Litchfield, CT vs Stars Hollow

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Remember when Luke lived in Litchfield?

Because of its close proximity to Kent and Washington Depot, Litchfield, CT seemed like an obvious detour to take on our road trip to Stars Hollow. Plus, in Season 4, Episode 11 of Gilmore Girls (“In the Clamor and the Clangor”), Luke references the town when he tells Lorelai that he moved to Litchfield with his soon-to-be ex-wife, Nicole.

A town green but not a square…

I definitely found Litchfield to be worthy of a pit stop. Even though activity on the main street was non-existent, the quaint and beautifully decorated storefronts (as seen in my video) align with what you’d expect from a charming, archetypal New England town. While I didn’t exactly see a Luke’s Diner type of establishment, the upscale restaurant, West Street Grill looked equally inviting. I just wish the town green had more of the “hug” factor that makes Stars Hollow feel so cozy and isolated from the rest of the outside world. As it stands now, the town green of Litchfield is very one-sided – basically it consists of a grassy area next to a street full of businesses, as opposed to being nestled in a square encompassed by businesses and community buildings on all sides.

Other Similarities to Stars Hollow

  1. Abundance of rustic, festive street decorations that really give you that small, hometown feeling.
  2. Charming, walkable town green dotted with independently-owned shops and restaurants.
  3. There’s also an antique shop, though it’s not situated inside a home like Mrs. Kim’s.

Major Differences from Stars Hollow

  1. No gazebo.
  2. No town “hug” factor – it’s more like a street and not an enclosed town square like Stars Hollow.
  3. No casual American eatery similar to Luke’s Diner.
  4. Not much foot traffic even though there are quite a few restaurants and shops!

About my quest – see my video footage of Litchfield 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 above!

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5 Comments

  1. Nina says:

    Came here last week because we had reservations at West Street Grill– the restaurant that resembles the Paris restaurant scene when Christopher proposes to Lorelei.

    Walked in and were treated like we did not belong. The manager and the bar lady were rude to us. We were Asian, probably never seen real Asian women before.

  2. Scarlett says:

    I think you would have better luck finding inspiration for Stars Hollow if you branched out a bit beyond the towns that get the most press – try Woodbury, Wallingford, or New Hartford instead of Kent, Litchfield, or NM – but in all reality, as someone who is from a small town, you’d need to do more than a drive-through to understand what gives it that feel.

    1. Sydney says:

      Wallingford definitely feels like a Stars Hollow! One of my best friends used to live there and when we would go up to visit, we would always eat at Tavern on Main… definitely felt like everyone knew everyone and one of my favorite childhood memories!

  3. Hi Amy! I love reading these reviews, they make me want to visit these towns even more. Do you know when you’ll be posting reviews of Stonington, Old Lyme, Mystic, and Essex?

  4. Maya says:

    I basically did the same trip as Amy to see the towns, and I think Woodbury is very similar to Stars Hollow. Litchfield feels like a very fancy Stars Hollow.

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