What's Great About Monroe

There's a lot of good here in Monroe, and it's easy to get sidetracked sometimes.

Having lived in four other states, I can tell you that there is a lot to celebrate about living here in Monroe. If you want to raise a family or live in a place where community matters, you can't really get much better than Monroe, CT.

Here's a top ten list of my favorite things about living here in Monroe.

10. Festivals. From the Strawberry Festival to kick off the season in June, to the Firemens' Carnival, to the Italian Festival, to the Stepney Clambake, to the Apple Festival, you can't get much more awesome than our wonderful festivals. It's tradition, it's fun, and it brings us all together in a way that just doesn't happen elsewhere.

9.  Churches. I go to St. Jude, and I've never been part of such a wonderfully connected parish community. I know people feel the same way about Monroe Congregational, or St. Peter's, or other churches in town. The churches play a huge role in the tradition and community feel in our town.

8.  Rural Feel. I've lived in the suburbs all of my life, and anywhere there are wells and septic systems doesn't exactly feel like the suburbs. Sure, I missed my Taco Bell, my garbage disposal and my big box stores when I first got here, but now I love our windy two lane roads and our mom and pop places to eat and shop (still not a fan of the septic system though). Every time I travel, there is such a sense of coming home when I drive into town on a two lane road, with the tall trees and hilly landscape surrounding it.

7.  Parks. A long time ago this town made a commitment to having a robust park system with beautiful trails, grounds and a lake. It was one of the first things I noticed when we looked into buying a home here, the amazing park system. Now, there's nothing that says Monroe in the summer than taking a long walk on the bike trail or taking my kids to the lake for the day.

6.  Town Meetings. I know this seems an odd thing to love about Monroe, considering how contentious town meetings can be, but it is truly one of the wonderful things about living here. You can stand right up to your elected officials and speak your mind and have your voice heard by them and the rest of the town. It's truly a gift for our town to have our officials required to be so connected to the citizens.

5. The Library. Our library is so much more than a building with books. It serves often as a community center, as well. There are activities for the children all year long. There are talks and presentations held by elected officials or professionals for residents. The community room can and is used by groups for meetings, activities, and events. And we all know how it served our town during recent power outages, giving us warm (or coolness) and power to the powerless. It is a gem that we are incredibly fortunate to have.

4.  The Farmer's Market. We are a farming community after all, and it is a wonderful testament to that history that we have built a robust farmer's market. I used to visit Trumbull's before we had one, and ours is just so much more a community experience. You can bring your kids, your dog, buy everything from bread to tomatoes to eggs to meat to soap made with goats milk. It is another place where we all come together, regardless of age or station, and it is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

3. The Senior Center. I'm not a senior, but I know that our Senior Center provides some wonderful services and a place for our elderly to gather and connect. This beautiful building also served as a shelter for us during our recent power outages, and it is a wonderful asset for our community.

2.  The Schools. Obviously I am passionate about our schools and have volunteered in them since my children started attending seven plus years ago. We aren't the largest system, or the wealthiest, but we do an awful lot in our schools with what we have. We are lucky to have both a wonderful Catholic school as well as strong public schools here.  Our schools have given all three of my children a strong foundation.  Are they perfect?  Of course not.  But there is a lot more to celebrate in them than sometimes we give them credit for. The PTOs work hard to give that sense of community that we all love about this town to each school as well.

1.  The People. The best thing about Monroe is not what we do or don't do, what we have or don't have, but who we are. The people here are real. We care about each other, we work together, we help each other out when we can, and even when we disagree, we come together when its all over. At Project Warmth, or the Italian Festival, or in the hallway after a town meeting, or giving a standing ovation to the kids at a band concert or a play.

Monroe is a wonderful place to live. Sometimes, when we hit a pot hole or we see an angry word posted online, its easy to forget that. But most of the time, in so many ways, we are lucky to be here. And frankly, I really and truly wouldn't want to live anywhere else.