Valentine’s Day in Greenwich does not arrive meekly. It does not slip in like a whisper, hoping to be noticed. It comes with purpose, with energy.
Chocolate shops prepare their finest work— dark truffles with a hint of sea salt, heart-shaped confections filled with raspberry or hazelnut. At Sophia’s, there is a last-minute rush for something thoughtful—a silk scarf, a perfect bracelet— something that says, “I thought of you.”
At the First Bank of Greenwich, Bank President and CEO Frank Gaudio hands out red roses to customers, as he does every year. He does it not because he has to, but because it is a small act of kindness, a way of saying, “You matter.” And people smile, because that’s what love looks like when it’s woven into everyday life. Not grand gestures, not dramatic proclamations, but small, steady acts of thoughtfulness and support.
McArdle’s is in high gear, assembling armfuls of long-stemmed roses and delicate pink peonies; chocolates and rose scented candles; orchids and lavender hand cream.
Greenwich is a town that knows how to show up for one another. It is in the police officers and firefighters, who answer calls in the middle of the night, who show up to say hello at school functions, who make sure no one is left unprotected. It is in the volunteers who keep the town running—not just the ones on the big charity boards, but the ones who show up at church every Sunday to organize the coffee; the ones who serve on the RTM, the BET, the BOE and in hundreds of other town leadership positions; the ones who coach youth sports; who mentor high school students; who take time out of their busy days to help, simply because they can.
Adam Rohdie, head of Greenwich Country Day School, wrote last week in The Sentinel about kindness and the Golden Rule. The column struck a cord because it was true: kindness is a choice, a discipline, a habit. You practice it. You choose to see others. His words remind people of what matters, not just on Valentine’s Day but on all days. At GCDS Upper School, these words are written on the wall: “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”
Love in Greenwich is not about one day. It is in the friendships that last decades, the loyalty that is unspoken but understood. It is in the neighbor who notices when something isn’t quite right and stops to check in. It is in the people who don’t forget—the ones who remember birthdays, who send a note after a hard time, who show up at a funeral because they know it matters.
There is a rhythm to Greenwich, a way things are done. People like their traditions. They like their town to function well, their history to be honored, their institutions to be strong. But they also like kindness. They expect it. They teach it. And they pass it down, from one generation to the next.
So on this Valentine’s Day, as the town moves through its usual routines—grabbing coffee at Coffee for Good, stopping in at Sophia’s, making time for a quiet moment at church—there will be, beneath it all, something real. The quiet certainty that love here is not just celebrated once a year. It is built into daily life. It is a habit. A practice. A way of being.
