Byram: A Tight Hub of Business

Cruising down Mill Street in the Byram section of Greenwich, many motorists may miss checking out the local scene. Mill Street is the major artery connecting to the western edge of Greenwich and to Port Chester, just across the Byram River.

The corridor is home to a couple dozen businesses who draw shoppers from Greenwich and from across the border in Westchester County. And to that end and to draw even more shoppers, merchants have banded together and are holding their second annual Sidewalk Sales Days, beginning Thursday, July 19 and continuing through Saturday, July 21.

"We have some serious sales here. It's serious clearance so we can draw people who don't normally shop in Byram," says Barbara Reinken who owns , a store for teens and 'tweens with a mix of clothing and accessories at 242 Mill St.

Stacy Young, who owns the clothing store and is organizing the sales, said "It has a nice vibe here. It's a throwback" to the way shops used to be in Greenwich.

"You can park and walk to everything. It's not very Greenwich Avenue over here," Young said. "The store owners are in the stores. Every store owner knows their customers."

Young adds, "You're going to find deals of what's current. I don't want to shop for something they've had for four years." In her clothing shop at 255 Mill St. in a building with high tin ceilings, there are racks of scarves for $10 and designer jeans for $30.

Byram indeed has much to offer, there are delis, restaurants, hair salons and barber shops, home accessories stores including , a chocolatier, jewelry stores, the coffee shop, and even a fabric store. Many, if not most, of the businesses are participating in the sales days, with merchants setting up tents outside their shops, with the requisite balloons and treats for shoppers.

Even the Friends of will be giving away free kids books on Saturday—an offshoot of their every popular semi-annual book sales that draw legions of book aficionados from the area. (And contrary to popular belief, they won't be having a book sale...but the kids should be happy with the free giveaways!)

In addition to great deals, one of the best draws to Byram, say Reinken and Young, there's plenty of parking—and it's free. And that's also very un-Greenwich Avenue. "Our parking—you can't beat it," Reinken says.

And if you can't wait for the sales to begin Thursday, several of the shops will be open late Wednesday—until 8 p.m.—for preview sales, according to Young.

*Editor's note: This story has been updated with regards to the book giveway by the Friends of Byram Shubert Library.