Today’s New York Post has a list of 100 places less than 6 hours by car from the city. There, readers can experience “some of the best that summer in New York has to offer.”
We clock in near the middle, at 41. We’re right behind New Haven and just ahead of Staunton, Virginia (for whatever that’s worth).
Westport, according to the paper, is “a commuter special.” We’ve got a “lovely setting — nature preserves, rivers and beaches — a mix of cosmopolitan sophistication, coastal charm and proximity to New York.”
Reading the Post‘s paean made me feel like we were Southampton or Stockbridge — an actual tourist destination, rather than a sleepy burb.
Believe it or not, there are “Must Do” things in Westport. What “must” visitors do?
Number 1: “Grab a picnic basket and a blanket or lawn chair and head to the banks of the Saugatuck River for one of the 50 free concerts at the Levitt Pavilion amphitheater.” I would add you “must” bring bug spray to that list.
There are other commands, such as going to the Playhouse, Dressing Room restaurant and Compo (“with a promenade perfect for strolling, playgrounds, basketball and volleyball coursts and concession stands”). Non-residents must pay “a hefty fee,” the Post notes.
So, the paper suggests: “Try going early on a Sunday, when much of the town is at church.”
Ahem. I mean, amen.
Another “Must Do” is Sherwood Island State Park, which is a good idea except for the fact that no living Westporter has ever set foot there.
Under “Stay Here,” the Post ascribes our “handful of lodging options” to the fact that we’re “more bedroom community than tourist destination.” But get this: The Westport Inn offers complimentary shuttle service to Compo, special packages with beach passes, and free bike rentals. If that doesn’t make us feel like a tourist destination, nothing will.
Finally, under “Hot Tip,” the Post offers Westfair Fish & Chips. Sure, it’s housed in “a crummy strip mall.” But “inside, they’re serving up excellent fresh seafood (boiled or fried) and great chowders.”
No word on where to buy your “My Parents Went To Westport, And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt” t-shirt.
Wow! How exciting! But are we Coney Island or East Hampton? When do we start complaining about all the “tourists?” And how are we Westporters supposed to behave when asked directions to–ack!–Sherwood Island?