“Celebrities can live here and keep a low profile—getting their coffee at Starbucks without getting hassled or even noticed.”
With over 40 years of real estate experience between them, New Canaan natives and longtime colleagues Christine Saxe and Amanda Bryan joined forces in 2020 to form Team Saxe + Bryan of Compass. The power team is consistently ranked among the top performing teams in New Canaan, Darien, and Rowayton, Connecticut. – TED HILDNER
How did you first end up in New Canaan? What drew you here initially?
Amanda: Christine and I, completely separately, grew up in New Canaan, lived in New York City and eventually moved back, raising children and having successful careers. I know we are biased, but it’s as close to being the ideal town as anything I can think of—great schools, unbeatable community, not huge but big enough not to be boring, with one of most picturesque downtowns you’ll ever see, all within an hour or so from Manhattan. I don’t think people grow up here with the explicit goal of someday moving back—but it happens a lot.
What’s a perfect day in New Canaan?
Christine: Walking the trails at Waveny Park—300-acres with walking trails, a town pool ,and home to 4th of July Fireworks—to start. Then coffee from Zumbach’s, brunch at Rosie, maybe a visit to Found & Design for something unique for a client or my house. For years, the perfect day would include a visit to the New Canaan Winter Club, where one of my kids would be playing hockey on the outdoor rink. And no perfect day would be complete without a visit to the brand new, state-of-the-art New Canaan Library. Then a cocktail at Uncorked, followed by dinner at Elm.
“Families living in both $10 million dollar houses and million-dollar condos all send their kids to the same public schools. The common thread throughout New Canaan is a feeling of community.”
What makes New Canaan so unique and desirable?
Christine: I’d characterize New Canaan as understated luxury. Our downtown has some of the best restaurants in the area, plus great shopping, yet none of the buildings on the downtown streets are more than 30 feet high, keeping a small-town feel. Celebrities can live here and keep a low profile—getting their coffee at Starbucks without getting hassled or even noticed. Families living in both $10 million dollar houses and million-dollar condos all send their kids to the same public schools. The common thread throughout New Canaan is a feeling of community.
New Canaan is in high demand.
Amanda: Before COVID, New Canaan’s median price for a house was around $1.2 million. Now it’s closer to $2.5 million, which obviously illustrates an enormous and ongoing pivot in supply/demand. In addition to the dramatic price reset, we are seeing a transition in housing preferences thanks to an influx of residents from New York and the West Coast—more demand for smaller homes with charm and architectural interest over gargantuan, cookie-cutter colonials. Clients tell us ‘We don’t need a ton of space’ all the time. The trick is finding that perfect balance in an environment where we don’t have enough houses to sell in general—if there is any opportunity in this market for buyers, it’s where people have the tolerance and budget to put their own mark on a house through renovating.
