Westerly

The picturesque and thriving business district in this town of 18,000 people bordering Pawcatuck, Connecticut, has a lot going for it: galleries and artist studios, shops and restaurants, a Victorian strolling park, and more than 55 structures on the National Register of Historic Places. Once a busy little railroad town in the late 19th century, Westerly is now a stop on the New York–Boston Amtrak corridor. The town was known in the past for its red granite, which was used in monuments around the country. It has since sprawled out along U.S. 1 and grown to encompass seven villages in a 33-square-mile area: Westerly itself (also called downtown Westerly), along with Watch Hill, Dunn's Corners, Misquamicut, Bradford, Shelter Harbor, and Weekapaug.