"Riff raff" runners are what my husband and I call ourselves when we end up in a very exclusive-seeming neighborhood. We're totally harmless of course, but it always makes us giggle. Since moving to Connecticut from the Upper East Side a year and a half ago, we've covered a lot of ground (literally) in Fairfield County, but we hadn't actually gone on a run in Greenwich. This past weekend, we decided to give Greenwich running a try.
It was a beautiful late fall/early winter day: totally clear skies, no wind, and about 38 degrees. We parked near the train station and ran around the Delamar, Bruce Park and the adjacent neighborhood, and then finally around Belle Haven. Several of these neighborhoods have guards stationed in booths at the border (a bit much, I think!).
At one neighborhood entrance near Bruce Park, my husband noticed a car drive out so the gate opened, and I--totally oblivious--darted in as I thought the gate had always been open. He smirked and said we might not be getting out. For a second, I was scared the neighborhood watch would come chasing after us on a golf cart!
Exclusivity and unnecessary security patrol aside, the few people we ran into were quite friendly. The highlight of the run was Belle Haven. Unreal! I felt like I was in a movie, surrounded by those pristine properties and gorgeous views of the Long Island Sound. The neighborhood has some nice hills, which seem to allow every home its own water views.
I ended up logging 11 miles that day. Like Stamford, Greenwich's running issue is I-95. For long runs by the water, it's impossible to avoid contact with the interstate AKA an ugly underpass and some brutally long lights. I certainly have some more exploring of Belle Haven to do, though, so I plan on coming back.
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| Beautiful day, with a "private" sign--quite representative of our Greenwich run. |
It was a beautiful late fall/early winter day: totally clear skies, no wind, and about 38 degrees. We parked near the train station and ran around the Delamar, Bruce Park and the adjacent neighborhood, and then finally around Belle Haven. Several of these neighborhoods have guards stationed in booths at the border (a bit much, I think!).
At one neighborhood entrance near Bruce Park, my husband noticed a car drive out so the gate opened, and I--totally oblivious--darted in as I thought the gate had always been open. He smirked and said we might not be getting out. For a second, I was scared the neighborhood watch would come chasing after us on a golf cart!
Exclusivity and unnecessary security patrol aside, the few people we ran into were quite friendly. The highlight of the run was Belle Haven. Unreal! I felt like I was in a movie, surrounded by those pristine properties and gorgeous views of the Long Island Sound. The neighborhood has some nice hills, which seem to allow every home its own water views.
I ended up logging 11 miles that day. Like Stamford, Greenwich's running issue is I-95. For long runs by the water, it's impossible to avoid contact with the interstate AKA an ugly underpass and some brutally long lights. I certainly have some more exploring of Belle Haven to do, though, so I plan on coming back.
The Run Down
- Type: Running route
- Distance: 11 miles
- Location: Greenwich, CT
- Terrain: Rolling hills
- Hydration/nutrition: None--ran through Bruce Park and didn't see a single water fountain!
- Bathrooms: Also did not see any restrooms in Bruce Park...too bad
- Other conditions to consider: You've gotta be a pesky runner to make this work...lots of eye averting to "private" signs and darting into open gates
- Recommended? Yes, if you're in the mood to be a riff raff runner ;)
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