Greenwich Connecticut - Steamboat Road

The area code 203 shares the same if not more hype and hysteria as the famed 90210- the difference is, this section of the world is comprised of the majority of movers and shakers and its not as widely known to the world as the infamous Hollywood. The first town in this glorious section is Greenwich Connecticut the capitol of the hedge fund market.  Situated minutes outside of NYC, the real-estate market here is rarely hit by the impacts most areas will face in a spiraling economy. Greenwich Connecticut public schools are amongst the top rated in the nation noted by newsweek as Greenwich High has been holding the position since 2003.  Greenwich Connecticut was a town with large amounts of “old money”, but this has started to change over the past 15 years as new industries and even newer and younger professionals are reaching phenomenal economic growth.

Greenwich Avenue is located in the center of town offering storefronts that rival the famed Rodeo Drive. If you know Greenwich you will know the one street clock located near the center of this street is none other then a ROLEX, seriously who owns a Rolex street clock! Yes Greenwich Connecticut the first town located in the 203 area code that boarders NY. This alone should help you understand the type of area we live in.

Street Clock Located on Greenwich Avenue

The first “City” in the 203 is Stamford Connecticut. Here you will find an array of activities, from night life to daytime excursions large buildings and eateries to boutique shopping and an artistic movement that can contend with Soho, the village, and DUMBO in NYC.  Just recently a few national syndicated shows have moved into town, (ie… Jerry Spinger, Maury Povich, Steve Wilkos, and Deal Or No Deal) as many people in the movie industry will be taking full advantage of the recent tax breaks Gov. Jodi Rell has put in place.

Stamford is gaining much interest from large scale land developers like Donal Trump, Bryce Blair and a few others.  If you like city living yet enjoy being just outside the craziness of it all, this town offers just that.  As a “City” Stamford also offers many types of living opportunities not found in other metropolises. If you wish to be in the center of the hustle and bustle of down town with a short walking distance to Metro-North you can opt into living either in condo/Apt/duplex/ or a house.  As the City Of Stamford Connecticut has its main hub located downtown, just a short distance away its surrounded by all sorts of living conditions.  Large scale duplexes and developments, Apartment living, quaint streets with homes and the farther you travel to North Stamford you start to see larger homes and properties that contend with some of the homes found in Greenwich.

Darien Connecticut boarders Stamford and to some extent mirrors Greenwich. There is a downtown area filled with eateries and small shops where the locals gather.  The school system is good and the town its self is predominantly homes and small estates. If you blink while driving through on US1 (also known as Boston Post Road) you might miss it. But I can assure you once you take any road off the Post Road you will quickly see why some have chosen to live just outside of Stamford.

Darien Play house

As we travel north we start to see more of the landscape and towns expanding.  Norwalk Connecticut kind of feels like a city.  It has so many areas and not one section is the same. Here you will find larger scale shopping centers and the home of some very large scale retailers (ie… The Home Depot, Raymore and Flanagan, Walmart, and StewLeonards to name a few).  South Norwalk’s hip central better known to the natives as SONO is where the nightlife comes to life.  During the daytime this area is filled with individuals looking to shop or take a break from their day to stop in a small restaurant or coffee shop to grab a meal or to have great conversation. At night, well this same area becomes a feeding frenzy for those looking to make a scene or to be seen. There are a few venues on this block that offer something their competitor isn’t. From great foods to better wines, club music to local bands Sono is the place to be if you’re in Norwalk.

Norwalk Connecticut Maritime Aquarium

Care for a subway sandwich? Bridgeport Connecticut is the home of some very great history. Did you know where the Frisbee was invented? or have you ever heard of P.T. Barnum? Although in the news for less then stellar coverage of murder drugs and stick ups Bridgeport has some great history.  When I was young and heard of subway sandwiches I automatically thought that was a company that had started in the subway systems in NYC…I was wrong.  In the early to mid 1800’s this area was big on farming and fishing, which quickly gave birth to industrializing the area where ship building, machinery, brass, carriage building, and ammunition manufacturing started to take place.  If you are looking for an area with great history look no further this town is where you want to be.

Bridgeport Seal

Bridgeport Connecticut BlueFish

Over the next 10 years this blighted town will go through a huge change bringing back some of the interest it once had in the years past. If you are looking for great real estate opportunities this is the area you want to look at.

Interstate I95

Following the linear path through I95 or the post road, will bring you through many towns in the 203. Some areas offering much more then others for any given aspect of living or night life and everything in-between. TheReal203 is situated in the heart of this mayhem and we are here to bring you ALL aspects of this area we live in.

Yale University

New Haven Connecticut is the farthest point north where the 203 area code ends. Many of you know about New Haven for its historic Yale University. Did you know Yale was given its name from Elihu Yale who donated 417 books, the proceeds of selling 9 bundles of goods, and a portrait of King George I? I wounder what the name would have been if he wasn’t that generous…

There is enough historical meat to sink your intellect and curiosity into within New Haven Connecticut. for example, does this name ring a bell – Louis Lassen-? probably not, but does the word Hamburger or steak sandwich? Yes indeed, the two were both invented by Louis and served fresh in Louis’ Lunch located on Crown Street.  This is the oldest running burger joint and still is to this day, can you believe it…Still located in the same place, same building, and using the same grill techniques and grill.

Throughout any zip code within the U.S. I am sure you will have sections of Upper class, Middle class, and Lower class but what makes this area so strange is a few sections of town this separation is not seen, yet we all know its there.  Everyone knows how wealthy this area is, and we are here to not stay focused on just that as many people try. This area is a melting pot of cultures and ideas and the only thing that binds us is the area code that we share. There are very defined lines in the class structure that surrounds this environment, so to help break the normalcy of in your face opulence, we have created TheReal203 to give you a taste of ALL ASPECTS of this area, from the people who grew up in it and who have been submersed in it.

If you feel that eating sushi and going to a Broadway show is being cultured, then this blog is not for you. If you care to understand all the intricacies that make this area code what it is and from all the people that comprise this area we welcome you and look forward to sharing our views and insight with you. We hope to bridge that gap between the people who create boundaries through perception to those who try to be fake to live up to those boundaries!

This site will give you more information about this area and all the nooks and crannies within it. Above is just a small portion of a larger story we will try to  unfold.

THE REAL 203

Rich, Poor, and Indifferent-