Have Some Multi-Generational Fun at the Newtown Community Center

Connecticut Real Estate Expert Andy Sachs

The Newtown Community Center captures what this community is all about: inclusivity and kindness.
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This month’s Hero Around Town is the Newtown Community Center, and today I’m joined by Executive Director Matt Ariniello to talk about some of their services, amenities, and membership opportunities.
Matt’s enthusiasm and demeanor capture what we in the Newtown community thought this rec center could be. Their pools are amazing, but they have other great amenities people can enjoy too. Their full-service art studio, for instance, offers after-school programs for kids and adults. Four days a week, they bus in elementary school students from all over Newton.
They also have a wide variety of health and wellness programs that differ from what you’d see at a typical gym, and the largest rental space in town—complete with a full commercial kitchen. Thus far, they’ve hosted the Scholarship Association Gala, the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary workshops, and they’re soon hosting the Chamber of Commerce Mardi Gras. All in all, their multi-purpose space has a capacity of 250 people. On top of that, they’re a great place to host birthday parties.

The town has embraced this space and its philosophy of being open to everybody.

While the rec center was being built, there was some contention over how it would be used, but the town has embraced this space and its philosophy of being open to everybody. Initially, their goal was to have 1,000 members, but at the moment, they have upwards of 4,500. As they were crafting their mission statement, they decided that another one of their goals was to be multi-generational, and they’ve reached the point where they truly have something for everyone.
My kids take swim lessons at the community center, and my impression is that it’s taking on what the residents of Newtown believe this town is all about: inclusivity and kindness. As you may remember, I spotlighted the Better Day Cafe on a previous edition of Hero Around Town, and that cafe is located in the rec center’s lobby. It’s staffed by students from the Newtown Public Schools Transition Program, which means they get to learn culinary and accounting skills and develop other job skills while they interact with the public. Moving forward, the rec center is committed to keeping this staff and growing the program.
If you haven’t been to the rec center yet, head on down and they’d be happy to give you a tour. Thanks so much to Matt for joining me. If you have any real-estate related questions that I can answer, feel free to reach out at any time via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.