Madison, Connecticut — knot so loud

This weekend gave us an unusual spring-like weather in the mid of January! I explored a new town in New Haven County - Madison, Connecticut. Located 20 minutes outside of New Haven, it is centered between New York City and Boston. The infamous bookstore, R.J. Julia Booksellers is located in Madison, that’s what brought me to the town! I learned that Madison used to be a part of Guilford, CT (another town to see on my list!). Madison was incorporated in 1826 and named after President James Madison.

I was driving on Interstate 95 on the way to Madison, when I saw that Hammonasset Beach was in same town. I took an impulsive detour to check it out. The state beach is the longest beach in Connecticut with a 2 miles long beach with campsites, picnic areas and fishing piers. It was such a beautiful day for a walk on the beach. I wasn’t the only one with this idea, the parking lot was overflowing! So many dogs were playing on the beach too. I love collecting shells, I found many HUGE oyster shells! Hammonasset Beach was so amazing that it was added to my top 5 beaches in the area. It does get CRAZY in the summer time, but I can see why! I hope to at least visit the beach a few times during summer.

The main street in Madison is full of family owned restaurants, shops, coffee shops, offices and salons. What I loved about the main street was its picturesque view. The majority of the shops were housed in 1930’s shingled or brick buildings. It had that quaint New England town feeling!

I popped in a several stores:

R.J. Julia Booksellers - WHAT. A. BOOKSTORE. Wow! It blew me away with its beauty. I felt like I was in a bookstore that you see in the movies. It was so cozy, books were neatly organized by categories and friendly staff. I knew right away that I would be coming back to visit again. They have cozy corners all over the bookstore as well a nook upstairs by the windows. Another thing that I loved was the huge selection of staff recommended books. There were small cards describing their thoughts about each book. It’s not surprising that this bookstore has been on so many recommended bookstores lists. R.J. Julia also hosts many events including authors. I went when they hosted Nicholas Sparks in New London, CT!

Walker Loden - Located at the beginning of the main street, a shop with antiques, gifts and jewelry. There was so many unique gifts around the shop. I loved that they had many shoreline themed goods, reflecting Madison which is on the CT shoreline. There was a cute preppy pillow with “Yale” knitted on it, which would be perfect for a collegiate themed room or office. They have several locations which includes Essex, New Haven and Madison.

Junk 2 Junque - Tucked away in an alley (not the shady kind!) in a cute yellow house. Inside the shop is filled with antique goods. I felt like I was back at Brimfield. For those who may not be familiar, Brimfield is one of the largest antique show in Massachusetts. I was most attracted to the vendors who had nice displays showcasing their products. Junk 2 Junque was a large version of that! They had displays all over the shop to illustrate what it would look like in your home. I loved being greeted by the shop dog who came up to me with its tail wagging!

Copal - I was intrigued when I saw that this was a clean beauty store & spa. I walked into a beautiful and warming space. The wall was stocked of nontoxic beauty goods! I’ve only began my journey of switching over to nontoxic goods in 2019. I was excited to see my first space dedicated to a nontoxic lifestyle! There was a salon space in there where they have services such as makeover, facials, etc. I was bummed that I didn’t have the time to sit down for one! The ladies were super friendly, I engaged in a chat with one who helped me with my restaurants selections for the area! Copal also had jewelry selection created by a local designer (Aquinnah).

Creations - I had fun poking around this adorable retail shop with many artisan goods. It was mostly local artists but they also had some from around the world. I loved the collection of mezuzahs and menorahs they offered in the shop. I have an interfaith household so it’s always fun when I find Judaica goods. I learned that the store is owned by an organization that works with people with disabilities. All of the profits in store goes towards their programs and services. Love this cause!

Neighborhood Vintage - I wandered off the main street onto Wall Street (past the library and post office). I explored this neat suburban street of craftsmen houses filled with shops and salons. The sign outside of this shop pulled me in. I loved the decor of old pennants on the wall! I’m a sucker for pennants. It wasn’t your typical antique shop, it had a modern twist. I loved the old t-shirts, many from the 90’s (anyone watched “All That“ TV show?!). I also adored their collection of old pencil sharpeners on the wall! It was fun exploring this shop bringing back the childhood memories.

Madison Coffee House - Not a shop but Madison had quite a few coffee shops! I couldn’t resist picking one to check out. I love the smell of these coffee beans! I was impressed with the coziness in Madison Coffee House. I relaxed in one of those huge comfy leather chairs! The menu offered coffee, tea, drinks, breakfast food and sandwiches. There were also bakery goods. I was super bummed that I haven’t got the swing of my new dietary restrictions (gluten-free and dairy-free) yet. I couldn’t figure out if I could purchase the food so I didn’t. Later on, I saw on Yelp that they are gluten free friendly. I can say that the coffee was delicious at least. If you have the French Bird sandwich, let me live through you and tell me how good it is!

I loved exploring Madison, it is a beautiful town with unique shops and super friendly people. I also enjoyed the peace since it wasn’t crowded. I was surprised to read online that Madison is often overlooked, it was perfect distance from I-95 and great town for a quiet stroll on a beautiful day! Also, the best part about main street is the plentiful parking!! There’s so many spots to park for free! Madison is definitely one of my top favorite Connecticut towns, so I will be back to visit again!

*Even the post office building is beautiful!*