Two businesses have opened or announced new locations in Greenwich. Simon Pearce, the Vermont glassware and home furnishings company, opened a store at 315 Greenwich Ave. in October. Blocks away, independent bookstore Athena Books announced plans for a second location at 68 Lewis St. in downtown Greenwich.
The two arrivals mark a busy stretch for the commercial corridor.
Simon Pearce settles into a 1910 building
Simon Pearce has 14 stores across the Northeast, according to Greenwich Time. The company began production in 1971, making glassware, ceramics and home goods at its flagship studio in Quechee, Vermont. It also operates a store in Westport.
The Greenwich location occupies a building at 315 Greenwich Ave. that dates to 1910.
Jay Benson, CEO of Simon Pearce, said in a statement that the company wanted the Greenwich store "to feel like a natural next step." He described the space as a chance to show customers "what handmade really means: the character, the variation, the evidence of the person who made each piece."
The company is offering a line of cocktail glasses named after Greenwich, including the Greenwich Lowball.
Athena Books heads downtown
Athena Books owners Jennifer Bird and Odysseas Kostas opened their independent bookstore at 228 Sound Beach Ave. in Old Greenwich in 2021. The planned downtown location at 68 Lewis St. sits between Bruce Park Sports at 104 Mason St. and the Katie Fong Collection at 60 Lewis St., Greenwich Free Press reported.
The bookstore announced the expansion on Instagram, saying it was "incredibly grateful" for community support over the past five years. No opening date has been announced. The Greenwich Sentinel reported Oct. 23 that the store is expected to open soon.
Commercial realtor Diane Roth of Allied said she anticipates the new location will serve as a gathering place for readers and neighbors, according to Greenwich Free Press.
Realtors pledge holiday lighting match
Separately, the Greenwich Association of Realtors (GAR) launched a matching donation program, pledging up to $10,000 to support holiday lighting in downtown Greenwich and Cos Cob. The annual "Let There Be Lights" displays are funded entirely through private contributions to the Greenwich Community Foundation, with no municipal taxpayer funding, according to Greenwich Free Press.
The lights are scheduled to switch on during Thanksgiving week and remain through the end of January 2027, covering Greenwich Avenue, a stretch of East Putnam Avenue near Church Street and downtown Cos Cob.
