PUTNAM

Putnam is a former textile mill town on the Quinebaug River in Connecticut's Quiet Corner that reinvented its downtown around antique dealers, then watched restaurants and galleries fill in behind them.

The Bradley Playhouse has held a marquee on downtown's Front Street for over 120 years — originally the Putnam Opera House, it now runs a community theater season of plays, musicals, and concerts.

A walkable mill-town downtown split by the Quinebaug — murals on brick walls, a two-mile river trail with a pedestrian bridge built on an old railroad trestle, and a Main Street that has cycled through textiles, antiques, and art.

Tip: The Bradley Playhouse sits steps from Putnam's restaurant row on Main Street. Book dinner before curtain — the downtown is compact enough to walk between the two.

Neighborhoods: Downtown • East Putnam • Putnam Heights