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Norwich, known as "The Rose of New England," is a city in, and formerly
county seat (when there were county seats in the state) of, New London County,
Connecticut, United States. The population was 36,117 at the 2000 census.
Norwich is located on three rivers, named the Yantic, the Shetucket and the
Thames.
Norwich was founded in 1659 when settlers from Old Saybrook, Connecticut
purchased land from Chief Uncas leader of the Native American Tribe Mohegan. It
came to be known as a manufacturing city because of its many large mills.
Several Norwich neighborhoods maintain independent identities and are recognized
by official signs marking their boundaries. Neighborhoods of Norwich are
Norwichtown, Bean Hill, Yantic,Taftville, Greeneville, Occum, East Great Plain,
Thamesville, Laurel Hill and Chelsea (the original "downtown" area.)
Norwichtown
This is the old town of Norwich, where its founders first settled. The
Norwichtown Green is located up here, surrounded by many historic houses and
shops (now converted into law practices, nursing homes or bed and breakfasts)
such as the John Mason School (now the central administration for the Norwich
Public School System) and First Congregational Church. Above the town's first
schoolhouse are the old Colonial and Slave cemeteries where four Connecticut
governors are buried.
Above the Green area are the Meeting House Rocks. It was on this cliff that the
first meeting house was established and used as a lookout point. The memorial on
top of the rocks and pathway are cared for by the First Congregational Church.
From the Green, Norwich spread south towards the river and east. Samuel
Huntington's old house is located to the east of the Green. Norwichtown extends
as far south as the Norwich Free Academy. The area between the Green and Academy
contain numerous historic homes, the Backus Memorial Hospital, strip commercial
establishments and the historic Leffingwell Inn.
Washington Street and Broadway
This is the neighborhood between Chelsea and Norwichtown that stretches down
the length of Washington Street and Broadway. During the city's economic booms
during the Civil War and Reconstruction Period, this district became the
playground of the rich. Numerous mansions, many of which still stand today, line
Washington Street and Broadway while smaller houses exist behind them on side
streets. Like Chelsea, during the economic slump Washington Street and Broadway
also declined. The millionaires left and most of the mansions fell into states
of disrepair. Recently, an effort has been undertaken to spruce up the
neighborhood. Many of the mansions have been repaired and some converted to
apartment spaces.
The largest structure in the city, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, resides at the
intersection of Broadway and Union Street just above Little Plains Park. Built
solely by the Irish immigrants to the city with dimes and wages, Saint Patrick's
is a solid stone Roman Catholic cathedral, whose main steeple is the tallest
structure in the city. The seat of the Norwich Diocese, Saint Patrick's property
extends to the Chancery, Offices and Saint Patrick's School in surrounding
buildings. Monsignor King Park just across the street commemorates a former
Monsignor of the cathedral. Other prominent churches in the neighborhood include
Park Congregational Church. The Norwich Free Academy is just up Broadway from
Saint Patrick's.
Chelsea Parade is the main park in Washington Street and Broadway. Containing a
Civil War Memorial, the city time capsule and a flag pole, this area is mainly
used as a war memorial and hosts the Memorial Day Parade and Remembrance
Ceremonies. Columbus Park with a small obelisk dedicated to Christopher Columbus
is located adjacent to the parade and across Crescent Street from the Norwich
Free Academy. Across a small divider street from the tip of the parade is War
Memorial Park, a small plot of land with memorials to veterans of foreign wars
and POW-MIAs. Around Chelsea Parade is the Masonic Temple, now demolished in
order to preserve and ancient Mohegan Indian burial ground, the Blackstone
Apartments and smaller mansions. Up in the area of Sachem and Asylum Streets is
Heritage Falls Park and Indian Leap, where a young Mohegan leaped over the
Yantic Falls to escape pursuing Narragansett Indians. This district
extends up to the Norwichtown welcome sign on Washington Street.
Right between Norwichtown and end of Washington Street lies a hospital called
William W. Backus hospital on 326 Washington street
Bean Hill
Bean Hill was originally a separate village, located in close proximity to
the Norwichtown Green. It was originally founded by a group of Episcopalians
around a small Green (now a public park). Several of the old colonial houses and
the Episcopal Church (now a photographic and investment business) still stand.
Modern Bean Hill grew in all directions with the coming of a highway on and off
ramp depositing into the area just below the Green. This area is now commercial
with numerous gas stations, a Courtyard Marriot and a Park and Ride. Extending
out from the Green are more commercial establishments, small shopping centers
and, to the northeast, residential neighborhoods. The copper company Phelps
Dodge is located in the farther reaches of Bean Hill next to old mills. The area
is predominate as the home of the Stanley W. Israelite Business Park and Dodd
Stadium.
Colonial history played a part in Bean Hill. The abolitionist David Ruggles had
an Underground Railroad stop in this area in one of the houses.
Yantic
Named after the Yantic River which flows through it, this was originally an
independent milltown. It contains small businesses, houses, some hotels, a
highway and a former mill. Due to the planned nature of the milltowns that are
now part of Norwich, Yantic contains a grid pattern street with mill house
duplexes and Grace Church. The original mill, abandoned for years, is now being
converted into a prominent resort hotel. The hotel project, plagued by financial
and construction mis-management since 1995, has been unfortunately, the latest
failed struggle to revitalize the economic vitality of the once thriving
village.
Plain Hill
This gently sloping hill is located on the outskirts of Norwich, just above
Bean Hill. It extends all the way up to the Sprague border. The area is entirely
residential and very rural, with one main route (Plain Hill Road) connecting to
side streets. Houses are few and far between in the more forested areas, while
clearings can host several homes and a radio tower. Side streets lead off into
smaller subdivisions.
Wilcox and Bog Meadow Reservoirs, two of the city's backup reservoirs, are
located on Plain Hill. In between the two is the main reservoir, Fairview.
The city's Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is located on Plain Hill
at the very border with Sprague.
Greeneville
The Greeneville section of Norwich Connecticut was named by William Greene.
In 1826, Greene purchased land on both sides of the Shetucket River to develop.
In 1828, he transferred the land to the Norwich Water Power Company, where he
was the largest shareholder. Norwich Water Power Company began construction on a
dam in 1829. By 1833, the dam and canals were finished and capable of providing
hydro-electric power to 40-50 thousand spindles. Mills were quickly built along
the Shetucket River during the mid-1800s to take advantage of this water-power.
The remains of the original dam may still be seen upstream of the present dam.
The Greeneville Dam Fishing Area provides fishing and boating access to the
Shetucket River at the site of Norwich Public Utilities operated hydroelectric
dam and fish ladder. There is a canoe/kayak put-in within a 200 yard portage
from the parking area. Norwich Public Utilities offers tours of its Greeneville
Dam Fish Lift starting the last week of April and running through the month of
May.
Greeneville Dam, accessed off 8th Street, is located on Roosevelt Avenue. Routes
leading to the dam are posted with the brown and white Long Island Sound Access
sign or you may go to the Connecticut Coastal Access Guide for directions and
details.
Greeneville's Neighborhood Revitalization Zone committee, the Greeneville School
and its PTO are active in keeping the Greeneville section small business and
family-friendly. Taftville is another section of Norwich with a strong
neighborhood identity and, despite a modest geographic area/population has kept
its own ZIP code (06380).
Schools in Greenville include Greeneville Elementary School, Norwich High School
(not to be confused with Norwich Free Academy), and the Hickory Street School.
Occum
Named after Samson Occum, this was another Milltown that was later
incorporated into Norwich. Like Greenville, it is located on the Shetucket
River. The old mill and dam have since been demolished. Occum contains a small
business center with a fire station and public park. The rest is devoted to
residential housing and churches extending all the way into Baltic.
Plans and schematics for a the new Occum Country Club golf course with
eight-hundred condominium units have been announced. The new developments will
take place on an old farm property.
Jailhouse Hill
Located just above downtown, this district featured a hilltop prison before
being demolished. It is now a quiet residential area with winding streets and
view of the rest of the city.
East Great Plain
Originally a residential area, this district's face was changed when the
businesses migrated out of Chelsea. Any remaining houses have been converted
into doctor's practices or insurance offices. The area is now marked by strip
establishments and shopping plazas stretching almost all the way to the Bozrah
border. Traffic congestion on the main artery has increased significantly since
the arrival of the businesses. Behind the strip malls are residential
neighborhoods and small warehouses. Three Rivers Community College, the Norwich
Ice Rink and the Norwich Public Golf Course are located in East Great Plain.
Stanton Elementary School is located in East Great Plane next to the second of
Norwich's synagogues, Beth Jacob
Thamesville
Taking its name from the Thames River, this predominantly residential
neighborhood hosts a few riverside businesses intermixed with houses on Route
32, the Norwich Police Department and the American Ambulance Headquarters along
with another office building designed by Richard Sharpe and Associates. The Spa
at Norwich Inn is located in the southern portion of Thamesville. Next to the
Uncasville border, a string of car dealerships has earned that portion of Route
32 the nickname, "Car Dealership Row." On nearby Shipping Street, the former
Lehigh Oil Company complex is in the process of being converted into a
riverfront development project.
East Side
On the Shetucket River and hills just northeast of Laurel Hill, this is a
largely ethnic neighborhood on East Main Street and Hamilton Avenue. When first
occupied, this district was dominated by Italian immigrants and later Poles.
Haitians, Hispanics and most recently Asians have made this neighborhood their
home. Anglo Saxon families have integrated the neighborhood as well, providing
for a true melting pot. The area has not lost its ethnic character, as new Asian
grocery stores open up alongside old Italian shops.
Before water services were extended across the Shetucket, the East Side was
watered by a spring up in the hills above Talman Street. The water would flow
down and be collected by families at a communal fountain. Recently in a local
ceremony, the fountain was reestablished in a small flowered alcove underneath a
parking lot. This landmark of the East Side is observable from the intersection
of Talman Street and East Main Street where it comes off the Preston Bridge.
Nathaniel Bishop Elementary School is located on the East Side.
Union Street
This is the in-between zone between Chelsea and Washington Street and
Broadway. It contains a Baptist Church on City Hall Square, several city offices
and numerous houses stretching up the hill towards Little Plains Park.
Laurel Hill
On the opposite side of the river from Thamesville is Laurel Hill. It is
also predominately residential with most businesses and organization buildings
located on Route 12. Its very riverfront contains old warehouses, a condemned
train yard and a cleared landfill. The former Thermos Corporation operated a
plant here, the building of which has been converted into the Integrated Day
Charter School. The Norwich portion of the now-defunct Norwich Hospital is
located on the very south end of Laurel Hill along with an abandoned planned
community that is considered part of the former psychiatric hospital.
There is also an apartment community right before the abandoned hospital called
Thames View Apartments with a fire department right next to it.
Veterans Memorial Elementary School and the former Laurel Hill Neighborhood
School (now a restaurant called Mustang Mary) make up this neighborhood's
educational dimensions.
Ox Hill
Located just to the northeast of Washington Street and Broadway, Ox Hill is
predominantly residential and recreational. The Norwich Vocational Technical
High School now occupies the former Mohegan Campus of Three Rivers Community
College. Thomas J. Kelly Junior High School is just next to the tech school down
the road. Across the road from Kelly are sports fields, courts and parks used by
the Norwich Recreation Department. The Rose City Senior Center and three
broadcast towers are located up here as well. The rest of the area is
residential in nature with connections to Norwichtown. Mohegan Park is located
on Ox Hill.
Mohegan Park
This forested area is Norwich's largest park. The park's property contains
numerous hiking and biking trails, picnic tables, grills, pavilions for rent, a
beach, basketball courts, a Mohegan monument, fountain and playgrounds. The Rose
Garden at the entrance on Judd Road contains over a hundred varieties of roses
and is a popular site for weddings.
The Park Center contains Spaulding Pond, the square, fountain and Mohegan
monument, both playgrounds and a dog pound run by the Norwich Police Department.
The Park Center has declined somewhat. A small zoo, reptile house and concession
stand run by the park have since been abandoned.
Spaulding Pond, the main body of water in Mohegan Park, is held back by an
earthworks dam, across which is a path bordered by pergulas and flowering
plants. In the 1960s, a crack in this dam caused the waters of Spaulding Pond to
burst forth into the city, causing the Great Flood of Norwich that swamped
houses, streets, cars and collapsed a mill, causing several deaths. Mohegan Park
also contains another pond, called The Skating Pond, in the southwest corner.
This pond has been pressed into reservoir service and is no longer open to
public use.
Chelsea
Because of its location at the Y-fork of the Thames, Shetucket and Yantic
Rivers, Chelsea became the home of the city's former shipping harbor located on
Hollyhock Island. Because of Norwich's industrial and commercial nature, this
neighborhood is quite large, with its borders extending from Washington Street
in the west to Burnham Square in the east.
The majority of big business, including the Wauregan Hotel, Reid and Hughes,
Sears, Woolworth's and Chelsea Groton Bank, developed around Centennial Square
before moving out of the city or to East Great Plain with the economic tide.
Numerous churches and historic homes, the YMCA and Post Office are also in and
around Chelsea. The old train station and tracks are located here also, along
with the City Hall, New London County Superior Court and the Otis Library. The
oldest remaining building in the city, Chelsea Landing Pub, is located here as
well. The main public areas in this district are Centennial Square, City Hall
Square and Howard T. Brown Memorial Park, which contains the riverside mini-golf
course Putts up Dock. The offices of the Norwich Bulletin are located in the
Sunshine Building and the main newspaper building on Franklin Street in the
north, just below the SBC Offices next to City Hall. The original Otis Library
was in a small brick building across the square from City Hall. It moved to the
more modern and spacious State Building on Main Street due to heightened
population.
When the businesses moved across the water and downstate after shipping moved to
New London, Chelsea declined greatly. Most businesses went defunct, including
the Wauregan Hotel. Most of the buildings became carcasses and quickly fell into
disrepair. It was renamed the Chelsea Arts District for the remaining theaters
such as the Donald L. Oat and Spirit of Broadway. Hollyhock Island became home
to a pleasure craft marina on the south end and a decaying industrial zone with
a sewage treatment plant on the north end. The train station was abandoned and
later converted into a soup kitchen.
Today, the economic slump has tapered off and Chelsea is experiencing a revival.
The Wauregan Hotel, Chelsea Landing and Otis Library/State Building are all
undergoing large-scale renovations and will soon be reopened for mixed
residential and commercial use. A Mercantile Exchange was recently built along
the waterfront and for the remaining abandoned buildings there is much talk
among developers as to how to reuse them. Although not completely salvaged,
Hollyhock Island was freed of the abandoned Duffy Mill complex. Today there is
talk of either having a transport hub or a theme park on this island. Utopia
Studios had recently expressed interest in a large-scale development project in
Downtown, the result of which would have been two thirty-seven story condominium
towers located around Howard T. Brown Memorial Park and commercial developments,
but it didn't meet approvals. Theaters have remained in the area, notably the
Donald L. Oat (run by the Norwich Arts Council) and the Spirit of Broadway. Art
galleries, offices, new shops and bars have opened in the downtown area, many
occupying previously abandoned buildings and storefronts. The old Laurel Hill
Bridge was also gutted and replaced by a more modern, secure structure with
Victorian theme light posts and flower boxes.
Some Things to Consider When Looking for an Apartment...
When searching for a new apartment make sure to take your time to think
through what are the most important things to you in an apartment and plan your
search based on those priorities. Here are some things to consider when planning
your move:
1. Consider the areas where you would like to live
* What is the crime rate?
* If you have children - what rating does the local school system have?
* Is there area convenient shopping, health and recreation services in the area?
2. Make a list of your housing priorities
* Do you have pets?
* Do you need parking?
* Do you need to be on the ground floor?
* What amenities are important to you - swimming pool, fitness room, in unit
laundry?
3. Evaluate the building
* What is the condition of the unit and building?
* Are the grounds maintained?
* Are windows, steps, and railings in good condition?
* View the property at night. Is it safe and well lit?
4. The security of the property
* Are there security service? When is the guard on duty?
* Does the building have controlled access?
* Does each unit have secure door and window locks?
5. Talk to the neighbors
* Ask other residents whether they are satisfied with the building.
6. Amenities
* Who is allowed to use the amenities?
* When are they open?
* Are the fees charged to use those facilities included in rent?
7. Ask about Utilities
* Does the owner or tenant pay the utility bills?
* Are any utilities included with monthly rent?
* Do units have separate thermostats to control heat and air conditioning?
8. Review the lease
* How much notice must you give before moving out?
* Can the rent be increased? If so, by how much and how often?
* Are pets allowed?
* What is the security deposit and cleaning costs upon move out?
* What is the responsibility of tenants for damage to property?
* Is there a penalty for breaking a lease?
9. Information too bring to a lease signing
* Credit Report
* Pay stubs/tax returns
* Reference
* Application
More Apartment Information
An apartment (or flat in Britain and most other Commonwealth countries) is a
self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building. Apartments
may be owned (by an owner-occupier) or rented (by tenants).
Some apartment-dwellers own their apartments, either as co-ops, in which the
residents own shares of a corporation that owns the building or development; or
in condominiums, whose residents own their apartments and share ownership of the
public spaces. Most apartments are in buildings designed for the purpose, but
large older houses are sometimes divided into apartments. The word apartment
connotes a residential unit or section in a building. Apartment building owners,
lessors, or managers often use the more general word units to refer to
apartments. Units can be used to refer to rental business suites as well as
residential apartments. When there is no tenant occupying an apartment, the
lessor is said to have a vacancy. For apartment lessors, each vacancy represents
a loss of income from rent-paying tenants for the time the apartment is vacant
(i.e., unoccupied). Lessors' objectives are often to minimize the vacancy rate
for their units. The owner of the apartment typically transfers possession to
the occupant by giving him/her the key to the apartment entrance door and any
other keys need to live there, such as a common key to the building or any other
common areas, and an individual unit mailbox key. When the occupant move out,
these keys should typically be returned to the owner.
Apartments can be classified into several types. Studio, efficiency, bed-sit, or
bachelor apartments tend to be the smallest apartments with the cheapest rents
in a given area. These kinds of apartment usually consist mainly of a large room
which is the living, dining, and bedroom combined. There are usually kitchen
facilities as part of this central room, but the bathroom is its own smaller
separate room. Moving up from the efficiencies are one-bedroom apartments where
one bedroom is a separate room from the rest of the apartment. Then there are
two-bedroom, three-bedroom, etc. apartments. Small apartments often have only
one entrance/exit. Large apartments often have two entrances/exits, perhaps a
door in the front and another in the back. Depending on the building design, the
entrance/exit doors may be directly to the outside or to a common area inside,
such as a hallway. Depending on location, apartments may be available for rent
furnished with furniture or unfurnished into which a tenant usually moves in
with his/her own furniture. Permanent carpeting is often included in an
apartment.
Laundry facilities are usually kept in a separate area accessible to all the
tenants in the building. Depending on when the building was built and the design
of the building, utilities such as water, heating, and electric may be common
for all the apartments in the building or separate for each apartment and billed
separately to each tenant (however, many areas in the US have ruled it illegal
to split a water bill among all the tenants, especially if a pool is on the
premises). Outlets for connection to telephones are typically included in
apartments. Telephone service is optional and is practically always billed
separately from the rent payments. Cable television and similar amenities are
extra also. Parking space, air conditioner, and extra storage space may or may
not be included with an apartment. Rental leases often limit the maximum number
of people who can reside in each apartment. On or around the ground floor of the
apartment building, a series of mailboxes are typically kept in a location
accessible to the public and, thus, to the letter-carrier too. Every unit
typically gets its own mailbox with individual keys to it. Some very large
apartment buildings with a full-time staff may take mail from the mailman and
provide mail-sorting service. Near the mailboxes or some other location
accessible by outsiders, there may be a buzzer (equivalent to a doorbell) for
each individual unit. In smaller apartment buildings such as two- or
three-flats, or even four-flats, garbage is often disposed of in trash
containers similar to those used at houses. In larger buildings, garbage is
often collected in a common trash bin or dumpster. For cleanliness or minimizing
noise, many lessors will place restrictions on tenants regarding keeping pets in
an apartment.
In some parts of the world, the word apartment is used generally to refer to a
new purpose-built self-contained residential unit in a building, whereas the
word flat means a converted self-contained unit in an older building. An
industrial, warehouse, or commercial space converted to an apartment is commonly
called a loft.
When part of a house is converted for the ostensible use of a landlord's family
member, the unit may be known as an in-law apartment or granny flat, though
these (sometimes illegally) created units are often occupied by ordinary renters
rather than family members. In Canada these suites are commonly located in the
basements of houses and are therefore normally called basement suites.
Staying in privately owned apartments rather than in a hotel is quickly becoming
popular with travelers.