Karen Brewer

Community Info Category

Darien Real Estate Merket Update July 2011

No good news here folks. The only number in the plus category is the average days on the market.Not looking good for August either. With all this nonsense on TV regarding Washington and the like, I cant imagine consumer confidence whispering in the ears of many people saying BUY BUY.

What’s So Great About Darien,CT?

                                                                                       

It is not an easy thing to choose a new community in which to live.Many families move here to Darien,Ct from the New York City or other areas with only the recommendation of a friend or family member. So, whats the best way to find out what a community is really like? How do you know if Darien is your kind of town?For starters take a look at local blogs,websites and Darien Patch.

But better yet,get your hands on a copy of a good, old fashioned, local newspaper like the Darien News Review or Darien Times.Sometimes a thread emerges from the printed page that somehow gets lost online. This week the Letters to the Editor page in the local paper was filled with thank you notes from several charitable organizations. It occurred to me that week after week, and month after month the paper publishes photos, articles and notes from one needy organization or another,thanking the Darien community for its support.  Whether its the local schools,sports teams,homeless shelters,battered womens organizations,churches, or medical causes- Darien delivers.

This week alone,thank yous rang out from the local Boy Scout troop,Fairfield County Visiting Nurse and Hospice Service,The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Person to Person and the Darien Firefighters Association. That’s amazing!

So if one of your criteria for selecting a community is its’ compassion and willingness to help others, then welcome home.

July 4 Fireworks….Actually in the Works

 

A dry run, as it were of  July 4 fireworks here in Darien was completed and deemed successful.As a result we may have our town fireworks show reinstated this year! Fingers crossed.

Which School District in Darien,Ct is the Best?

 

There are five elementary schools in Darien, Tokeneke,Royle,Ox Ridge,Hindley and Holmes.Those schools all feed into the Middlesex Middle School and ultimately to Darien High School.Almost everyone I know who has looked for a home,knows someone already here in town.Invariably, they tell me they want to buy in oneschool district or another because they were told it was the best one. Mind you I’ve heard this about every one of the five elementary schools. . Come to Darien but don’t worry about the schools districts. They are largely the same….excellent.

Pasta Parmigiana,Worth Traveling For…

Every once in a while I write about things that have nothing whatsoever to do with Darien real estate.Living in Fairfield County and particularly Darien, allows for a quick and relatively painless commute into New York City, whether its for work,theatre,shopping etc. One of the  lesser known perks though is the ability to travel just 30 minutes down the road to a less heralded part of New York City,namely The Bronx.There you can take in a Yankee Game,visit the world famous Bronx Zoo or visit the majestic New York Botanical Gardens.

Last Sunday I had occasion to do just that and visited the famous Arthur Ave section, neighborhood to  to generations of immigrant Italian Americans and home to some of the best Italian restaurants in the tri state area.

I have been to Arthur Ave.many times having grown up in the Bronx but this time our meal at Marios’ Restaurant held a wonderful surprise. We ordered a dish called Spaghetti Parmigiano. Little did we know that its preparation would entail creating a flambe of brandy sauce that was ignited inside a full wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

The cheese was partially hollowed and a mixture of brandy and cream was ignited. Then the pasta was added making a rich ,cheesy sauce.  Ive been eating Italian food for over 50 years and I’d never heard of much less seen such a gastronomic spectacle.By all means, visit Mario’s at your first opportunity. Got a good Fairfield County or New York City restaurant recommendation? Id love to hear about it.

44th Annual Darien Antiques Show Opens This Week

The 44th Annual Darien Antiques Show open here in town with a preview party on Friday,March 4. The show itself runs through the weekend to Sunday March 6.

The  show is run by the First Congregational Church of Darien and the proceeds support local charities including emergency shelters,and food banks.The weekend of events will kick off with a preview party ,”An Evening Out” on Friday March 4 from 7-9PM. The preview party will specifically benefit St.Lukes LifeWorks, a non profit organization that provides support services to the homeless in Fairfield County. Tickets to this event are  $50 and you can go to the show all weekend with this ticket. The best part of the preview party is the opportunity to view and purchase antiques before the general public.                                                                                                             

The show itself will feature Classical American and European furniture,fine art,silver,estate jewelry, glass and ceramics in a relaxed and totally unintimidating setting. Bring in a family heirloom for a free appraisal by Christine Downing, a featured appraiser on HGTV’s Cash in the Attic.

The hours of the show are Saturday,March 5 from 10AM-5PM and Sunday,March 6 from 11Am-5PM.Admission is $10 or $8 for seniors.

For more information and directions call 203-202-7342 or Facebook.com /The Darien Antiques Show.

Year End 2010 Real Estate Market Report, Darien and Fairfield County.

Every quarter and and year end,William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty publishes a recap of the real estate markets in Fairfield and Litchfield,Ct counties.Unlike other reports that just provide statistics, this report is well worth reading.It provides context for the various marketplaces in Connecticut and offers excellent insights into,what’s selling,why and who is, in fact buying.Its a must read primer for anyone entering the Darien real estate market in 2011.

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/ddb5fafd#/ddb5fafd/1

New Darien Town Video

 

This is a brand new town video produced by my office at William Pitt Sothebys International Realty in Darien.I helped with the production and personally I think it turned out well. It gives a good feeling of what Darien, Ct is all about . Im even in the video a couple of times.See if you can spot me.

Fairfield County Christmas Trees,When Home Depot Just Doesnt Cut It.

This year for the first time in ages my husband and I decided to cut down our own Christmas tree. The kids are working or off in college so we would have to contend with only our own opinions about how big, what type,who gets to saw etc. There are no tree farms in Darien of course so we had to do a little driving.The day was moderately cold with just a bit of wind, so off we went. Jones Tree Farm was full of kids,lots of dogs and Great Christmas anticipation (which id you ask me is the best part of this holiday).Choosing a tree was child’s play.The selection was great. I wanted a Charlie Brown tree but was overruled.Instead we have a beautiful 7′ blue spruce that smells great! Pine is notoriously soft wood so the actual sawing was easy.

Back in the car afterwards we and another couple snacked on cheese and crackers,coffee and oh and egg nog with rum. HO HO!

Below is a list of local farms where you and yours can make a day of it too!

Jones Family Farms

• 266 Israel Hill Road (near intersection of Route 110 & Walnut Tree Hill Road) Shelton, CT 06484
• 203-929-8425; http://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com open daily 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• $60
• Trees available include Blue Spruce, Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir, Balsam Fir, White Pine and White Fir

Audubon Society H. Smith Richardson Tree Farm

• Sasco Creek Road, Westport, CT 06880
• 203-623-0646
• Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends, 12 to 4 p.m. on weekdays, closed on Mondays.
• $60-85
• Trees available include Douglas Fir, White Spruce, Blue Spruce

Bob’s Tree Farm

• 66-68 Turkey Plain Road, Rt. 53, Bethel, CT 06801
• 203-241-3450
• Open Sat. & Sun., 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• $50
• Trees available include Douglass Fir, Concolor Fir, White Spruce, Blue Spruce varieties

Caesar’s Nursery & Christmas Tree Farm

• 883 Federal Road – Rt. 7, Brookfield, CT 06804. 203-775-2944
• Open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily
• $36.80 and up
• Tree available include White Pine, Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir, White Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce

Everett’s Corner Tree Farm

• 136 Sherwood Road, Easton, CT 06612
• 203-268-2508; http://everettscorner.com
• Open 9 a.m. till dusk Dec. 4 & 5 and Dec. 11 & 12
• $50
• Trees available include White Spruce, Blue Spruce, and White Pine

Fairview Tree Farm

• 486 Walnut Tree Hill Road, Shelton, CT 06484.
• 203-944-9090; http://fairviewtreefarm.com/
• Open Friday-Wednesday 9 a.m .to 5 p.m.; Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• $49
• Trees available include Blue Spruce, White Spruce, Serbian Spruce, Fraser Fir, Douglas Fir, Con Color Fir

Maple Row Tree Farm

• 538 North Park Avenue, Easton, CT 06612
• 203-261-9577;  http://www.mrfarm.com/
• Open daily 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Call for current prices
• Trees available include Balsam Fir, Canaan Fir, Colorado Bruce Fir, Con Color Fir, Douglas Fir, Eastern White Pine, Fraser Fir, Norway Spruce and White Spruce

Darien Homes for Sale,Market Snapshot Nov. 2010