Jacques Kaplan sprang to his feet to kiss me on both cheeks when I entered his famous Paris/New York/Kent art gallery on the edge of town. To some, the sleepy village of Kent, Connecticut (population 3,000) appears to be nothing more than another scenic community nestled in the countryside. However, many of its residents, like Kaplan, see it as much more than that. Eighty-year old Kaplan says he discovered the place in 1985 "completely by accident." At the time, the French native was a gallery owner in Manhattan, looking for a weekend home. While traveling through the area, he stopped on a whim in the charming little town. "It struck something in me," Kaplan said.

In 1944-1945, Kaplan was staying in Kent, England, part of the French resistance in exile, and was reminded of the English countryside when seeing Kent for the first time. As a gallery owner, Kaplan was growing tired of the Manhattan art scene, where he says it was becoming impossible to showcase new artists due to backers unwilling to buy work by lesser-known artists. Opening a gallery in Kent seemed like perfect solution, as the gorgeous views were inspiring, and the rent for gallery space low. Since then he has discovered such names as Ann Osega, a Tennessee native who is now considered to be the foremost tromp l'oeil artist in America. Kaplan first showcased Osega's work the year he opened in 1984, and everything sold out the first day. Since then, Kaplan's gallery has grown in reputation, garnering many glowing reviews from the New York Times and other publications.

Even though lifetime Kent resident Todd Belfiore is accurate in his description of the village as a "Norman Rockwell Christmas card," an abundance of artists and a thriving senior population who make up some of the town's active volunteers, set it apart. The Housatonic River, which runs parallel to the quaint storefronts of town, is just a short walk away. The town's rich literary history includes being the home of authors like Newbury-award-winner William Armstrong and New Yorker cartoonist William Stieg.

The small town feel is what many outsiders come to experience. Part-time resident Erin Wasson, 29, recalls with pleasure her first visit to Kent. "I was standing in line at the deli, wondering where to find ice," she said, "When I asked the clerk where it was, the woman in line behind me volunteered to run back and grab me a bag. I was shocked! That just doesn't happen in New York City." She also recalled with pleasure a fundraiser that took place in March, when a transfer-station worker needed money for a kidney operation. The village quickly organized a drive to pay for the medical procedure called "Harry Needs New Kidneys," which Wasson says the entire town was a part of. "There was snow on the ground and the church doors were open," Wasson recalls, "People just poured inside carrying picnic baskets and covered plates. I was totally wowed." Harry Adams is currently on dialysis and awaiting a kidney donor.

All citizens seem to matter in Kent. From Harry Adams, to part-time resident Oscar de la Renta, who helped Kent raise $27,000 dollars for charity last year through a community art project, everyone contributes to Kent. One full-time volunteer, 86-year-old Jane Bancroft, was another weekender from New York City before she moved to Kent full time in 1969. Now she spends her time volunteering at the Kent Memorial Library, as well as various other volunteer activities because, "Helping people when they need some help—that's just what you do," she said. Sitting in the heat recently at her post as cashier of the weekend library book sale, which is held every weekend until Labor Day, Bancroft is proud to have helped raise more than $40,000 for the library last year.

Though she appreciates the idyllic community, Liz Sawyer, 18, notes that most everything in the town dies after five pm. An employee of the town's Gourmet Palate Shop, Sawyer is a 2005 graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Though the town may be considered too peaceful by some teenagers, most residents consider the fact that crickets chirping is the loudest sound on Main Street most summer evening an asset.

If Kent has a hidden treasure that brings together locals, weekenders and tourists, it's definitely the Fife 'n Drum restaurant. While co-owner Dolph Traymor was told by former employer Peggy Lee that he'd "lost his mind" when he opened the establishment 40 years ago, business has boomed since then as the restaurant has become the perfect blend of old and new. Customers gather around the piano bar to hear Traymor play, who tickles the ivories with the expected skill of someone who used to perform with Frank Sinatra. When I left the Fife 'n Drum after a long day in Kent, Dolf stopped his rounds at the piano to say goodbye to me, the only newcomer in the place. "Come back anytime," he said warmly. "We would love to have you."