Located in Western Connecticut, Danbury combines almost everything associated with a major city with a cozy New England feel. Danbury has many dining, entertainment and shopping options and offers something fun for the nearly 87,000 people who call the city home, so it’s easy to see why the city is one of the best places to live in the U.S.
Coupled with all of the entertainment options to choose from are the city’s parks, lakes and trails that make it easy to get out into nature. Seriously. Danbury residents mean business when it comes to exploring the great outdoors. The Ives Trail Greenway runs partly through the city and connects to Danbury’s Wooster Mountain State Park, Tarrywile Park and Wiedel Meadows. Golfers can head to Richter Park Golf Course, a 118-hole, Par 71 course with an Edward Ryder design. If you’ve got a four-legged friend, check out Bear Mountain Reservation, a 140-acre park that is pet-friendly and has hiking trails of various lengths and routes, including one leading to Candlewood Lake. Along with other public parks in Danbury, Lake Kenosia Park makes for a nice picnic spot. It has benches, a spray park, a playground and soccer fields (permit required).
Danbury is also linked to the Metro-North Railroad, with its own branch having to-and-from stops, including Bethel, Wilton and South Norwalk, and by car via Route 7 and I-84. And even though it’s easy to get out of town, there’s plenty to do right at home. As a result, Danbury residents don’t have to head to neighboring New York for a fun day or night out. Instead, catch a show at either Musicals at Richter or the Palace Danbury Theatre. A love of sports is also fairly common in Danbury, and Danbury Sports Dome is the perfect place to hone your skills.
Danbury is ultra-family-friendly and offers plenty of ways to keep the kiddos entertained. The Danbury Ice Arena offers public skating and hockey programs, with some being youth-related. It’s also home to the Danbury Hat Tricks ice hockey team. In addition, Thrillz Adventure Park offers families some friendly competition through various obstacles, including a rolling log, a slippery slide and a 3D rock climbing wall.
The quality of life here is unparalleled, and whether they are working hard or having fun, Danbury residents wear many hats. No, seriously. Danbury’s nickname is “Hat City,” which originated from the city’s hat-making industry that grew so much by the 1850s that Danbury was referred to as “The Hat Capital of the World.”
