Guilford, CT vs. Stars Hollow

A supersized version of Stars Hollow

Guilford reminded me of a supersized version of Stars Hollow, minus the quintessential gazebo. The town green is HUGE and seems to span a few blocks, so while it’s not as intimate and cozy like the center of Stars Hollow, I like that the heart of town is fully enclosed by quaint shops and buildings on all four sides, like a real town square. Unlike the “exposed” town green in New Milford and Litchfield, the old world charm of Guilford felt isolated from the rest of the modern world.

Was Lorelai running errands that day?

After milling around the shops and picking up some aromatic gifts at the Spice & Tea Exchange (adorable shop), I decided to shoot some video around the town square. Guess what type of car kept on popping up in all of my shots? An orange JEEP! Could it be that after much coaxing from Luke, Lorelai finally upgraded her ride after all? All joking aside, it was nice to see local residents shopping and running errands in town, instead of having to drive to the big box stores elsewhere. Aside from the businesses mentioned in my list below (“Other Similarities to Stars Hollow”), we found a small dance studio behind one of the buildings. Unfortunately, Miss Patty was nowhere to be seen.

Other Similarities to Stars Hollow

1. Charming, walkable town square that is enclosed and feels isolated from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.
2. Hardware store – Page Hardware – similar to Luke’s (converted) Diner, however, they actually sell tools.
3. Small grocery store – Guilford Food Center – that is similar to Doose’s Market. This store was also featured in the 2012 movie, Hope Springs, starring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones.
4. Local dance studio, Limelight, similar to Miss Patty’s.
5. Town Hall – where you would expect Taylor Doose to conduct town meetings.
6. Quaint church on the green – St. George Church

Major Differences from Stars Hollow

1. No gazebo.
2. Huge, unlike the cozy/intimate quarters of the Stars Hollow town square.
3. No diner or casual eatery similar to Luke’s Diner.
4. Empty streets, not as busy as Stars Hollow would be on a typical day.

About my quest – see my video footage of Guilford and other towns that look like Stars Hollow!

I’ve been obsessed with the quirky town of Stars Hollow for years now, and did some research online to see which towns resembled it the most. I scoured blogs, articles and forums, taking notes from real Connecticut residents and other Gilmore Girls fans, who were also on a similar quest. Then, I narrowed down a comprehensive list of the top towns to visit on my journey to finding a real-life version of Stars Hollow. See the video of my journey below!