SHARON

Sharon is a rural Litchfield County town near the New York border where the Housatonic River runs along the eastern flank and the Appalachian Trail passes through the hills.

The Sharon Playhouse grew out of a 1920s play-reading group, moved into a converted carriage barn in 1947, and now mounts a summer season of musicals, plays, and concerts on a purpose-built stage complex.

Northwest Corner quiet — a clock tower from the 1850s still keeps time on the green, the Audubon center runs a raptor aviary on 700 acres, and the playhouse is the main reason to be out after dark.

Tip: Sharon Playhouse runs a summer mainstage season plus year-round events in the Bok Gallery. Check their calendar outside of summer — smaller shows and concerts fill the off-season.

Neighborhoods: Sharon Village • Sharon Valley • Ellsworth