Life + Culture

Advocating for the Underdog

At 87, Dr. Darla Shaw is Still Looking for the Person Who Needs Someone in Their Corner Article by Katie Parry Darla Shaw knows a thing or two about underdogs. She’s been one herself—many times, in fact, over her nearly nine decades of life. But because of that—in defiance of it, even—Darla has made it her mission to support the underdog. She says she would not be where she is today if she hadn’t had someone in her corner. For Darla, that someone was her father, Robert Hall. And so...

Life + Culture

Young Leaders, Big Ideas

How Six Local Teens Are Turning Their Passions Into Purpose Through SOAR Together Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Annie Fandl It’s no surprise that the more connected and plugged in we are these days, the further we sometimes feel from one another. We’re spending more time behind screens and less time having the kind of face-to-face conversations that make us feel connected to the people around us. SOAR Together, a local nonprofit organization, was founded in 2023 by Ginger Smith to...

Fitness

Beyond the Barre

Five Seniors Reflect on Growing Up at Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance Article by Katie Parry For five high school seniors, leaving Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance (RCD) means saying goodbye to a place that has been part of their lives for years. Anahit Abernethy, Evangelina Bloechle, Victoria Diana, and Hadley Hopke will graduate from Ridgefield High School in June, while Charlotte Jacobs will graduate from John Jay. After all this time, they’ll take with them plenty of the expected lessons...

Auto + Marine

The Road Back

Jason Reiss Returns to Danbury Road, Bringing Route 7 Nissan and a Customer-First Philosophy Back With Him Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Natasha Fleming When Jason Reiss first walked through the doors of the Nissan dealership on Danbury Road, he had no way of knowing that he would leave it one day—only to come back as Executive Manager. Cars weren’t really Jason’s thing—at least, not like his 3-year-old son, whom Jason says is a “car guru.” (He walks around with a backpack full of...

Food + Beverage

Some Like It Curated

Inside Sommlike, Ridgefield’s New Home for Wine Discovery Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Annie Fandl Buying wine is usually a guessing game. You might choose based on a pretty label, the unique shape of the bottle, or because something sounds vaguely fancy or familiar from a film… or was it an Instagram post? Oftentimes, you’re choosing blindly and hoping for the best—and you’re either pleasantly surprised or massively disappointed. Sommlike, Main Street’s newest wine shop, takes the...

Food + Beverage

The Georgetown Owl

Where Coffee, Cocktails, Food, and Community Come Together Under One Roof Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Annie Fandl I’m sitting with Kate Perry in the dining room of the restaurant she co-founded. The Georgetown Owl is charming, comfortable, and quietly unassuming. Much like Kate herself. She is the antithesis of our shared namesake, Katy Perry. Very unshowy. Very much the flame and not the firework. “You should just get it out there,” she tells me—meaning the whole Katy Perry/Kate...

Food + Beverage

Meet Me at Queen B

Catching Up With Heather and Jennifer Bellizzi on Sisterhood, Coffee, and What’s Brewing at One of Main Street’s Buzziest Cafés Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Annie Fandl For Heather and Jennifer Bellizzi, Queen B isn’t just a café—it’s a love letter to their mother, Linda. One written in house-roasted coffee, New York City bagels, and homemade Pop-Tarts. The sisters had long worked in hospitality, but there was always something about the cafés they grew up going to in New York City...

Food + Beverage

The Mariner Tavern

Shannon Sturz Takes the Helm of a Beloved Local Restaurant, Honoring Its Past While Looking Ahead Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Jay Cohen At a time when scrolling has become synonymous with dining out, Shannon Sturz has a different idea of what a restaurant could be: a place where people put their phones away and talk to the person sitting across from them. The philosophy crystallized for Shannon years ago while he was working as a chef at another restaurant. Looking out from the...

Style + Beauty

The Art of the Second Story

Gilded Rose Curated Consignment Brings Timeless Luxury Goods and Estate Jewelry to Ridgefield Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Jennifer Zarine Photography In an era when true luxury is defined not by excess but by rarity, craftsmanship, and enduring style, Gilded Rose has become one of Ridgefield’s premier destinations for discerning collectors. Nestled on Bailey Avenue, the boutique offers more than luxury consignment, inviting clients to rediscover beautifully crafted objects with...

Style + Beauty

Make-Modern

Ridgefield’s New Home for Handwork Article by Katie Parry | Photography by Jennifer Zarine Photography The first thing visitors notice inside Make-Modern isn’t the sewing machines. It’s The Wall . Stretching across one side of the light, bright Bailey Avenue studio, horizontal shelves and diamond-shaped cubbies boast skeins of color-saturated yarn, bobbins of bright embroidery floss, glass jars of fluffy pom-poms, spools of textured ribbon. It is a riotous rainbow of possibility—equal parts...