The writer was hosted.
Instead of big vacations, many people plan a staycation, enjoying the best of their local surroundings. Lately, I’ve enjoyed a few ‘near-cations’ staying close to home – but not too close.
Greenwich is ideal for such a trip from New York City – or even Westchester County. You can take MetroNorth or Amtrak to Connecticut from Manhattan and spend the night, or the weekend, at a boutique hotel. One of the wealthiest American cities, Greenwich caters to people with platinum American Express credit cards. There are great restaurants, golf courses, and even a polo club.
At the J House Greenwich Hotel, where I stayed in the fall, I felt an immediate sense of zen.
Where to Stay in Greenwich
J House Greenwich
1114 E Putnam Ave.
Riverside, CT
The boutique hotel, J House Greenwich, is in the Riverside section of Greenwich, Connecticut, next to Old Greenwich. The hotel has a spa, a seasonal outdoor pool, and a small fitness center with a Peloton. The spa has traditional services like facials and massages, plus mud body treatment wraps, private sound healing sessions, and Energy Alchemy Healing. incorporating Reiki and Shamanic healing techniques and a Psychic Medium. There are couples massages if that’s your jam.
The J House Greenwich has a business center and free wifi, though connectivity might not be on the top of your mind at the relaxing hotel. There is no concierge, but the friendly front desk staff was very helpful, giving me a running route around Riverside.
The Guest Room
My king-standard room had lots of modern touches like automated lights, solar and blackout shades, and a TV built into the bathroom mirror. Best of all is the bathroom’s high-tech Toto Neorest. This is one of those super deluxe toilets with a built-in warm water bidet, and a lid that rises automatically when you approach it.
Of course, my king-size bed was super comfy, the high thread count linens were incredibly soft, and the lighting was superb if you wanted to read in bed, but oh that toilet! Literally what dreams are made of. All the room types at the hotel have these special toilets.
If you are having a girlfriend’s getaway, you can get a room with two double beds, or splurge on a suite. I have some friends I can share a king bed with, and others who wouldn’t even share a hair dryer. But then, I wouldn’t want to travel with the second kind of friend!
Eating at J House Greenwich
Yes, I go right from toilet talk to Tony’s, the on-site restaurant. Tony’s at The J House combines a steakhouse with an authentic sushi restaurant. Vegetarian options were limited, but I had delicious asparagus risotto with burrata and truffle that would satisfy the most demanding Italian chef. And a superb barrel-aged old-fashioned cocktail. I was happy as a clam, even if I don’t eat shellfish.
There are dry-aged steaks, grilled fish, and impeccably fresh sushi as well. The eponymous Tony is what used to be called a character. He goes from table to table, chatting people up. He actually pulled a chair up to our table, told us very funny, possibly apocryphal stories, and offered to buy us a round of drinks. When we demurred, he insisted on bringing us free dessert. Definitely a very entertaining host.
The J House Greenwich has a free continental breakfast, with self-serve coffee, fresh fruit, yogurt, and pastries. Tony’s also has a full breakfast menu if you require something more substantial in the morning.
Or there’s room service if you want to stay closer to that great toilet.
The pet-friendly J House Greenwich also provides water for its canine guests.
Lunch to Go
Aux Délices, across the street from the hotel, has delicious sandwiches and salads. I’ve gotten food from the Darien location. You realize how close you are to New York when you can get a fantastic hot vegetarian panini, the mushroom Reuben, with oyster and portobello mushrooms, swiss cheese, and sauerkraut on rye. A classic tomato and basil with fresh mozzarella was elevated by impeccably fresh cheese and lots of fresh basil.
The local mini-chain of cafes is owned by the married chefs Debra Ponzek and Greg Addonizio. I snagged a couple of brownies to bring home to my husband. One of them mysteriously disappeared on my train ride home.
Getting to Greenwich
I took Amtrak from New York, planning to read a book, but I didn’t even get through an old issue of the New Yorker. It’s a quick trip. Amtrak stops in Stamford, 45 minutes from midtown. From there, it’s a short car or bus ride to the hotel.
Some MetroNorth trains go from Grand Central to Riverside, and you can walk to the hotel. There are also MetroNorth trains that stop in Stamford.
I was actually in Greenwich to test drive new Audi electric vehicles. For anyone who has ever said they wouldn’t buy an EV because of worries about the charging infrastructure, I would point out that in a six-hour drive through the leafy, curving roads of Connecticut, we didn’t pass a single gas station. Which meant not a single bathroom. Had we driven on I-95 or 84, we would have passed gas stations – but we also would have passed electric vehicle charging stations. Just saying.
If you drive an electric vehicle to the hotel, the J House Greenwich has electric vehicle chargers in the parking lot. You can walk around the state or drive home without worrying about running out of power.
For the ultimate in luxury, J House offers private charters on a nine-passenger jet. Not sure what the environmental cost would be with something like that.
What to Do in and Around Greenwich
New Bruce Museum
The last time I was in Greenwich, the Bruce Museum was still undergoing a major renovation. Now the art and science museum has a bright and airy new space to show off its collections. Don’t miss the American Impressionism, the textiles, and early twentieth-century American art. The science exhibits focus on natural history like minerals and fossils and birds.
The Bruce now has a place to eat, another branch of Aux Délices. The J House Greenwich has a Bruce Museum package that includes admission to the museum.
All About the Cars
Just over the Connecticut line in Westchester County, the Malcolm Pray Achievement Center, in Bedford, New York, has an incredible classic car collection. There are antique and collectible cars. The Malcolm Pray Achievement Center is free and open only by appointment.
Malcolm Pray, a car dealer, mostly sold foreign cars. But his collection includes classic American cars as well
Connecticut is for the Birds
Hike around the Greenwich Audubon Center. The nature sanctuary has seven miles of hiking trails and is open daily, from sunrise to sunset. It’s a good place to keep in mind for a holiday when everything else is closed. Just remember to leave your dogs, bicycles, and horses at home.
We felt virtuous going here in an electric vehicle and helping to preserve the environment. Greenwich Audubon Center, part of Audubon Connecticut, is a great place for bird watching and has a fall festival to watch migrating birds.
Another Connecticut Place to Eat
In nearby Woodbury, we ate at Market Place Kitchen & Bar. The seasonal American food included lots of vegetarian and gluten-free options. I had a vegan market bowl with sticky rice, butternut squash, beets, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, and maple tahini dressing.
Market Place was an ideal place to drive an electric vehicle. The great restaurant was built using sustainable and local materials and they serve local, organic, and sustainably harvested food and drinks.
Shopping Near Greenwich
As someone without easy access to mall shopping, I love to hit a mall. There’s something reassuring about the sameness, the boutiques scattered between the anchor stores, the food court, and the air conditioning always set to the same temperature.
Stamford Town Center
In Stamford, CT, Stamford Town Center has fairly middle-of-the-road stores, with Macy’s and Barnes and Noble as anchor stores. But there is valet parking.
The Westchester
The Westchester, in White Plains, Westchester County, NY, is a more luxurious experience =- though without valet parking. The anchor stores are Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom and Tiffany, Apple, and Gucci are here. Get a French handbag at Louis Vuitton, Italian fashion at Ferragamo, or Swiss watches from Omega, Rolex, and Breitling boutiques. There is even a showroom for the luxury made-in-the-USA electric vehicle brand, Lucid Motors.
What To Drive Around Greenwich
It’s helpful to have wheels with you when you are exploring things to do around Greenwich. Whether you are on the road, valet parking at a hotel or mall, or just trying to fit in, you need to have a nice car in Connecticut. And driving a luxury electric vehicle is just icing on the cake.
If you have a couples getaway, the Audi RS e-tron performance car is perfect. The low-slung luxury sports car has super comfortable front seats and there is room for two more in the back. Although I rode back there to see how comfortable and roomy it was, the back seat is better for the kids you left at home.
The Audi RS e-tron has a range of 249 miles, which can get you from Greenwich to Old Saybrook to Hartford and back. But if you run the air conditioning or heat, or take advantage of the 637-horsepower engine, you will need to recharge. Luckily, the car goes from 5% to 80% in 22 minutes. Stop for a latte and the bathroom and you are good to go. Just plan that rest stop ahead of time. On the back roads you can’t even get wifi, and finding a bathroom is nearly impossible.
You can also forgo the scenic route and stick to the interstate. There are Electrify America charging stations in Stamford, (Audi ownership gives you two years of free charging) and other EV charging stations throughout the state.
With the Audi Q8 e-tron electric SUV, you can bring your four besties. Since I didn’t have time for a massage at the spa at the J House Greenwich, I used the massaging seat function in the Audi Q8 to have a relaxing drive.
The luxury SUV also has a Bang & Olufsen sound system so you can all sing along to your favorite tunes. And there is adaptive cruise control to make the ride even more zen. You can also put to rest range anxiety; the SUV has a range up to 285 miles.
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