Condé Nast Traveler Names 'Best Towns In Connecticut'

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Condé Nast Traveler Names 'Best Towns In Connecticut' A top international travel magazine has singled out six towns as the epitome of "Connecticut Cool."

CONNECTICUT — A top international travel magazine has singled out six towns as the epitome of "Connecticut Cool."

In an published online last week , Condé Nast Traveler named New Canaan, Washington, Norwalk, Simsbury, Mystic (and the Stonington Boroughs) and New Britain as the best choices for a Connecticut day trip or weekend away

In a refreshing change from most modern "best towns" listicles, there were no overwrought methodologies or higher mathematics used. The " opinionated " luxury and lifestyle travel magazine, which has won 25 National Magazine Awards, simply relied on vibes from two locally grown editors.

New Canaan, the editors steered visitors towards Rosie for lunch, Farmer's Table or Elm for dinner; and "always" Gelatissimo Artisan Gelato for dessert. The magazine also gave high marks to the recent Metro North upgrade, offering trains that bypass Stamford and drop sojourners from NYC directly into downtown. The "historic thing to see here" is Philip Johnson's Glass House , a "midcentury modernist masterpiece that is exactly what it sounds like and yet more beautiful than you can imagine." Less cerebral, but also highly recommended, was Waveny Park ("a great place for a stroll"), and cultural center Grace Farms .

For many of a certain age, TV's "Gilmore Girls" captured the essence of Growing Up Connecticut — or at least what Hollywood fantasized it should be . So it's appropriate that Condé Nast named , the real-life inspiration for the hit show's fictional setting, to its list of Connecticut's "best towns." Those visitors looking for the complete Stars Hollow experience are advised to head toward the Washington Green Historic District , dripping in Colonial architecture. The editors like The Smithy , Marty's Café , The Po Café , and G.W. Tavern to grab a bite, and the Mayflower Inn & Spa to spend the night (Trivia: That's where "Gilmore Girls" creator Amy Sherman-Palladino dreamed up the Independence Inn and Lorelai's Dragonfly Inn.)

The travel magazine's editors labor to make the point that is not really a "town" at all, but rather a census-designated village divided between Groton and Stonington. But they're prepared to toss the finer points of geography in favor of Mystic's "booming culinary scene," which includes Bravo Bravo and the perennial award-winner Shipwright's Daughter . Visitors may also stroll the shop-lined Downtown area, and visit the Velvet Mill , an indoor farmers market with its own eateries, boutiques, vintage shops and even a distillery. Overnight guests are steered toward boutique hotel, the Whaler's Inn . For drinks on the water after a long day of walking around Mystic, Condé Nast recommends Red 36 .

Another of the magazine's "best Connecticut towns" is actually a city. Condé Nast makes it clear that sampling the local seafood at , the "Oyster Capital of the World," is a "must." Specific suggestions include grabbing a lobster roll at Knot Norms , or anything from food truck Copps Island Oyster Shack . For eats and drinks, 314 Beer Garden , Nit Noi Provisions , Match , Arden's and Valencia Luncheria all received shout-outs. The magazine directs the nautically-minded to take a harbor tour of Norwalk's three lighthouses and Sheffield Island. The Maritime Aquarium is also worth a visit, "especially if you have younger kids in tow." Overnight visitors should "undoubtedly" stay at The Inn at GrayBarns , in the city's Silvermine neighborhood.

New Britain appears to make the list primarily on the Condé Nast editors' love for the New Britain Museum of American Art . But if its "fabulous collection that tracks American art history from the Colonial-Federal period and the Hudson River School to the present day following the influx of European surrealists" doesn't whet your appetite, you can still wet your whistle at a number of area breweries, including Alvarium Beer Company and Five Churches Brewing .

has a lot going for it, especially if a bicycle is your preferred mode of transportation. Condé Nast calls the Farmington Valley enclave "a cyclist haven" and swoons over its "miles of paths and walking trails." It's also one of the top towns in Connecticut to spy fall foliage, according to the editors, who recommend eating at Plan b Burger Bar , Brookside Bagels or Millwright's Restaurant once you're out of the woods. The editors bemoan the dearth of hotel options in Simsbury, but suggest the Simsbury 1820 House bed and breakfast, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.