Today’s stop on our tour of the New Haven Line is the mainline station of South Norwalk – which, like the part of town, is affectionately known as SoNo. Besides New Haven’s Union Station, this is one of the more busy stations along the New Haven that I’ve visited thus far. Like a lot of the stations I’ve seen, there are two station buildings located on either sides of the tracks – one old and one new. On the eastbound/New Haven side of the platform lies the older station building, which was “modernized” in 1994. It is definitely my favorite of the two station buildings. On the westbound/New York side is a much more modern building, completed in 1996. The more modern station’s defining feature is a large metal and glass arch, which provides light for the waiting room inside. That side of the tracks also provides access to a parking garage, and to security offices (is SoNo a really dangerous area? The train station website certainly talks a lot about security). There are little places to pick up food and drinks in both buildings, but they were closed on the weekend when I visited (the bathrooms were also closed, as nobody ever has to go on the weekends).

South Norwalk is 41 miles from Grand Central, though it does have some attractions within walking distance for people who don’t want to head all the way to the city. For anyone interested in trains, the SoNo Switch Tower is a nice place to visit. The Maritime Aquarium is also close by, and is probably my favorite attraction in the area. I mean, how could you not love adorably cute seals?