Shannon Doherty’s story will inspire you. In the span of only 5 years, she moved from New York City to Darien, CT, founded Coco and Lala Watch Hill, a growing vacation-inspired lifestyle brand, and to top it all, she had 3 children! Don’t know how she does it, juggling life and living life to the fullest! Here is a peek into Shannon Doherty’s Life in Darien, CT.
Tell me about your move from NYC to Darien, CT
I grew up in Fairfield County and my whole family in Connecticut. After graduating from Boston College, I moved to NYC to live with my best friend Erin from growing up. My husband Luke and I met in high school but started dating in NYC after college. We got married at 28 years old and quickly had our first daughter Leontine in NYC. We decided then in 2013 that we wanted to move back to Darien, CT. Once we had children we knew it would be important to be near our families for help as we were both working. Luke grew up in White Plains, NY, and is the youngest of five children so we wanted to be near his family as well.
You own Coco and Lala Watch Hill. Tell me more about it.
Ever since I was a little girl my family would take me to Watch Hill in Rhode Island for the summer. Since I had children I started to travel up there more and I am absolutely in love with the quaint town and raising my family there in the summers. Two years ago a commercial property opportunity arose and we decided to purchase the space as a real estate investment with my mom and aunt. From there we dreamt up the idea of Coco and Lala and opened our first store. Last summer we had the opportunity to purchase another retail space and from there we launched Coco and Lala Mini for children!
How old are your kids? What do you like to do with your kids in Darien or in the area?
We have three children: Leontine (4.5 years old), Colton (3 years old) and Fallon (17 months). We love visiting museums and doing local activities with the children. Our children are involved in sports as well and love lacrosse, ballet, and ice hockey. One thing we love the most about living in Darien is the proximity to the beaches and being able to walk to the beach and meet friends and let our children run around in the sand!!
How would you describe Darien residents?
Darien residents are giving, fun, friendly, and successful! Truly a great community of people!!
What are your favorite restaurants in Darien or in the area? Date night? Kid Friendly?
My favorite date night restaurants are Ten Twenty Post in Darien, CT, Bodega Taco Bar in Darien, CT, Polpo in Greenwich, CT and Louie’s Italian Restaurant and Bar in Greenwich, CT. My favorite kid friendly restaurants are Tequila Mockingbird in New Canaan, CT, Post Corner Pizza in Darien, CT and Colony Grill in Stamford, CT.
Can you describe your social life?
My husband and I are fortunate enough to have many friends we have grown up with locally. We also met a great group of friends when we moved back to Darien. My husband loves to play paddle and hockey so he has a big social network from there. I am president of Opus for Person-to-Person in Darien and have also made a lot of friends through my children’s schools. We love to have friends over on the weekends as well as attend different local events.
Are you a member of a country club?
We are members of the Ocean House in Watch Hill, RI as we spend our summers up there. We were thinking about joining Woodway Country Club in Darien as a summer member since most of our friends belong there. However, we decided to just stay with the Ocean House for now since we are gone most of the summer. My husband is considering joining a golf club though locally.
What has your experience been so far with schools in Darien?
My children currently attend Noroton Presbyterian Nursery School. Darien has amazing schools and my experience so far has been great. I have also made so many friends through their schools!
Do you or your spouse commute to New York City? What has your experience been with the commute from Darien to NYC?
My husband commutes to NYC and I used to commute into the city. We actually looked forward to our time on the train as a way to decompress and read up on the news and get work done. It takes about 55 minutes to get to New York City from Darien on the Metro North train. Noroton and Darien train stations are both close to our house and offer daily or monthly parking. The daily parking is cheap and easy so we did not feel the need to get a monthly space!
About Shannon Doherty
Shannon Doherty lives in Darien, CT with her husband Luke and her three children Leontine, Colton and Fallon (or as they like to call themselves – Lala, Coco and Peaches Pie). She graduated from Boston College and New York Law School. She spent 12 years working in Manhattan in the finance and real estate world. She started Coco and Lala Watch Hill two years ago to pursue her love for fashion and creativity with her mother and aunt. Coco and Lala is continuing to grow every year opening new stores and creating a brand to serve as vacation inspiration and a fashion guide.
You May Also Be Interested In Our Interviews with other Darien Residents:
Vail Weymann: Darien Mom and Co-Founder of Purrch
Jasmine Hodgson’s Life in Darien, CT
The Girl Guide, Stephanie Trotta’s Life in Darien, CT
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