Fairfield and Southport CT

Population:57,340 (2000 census)

Location:Fairfield County, Southwestern Connecticut on Long Island Sound

Along Connecticut's Gold Coast is the vibrant town of Fairfield, which includes Southport among its many neighborhoods. Fairfield's excellent public school system, relaxed character, scenic location, and proximity to New York City enticed Money Magazine to rate it one of the 10 best places to live in the United States – and the best place to live in the Northeast. History, recreation and arts opportunities abound, making those distinctions richly deserved.

Fairfield Schools

Serving a superior education to almost 8,000 students from pre-kindergarten through high school, the Fairfield public school system is considered one of the best in Connecticut. In addition to two high schools, three middle schools and 11 elementary schools, Fairfield offers several private and parochial schools as well as two private universities – Fairfield University and Sacred Heart University – which continue the tradition of higher learning to more than 11,000 students.

Fairfield Recreation

Living in Fairfield places you front and center to nature’s playground with more than eight miles of Long Island Sound shoreline and 1,000 acres of open public space. Town parks are used for fishing, camping, swimming, boating, picnicking, skating and cross-country skiing. And in the middle of town there’s freshwater fun at Lake Mohegan, which includes The Cascades waterfalls. It’s great for hiking, as is the Fairfield Audubon Society on Burr Street and the Bird Sanctuary on Unquowa Road.

If you’d rather be on the water than in it, South Benson Marina, a town-owned facility, provides 600 boat slips to rent for the summer. Or you can get boat launch services and access to moorings in Southport Harbor at Ye Yacht Yard, home to Community Sailing of Fairfield.

As if that wasn’t enough, Fairfield boasts six golf courses, both public and private, along with five year-round clay tennis courts and dozens of asphalt courts at parks and schools.

Visit the Parks and Recreation Department website for more details.

Fairfield Culture & Organizations

Fairfield enjoys gathering in cultural celebration and natural appreciation. For example, many residents get together for the Greenfield Hill neighborhood's Dogwood Festival each spring. There are also six miles of boardwalk and nature trails at the Connecticut Audubon Society Center at Fairfield’s 160-acre wildlife sanctuary. You can also admire displays on local history and art, visit a local history library at Fairfield Museum and History Center, and visit the Gallery of Contemporary Art at Sacred Heart University’s five exhibitions throughout the year.

Extensive book collections and active cultural calendars await your discovery at Fairfield’s three libraries. The Fairfield Public Library includes the Main Library on Old Post Road and the Fairfield Woods branch, while Southport's independent Pequot Library shares the public library's computer system.

Theater lovers will be swept away by independent and second-run films at the two-screen movie house run by Fairfield Community Theatre Foundation. Also, Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts has events for popular and classical music, dance, theater, and programs for young audiences. Its Open Visions Forum lecture series features world-renowned artists, celebrities and politicians. The Quick Center, with its many theaters and galleries, has been recognized as the "cultural epicenter" of Fairfield County by Westport Magazine.

And on the Fairfield University campus is PepsiCo Theatre, a renovated carriage house where you’ll find the University’s resident production company, Theater Fairfield, and the professional theater company Shakespeare Ventures.

Famous Fairfield People

Fairfield has been to and is called home by numerous luminaries from the arts, show business and sports industries, including Leonard Bernstein, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, John Mayer, Meg Ryan, Martha Stewart, Jack Welch, Joe Namath and Charles Lindbergh.

Thinking of relocating? Here’s some helpful information:

If Fairfield feels like home, there’s a good reason – nearly 85% of Fairfield residents live in single-family detached dwellings. And here’s more to feel good about: Fairfield was listed as the second safest municipality in the U.S. in Money Magazine's 2006 Best Places to Live survey.

You may want to also check out:

And notable local business headquarters:

  • General Electric Company
  • R.C. Bigelow (Bigelow Tea Company)
  • Sturm, Ruger & Company (firearms manufacturer)

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Cathy Blount is a Fairfield County realtor specializing in Westport, CT homes. She is a top-producing real estate agent for The Riverside Realty Group in Westport. As a Connecticut real estate agent she also works with real estate clients buying and selling Fairfield County homes in Weston, Fairfield, Southport, Norwalk, Rowayton, Darien, New Canaan and Greenwich. She is available to consult with clients interested in Fairfield County properties seven days a week and can be reached through e-mail or by phone at 203-858-8710.