Connecticut Vacation Rentals

Connecticut Panhandle:
The Connecticut panhandle is the southwestern appendage of Connecticut, where it abuts New York State. It is contained entirely in Fairfield County and includes all of Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan, and Darien, as well as parts of Norwalk and Wilton. It has some of the most expensive residential real estate in the United States.

The irregularity in the boundary is the result of territorial disputes in the late 17th century, culminating with New York giving up its claim to this area, whose residents considered themselves part of Connecticut. In exchange, New York received an equivalent area extending northwards from Ridgefield, Connecticut, to the Massachusetts border, as well as undisputed claim to Rye, New York.

The two British colonies negotiated an agreement on November 28, 1683, establishing the New York–Connecticut border as 20 miles east of the Hudson River, north to Massachusetts. The 61,660 acres east of the Byram River making up the Connecticut panhandle were granted to Connecticut, in recognition of the wishes of the residents. In exchange, Rye was granted to New York, along with a 1.81 mile wide strip of land known as the “Oblong” running north from Ridgefield to Massachusetts, alongside the New York counties of Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess.

Coastal Connecticut:
Coastal Connecticut, often called the Connecticut Shore or the Connecticut Shoreline, comprises all of Connecticut’s southern border along Long Island Sound, from Greenwich in the west to Stonington in the east, as well as the tidal portions of the Housatonic River, Quinnipiac River, Connecticut River, and Thames River. It includes the southern sections of the state’s Fairfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London counties. The region in the mildest area in Connecticut in winter and often has a frost – free season that is 3 weeks longer than inland areas. The region, as defined in the Connecticut General Statutes, consists of 36 Connecticut towns, including several of the largest in Connecticut.

Farmington Valley:
The Farmington Valley is located along the western boundary of Hartford County in Connecticut, bordering Litchfield County immediately to the west. It is defined by the Farmington River, which runs through it. Physiographically, the valley is lowlands and floodplain flanked by the Litchfield Hills on the west and Talcott Mountain on the east.

The term Farmington Valley, as used in the local vernacular, refers primarily to the towns of Farmington, Avon, Simsbury, Canton and Granby. However, when defined by the course of the Farmington River, or by its entire watershed, the term can refer to large areas of land across the north central portion of Connecticut and into southern Massachusetts.

Gold Coast:
The Gold Coast, also known as Lower Fairfield County or Southwestern Connecticut not limited to the Connecticut panhandle, is an affluent part of Western Connecticut that includes the entire southern portion of Fairfield County as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, Super-Public Use Microdata Area (Super-PUMA) Region 09600. The area is about 50 miles northeast of New York City, and is home to many wealthy Manhattan business executives.  Parts of the region are served by the Western Connecticut Council of Governments.

This area is often portrayed in culture as a bastion of wealthy people. Since the mid-20th century, a number of novels and films have been set here, including Gentleman’s Agreement, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, The Swimmer, The Stepford Wives, and The Ice Storm.

Greater Bridgeport:
Greater Bridgeport is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The area is located in Southwestern Connecticut and consists of the city of Bridgeport and five surrounding towns – Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford, and Trumbull.

Greater Bridgeport is part of the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury metropolitan statistical area, which consists of all of Fairfield County.

Greater Hartford:
Greater Hartford is a region, centered on the state’s capital of Hartford. It represents the only combined statistical area in Connecticut defined by a city within the state, being bordered by the Greater Boston region to the northeast and New York metropolitan area to the south and west. Sitting at the southern end of the Metacomet Ridge, its geology is characterized by land of a level grade along the shores of Connecticut River Valley, with finer-grained soil than other regions in the state.

Hartford’s role as a focal point for the American insurance industry is known nationally. The vibrant music and arts scene defines the region’s culture. The region’s economy is closely tied with Springfield, Massachusetts, as Hartford and Springfield are twin cities, only 25 miles apart. The area is served by Bradley International Airport as well as the smaller Hartford-Brainard Airport.

Greater New Haven:
Greater New Haven is the metropolitan area whose extent includes those towns in Connecticut that share an economic, social, political, and historical focus on the city of New Haven. It occupies the south-central portion of the state, in a radius around New Haven.

The region is known for its educational and economic connections to Yale University, oceanside recreation and the beach-community feel of the shoreline towns east of New Haven, and the trap rock landscapes stretching north from New Haven.

Litchfield Hills:
The Northwest Hills (also known as the Litchfield Hills or Northwest Highlands) are a geographic region of Connecticut located in the northwestern corner of the state. It is roughly coterminous with the boundaries of Litchfield County, for which it is named. The geographic region includes colloquial subregions -rural Northwestern Connecticut and the area associated with the city of Torrington, also known as the Upper Naugatuck River Valley or simply Litchfield Hills- which have also variously corresponded to designated government councils both past and present. Much of the area makes up the lowermost section of the Berkshire region, and is culturally similar to the rest of western New England.

Lower Connecticut River Valley:
The Lower Connecticut River Valley is a region of the state of Connecticut focused around the juncture where the Connecticut River meets Long Island Sound. It includes towns in Middlesex County and the western edge of New London County. It is located in the southeastern-central part of the state and includes the seventeen towns of Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland and Westbrook.

Route 154 runs along the river starting in Middletown and ending in Old Saybrook. The road is designated as a scenic highway, popular with motorcycle tourists. State Route 9 runs through Cromwell and Middletown and extends to the shoreline where it connects with Interstate 95 in Old Saybrook.

The region is known for its picturesque riverside scenery, small river and shoreline towns, and tourist attractions such as the Goodspeed Opera House, the Essex Steam Train, Brownstone Exploration and Discovery Park, Powder Ridge Mountain Park and Resort, the Traveler’s Professional Golf Championship at TPC at River Highlands, Lyman Orchards, Lyman Orchards Golf Courses, Fox Hopyard Golf Course and Gillette Castle. Middletown, the region’s largest town, is one of Connecticut’s smaller cities and the location of Wesleyan University.

Quiet Corner:
Northeastern Connecticut, better known as the Quiet Corner, is a region of Connecticut, located in the northeastern corner of the state. It is generally associated with Windham County, but also incorporates eastern sections of Tolland County and the northern portion of New London County. The most frequently cited boundary is the semi-rural town of Coventry, which is more rustic than the more suburban towns to the west.

Eastern Connecticut is more rural than southern or central Connecticut, with large areas of farmland, rivers and lakes, and state forests. Its population centers are largely rural and semi-rural towns, many with populations below 5,000. It is one of the least-urbanized districts along the Northeast Megalopolis. Many of the towns are within a long commuting distance of Boston; none are considered a part of the Boston Metropolitan Area. Only the Interstate 395 freeway spur passes through the “Quiet Corner” as a nationally signed part of the Interstate Highway System, though Interstate 84 also passes near the western end of the region and cuts through the northwestern part. Much of the region is part of the Last Green Valley National Heritage Corridor. The region’s largest town is Windham, including the borough of Willimantic, with a population of 25,000.

Early industry in the area was powered by watermills set on fast rivers and streams such as the Willimantic River and the Quinebaug River.

The region is popular with tourists for its traditional New England scenery, culture, locally produced foods and bed and breakfasts, and is noted for its many antique shops. Major attractions in Eastern Connecticut include the main University of Connecticut campus in Storrs; the birthplace of Samuel Huntington in Scotland; Route 169, a National Scenic Byway running north-and-south through the region; the Lebanon Town Green and its accompanying Revolutionary War historic sites in Lebanon; the Prudence Crandall House Museum in Canterbury; the Nathan Hale Homestead in Coventry; and the many antiques shops of Pomfret, Putnam, and Woodstock.

The region has seen a resurgence in the production of local foods, producing local wines, cheeses, ice cream, apples, maple syrup, beer, and a variety of heirloom crops.

Southeastern Connecticut:
The Southeastern Connecticut region comprises, as the name suggests, the southeastern corner of the state of Connecticut. It is sometimes referred to as Greater New London or by the tourist slogan Mystic and More.

Southeastern Connecticut has historically been an area heavily dependent on traditional New England economic activities such as fishing, whaling, oystering, and the defense industry. In the present day, the area remains the primary home of the state’s fishing and shellfish activity, but has since diversified its economic base to include tourism, gambling, and other services.

The area is home to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, a United States Navy base in Groton (also home to Electric Boat where the first U.S. nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus, was launched, on January 21, 1954), a Pfizer research facility, and the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods casinos.