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Situated at the head of the �ames River, Norwich boasts a harbor, a walkable downtown area, stunning architecture and well-placed green spaces and pocket parks. �e kids attend an independent high school with top-notch athletic, arts

and academic o�erings – not to mention Slater Memorial Museum (one of just two �ne arts museums in the country to be located on a high school campus).

In the 354 years since it was founded, Norwich has served as a shipping hub and a manufacturing center. It is the birthplace of several well-known �gures, including historic �gures Benedict Arnold and Samuel Huntington; modern-day authors Wally Lamb and E. Annie Proulx; and sports stars Matt Shaughnessy and Rajai Davis.

Sounds like a great place to live! Here, we’ve rounded up 15 things we love about Norwich.

NORWICH HARBOR – At the headwaters of three rivers, Norwich Harbor is a treasure in the center of the city. City leaders are trying to maximize this resource and are currently working on a $5.4 million rehabilitation initiative aimed at drawing tourists. Attracting sports �shermen and boaters visiting one of the two nearby casinos are part of that plan.

The harbor also played an important part in the city’s past. The �rst public landing at the head of the Thames was built in 1694, and goods were shipped in and out of the harbor for hundreds of years. Steamships brought passengers to Norwich through the beginning of the 20th century.

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THE ARCHITECTURE – Norwich has a remarkable and wide-ranging collection of building styles. From the colonial homes in Norwichtown, to the Victorian Mansions along Broadway (The Henry Bill House, circa 1856, pictured left), to the Second Empire-style City Hall. Commercial buildings including the Flat Iron Building (at the corner of Main and Water streets) and the Chateauesque Norwich Savings Society building on Main Street, which now houses People’s United Bank.

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MOHEGAN PARK – Norwich’s ultimate green space. The 320-acre park includes trails, a swimming pond, playgrounds and picnic areas. The Rose Garden, right, o� Rockwell Street, takes up two acres of the park and boasts 2,500 rose bushes in 120 varieties.

GREEN SPACE! – Norwichtown Green, Little Plains Park, pictured here, Fireman’s Field in Yantic, Howard T.

Brown Memorial Park, Bean Hill Green, Chelsea Parade – the Rose City has plenty of pocket parks, playing �elds and other green spaces. Studies show that urban green spaces have a positive e�ect on the health and well being of communities. Kudos to the city for maintaining these places.

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NATIVE AMERICAN ROOTS – Norwich became Norwich in 1659 when settlers purchased the land from Mohegan Tribal Chief Uncas. Indian (or Uncas) Leap, the Miantonomo Monument at Sachem’s Park and the Royal Mohegan Burial Ground are a few examples of the city’s connection to the tribe’s history.

DOWNTOWN REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS – The gang over at Norwich Community Development Corp. is working hard to breath life into the downtown (or Down City) area. They spearhead the city’s downtown revitalization program, which o�ers �nancial support to existing and new businesses. But NCDC also tries to bring people downtown with events including the Farmers Market, free concerts and photo contests. These are the types of activities you �nd in thriving downtowns, and NCDC gets that.

Chairman Rodney Butler, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Chief Lynn Malerba, Mohegan Tribal Nation.

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NORWICH ARTS CENTER – Located on Broadway, the Norwich Arts Center provides much needed display space for local artists, live music and theater, movie nights and a host of other events in its art galleries and the Donald L. Oat Theater. In existence since 1987 (originally the Norwich Arts Council) this all-volunteer group brings people and the arts downtown.

DODD STADIUM – Since opening in 1995, Dodd Stadium has brought a taste of the big league to Eastern Connecticut. Currently the home of the short-season A league Connecticut Tigers, past teams include the Norwich Navigators and the Connecticut Defenders. The park has and continues to provide a lot of memories for families.

THE VILLAGES – We like how people identify with their neighborhoods in Norwich. Occum, Taftville, Yantic, Norwichtown – each has its own history and unique characteristics.

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SLATER MEMORIAL MUSEUM – On the campus of Norwich Free Academy, the Slater Memorial Museum is not only an architectural treasure, but the Romanesque Revival building houses an impressive and wide-ranging collection. The museum’s 150 plaster casts of Classical and Renaissance sculpture dominate in the center of the museum. Local art and artifacts are also on display at Slater, along with items from other parts of the country and from Asia, Europe and Africa.

NORWICH GOLF COURSE – The municipal golf course on New London Turnpike was purchased by the city in 1978. The 18-hole course has been selected by New England Journal of Golf as one of “New England’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play.” The course has a golf shop run by club pro Mike Svab, and the Caddy Shack Restaurant. There is also a member organization, the Norwich Golf Club Association.

FESTIVALS – There are food festivals – Taste of Italy, the Grecian Food Festival, the Russian Festival; and community festivals – River Fest, the Great Rotary Duck Race, the Family Carnival at Howard T. Brown Park, Winterfest. Norwich loves a good festival, and we love to see the community participate in these events. (Pictured: Charlie Catania of Norwich, left, and Angelo Sapia of Middletown, right, from Duo Vesuvio serenade the crowd at the Taste of Italy)

SPIRIT OF BROADWAY – Norwich’s very own Broadway. The theater o�ers top-notch productions in an intimate setting.

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NFA – Founded in 1856 with the help of donations from 40 benefactors, Norwich Free Academy is one of just three endowed and incorporated academies in the state. The school’s proud 40,000 alumni hail from Norwich and from the surrounding towns of Bozrah, Canterbury, Franklin, Lisbon, Preston, Sprague and Voluntown. Go Wildcats.

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HISTORY – The fact that the small city of Norwich has a city historian is a testament to the rich history here. From Norwichtown Green and its ties to the American Revolution, to the Chelsea Harbor area and steamship service, to its manufacturing history, a lot has happened in “The Rose of New England.”

Did we miss something you love about Norwich? Let us know. Email Kate Bucklin at kbucklin@norwichmag.com, or send a letter to: Norwich Magazine, Att: Editor, 66 Franklin St. Norwich, CT 06360.

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