News

New Specialty Running, Cycling and Ski Shop ‘The Amateur’ Opens on Main Street

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The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. A new specialty shop has opened at 70 Main St. in New Canaan, bringing technical running, cycling and ski apparel from independent and emerging brands to the former gallery space that sat vacant for several years. Alex Holmes, founder of The Amateur, said the store has been decades in the making. “It’s been a dream of mine since I was a kid to find a space with all of the endurance-focused sport brands that are driven by culture and performance and put them in one place,” Holmes said.

Fausto Mieres

Green & Tonic Faces Extensive Repairs After Flash Flood Ravages Forest Street Café

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The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by the New Canaan Racquet Club

Green & Tonic’s Forest Street location is expected to remain closed through at least August after a flash flood tore through downtown New Canaan, destroying equipment, inventory, and much of the interior of the popular café. CEO Fausto Mieres said the damage from the July 21 storm was far worse than anything the business has experienced since opening the New Canaan location more than five years ago. “It was severe,” Mieres said. “Everything pretty much is done.” The floodwater damaged nearly every part of the business.

Elm Street Books

Eight Summer Reading Picks from Elm Street Books

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The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. Looking for your next great read this summer? The team at Elm Street Books has put together a list of eight titles they’re loving and recommending this season, from beach bag page-turners to Booker Prize contenders. Here are their picks. The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

“From the bestselling author of Pineapple Street, comes this character-driven story centered around a close-knit group of millennial friends living in a coastal town in Massachusetts.

Business

‘Splash of Pink’ on Elm Street Closes

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Lilly Pulitzer Splash of Pink, an Elm Street shop featuring women’s clothing and apparel, closed its doors this week after seven years, according to its owner. The retailer is “incredibly grateful to our loyal New Canaan customers for their support, friendships, and enthusiasm over the years,” Amy Cesaratto said. “While we will miss being part of the New Canaan community, we hope you’ll continue to shop with us at our beautifully renovated Westport location,” she said in an email. Cerasatto also thanked Wendy Probert, the New Canaan store’s manager “whose endless enthusiasm, warm smile, and genuine commitment to helping every customer made our New Canaan store feel like home.”

“Wendy will now be part of our Westport team and would be delighted to welcome the many friends and customers from her New Canaan family who she came to know and love,” Cesaratto said. Amy and Marc Cesaratto opened the first-ever Lilly Pulitzer store in Westport in 2003. 

“We look forward to seeing familiar faces in Westport and continuing to serve you for many years to come,” Amy Cerasatto said in the email.

Around Town

New Canaan Merchants Launch ‘Shop Summer Nights’ Every Thursday Through Labor Day

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The Summer Internship Program is sponsored by Karp Associates. A group of downtown New Canaan merchants is keeping their doors open late every Thursday this summer, hoping to draw shoppers into town during the evening hours under a new initiative. “Shop Summer Nights” is organized through the newly formed Shop New Canaan Association, more than one dozen independent retailers that began meeting in late May. Participating stores stay open from 5 to 7 p.m. each Thursday, with a different theme each week. Parking is free after 5 p.m.

Carl Franco, owner of Franco’s Wine Merchants on Elm Street and one of the participants, said the idea came from a recurring conversation with customers.