Despite its size, the state has regional variations in its landscape and
culture from the estates of Fairfield County's "Gold Coast" to the rolling
mountains and horse-farms of the Litchfield Hills of northwestern
Connecticut. Connecticut's rural areas and small towns in the northeast and
northwest corners of the state contrast sharply with its industrial cities,
located along the coastal highways from the New York border to New Haven,
then northward to Hartford, as well as further up the coast near New London.
Many towns center around a "green," such as the New Haven Green, Litchfield
Green, Simsbury Green, Lebanon Green (the largest in the state), and
Wethersfield Green (the oldest in the state). Near the green typically stand
historical visual symbols of New England towns, such as a white church, a
colonial meeting house, a colonial tavern or "inn," several colonial houses,
etc., establishing a scenic historic appearance maintained for both historic
preservation and tourism.