The town is made up of two distinct villages, Flanders to the north, and Niantic along the coastline. The Village of Niantic gets its name from the Nehantic Indians whose territory once ranged from what is now Rhode Island to the Connecticut River.
The land was first settled by colonists early in the 1600's as part of what was known as the Saybrook Plantation which spanned both sides of the Connecticut River mouth that was the gateway to the area. Connecticut's oldest frame house, The Smith Harris House which dates from 1660 is now maintained as a museum by the town and the community has many other historical structures.
Niantic remained a sparsely settled farmland until the mid 1800' when the fishing industry flourished and as many as 50 vessels hailed from Niantic working the halibut and cod from George's Bank. The railroad in 1852 also brought many changes to Niantic allowing manufacturing to develop, and the center of the area's growth shifted from the north Flanders end of town to the south.
Today East Lyme is a popular vacation location. With 11 miles of coastline with numerous summer activities and water sports available, cute summer cottages are mixed together with large fine homes along the shore that are particularly beautiful in the summer when the trees are in bloom.
The coastal location of East Lyme has played a prominent role in its economy. Boating and sport fishing are some of the primary enterprises in town along with summer tourism and restaurant trade.
On the eastern border of the town at the mouth of the Niantic River, opens into beautiful Niantic Bay and Long Island Sound. are several marinas, as well as Cini Park, where commercial and sport fishing boats docks.
The community has a strong commitment to outdoor recreation and open space that offers a wealth of activities to visitors and residents alike. The section of East Lyme called Niantic is home to Rocky Neck state park. The park covers 700 acres, has a superb public beach, picnic grounds and fishing areas.
In the 19th century Rocky Neck supported a stone quarry owned by James Luce as well as a dairy farm owned by the Luce family. The family farmhouse still stands near the park entrance. The Pavillion at Rocky Neck is a masterpiece of cobblestone construction built by relief agencies and local tradesmen during the Depression.
Inland the Nehantic State Forest Reserve has more than 3,500 acres of protected land for outdoor recreation including hiking, horse-back riding and mountain biking. In recent years the Friends of Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve, the Trust for Public Land and the East Lyme Land Conservation Trust have been able to set aside several hundred acres overlooking the Niantic River. A locally beloved feature of Niantic is Toad Rock which is a fifteen foot high boulder overlooking the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and East Pattagansett Road.
Conveniently located halfway between New York and Boston, the quaint waterfront village of East Lyme on the Niantic Bay is one of Connecticut's best cities for your home and family.
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Author of Hiring The Best People, Steven Penny writes on Connecticut's best places to live for your home and family. If you are looking for East Lyme CT Real Estate For Sale please visit http://www.Prudentialct.com
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