Library, Point lead the list of town assets by Sarah Littman

published January 10, 2006

Sandy the Mutt and I were having a New Year's Day constitutional down the Riversville Road Speedway last week, and all seemed well with the world. Well, that was before the mutt realized the battery in her invisible fence collar wasn't working, and decided to go walk-about -- or rather runabout. That necessitated her still marginally hung-over owner, (Note to self: Never drink chocolate vodka and champagne in the same century. In fact, don't drink anything alcoholic. Ever again.) to spend an hour chasing her around various neighbors' gardens. All the while I was worrying that the kids, due to return from 10 days away with their dad any minute, would arrive to find that Mum lost the beloved family pet. Can you spell "Bad Mother Award"?

But before Sandy decided to star in the canine version of "Lost," I'd started pondering some of the reasons I love living in Greenwich:

1.) Greenwich Library and Greenwich Point (a tie). I couldn't choose between these two because they both make paying the Greenwich housing premium worthwhile, albeit in completely different ways. As an admitted book addict, I'm grateful to Greenwich Library for saving me an absolutely fortune. I still spend way too much on books, but at least our fine library has lowered the bill considerably.

When I lived in rural England, I used to spend an hour scouring the shelves to find three or four books that, a) I hadn't read, and, b) was interested in reading. At Greenwich Library, I have a hard time limiting my weekly book checkout to five, selected in minutes.

Do you realize how lucky we are that we can read about a book in The New York Times Book Review and find it on the shelf a week later? Or that if we read about an interesting book and the library doesn't have it in the catalog, we can request it, and it'll be purchased? And now that the library's gone wireless, I can work and pig out on one of Elton's yummy brownies at the CafŽ at the same time. Heaven!

Greenwich Point is another fave, because despite the occasional kerfuffle about beach cards, we citizens are lucky to have it. On a more personal note, it's the site of some of the most delightful conversations I've had with my son.

Every Sunday morning, after we drop off Amie at Hebrew school, Joshua and I go for a "constitutional" around the Point. Each week, there's something different to observe: tides, herons, other birds, rock sculptures, beach grasses -- not to mention babies, dogs, runners and cyclists. It's a chance for us to get in touch with the world around us, and perhaps more important, with each other.

I won't embarrass Joshua (or myself) by revealing the topics of our conversations, but suffice to say there's something about being out in the fresh air, surrounded by nature, that enables us to let go of typical parent/child inhibitions and to tackle important (if at times blush-inducing) subjects aren't always discussed by a 12-year-old and his mom.

2.) Island Beach. Whenever I feel like I need a vacation during the summer, I take the kids to Island Beach. There's something about being completely surrounded by water, even if it is in view of both Greenwich and the Manhattan skyline, that makes us feel like we've been transported somewhere far from home. Great fries and a wide selection of ice creams. Thank you, Greenwich, for this seasonal delight.

3) Backcountry. Maybe it's because it's where I've hung my hat for the last six years, but I love being able to walk outside and see hawks circling overhead, to watch wild turkeys strutting their stuff on the lawn, to have an opossum living under the back porch (well, until Sandy the Murderous Mutt sent it to 'possum heaven), even to have the bejeezus scared out of me by an enormous turkey buzzard that pounced on the dead possum while I was trying to dispose of it in a garbage bag. (Mom gets all the good jobs.)

4) Greenwich Public Schools. I'm glad the town is starting to pay more attention to the fabric of our public school buildings, because within them are some of the most wonderful teachers I've had the joy to encounter.

5) A wide variety of interesting people from all walks of life (albeit heavily weighted toward Wall Street).

The list could go on, but I'm out of space. So just let me say: "Thank you, Greenwich!"

Sarah Littman, who lives in Greenwich, is author of "Confessions of a Closet Catholic," published by Dutton Children's Books.