Businesses thinking of starting in or relocating here can “Choose Westport.” That’s the town-sponsored website, with information on commercial space, demographics, lifestyle and more. The goal is to attract retailers, small firms and financial services.
Now there’s a site for everyone else. “Discover Westport” — www.discoverwestportct.com — has just gone live.
Complementing the commercial-oriented website, this one is aimed at current residents, visitors, and anyone planning a move.
In other words: It’s the first comprehensive spot in cyberspace for anyone to “discover Westport.”

The “Discover Westport” home page. Several rotating images share the spotlight.
“Discover Westport” has been a year in the making. The Visual Brand — Randy Herbertson’s downtown creative agency — won an RFP to design and maintain the new site. (They created Choose Westport too.)
Randy didn’t realize how much goes on here until he tried to include it all in one self-contained place.
Over 200 merchants are listed — and that’s just one item, on one dropdown menu.
“Discover Westport”‘s 12 tabs include:
- Arts, Culinary & Entertainment (Levitt Pavilion, MoCA, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport Farmers’ Market, etc.)
- Beaches
- Community (neighborhoods, downtown, Cockenoe Island …)
- Food & Drink (over 90 restaurants, markets — and liquor stores)
- Education (public and private schools, preschools, dance academies)
- Move to Westport (realtors)
- Nature & Parks (Winslow, Baron’s South, pocket parks, Earthplace …)
- Outdoor Activities (Wakeman Town Farm, sports, pools, PAL ice rink, etc.)
- Places of Worship
- Salons & Services (several handfuls of nail salons — and Harding Funeral Home)
- Shopping
- Sports & Fitness (from A [Age of Reason] to almost Z [Winged Monkey]
- Sports & Fitness (almost as many gyms as nail salons).

6 eateries, 1 market and 2 liquor stores. on the “Food & Drink” page.
“Discover Westport” also features the “Celebrate Westport Community Calendar.” It’s been available on WestportCT.gov — the town’s official website — but buried deep and hard to find.
Now, the Calendar has its own special tab.

The Community Calendar.
Other tabs include “Plan” (Getting Here, Parking, Stay, “For Businesses”) and “History” (which needs work).
“Discover Westport” had a soft launch recently. It launches officially this Monday (October 17, 5 to 7 p.m., Westport Library), with a special ceremony. Several restaurants will offer tastings.
The public is invited. All are invited too to discover — and then bookmark — “Discover Westport.”
(Like the new website, “06880” is all about Westport. Please click here to support your hyper-local blog.)