I've spent a lot of time in Greenwich, dating back to when I was a little kid. That said, I am fascinated by the housing and zoning issues that are going on there. Over the past few summers I've gone on a lot of runs through the town and saw gorgeous house and house labeled for demolition, only so that a new McMansion could be put in its place.
At the turn of the century, Greenwich was originally a weekend getaway for New Yorkers. Many of the homes were cozy, but obviously devoid of modern "conveniences" like saunas and movie theaters. Vanity Fair put together a great piece in July 2006 about all the hedge fund guys who come in, buy amazing 1920s homes, only to tear them down. Greenwich residents are finally speaking up about the new construction and trying to keep the old-school charm of the town.
One day I was walking around Greenwich with a friend when we came across one of these new monstrosities. My friend said, "That's not a house, because only cows live in a barn." Ouch.
The latest news out of Greenwich is that a Russian billionaire is trying to tear down an $18 million home in order to put up his own version of the Hermitage. This is in back Greenwich, where people tend to keep to themselves, so the outcry is a little out of character. Check out this video:
