20 Towns in 20 Days: Norwich

Norwich in the 90s and now
Published: May. 19, 2022 at 6:45 PM EDT

NORWICH, CT (WFSB) - 20 Towns in 20 Days took a trip to Norwich.

The corner of Market Street is now home to popular pizza place La Stella’s.

The family-owned shop has delicious New York style pizza, but before La Stella’s opened in 2001, it used to be a café throughout the 90′s.

Many remember it as the hottest hangout spot for teens.

It might just look like your local coffee shop, but for teens in the 90′s it was the place to be.

Janine Sullivan said, “that opened, I think, when I was a senior in high school and a lot of us would hang out there after school.”

Many reminisce about the shop’s delicious food, drinks and floats. They even held Battle of the Bands competitions.

Sullivan remembers hanging out at the coffee shop well.

The 1993 Norwich Free Academy (NFA) grad says another fun hangout place was Great Skate.

She says the number one spot to kick it with her friends, Was right on NFA’s campus.

Some of her best memories are attending school dances, like the 1993 prom.

“I bought my prom dress for $30 at Filenes Basement. And I had straps put on it. It was kind of like a Jessica rabbit looking thing and I had a beehive hairdo it was crazy,” said Sullivan.

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