White Collar Reset: Going to market

Investors who are furiously trying to divine the future of the economy in the stock and bond markets, the commodities market, the jobs market, the housing and commercial real estate markets may want to read the cabbage leaves in another market: the Rowayton Farmers' Market.

I first got tipped off to its import by a friend who lives in this impossibly cute former fishing village in the heart of southwestern Connecticut's "Gold Coast." Located just 45 miles north of Wall Street, Rowayton has been hit hard by the financial crisis (though perhaps not as hard as neighboring Darien). All along the wooded lanes and footpaths that wind toward the commuter rail station, For Sale and For Rent signs loom in front of new $2 million cedar-shingled mansions. Nowadays, passengers have little trouble finding a seat on the 6:15 A.M. into Grand Central; on the other hand, snagging a choice table in front of the deli down by the docks can require some serious maneuvering with out-of-work i-bankers and ad execs. Unless it's Friday, when everyone just heads to the newly re-branded, repositioned and reinvigorated farmers' market.