Madison

Long Island Sound separates Connecticut from New York's Long Island. Along Connecticut, the coastline is the small town of Madison. Madison is in the southeastern corner of New Haven County and consists of almost 19,000 people. They only need 27 cops to keep them safe. Residents work in professional services, finance, education, and construction.

Their kids attend one elementary school, one intermediary school, one middle school, and one high school. Colleges include Yale University, Wesleyan University, and Southern Connecticut State University. Median house or condo values are double the state average. Six hundred three patents were applied for in the last five years.

Fun fact: "Connecticut didn't ratify the 18th amendment about prohibition."

Glaciers covered the earth 22,000 years ago. As they melted and receded, they gouged out valleys, deposited clay and silt to form mountains, and left basins to be filled by melting ice. Long Island Sound was so formed. People didn't happen along until about 10,500 BCE. Native Americans farmed, hunted, and fished in Madison's fields and rivers. European settlers appeared in 1639 and bought land from the Indians. By the early 1700s, there were churches, a village green in the mid-1800s and by the late 1700s, the economy was booming. Fishing and lumber, mining, and shipbuilding were the mainstays of the economy.

Parks and recreation allow us to burn off steam, energize our bodies and keep fit. Hammonasset Beach State Park is one such place to burn off some steam fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, and picnicking. A nature center is available for further education and fun. Twenty-six parks in New Haven County will give the new homeowner plenty of flora and fauna to see, trails to hike and water to swim.

Area events are important for new homeowners because they see their new town as one of "us". Events like Yoga to Benefit Shoreline Soup Kitchens and St. Andrews Church Holiday Fair let newcomers meet the neighbors and help at the same time.

Attractions are more than just something to do on a slow weekend. They satisfy our curiosity and our need for adventure. When you tire of the beach, try Eagle Watch cruises and tours, wine tasting tours, and historic homes tours. Check out the museums and Thimble Islands cruises. Catch a theater production and see some art galleries.