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Description of New CanaanGeneral Description New Canaan is a quiet, suburban town of 23 square miles and almost 18,000 people located north of Darien and east of Stamford. Almost one-third of our adults commute to Manhattan. Commercialism is carefully controlled and restricted to a small, central shopping area. In the village itself, houses are older and charming, but on lots of 1/2 acre, ¼ acre or less. Outside the town center, zoning of one-, two-, and four-acres is common, offering gracious country living for all types. Two-thirds of our land is committed to 2 and 4 acre zoning. What New Canaan really offers is perhaps the last vestiges of a way of life - a classic New England village with a touch of sophistication and easy access to New York City. Locals call New Canaan 'the next station to heaven', and with good reason. Recreation The 300-acre Waveny Park, 14-acre Kiwanis Park, and 24-acre Mead Park provide facilities for tennis, paddle tennis, picnicking, nature walks, cross country skiing, and swimming. A modern, outdoor swimming pool is now under construction at Waveny Park for public use in the summer of 2000. Also available are a nature center located in a 40-acre park, numerous sports fields, and bridle paths. The YMCA serves the total family as a nonprofit organization offering two pools, a gymnasium, Nautilus and DayCare.
Sports Programs and Summer Programs New Canaan's schools, both public and private, provide a full spectrum of sports for kids of all ages. Football, soccer, lacrosse and hockey seem to attract the greatest numbers of kids, though tennis, volleyball, swimming, track and cross-country are all popular too. In spring/summer, the Board of Recreation offers programs in t-ball and baseball. Private groups offer special camps in lacrosse and soccer during the summer for older children. The Board of Recreation offers a day-camp summer program for younger kids, as does the YMCA and at least one private group in town. Transportation The New Haven line of Metro-North provides service to New York City via the New Canaan spur, which ends in the village. Commuting time is about 65 minutes and roughly 30% the working population commutes to NYC daily. Commuter hour trains run directly to and from Manhattan, while off-peak trains entail a five minute change-over in Stamford. Connecticut Limousine provides regularly scheduled service to Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark airports. Access to neighboring communities is convenient via the Merritt Parkway, and the Connecticut Thruway/I-95 is just three miles to the South. Commerce New Canaan has a two-block town center which is small enough to offer friendly, 'home town' shopping, where the shopkeepers still know the customers. Small boutiques and family businesses dominate the town center, giving a unique atmosphere to New Canaan; The Gap and CVS are about the only national chain stores in New Canaan besides grocery stores. Office space is limited so small local firms predominate, though a few national firms are based here. Historical Sites Hanford-Silliman House at the Historical Society on Oenoke RidgeJohn Rogers Studio at the Historical Society Rock School at the Historical Society on Oenoke Ridge Phillip Johnson's Glass House on Ponus Ridge God's Acre on Oenoke Ridge Little Red School House on Carter Street Ponus Monument on Ponus Ridge Selleck's Corners Church on Pinney Road at Barnegat Road Various Connecticut Salt-box Houses Town Government New Canaan used the traditional Town Meeting form of Government until its Charter Revision in 1969. Since that time, an elected three person Board of Selectmen is the executive body, with the First Selectman serving full time. They appoint members of the boards and commissions and are assisted by an appointed, fulltime professional Administrative Officer. The 12 elected members of the Town Council enact laws and ordinances, and approve the budget. Elections are held every two years. Other elected officials include the Town Clerk, Treasurer, Board of Tax Review, Board of Education, and Constables. Judge of Probate, Justices of the Peace and Registrars of Voters are elected on even numbered years.
Education There are three fine private schools (Country School, St. Luke's, and St. Aloysius) and numerous nursery schools. The Board of Education consists of nine members who are elected every two years for a four-year term. Town History New Canaan began as a religious unit called the Parish of Canaan in 1731. This unit, together with land from Stamford and Norwalk, was incorporated into the Town of New Canaan in 1801. Male residents were generally farmers and craftsmen. The first school was built in 1799, the first Town Hall in 1825. Shoemaking was the dominant industry during the years before the Civil War and weaving was important, too. A railroad was built in 1868 from Stamford to New Canaan in order to attract new industry, but instead, New Canaan became a summer residence for wealthy New Yorkers. After World War II, a housing boom brought more residents. In the late 1960's and 70's, the arrival of corporate headquarters in Fairfield County spurred the growth of both business and housing in New Canaan. In 1967 the town acquired the 300 acre property now known as Waveny Park with its house, Carriage Barn Arts Center and Powerhouse Theatre as well as land for the High School and Waveny Care Center. Today, the central business district is surrounded by townhouses and condominiums. Single-family homes are the norm outside of town, with new construction tending towards large but traditional style homes. Despite the dramatic changes and population growth, thousands of New Canaan families still gather for Christmas Eve Caroling on God's Acre, for the Memorial Day Parade down Main Street and Family Fourth of July picnics at Waveny Park.
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