The little town of Mystic, Connecticut relishes in its popularity which was partly brought to the forefront with the 1988 film “Mystic Pizza”. The movie’s backdrop was set in a quaint little town and a local pizza & bar hangout. It featured such Hollywood stars like Lili Taylor, Julia Roberts and Vincent D’Onofrio – three young adults growing up in a close knit New England community.
A ‘Slice of Heaven’ is what Mystic is all about. After the movie’s release, Mystic and its signature pizza parlor became an instant tourist destination. People have been flocking to this amazing community ever since, which has brought lots of congestion to its smaller downtown area as well.
his charming township has preserved its hometown atmosphere by keeping its restaurants, shops and other small town amenities genuine. You won’t find any corporate chains here that will contaminate its originality.
Mystic maintains its true heritage and traditions which adds to its hometown personality. This is why it attracts plenty of Historians who study early American history.
This particular colonial town provides a distinctive look back at the New England styled buildings. When walking down the sidewalk, it is not hard to admire all the turn of the century structures that proudly portray America’s early architectural beginnings.
Lets not forget about the well known Northeastern tranquil landscape and rolling hills. All this adds to the town’s Mystic” ambience and euphoric felling. From its charming boutique shops to the local eateries, this enchanting community reads like its straight out of a 19th century novel.
The video provides travel-to-life (TTL) walk along downtown. It offers a brief glimpse of a quaint little town that shows what life is like without corporate sponsorship. Notice how all of the store fronts represent the turn of the century’s colonial design.
The video also features a segment showing the raising of the bridge that crosses over ‘Mystic River’. The lifting of the bridge was filmed in its entirety – latter part of the video. Sit back and enjoy.
The Mystic River is just over three and a quarter miles long and intertwines through an estuary. The river separates the towns – also known as villages of Mystic, Groton and Stonington. The river district was once home to 3 shipbuilding factories in the 19th century.
Mystic’s Seaport has a USCG rated Marine Fire station that services the area. The vessel, Marine 1 moors in the harbor and is ready to respond to any water related emergency 24/7. The river district is also lined with other water craft and historic looking structures. Together they create a near perfect postcard setting.
What would a waterfront town be without having a ‘knot store’? Mystic has its own unique and original ‘Knotworks Store’. It features a variety of items that are handcrafted out of rope.
You can walk in on any given day and watch a knot maker create purses, pot warmers and cozies to mention only a few “knotty” items. This is only one of many specialty shops that line Mystics’ streets.
Mystic, Connecticut is one of the first smaller townships in the New England states in which You, Me and The Dock had an opportunity to film. The Northeastern seaboard holds so much history regarding our country’s grassroots beginning. We will hopefully be bring you more adventures from our east coast travels in the near future. Stay tuned!
Author: Anthony Scopel
Photography: Anthony & Maureen Scopel
Videography: Anthony Scopel & Crew
Article Formatting: Anthony Scopel
Video Production: Anthony Scopel & Matt Kemper
Associate Editor: Maureen Scopel
Technical Mastering & Web Support: Matt Kemper
Publisher: You, Me and The Dock
“This article is dedicated to my youngest daughter and her husband who driving us to such a wonderful place”