The coastal village of Rowayton, in Norwalk, is no place for anonymity. A 1.4-square-mile peninsula that hooks into Long Island Sound as if anchoring the entire city, it packs so much into so little space that running into neighbors on the narrow streets, in the compact parks, and along the single commercial strip is both inevitable and heartily encouraged by an energetic civic association.
Brian Kammerer, a commercial illustrator, picked up on the vibe right away when he and his wife, Glenda, moved to town about 10 years ago after raising their children in New Canaan. 'People were so friendly - everybody waved!' he recalled. 'And people were actually in their yards. In New Canaan, nobody was ever in their yards, because they were too busy.'
The social connectivity was particularly evident this fall after word got out that a well-known local architect, Bruce Beinfield, planned to build a very large house on a narrow peninsula in the middle of Farm Creek, a tidal estuary. A small cottage currently occupies the site.
With the Five Mile River edging down its western border, the Sound to the south and east, and the quiet coves of Farm Creek at its heart, Rowayton is something of a sampler of water views - and residents made clear in this instance that they wanted to keep it that way. Before the plans could make it to a vote by the city's zoning commission, citizens put up a Facebook page, along with a website and an online petition, all urging readers to 'save Farm Creek' and oppose the project. The zoning panel was inundated with emails.
'The town just rose up en masse,' said Marny Smith, a Rowayton resident and a board member of the Norwalk Land Trust, which owns a 16-acre preserve along the estuary's waterfront. 'This is the only remaining semi-wild, natural area in Rowayton that is open to the public.'
Mr. Beinfield, who has designed numerous commercial buildings and condominiums in Rowayton, ended up withdrawing his application. He is now negotiating a contract with the land trust giving it an option to buy the peninsula for $1 million. The land trust has already begun raising the money.
Mr. Beinfield says the community overreacted to the proposal, and that only one resident contacted him directly to ask to see the plans. In his opinion, the house he designed for the site 'was and is the best architectural work that I've done in my career.' Yet even so, he says, he also found the strong response 'admirable' in the sense that it demonstrated residents' solicitude for their community.
Though officially the Sixth Taxing District of Norwalk, Rowayton tends to be more oriented toward Darien and New Canaan. The district's annual budget of about $1.5 million pays for garbage pickup, street lighting, and maintenance of amenities like the town beach. But residents must also pay their share of Norwalk taxes, making their overall taxes 30 to 40 percent higher than in neighboring suburbs.
'There are many people that would love for us to secede from the city of Norwalk,' said Michael Barbis, a taxing district commissioner and real estate agent. 'There's this perception that the city is taking advantage of us. But under the state constitution, secession is really not an option.'
What You'll Find
An oystering center in the mid-1800s, Rowayton has long since lost the feel of a fishing village to aggressive housing development. But boatyards dot the riverfront, which has a community dock. On the Sound, the private Roton Point association has a pool, a private beach, sailing regattas and a summer camp. The public beach, Bayley Beach, is right next door. Fireworks are launched from a barge off the beach on the Fourth of July.
In the village center, Pinkney Park is the setting for summer Shakespeare performances and an annual festival, the 'River Ramble,' sponsored by the Rowayton Civic Association.
Farther down Rowayton Avenue, the waterfront deck at the back of the Rowayton Market is the place to meet for coffee. 'Before work, I can go sit on the water and have my coffee and then jump on a train into the city,' said Jennifer Bickerton, a publicist who moved here in 2007.
She was reluctant to leave New York, but Ms. Bickerton has become so fond of Rowayton that she and her husband, Brison, a commodities trader, are on their second home. As their family grew (they have three children), they sold the 2,100-square-foot home they had originally bought for $750,000. Although it traded for $50,000 less than they paid, they got a deal on a 4,700-square-foot colonial, whose $1.5 million sale price was much lower than asking, said Elaine Falkenberg of William Raveis, their agent.
What You'll Pay
The median sales price last year was $995,000, the lowest since the start of the housing collapse, according to data provided by Ms. Falkenberg. Volume was up significantly, however, with 70 sales, the most since 2006.
The bottom of the market is in the $400,000-to-$500,000 range, which typically buys a fixer-upper or a house near the railroad tracks. Amber and Jonathan Tucker took the fixer-upper route when relocating from New York in 2009. They spent $585,000 on a 1,400-square-foot home, then about $400,000 renovating and adding 1,000 square feet.
'Basically we now have a house that is brand-new and the way we want it,' Ms. Tucker said.
The most coveted properties are those within walking distance of the village center, on the water, or in one of the three beach associations: Bell Island, Pine Point and Rowayton. The highest sale last year was $6 million, for a 15-room home on Bell Island.
Earlier this month, fewer than 30 homes were listed, an extremely low number for Rowayton, Ms. Falkenberg said. The most unusual listing is Tavern Island, which hasn't traded hands in 32 years. For $10.95 million, the buyer gets an island with a 6,000-square-foot Tudor, a Japanese-style teahouse, and a mainland plot with a garage and a dock.
'You're basically purchasing year-round access in perpetuity,' said Doug Werner of William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty, the listing agent.
Mr. Barbis estimates that Hurricane Sandy damaged roughly 100 of Rowayton's 1,500 homes. Many are being elevated to meet new flood-zone requirements. Owners who either can't or don't want to pay for elevation face a future dilemma. 'There's a guy on Bell Island who was told that if he doesn't lift his house, when he sells, the new owner will have to pay $53,000 a year for flood insurance,' Mr. Barbis said.
What to Do
Lamb burgers and pan-roasted organic salmon are on the menu at Sails, a bar and grill in the village center. Brendan's 101 and Rowayton Pizza are family favorites.
Dogs socialize at their own designated park beside Rowayton Elementary School. Sledders have a hill at Witch Lane Park.
The Schools
For kindergarten through Grade 5, there is the Rowayton Elementary School. Some children from South Norwalk also attend. 'Your kids go to school in Darien and it's all kids of upper-class, white-collar professionals,' said Mr. Barbis, who is also on the Board of Education. 'In Rowayton, you get the best of both worlds.'
Grades 6 through 8 are taught at Roton Middle School. And Brien McMahon High School is home to a magnet school, the Center for Global Studies, that draws students from 18 towns, Mr. Barbis said. SAT averages last year were 466 in reading, 471 in math and 473 in writing, versus 499, 503 and 504 statewide.
The Commute
From the Rowayton stop on Metro-North's New Haven line, the commute to the city takes about an hour. A monthly pass costs $307. Commuters who wish to park at the station must apply for a permit through the taxing district.
The History
Until the 1938 hurricane and World War II dealt their blows, the waterfront was known for its amusement park. In the summer, thousands of visitors a day steamed in by boat, then rode trolleys to the park on Roton Point.
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