughter Helen was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives and was the first woman in Connecticut to have a bill named after her.
Almost a century after its opening, Binney Park has a special place in the hearts of all who use it to enjoy everything from relaxation to sports— amid a quintessentially New England setting.
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JULIE BIDWELLGrab your blanket, because Binney Park was made for picnics. With picturesque sites bordering the park, such as the stone classic First Congregational Church of Greenwich and the charming Perrot Library, every view is lovely. Come spring, thanks to various local supporters, the roadside of the park reveals thousands of daffodils in bloom.
Tuck your phone away and don’t worry about losing track of time.
history of the Binney family and park tree-labeling. The Friends of Binney Park hopes to introduce tree talks, wildlife walks and tours of the local daffodil hill. Membership is free. This year it hosted a mascot turtle-naming contest with over 150 entries. Emilia Lim was the grand prize winner, with the name Bin. friendsofbinneypark.org
One of the most charming spots is Binney Pond. Geese and ducks glide, snapping and painted turtles climb on floating platforms—you never know who you might see. Turtle and birdwatching can entertain the little ones for hours. And with wildlife visitors changing through the seasons, year-round viewing is a must. Fun tidbit: Although the town no longer welcomes ice skaters to the pond, former local Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill grew up skating with her family here. (Fundraising is in the works to replace a missing plaque in her honor.)
The south end of the park holds an updated fenced-in playground and gazebo space. Open fields nearby are available for games of catch, frisbee or tag when not in use by local soccer and baseball teams.
The Friends of the Perrot Library foster community fitness and friendship by hosting a park walk every Tuesday year-round at 9:45 a.m. It’s informal, free and open to all ages with no need to sign up in advance. Walkers meet by the library. Some weeks include speakers who walk and talk about the diverse wildlife and fauna in the park. Follow the Perrot Instagram for weather cancellation notifications. 3 2 4 5
A jewel like Binney Park maintains its vibrancy, thanks to the cooperation of a number of town and volunteer agencies. Opportunities abound to be a supporter. From the Town of Greenwich Conservation Commission to other local garden and community groups, consider volunteering to plant daffodil bulbs or be part of a park cleanup day.
A revived Friends of Binney Park invites those with a passion for the park to join them. With over 250 members, the organization hosts a meeting every January. This it featured speakers about the
The park has four tennis courts off Wesskum Wood Road. They require a town tennis pass, but the new Greenwich Parks and Recreation OnePass for our beaches allows residents to add a tennis court pass. Court reservations begin May 1. Just a spectator? The courtside bleachers are a great spot to watch the local high school teams who use the courts in spring.
With the park at its front door, the Perrot Library plans and hosts a number of events there throughout the year. In addition to the weekly walks, the library features outdoor movie nights and programs for elementary students. perrotlibrary.org 6 7 8 9 11
No model boat to race? No problem. Spectating is just as much fun.
GET YOUR GROOVE ON Greenwich Parks and Recreation sets up a bandstand with concerts every summer. Bring the family to picnic, dance or just enjoy the music. Past concerts featured the Sound Beach Community Band and the Bob Button Orchestra. Check the website for dates and times. greenwichct.gov and friendsofbinneypark.org
Year after year, town residents fill the park early with their blankets to settle in for an evening of Fourth of July fireworks. Check the website for the fireworks display date announcement. greenwichct.gov and friendsofbinneypark.org
With its picturesque stone bridges and gazebos, the park is a perfect setting for a photoshoot. If you’re looking to take a family portrait, every season provides the perfect backdrop. Consider making it a tradition to take photos at the same spot each year. Fun tidbit: Almost every weekend, spring through fall, you’ll see local couples posing for engagement or wedding photos.
AND CLEAN lives up to its name, working hard to clean up town parks, remove invasive species and beautify landscaping through its volunteer activities. It sponsors daffodil planting and planting education at Binney Park. greenwichgreenandclean.org
Sometimes a good old-fashioned walk through the park is the only family activity you need.
SET SAIL
For decades residents have looked forward to October, when the Annual Sailboat Regatta sponsored by the Old Greenwich Riverside Community Center (OGRCC) takes place. It’s a classic small-town event that invites model boat creators of all ages with any type of boat—from homemade to store-bought—to compete in categories based on age, style of boat and motorization. Watch for dates and details to register. myogrcc.org.
Keeping activity ideas on hand will make dealing with cabin fever a breeze. Things to consider: parks, zoos, Audubon societies, beaches and playgrounds. Pick your own fruits and veggies (strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus are generally in season.) Search for local events such as picnics, nature walks, farm days or farmer’s markets. Whatever it is, be sure to get outside and enjoy all that spring has to offer
Give back to the community by helping various cleanup efforts and Earth Day Activities on Monday, April 22. Every year, Greenwich Land Trust, Friends of Greenwich Point, Greenwich Riding & Trails, Greenwich Historical Society and the town of Greenwich have ways the whole family can help.
Let your kids get up close and personal with artifacts and biofacts. On Saturdays and Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m., the Bruce Museum has carts manned by junior docents set up throughout the museum. Children interact with the docents for a little hands-on learning. brucemuseum.org
What better time than spring to get in touch with nature? Join the Greenwich Botanical Center on Saturday, April 27 for Frolic In The Forest! This springtime family event includes crafts, games, refreshments and a Fairy House Walk through the woods. Natural and magical spirits are all around us, it’s time to find them. greenwichbotanicalcenter.org
Greenwich Riding & Trails Association invites you to Barn Tour 2024 on Sunday, April 28. Tour some of backcountry’s most picturesque barns and equestrian estates when generous homeowners open their world-class properties to the public. Self-guided tour tickets will be shared prior to the tour with the locations. Find more information at thegrta.org.
If the word geocaching leaves you scratching your head, think of it as a global treasure hunt where you look for hidden objects using a free app and your phone’s GPS. There are geocaches hidden all around the world and possibly right in your neighborhood. This fun, family-friendly activity will get everyone outside and guarantees exploration, discovery and adventure. Learn more at geocaching.com. G
It was a lovely evening inside the new Bruce Museum for the Visionary Awards. The awards dinner honored friends who are deeply devoted to the Bruce. Keynote speaker Albert Bourla, chairman and chief executive office of Pfizer, engaged in a fascinating conversation with author and business executive Patricia Chadwick. Visionary honorees included Lynne and Richard Paculano, Leah and Robert Rukeyser and Martha and Charles Zoubek. brucemuseum.org »
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When the ladies of the Junior League of Greenwich throw a party, it doesn’t just succeed—it lasts for three days! This year the Enchanted Forest set up shop at the Bruce Museum, much to everyone’s delight. Nothing kicks off the holidays like this festive weekend of cocktails, visits with Santa, forest of decorated trees and gingerbread house, the giving shop and so much more. jlgreenwich.org »
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n celebration of the Year of the Dragon, MOLI restaurant recently teamed up with sustainable fashion designer and philanthropist Andy Yu to host an unforgettable dim sum brunch to kick off the Lunar New Year. Guests enjoyed a lion dance performance, special dishes including flower dumplings featured on Martha Cooks, live music and Year of the Dragon souvenirs. A percentage of sales benefited the Asian American Dream foundation. asianamericandream.org »
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Welcome to John’s Island. A cherished ocean-to-river haven enjoyed by generations who have discovered the undeniable allure of life by the sea in Vero Beach, Florida. A picturesque seaside landscape and near perfect climate complement the serene offerings, each of which combine luxury with traditional appeal, architectural details, spacious living areas, and lush grounds. Discover the ideal place to call home with beachside bliss in Florida...
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ake-A-Wish Connecticut recently hosted its annual Wish Night dinner, dance and auction at Greenwich Country Club. The evening raised over $800,00 to grant wishes to local Connecticut children with critical illnesses. Hannah Storm and Ben Goldman served as emcees with professional auctioneer Jamie McDonald leading the live and fund-a-wish auctions. Make-A-Wish honored Cigna with the 2023 Wish Spirit Award, and guests experienced a wish granted live onstage. Save the date for Wish Night 2024, Saturday, Nov. 9. wish.org/ct »
Peter, Gail and Mccullough Shriver
6 Lovisa, Trevor and Annika Wisdom 7 Jackie Truong, Dr. Ryan Grant
8 Henry and Ayumi Izawa
9 Stephanie Petterson, Jill Plancher 10 Kevin Rocco, Janine Bahar 11 Mark Magnusen, Janine Bahar
12 Ken and Christina Wisdom
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The Orthopaedic Foundation’s nineteenth anniversary gala at Tony’s at The J House was a smashing success. The evening’s honorees were Joy Bauer, registered dietitian-nutritionist, lifestyle expert on NBC’s TODAY Show and New York Times bestselling author, and Dr. Ryan A. Grant, neurosurgeon and founder/CEO of Vori Health. The Orthopaedic Foundation’s mission is to effectively promote, support, develop and encourage research and education concerning minimally invasive orthopaedic surgery and advancements in musculoskeletal diseases. ofals.org »
Illume Fertility is thrilled to announce the addition of Barry Witt, M.D. to our award-winning team of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists serving Westchester and Fairfield Counties.
Dr. Witt joins with more than 30 years of expertise where he has helped thousands of Connecticut and New York-based individuals and couples to achieve their goals. His decision to join Illume Fertility was propelled by the practice’s commitment to patient experience and advancing inclusive fertility and family-building care in the community.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Witt, call toll-free (866) 755-4856 or visit illumefertility.com/dr-witt.
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We are looking for fantastic photos of Greenwich and Greenwich people to feature every month on our new back page. If you would like a chance to be published in Greenwich magazine and win $100 here’s what you should know:
• Photos can be whimsical, historical, serene, funny or beautiful but they all must be taken in Greenwich.
• Photos must be submitted digitally to photos@mofflymedia.com and be 300 dpi and 7 inches high or larger.
• We will need: 1) Photographer’s name, address, phone number and e-mail 2) Subject of the photograph (identify people in the photo) 3) Location of the photograph
4) Inspiration behind the photograph
5) Any interesting anecdote about the photograph or featured subject We can’t wait to see your view of Greenwich!
Local author Jeanne Collins celebrated the launch of her new memoir, Two Feet In: Lessons from an All-in Life, at the C. Parker Gallery. Gallery owner Tiffany Benincasa shared a fascinating conversation with Collins, discussing insights on growing up, motherhood, love and even interior design. Pick up a copy at Diane’s Books on Greenwich Avenue. cparkergallery.com and dianesbooks.com G
1 Two Feet In, hot off the presses 2 Jeanne Collins, Alex Gadd 3 Cynthia Holloway, Michele Matice 4 Sonal Rinello, Mariam Kendall, Joli Gross 5 Mariam Kendall, Jeanne Collins, Tiffany Benincasa 6 Guests mingling inside C. Parker Gallery 7 Michele Matice, Ajit Laroia, Jeanne Collins, Eileen Disavino, Jerry Collins 8 Zulma Ormeno, Will Flores
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Sophie and Campbell were introduced to each other in New York City by Sophie’s roommate, Frances Lummis, who worked with Campbell at JP Morgan. During their first date at Union Square Cafe, they quickly pieced together that their younger sisters were close friends at the University of Virginia. The pair would embark on a six-year romance that included a brief period of long-distance dating while Campbell completed his MBA at Dartmouth. Sophie and Campbell became engaged while on a walk in New York’s Central Park.
Rev. Anne Bolles-Beaven officiated the ceremony at the historic St. Columba’s Chapel (c.1884) in Middletown, Rhode Island. The reception followed at the Newport Country Club with a stunning sunset at cocktail hour. With Hurricane Lee marching up the New England coastline that weekend, wedding planners and vendors were in a panic, but fortunately Lee avoided Newport, and the evening was smooth sailing.
The bride, daughter of Anthony Dick of New York and Hilary Dick of Manhattan, graduated from Episcopal High School and the University of Virginia. Sophie is the director of sales and operations for the jewelry brand ASHA by Ashley McCormick in Greenwich.
The groom, son of Marc Johnson of Greenwich and Julia Thomas of New Hampshire, graduated from Deerfield Academy, Colgate University and Tuck Business School at Dartmouth. Campbell is a partner at Fletcher’s Neck Land Company in Greenwich.
The newlyweds honeymooned in Ischia Italy, before returning home to Manhattan. G
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Anyone who’s had Covid will not be immune from complaining about the flu’s hangover effect. Will things ever get normal again? It’s much the same when you discuss the Greenwich real estate scene. We’re feeling all right now, but man, what just happened? And what’s ahead?
Even the obligatory task of “doing the numbers” now requires some new considerations and mental gymnastics. But however the numbers rise and tumble, it all leads inescapably to the main market reality: The inventory shelf needs replenishing.
“Sales were down last year,” notes David Haffenreffer of Houlihan Lawrence, “because there’s nothing to sell.”
What happened? The oft-told tale about the market is that homeowners paying off a mortgage written in the 3-percent times just don’t want to downsize to a new property mortgaged in these 7-percent times. Hence the high hopes among Realtors that more of the promised rate cuts will arrive and stimulate the market. When folks see the neighborhood houses selling, they want in.
Also, Greenwich is in a sense now dealing with its new popularity among the city migrants. “When Covid hit in 2020,” reports Jeff Jackson at Corcoran, “we had a thousand home sales. Then the next year, we had another thousand. Then last year we had 400. Thus, we started out 2024 with 98 homes for sale, when we usually have 450.”
The result? Some very successful, competitive shoppers have had to work on their strategies. We consulted some of the local Realty authorities to get the latest inside dope.
The starting point for any such discussion is that speed still matters. “Before Covid the average time on the market was 300 days,” says Kevin Sneddon of Compass. “Then it became thirty. Or three.”
You need, in brief, a very active action plan.
When you look at the numbers in Greenwich, always take a second look.
Unit sales, for instance, might have dropped 17 percent in 2023, says Eric Bjork of Berkshire Hathaway, “but dollar amounts only dipped 4 percent.”
“I think it was the year of the luxury buyer,” says Pam Pagnani of Sotheby’s. “Prices have gone up.”
Indeed. Last year’s average sales price of $3.54 million was a whopping half-million higher than 2022.
Of course, in Greenwich the “average” price can get skewed by trifles such as a $138 million sale here and a $30 million deal there.
In the heady region above $10 million, there were 15 sales, Pam reports, a 50 percent rise over the year before. “There is still an appetite, and people are there who can buy these houses.”
For houses over $3 million, it is now common to see the transaction as a cash deal.
David Wilk of William Raveis reports: “There is still a plentiful pool of buyers, with a lot of them
being cash buyers. We knew there was a lot of cash out there, but ever since Covid, we didn’t know how much cash.”
It might be getting clear that the notion of the Greenwich “starter home” has changed radically.
Eric Bjork: “I’m sure Gen Xers and millennials would love to buy and get out of that cape.”
Well, good luck. “Pre-Covid,” notes Kevin Sneddon, “people would see something priced at $3 million and say, ‘Hey, that’s a pretty nice house.’ Now it’s five or six million.”
The most intriguing market change occurred north of the Merritt Parkway in Backcountry, where the landed gentry cast their eyes over large estates. Not so many years ago, notes Pam Pagnani, a house in that rarefied precinct might languish on the market for a thousand days.
“Pre-Covid,” adds Sneddon, “nobody shopped there. Then in the early days of Covid, people were glad to find values there. Now people are willing to pay legitimate prices to live there and have a family compound.”
The rise of the familycompound arrangement is part of a larger movement. The Boomers are downsizing. With its first cohort now deep in its seventies, many are overseeing the transfer of wealth to the next generation.
“I’ve been dealing with the family trusts,” says Kevin Sneddon. “These people want stability in their lives. And wealthy people really understand the long-term value of luxury real estate. It’s not about price; it’s about the security of a long-term investment.”
Accordingly, the brokers themselves get the once-over. “You get interviewed,” he notes. “They put you through the paces to make sure the family is making a smart purchase.”
Those big sales mentioned earlier?
For those who might be worried about some sort of new housing bubble, Jeff Jackson advises a second look: “As much as we feel that this market has risen dramatically since Covid, the fact is that many sections are still below peak and there is still room to rise. In everything north of town, pricing is still below 2007.”
The $138 million sale, which set a record as Connecticut’s highest ever, was Copper Beach Farm, a 50-acre beachfront (in Belle Haven) owned by a company associated with Ray Dalio, the founder of the Bridgewater hedge fund. Lesley McElwereath and Joseph Barbieri of Sotheby’s International put it on the market, and Douglas Elliman brought in the still-unnamed buyer.
“In Greenwich, a lot of properties are old and in need of
“THE SIZE OF THE HOUSE IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE EASE OF LIVING WITHIN THE HOUSE. COMMUNAL AREAS ARE STILL VERY IMPORTANT BUT SO IS PRIVACY.”
Shelly Tretter Lynch
a gut job,” says Broker Jen Danzi. But sometimes sellers just don’t want to do the work, and most of today’s buyers, of course, are definitely not looking for fixeruppers, despite the popularity of those TV shows. “People just want to move in.”
So the contractors are hopping. It should be remembered that in some sense we’re still dealing with the financial traumas of 2008, which drove a number of builders out of business. Many of the survivors now understandably choose to work the luxury side of the street.
“Most new construction is limited to the high end,” says David Haffenreffer. “The land has gotten so valuable that builders are looking to build $6 million-plus homes.”
Even if a seller is prepping a more modest house, it still has to look a little fantastic. Someone who has occupied a house since the Ford Administration has to recognize that today’s Greenwich house has gotten more complicated. What used to be an extravagance is now just normal stuff.
“The new mandatory amenities,” Shelly Tretter Lynch of Compass says, laughing, “now include high-speed internet, hightech security systems, home offices, home gyms that include infrared saunas, meditation rooms and kitchens equipped with extralarge sinks.”
Jenny Allen, also of Compass, has heard the customers’ wish lists. To accommodate these burgeoning demands, it’s best for contractors to have the vision to work with designers. “Everybody wants high ceilings. Since Covid, people went whole-lifestyle in their homes, with everything at their fingertips. You need an escape room downstairs. Everybody wants a gym. The bedroom on the first floor is one of the biggest demands. People who are downsizing demand that. And they’d like to see elevators, too.”
The key word here is “rooms”— i.e., we might not need the old big-as-a-gymnasium family room. “The entire house does not need to be completely open,” says
Shelly. “The size of the house is not as important as the ease of living within the house. Communal areas are still very important but so is privacy.”
As far as aesthetics run, this remains the capital of the centerhall-colonial. Younger residents like to experiment more with contemporary rooflines and designs. When Kevin Sneddon counsels people on the very large properties, he believes that classic lines hold their value better.
The exteriors might be a lot of classic white with black shutters, but in interior design, Shelly Tretter Lynch sees that more people are “playing with color. Wallpaper was passé years ago, but now, oh, how the spectacular new patterns of wallpaper are creating an artistein-residence feel.” »
above: A Cos Cob home that went for 36 percent over asking price.
iven the new reality that almost all home sellers are at least getting their asking price — at minimum— the natural tendency for sellers is to imagine some, you know, sky-high asking price. Sorta like Copper Beach Farm going on the market at $150 million.
Like most Realtors, Eric Bjork advises caution. “The reality is that not everything flies off the shelf.” The real profits come from bidding wars, which are now the new reality. “You can’t underprice,” he adds. “Buyers are so informed these days. We have a lot of
customers who look at screens all day, analyzing numbers.”
“If the seller prices the home properly,” says David Haffenreffer, “they can get a stampede.”
Given the new competitiveness, mortgage contingencies are now simply off the table.
“People are still doing inspections,” says Jen Danzi, “but they’re being done for information purposes. The buyers are not coming back and demanding $500 off for a new washer.”
These super-savvy customers are not above going to Town Hall and ferreting out records on a house, says Jen. “Some of the information can be accessed online, but for a lot of it, you have to go to Town Hall and dig up the
records. Knowledge is always key.”
The consumer armed with knowledge probably has sharpened competitive instincts. Let’s make a deal, they think. Then they find themselves up against a similarly competitive bunch of rivals.
“They don’t like to lose,” says Jeff Jackson. “How do I counsel them? With serious macroeconomic information. Because you can win. We did one sale in four days. That was from going on the market to signing the contract.”
“Some people are stubborn and don’t want to put in higher offers,” says Jen. “When people get so tired of looking and looking,
they say, ‘I can’t take anymore’ and then put in an offer at the full price. And that doesn’t go anywhere. But finally, they decide they can’t keep doing this anymore and begin bidding up.”
The competition strikes at all levels. Jen saw the market energy in action recently when she helped put a modest three-bedroom in Cos Cob, built in 1928, on the market for $995,000. “We start showing on Friday and got so much traffic over the weekend that on Monday we announced we were going with the highest and best. It got $1.361 million, or 36 percent over.”
“PEOPLE ARE STILL DOING INSPECTIONS, BUT THEY’RE BEING DONE FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES. THE BUYERS ARE NOT COMING BACK AND DEMANDING $500 OFF FOR A NEW WASHER.”Jen Danzi
It’s not just the present mortgage rate that keeps some people from selling. Bjork has also been hearing that some boomers are just staying in their homes. “They like the space, having the house paid off, just paying taxes and
watching the grandkids.”
So what does a home shopper do with such scant inventory?
“Some people camp for a year in a rental in hopes of getting a house later,” says Haffenreffer, “It’s a good time to be a landlord.”
Bjork: “Greenwich is the only town I know where you downsize to a $4 million condo.”
Downtown (referred to as “walking distance”) became
newly popular several years ago and would be even more popular now if developers could get past the restrictions. Case in point is a new three-story building at the corner of Milbank and Havemeyer. It required the blasting of a few old lots and some serious sweatwork in the zoning department, but now, according to Bjork, it is offering thirty 1,400-square-foot, twobedroom units priced between
You must have heard the one about a Westchester friend who got tired of his $30,000 property tax bill and moved to Florida where he was happy to see a $1,300 tax. But wait a minute, what’s this $30,000 bill for insurance?
Those miffed taxpayers keep moving to Greenwich, where they hear familiar accents coming from all the Manhattan and Brooklyn friends who have also planted stakes here.
David Haffenreffer has been gathering anecdotal optimism on the spring market.
“If we can get some meaningful pullback on the mortgage rates, it would give sellers the confidence that, yes, things are moving, it’s time to enter the market.”
Some brokers expressed worry that anything worrisome in the current presidential race
greenwichmag.com
$8,000 to 12,000 a month. Gym included.
“People just need to be ready,” says David Wilk.
“It’s important for the buyer to do their homework and know their budget and have their team in place,” says Perry Gaa, lending manager at Citibank. “By team, I mean working with a Realtor, attorney and a mortgage loan officer.
“I recommend customers to start the home-buying process by obtaining a preapproval so they make an informed decision based upon sounds facts, including how much they can afford, what documents will be required and what to expect every step of the way. The pre-approval acts as a business plan for buying the home, and it can provide consumers a competitive advantage when bidding on a home vs. other potential buyers.”
might make customers feel cautious and move to the sidelines. But countering that is the general heat felt by customers who feel this is the safest place to invest.
“Whatever havoc there might be in the economy in general,” says Eric Bjork, “Greenwich is immune.” G
You are cordially invited to the grand celebration
Thursday, April 4, 2024
6:30 – 9:30 PM
The Bruce Museum Cocktail Attire
Open Bar, Catering by Aux Delices, Music and Dancing
GAR100.com
THANK YOU SPONSORS
Jones Byrne Margotes Partners Architecture & Interior Design
In 2023, Copper Beech Farm sold for $138 million, making it the largest private home sale in Connecitcut history.
and imagine the Chamber of Commerce as the all-encompassing organization for businesses in Greenwich. But a group of real estate professionals began to recognize that they faced different issues than the other Chamber members—principally consumer and property rights—and decided it was time to form their own organization to address those needs. The Real Estate Board of Greenwich was born.
Today the name has changed to the Greenwich Association of Realtors (GAR). But the organization still focuses on the basic reasons it was founded, while offering so much more for its almost 950 members and affiliate members, who include licensed appraisers, attorneys, mortgage officers and home-stagers.
“As the community has grown over the past hundred years, we have developed along with it,” says Stacey Loh, GAR’s executive vice president/chief executive officer. “We exist to promote our members and listings and to protect our listings and consumers. The biggest impact over the years to our industry has been technology and transparency.”
As our world has become more complicated so, too, has the real estate profession, necessitating the need for continuing education and ethics training, all provided by GAR.
In 1950, the National Association
of Realtors developed the Multiple Listing Service and provided a guidebook for local associations to adopt their own, a task GAR completed in 1954. GAR owns the Greenwich Multiple Listing Service, while most other towns in the state have joined regional MLSs. “The goal of any MLS is to keep the listings that are available for sale in one place,” Loh says. ‘We verify
every listing and refresh them every five minutes.”
Russell Pruner, a town resident for more than 50 years and a Realtor since 1985 who is now with Compass, has worn many hats on the GAR board, including chair of the MLS committee. “Greenwich is a very unique community,” he says. “What other town offers properties from a three-hundred-thousanddollar condo to a one-hundred-thirtyeight-million-dollar estate? Or rentals that range from seven hundred dollars a month for a studio, to forty or fifty thousand dollars for a multimillion-dollar property,” he asks. “Our members use the MLS day-in and day-out. Our members tell us what they want in the MLS and we can tweak things. By having our own MLS, we’re able to do a better job of appealing to clients while meeting the needs of our membership.”
Bryan Tunney, GAR’s board president and a Realtor with Brown Harris Stevens, is proud of the town he calls home, the organization he leads and his profession. “We're often the first people prospective homeowners meet. And our clients put their trust in us. As Realtors, we abide by a strict code of ethics.”
“It might be hard to get into town because of the price of homes, but there are many reasons people want to call Greenwich home,” he says.
Prior to moving to Greenwich in 1991, he lived in Mamaroneck, where taxes tripled over the last five years he lived there. “We decided we were better off living in Greenwich, although the entry cost would be higher,” Tunney adds. He cites the
“GAR owns the Greenwich Multiple Listing Service, while most other towns in the state have joined regional MLSs. The goal of any MLS is to keep the listings that are available for sale in one place.”
STACEY LOH
low taxes and the fact that since the 1930s, Greenwich has had no debt.
“The town has it all—multiple arts centers, islands, beaches, four libraries, top-notch schools, many different neighborhoods, shopping, and a host of local business that are the fabric of our community.”
To mark 100 years, GAR is digitizing its archives and planning for future collections, stories and sharing of its history. Realtor Pam Cunconan of Coldwell Banker, chair of the 100-Year Anniversary Committee, explains that plans include updating the website with oral histories, a virtual board room and a timeline to show exactly how far the organization has come in a century of serving Greenwich.
Back in the day a buyer would have to contact the Realtor to find out what was available.
For many of today ’ s buyers, the old process of buying homes is not only antiquated but unimaginable
Buying and selling homes used to be a very protected process, with only Realtors having access to information,” says Stacey Loh. “A buyer would have to contact the Realtor to find out what was available. All information was tracked on a card system and then published in binder books on a weekly or biweekly basis. The information was outdated so quickly, because properties were always coming on and off the market. Realtors would call to find out when they could show homes, only to be told the homes had sold.”
Those who bought homes before the advent of internet listings can probably remember sitting in a Realtor’s office watching as he or she leafed through the binder book. If a listing was of interest, off they would go in the Realtor’s car to inspect the home.
“Realtors once spent a fortune on their cars and keeping them clean,” says Realtor Tom Gorin. “But we got to know our clients really well just by driving them around. We could also point out houses that were about to go on the market. Or we would drive by
“Itʼs a whole new world. ... But some things donʼt change, and thatʼs the code of ethics we all follow.”
TOM GORIN
a house that the person ruled out, but when they saw it in person, they often decided it was worth a look.”
Today, the first place buyers look is the internet, which offers numerous photos of homes, plus far more information about the property than was ever revealed in the binder listings. And the Realtor/client carpool? Well, that’s gone the way of the dodo bird.
There are other differences as well. Real estate firms were much smaller and numerous compared to today’s large firms that dominate the business in town. Gorin points to the 1980s as the decade that began to usher in change. And one by one over the next three decades, the old firms sold off to larger ones.
“Consumers are the forefront of everything we are focusing on,” Loh says. “Whether a Realtor is representing the seller or buyer, a Realtor protects them throughout the process. Buying property is among the largest transactions that people do in their lifetime. A Realtor is always acting in their client’s best interest.”
“It’s a whole new world,” Gorin says. “Aerial shots. Video. Realtors dancing around the homes. But some things don’t change, and that’s the code of ethics we all follow.” »
“Weʼre often the first people prospective homeowners meet. And our clients put their trust in us.”BRYAN TUNNEY
Greenwich Association of Realtors
TOM GORIN HAS CALLED GREENWICH HOME
SINCE HE WAS FIVE He’s also been a Realtor for fifty years—now with Sotheby’s International Realty—which has given him a front-row seat into how the town has changed. He recently sold the house he grew up in in Old Greenwich for what he says is “one hundred times what my dad paid for it.”
He remembers the Post Road before I-95 construction in 1957—a bustling place that was the main road between New York and Boston. There were truck stops, hamburger stands and gas stations, but there was also a large swath of land featuring big homes. Elm trees shaded the street. Greenwich Avenue was a two-way street, and there were hotels, small businesses and a bowling alley. There were two movie houses (admission was a quarter, and since he describes himself as a short, skinny kid, he was able to keep his admission at a quarter until he was fifteen).
“Times have changed. Prices have changed. The town has changed. But it is still a wonderful place to live,” he says. Both statements are very true.
Throughout its 100th year, GAR is digitizing archives, including statistical reports on housing prices. “The housing prices referenced between 1970 and 2020 can be reported with a high level of confidence,” says Stacey Loh. Housing prices between 1920–1960 are estimates gleaned from statistics in archival documents. Loh emphasizes that until GAR finishes going through all the documents, the figures provided below should be considered approximations. But the one constant is that for Greenwich, there was never a backward slide, no matter what was happening in the world.
$20,000$35,000 1920s
Accompanied by financial innovations that boosted the supply of credit to real-estate developers and homebuyers, the mid-1920s experienced a home-building boom. And as wealthy New Yorkers searched for places to escape the city’s heat, Greenwich saw an increase in summer home development.
GAR’s focus was to support its members during the challenges faced by the Great Depression. Because fewer people were able to buy homes, there was less home construction. For those who could afford to buy a home, stock was limited, which kept prices high.
$50,000
The last half of this decade is often called the decade of recovery, as soldiers returned home from World War II, ushering in the era of the baby boomers. GAR was instrumental in managing the surge in demand for post-war housing, including homes for veterans.
$65,000
This was the decade of prosperity for many Americans. Suburban living became more attractive— families were buying cars and highways were built—and GAR’s focus was on promoting and managing this trend. It was also when celebrity homes started to sprout up around town. The National Association of Realtors changed the way the profession conducted business when it developed the MLS in 1950, providing a guidebook for local associations to adopt their own, a task GAR adopted in 1954.
MEL GIBSON AND REGIS PHILBIN: STEVE ROSSI FOR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
ADDRESS 124 Old Mill Road
BUILT 1927 by investment banker Charles L. Ohrstrom and architect Charles Lewis Bowman
Mel Gibson called Greenwich home for 15 years in an impressive 15,800-squarefoot house, built in 1927.
The palatial estate, at 124 Old Mill Road, sits on 75 acres of land very close to the New York border, a true great estate complete with a grand manor house, stables, greenhouses and outbuildings.
It is now home to the Foundation House, which defines itself as a creative community committed to providing a place for gatherings, workshops, lectures and events. Every few months it opens its doors to artists and activists working on projects related to their mission of bettering the environment, community and mental health.
There are three miles of wooded trails on the property for riding horses and walking. There are loops, grazing meadows, small hills and bridges, all open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MARY TYLER MOORE: DANIEL MILSTEIN FOR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY
DONALD TRUMP: STEVE TURNER FOR COLDWELL BANKER
ADDRESS 56 N. Stanwich Road
Regis Philbin—beloved talk and game show host, comedian, actor and singer—was often called the hardestworking man in show business. When he died in 2020, his cohost and friend of many years, Greenwich’s Kathie Lee Gifford, was quoted in People saying: “I loved that man dearly. We worked together for fifteen years and for the next twenty, we just hung out as friends.”
The year he died, his backcountry home sold for just over $4 million. The nearly 14,000-square-foot English Manor-inspired residence sat on about two and a half acres. Of the house, Joy Philbin has said: “We’ve lived in many houses together, but this will always be our favorite. We celebrated birthdays and holidays and never had to worry about inviting too many people. There was room for everyone.”
ADDRESS 50 Dingletown Road
ADDRESS 21 Vista Drive
B W
hen the late Mary Tyler Moore was playing Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, living a fictional suburban life in New Rochelle, she probably had no idea that eventually she would be physically living about 12 miles north at 50 Dingletown Road. It’s a home that career girl/journalist Mary Richards could only dream about.
The house, a distinguished Georgian Colonial, is currently for sale for $21,900,000. The 13,825-squarefoot estate was designed by architect Stephen Wang— and the primary suite, at 2,000 square feet, is bigger than some homes. Called Harkaway, it sits on just over seven acres, buffered by five acres of conservation land. Oh, and did we mention the glass conservatory, gym with jacuzzi, shower and steam, elevator and a 65-foot pool with an outdoor fireplace?
ack in the ’80s, before Donald Trump was President, he was married to Ivana and the father of three young children. Although his name was synonymous with Manhattan real estate, the couple bought a six-acre estate in Greenwich for $4 million in the gated Indian Harbor Association.
It was the perfect weekend retreat, complete with a deep water dock, pool, tennis court and, no surprise, a putting green. When the couple divorced in 1992, Ivana got the Greenwich manse, although she didn’t keep it very long.
The house sits on almost six acres, including 1,570 feet of shoreline, and has panoramic views of Long Island Sound. Currently the house is off the market, although it has been on and off the market since 2015. »
1924-2024
Greenwich Association of Realtors
“We painted the inside and exterior of the home and the garage. We replaced windows. Redid a bathroom. Replaced the shrubbery. There was so much overgrowth that underneath the shed we found a car and boat that we couldn’t see before the area was cleared. Everything was completed in just one day!”
PAM PAGNANI
ccording to GAR board member
Pam
Pagnani of Sotheby’s International Realty, it recently stepped up its charitable commitment with the formation of Community Affairs committee.
In honor of GAR’s 100th anniversary, the board is in the process of setting up a 501(c)(3) Community Foundation, which will allow the organization to formalize its charitable giving.
“GAR has always given money and participated in events. The more we do together not only helps the community but bonds us together,” she says.
“Although we do compete against each other, we need to work together in many transactions. We want more congeniality and camaraderie in our industry.”
GAR IS BUILDING COMMUNITY IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
GAR’s Scholarship Committee vets candidates annually and awards two scholarships to high school seniors. The scholarships can be renewed on an annual basis so long as the student maintains good grades.
NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR
The newest initiative is a partnership with HomeFront, a volunteer-driven homerepair program that provides free repairs to low-income homeowners. HomeFront identifies homeowners that need help, and then it solicits teams throughout
provides residents in need with food, clothing and basic living essentials. GAR has partnered with the organization by participating in food drives and holiday toy collections. This past December, GAR collected flannel pajamas, thermal tops and thermal hot/cold water bottles. And in November, it organized a virtual food drive by providing a link to a list of healthy foods. The public bought the food that was then delivered directly to Neighbor to Neighbor.
KIDS IN CRISIS provides temporary housing and comprehensive medical, educational and therapeutic support services for children of all ages in Fairfield County.
YWCA GREENWICH offers domestic violence services, and Realtors participate in and raise funds for its annual Walk to End Domestic Violence.
the state to adopt a home. In 2023, GAR adopted a home in the Pemberwick section of town, assembled a cast of 30 GAR volunteers. Pagnani enlisted the help of a contractor she often uses, Enrique Guitterrez, owner of AEG Contracting, who volunteered to do a lot of prep work, so when the team arrived, a great deal of work had been completed. In addition, volunteers spent months seeking donations of shrubbery, supplies and equipment.
The homeowner was an elderly man with serious medical issues that kept him from doing any work in both the interior and exterior of his 1,700-square-foot home.
“We were able to totally clean the inside of the home, which hadn’t been done for months,” Pagnani says. “We painted the inside and exterior of the home and the garage. We replaced windows. Redid a bathroom. Replaced the shrubbery.
There was so much overgrowth that underneath the shed we found a car and boat that we couldn’t see before the area was cleared. We also replaced stairs inside and outside. And everything was completed in just one day!” G
MONETARY DONATIONS ARE A PART OF GAR ’ S PHILANTHROPY AND INCLUDE THESE LOCAL NONPROFITS : Pathways
Abilis
Greenwich United Way River House
Adult Day Center
GEMS (Greenwich Emergency Medical Services)
Silver Shield Association
Greenwich Tree Conservancy
Greenwich Community Projects Fund, Let There Be Lights
Teddy Balkind Charitable Foundation Transportation Association of Greenwich
Focus on French Cinema 2024 (FFC2024) will present a hybrid version of the festival this year. A curated selection of new releases from French and Francophone countries will be shown both in person and online from Thursday, April 25, through Sunday, May 5. Presented by the Alliance Française of Greenwich, CT, FFC 2024 will celebrate its nineteenth year with opening and closing nights at the AVON Theatre’s Deborah and Chuck Royce Cinema Arts Center. For more information visit, focusonfrenchcinema .eventive.org/welcome.
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more events visit greenwichmag.com
ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-0198. Tues.–Sun. aldrichart.org
AMY SIMON FINE ART, 1869 Post Rd. East, Westport, 259-1500. amysimonfineart.com
BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org
CANFIN GALLERY, 39 Main St., Tarrytown, NY, 914-332-4554. canfingallery.com
CARAMOOR CENTER FOR MUSIC AND THE ARTS, Girdle Ridge Rd., Katonah, NY, 914-232-1252. Caramoor is a destination for exceptional music, captivating programs, spectacular gardens and grounds, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. caramoor.org
CAVALIER GALLERIES, 405 Greenwich Ave., 869-3664. cavaliergalleries .com
CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY PRINTMAKING, 299 West Ave., Norwalk, 899-7999. contemprints.org
CLAY ART CENTER, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY, 914-937-2047. clayartcenter.org
DISCOVERY MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport, 372-3521. discoverymuseum.org
FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER, 370 Beach Rd., Fairfield, 259-1598. fairfieldhistory.org
FLINN GALLERY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7947. flinngallery.com
GERTRUDE G. WHITE GALLERY, YWCA, 259 E. Putnam Ave., 869-6501. ywcagreenwich.org
GREENWICH ARTS COUNCIL, 299 Greenwich Ave., 862-6750. greenwichartscouncil.org
GREENWICH ART SOCIETY, 299 Greenwich Ave. 2nd fl., 629-1533. A studio school that offers a visual arts education program for kids and adults. greenwichartsociety.org
GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 47 Strickland Rd., 869-6899. greenwichhistory.org
KATONAH
MUSEUM OF ART, Rte. 22 at Jay St., Katonah, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org
KENISE BARNES FINE ART, 1947 Palmer Ave., Larchmont, NY, 914-834-8077. kbfa.com
LOCKWOOD-MATHEWS MANSION MUSEUM, 295 West Ave., Norwalk, 838-9799. lockwoodmathews mansion.com
LOFT ARTISTS ASSOCIATION, 575 Pacific St., Stamford, 247-2027. loftartists.org
MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org
NEUBERGER
MUSEUM OF ART, Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase, NY, 914-251-6100. neuberger.org
PELHAM ART CENTER, 155 Fifth Ave., Pelham, NY, 914-738-2525 ext. 113. pelhamartcenter.org
ROWAYTON ARTS CENTER, 145 Rowayton Ave., Rowayton, 866-2744. rowaytonarts.org
SAMUEL OWEN GALLERY, 382 Greenwich Ave., 325-1924. samuelowen.org »
Saturday, April 27, 2024 • Riverside Yacht Club
6:00 p.m. Cocktails and Silent Auction
7:00 p.m. Dinner, Program, Live Auction and Dancing
Co-Chairs: Connie Anne Harris and Lauren E. Walsh
Exceptional Service Honoree
Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland
61st Superintendent, United States Military Academy at West Point
2024 Humanitarian Honoree
Suzanne Packer
2024 Lifetime Service Honoree
Chief James J. Heavey
To purchase tickets, sponsorships and journal acknowledgments please visit redcross.org/mnynball
The annual Spring for Abilis Gala will be held on Saturday, April 27, at Greenwich Country Club. This year’s gala will support new initiatives at Abilis. For tickets visit abilis.us.
SILVERMINE GUILD ARTS CENTER, 1037 Silvermine Rd., New Canaan, 966-9700. silvermineart.org
SANDRA MORGAN INTERIORS & ART PRIVÉ, 135 East Putnam Ave., 2nd flr., Greenwich, 629-8121. sandramorganinteriors.com
SORELLE GALLERY Bedford Square 19 Church Lane Westport, 920-1900. sorellegallery.com
SOROKIN GALLERY, 96 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, 856-9048. sorokingallery.com
Pop into the Gertrude White Gallery in Greenwich for the April show featuring work by Nancy Gesimondo, Anthony Santella and Eric Jiaju Lee. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, April 6, from 2 to 4 p.m. 259 East Putnam Ave
STAMFORD ART ASSOCIATION, 39 Franklin St., Stamford, 325-1139. stamfordartassociation.org
STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521. stamfordmuseum.org
TAYLOR GRAHAM GALLERY, 80 Greenwich Aveue, Greenwich, 489-3163. taylorandgraham.com
UCONN STAMFORD ART GALLERY, One University Pl., Stamford, 251-8400. artgallery.stamford.uconn.edu
WESTPORT ARTS CENTER, 51 Riverside Ave., Westport, 226-7070. westportartscenter.org
YALE CENTER FOR BRITISH ART, 1 080 Chapel St., New Haven, 432-2800. britishart.yale.edu
YALE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY, 1111 Chapel St., New Haven, 432-0611. artgallery.yale.edu
ARENA AT HARBOR YARD, 600 Main St., Bridgeport, 345-2300. websterbankarena.com
AVON THEATRE FILM CENTER, 272 Bedford St., Stamford, 661-0321. avontheatre.org
CURTAIN CALL, The Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford, 329-8207. curtaincallinc.com
DOWNTOWN CABARET
THEATRE, 263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, 576-1636. dtcab.com
Heather Gaudio Fine Art will present Michael Dweck: Blunderbust, his first solo exhibition at the gallery. The show will open Thursday, April 1, with a reception for the artist from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit will be on display through June 1. Dweck is a multidisciplinary artist known for working in photography, most notably for his series documenting niche sociocultural identities such as Mermaids, Habana Libre and The End: Montauk. heathergaudiofineart.com
FAIRFIELD THEATRE COMPANY, On StageOne, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield, 259-1036. fairfieldtheatre.org
GOODSPEED OPERA HOUSE, 6 Main St., East Haddam, 860-873-8668. goodspeed.org
GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org
JACOB BURNS FILM CENTER, 364 Manville Rd., Pleasantville, NY, 914-773-7663. burnsfilmcenter.org
LONG WHARF THEATRE, 222 Sargent Dr., New Haven, 787-4282. longwharf.com
RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, 438-9269. ridgefieldplayhouse.org
RIDGEFIELD THEATER BARN, 37 Halpin Ln., Ridgefield, 431-9850. ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org
SHUBERT THEATER, 247 College St., New Haven, 800-228-6622. shubert.com
STAMFORD CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford, 325-4466. stamfordcenterforthearts.org
WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE, 25 Powers Ct., Westport, 227-4177. westportplayhouse.org
ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-0198. aldrichart.org
AUDUBON GREENWICH, 613 Riversville Rd., 869-5272. greenwich.audubon.org
AUX DÉLICES, 231 Acosta St., Stamford, 326-4540, ext. 108. auxdelicesfoods.com
BOWMAN OBSERVATORY PUBLIC NIGHT, NE of Milbank/East Elm St. rotary on the grounds of Julian Curtiss School, 869-6786, ext. 338 »
SUNDAY, MAY 19th
10am - 2pm
Greenwich Town Hall
101 Field Point Rd.
FUN FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES!
Fire trucks, construction trucks, exotic cars, roaming railroad, bounce houses, live music, food trucks and so much more!
Purchase tickets: jlgreenwich.org
General Admission 10:00 am
Reduced Sensory 9:30 am
VIP experience 9:00 am
LEAD SPONSOR: Rain or Shine
Be a part of a truly special evening when Americares celebrates 45 years of saving lives and improving health at the Americares Airli Bene t on ursday, April 11, at 6 p.m. at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport. e next morning, a group of guests will depart for a 48-hour journey to Colombia, where Americares operates health centers and mobile clinics in ten cities for families eeing the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela as well as other underserved populations. For more information visit, americares.org/ airli 2024.
BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org
CLAY ART CENTER, 40 Beech St., Port Chester, NY, 914-937-2047. clayartcenter.org
CONNECTICUT CERAMICS STUDY CIRCLE, Bruce Museum, 1 Museum Dr. ctcsc.org
FAIRFIELD MUSEUM AND HISTORY CENTER, 370 Beach Rd., Fairfield, 259-1598. fairfieldhistory.org
GREENWICH BOTANICAL CENTER, 130 Bible St., 869-9242. gecgreenwich.org
GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org
KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART, 26 Bedford Rd., Chappaqua, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org
STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521.
stamfordmuseum.org »
On Saturday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 14, at 3 p.m., Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, with Music Director Stuart Malina conducting, will present a special themed concert with visual accompaniment at the Performing Arts Center at Greenwich High School. Adult tickets are $50, students $15. greenwichsymphony.org
greenwichmag.com
FEATURING
Breakfast courtesy of Z Hospitality Group * DJ * Facepainting by Maria Cinco de Mayo mocktails by RIPE Bar Juice 100% of proceeds raised from this event will be designated for Breast Cancer Alliance grants Screening and Support Services grants.
Presenting Sponsor:
ALDRICH MUSEUM, 258 Main St., Ridgefield, 438-4519. aldrichart.org
AUDUBON GREENWICH, 613 Riversville Rd., 869-5272. greenwich.audubon.org
AUX DÉLICES, (cooking classes), 23 Acosta St., Stamford, 326-4540 ext. 108. auxdelicesfoods.com
BEARDSLEY ZOO, 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport, 394-6565. beardsleyzoo.org
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREENWICH, 4 Horseneck Lane, 869-3224. bgcg.org
BRUCE MUSEUM, 1 Museum Dr., 869-0376. brucemuseum.org
DISCOVERY MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM, 4450 Park Ave., Bridgeport, 372-3521. discoverymuseum.org
DOWNTOWN CABARET THEATRE, 263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, 576-1636. dtcab.com
EARTHPLACE, 10 Woodside Lane, Westport, 227-7253. earthplace.org
GREENWICH HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 39 Strickland St., 869-6899. hstg.org
GREENWICH LIBRARY, 101 W. Putnam Ave., 622-7900. greenwichlibrary.org
IMAX THEATER AT MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org
KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART, Rte. 22 at Jay St., Katonah, NY, 914-232-9555. katonahmuseum.org
MARITIME AQUARIUM, 10 N. Water St., S. Norwalk, 852-0700. maritimeaquarium.org
NEW CANAAN NATURE CENTER, 144 Oenoke Ridge, New Canaan, 966-9577. newcanaannature.org
RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, 438-5795. ridgefieldplayhouse.org
STAMFORD CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Palace Theatre, 61 Atlantic St., Stamford, 325-4466. palacestamford.org
STAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER, 39 Scofieldtown Rd., Stamford, 977-6521. stamfordmuseum.org
STEPPING STONES MUSEUM FOR CHILDREN, 303 West Ave., Mathews Park, Norwalk, 899-0606. steppingstonesmuseum.org
WESTPORT ARTS CENTER, 51 Riverside Ave., Westport, 222-7070. westportartscenter.org
WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE, 25 Powers Ct., Westport, 227-4177. westportplayhouse.org G
Moffly Media is one of the leading providers of professional event photography and marketing services in Fairfield County. We capture compelling, high-quality images of individuals and groups at meaningful events. With our wide range of capabilities, Moffly will customize a marketing program that’s just right for you
greenwichmag.com
Join us for an evening filled with live entertainment, dinner, and auctions in support of Abilis!
Saturday, April 27, 2024 6:00PM
Greenwich Country Club, Greenwich, CT
A on Fraser, Gena Mann, and Hillary Sollinger
AbilisGala2024.givesmart.com
For information about gala sponsorship and underwriting opportunities, please contact Jennifer Flatow at flatow@abilis.us or Rebecca Muskus at muskus@abilis.us, (203)531-1880. Scan
We all know April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring pretty muddy pups. Clearly eight-month-old Isla knew she was in the doghouse, but who could get mad at that face? Mom Kim Treibick reports new rules for rainy days are now strictly enforced: No roaming free in the backyard! If there are tempting mud puddles to roll around in, there’s always going to be a leash. G
Chief, Pediatric Surgery; Director, Pediatric Transplantation Surgery, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein and Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Specialty Surgeons of Connecticut provides residents of Connecticut access to highly esteemed pediatric surgery experts.
Dominique M. Jan, MD, is an accomplished, internationally trained pediatric surgeon with specialization in the gastrointestinal tract, hepatobiliary disease and biliary atresia, tumors in children, and management of organ failure, providing expert care with excellent outcomes. A pioneer in intestinal transplant, Dr. Jan has published and presented more than 100 articles in the areas of pediatric transplantation of the small bowel, liver and kidney.
Pediatric Surgeon, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein and Associate Professor, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Steven H. Borenstein, MD, provides world-class care for all pediatric general surgery conditions, performing the full spectrum of open and minimally invasive procedures ranging from laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair to complex operative approaches required in the management of pediatric solid tumors.
In addition to seeing patients in Greenwich at Specialty Surgeons of Connecticut, Dr. Jan and Dr. Borenstein perform surgery at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein, nationally recognized for pediatric excellence by U.S. News & World Report, and regionally ranked White Plains Hospital.
