Welcome to Norwalk
Norwalk is a vibrant and growing city with a diverse community rich in culture and personality. A coastal and business-friendly city, Norwalk is alluring to those seeking career fulfillment against a naturally beautiful backdrop.
Another attractive feature of Connecticut’s sixth most populous city is its active arts and cultural scene. Multiple places of worship, attractions, and historic sites reside within the city, making it feel like there is always something important happening or an entertaining event to attend. As a waterfront town, Norwalk is adept at incorporating traditional seaside activities like fishing and boating with cosmopolitan glamour.
Communities
What to Love
- Thriving community
- South Norwalk, Rowayton and Silvermine
- Coastal vistas
- Decadent culinary scene
- Public beaches
- Best area for boating
People & Lifestyle
Considering how many different age groups live in Norwalk, ranging from millennials to boomers, young families to individual professionals, there is a lot of diversity in the life and culture within the city.
Norwalk is one of the bigger cities in Connecticut and, therefore, feels more metropolitan than other towns. That said, it still retains a rural elegance that gives people a sense of security and privacy not found in neighboring New York City.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
Thanks to its rustic urban design, Match has become a unique and beloved cornerstone in Downtown Norwalk. With a creative menu that changes daily, incorporating a myriad of seasonal ingredients from local Connecticut farms, it is where couples flock to enjoy an intimate dinner with delicious cocktails and a variety of choices.
If you have a taste for Venezuelan cuisine, or simply want to dine somewhere a little different than the average Connecticut eatery, Valencia Luncheria is the place to go. Serving fresh-squeezed juice, arepas, empanadas, and more, Valencia Luncheria is a relaxed café setting with scrumptious dishes you won’t find anywhere else.
For seafood, there’s no better place than Overton’s. It’s sort of a local secret since it is a quick-serve spot that’s easy to miss, but they offer waterfront family-style dining and their lobster rolls are unmatched. Plus, Overton’s is close to Mr. Frosty’s Ice Cream Shop, a seasonal window-serve venue that’s famous for their soft-serve ice cream.
Shopping in Norwalk is often done at The SoNo Collection Mall, an upscale shopping center located in South Norwalk.
Things to Do
The Inn at Graybarns on the Silvermine River is an elegant inn reimagined and relaunched by well-known Rowayton developer Andy Glazer along with his wife Marsha and daughter Nikki. Located in the rural countryside, this “haven of refuge” extends its sophisticated design from all guest rooms, each individually decorated and resplendent in 19th-century charm to the Tavern and it’s sprawling grounds. Located close to Philip Johnson’s Glass House, the Tavern at GrayBarns wows foodies with craft-made cocktails and exquisitely creative comfort food.
We’ve already mentioned the famous SoNo Collection Mall, but SoNo, or South Norwalk, is also a thriving place for nightlife in town. Generally speaking, it is where residents go to hang out and gather with friends on the weekend. The historic district has multiple trendy restaurants, boutiques, museums, and other happenin’ events to keep people busy and entertained.
Speaking of museums, The Maritime Aquarium and the Stepping Stones Museum are always worth a visit.
The Maritime Aquarium has more than 30 fresh and saltwater exhibits, an IMAX-capable theater, a café, and touch tanks along with education programs for kids and alternating special events. The Stepping Stones Museum is a hands-on children’s museum for kids ages 10 and under.
Norwalk is also famous for its festivals, such as the Oyster Festival, which is typically held on the first weekend after Labor Day in Veterans Park. All about celebrating the oyster industry, the festival also sponsors live music from awesome performers, including Village People, Little Richard, and more in the past. Proceeds from the event go toward developing science programs and maintaining the Sheffield Island Lighthouse.
Outdoor recreational activities in Norwalk include Calf Pasture Beach, a historically significant park and beach that was once used by 17th century Connecticut colony settlers as land for their cows to graze.
If you’re really interested in seeing the exquisite coastal views of Norwalk, then you must board a Norwalk Islands Sunset Cruise. A C.J. Toth catamaran sails out of the tranquil Norwalk Harbor to meander along the Long Island Sound for two hours during sunset, providing unique views of the city.
Schools
Norwalk is home to a number of public, private, and parochial schools, including Norwalk High School, All Saints Catholic School, and Montessori Middle School. Several post-secondary schools are also within city limits, such as Post University, University of Phoenix, and more.
- Brien McMahon and Norwalk High Schools
- Nathan Hale, Ponus Ridge, Roton, West Rocks Middle Schools
- Brookside, Columbus Magnet, Cranbury, Fox Run, Jefferson, Kendall, Marvin, Naramake,Rowayton, Silvermine Dual Language, Tracey, Wolfpit Elementary Schools
