In Greenwich, there's ritzy shopping up and down The Avenue

A mother and daughter check out the children's collections at Diane's Books in Greenwich, Conn. (Jennifer Taylor for the Boston Globe)

GREENWICH, Conn. - The surest window into a community's soul is its local bookshop. Diane's Books (8A Grigg St., 203-869-1515, dianesbooks.com) calls itself a "family bookstore." True to the claim, this rambling clump of rooms just off Greenwich Avenue downtown is jammed with books meant to be read to children and by children - but that's only for starters. The shop has the kind of barely constrained clutter that encourages browsing, and before you know it, an hour has passed uninterrupted by the chirping of cellphones (which owner Diane Garrett wisely bans).

The books serve both the inquisitive and the acquisitive, offering the sort of advice that those who move in certain circles most definitely need. In the food section, for example, "Elements of the Table" deciphers which are the pickle, snail, and lemon forks and which are the marrow and mustard spoons. On a recent visit a single table was piled high with such page-turners as "The Fortune Hunters: Dazzling Women and the Men They Married," "How Luxury Lost Its Luster," "Taste: Acquiring What Money Can't Buy," and "Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets." Is there, perchance, a theme here?

In the decorating section, "Classic Greenwich Style" by Cindy Rinfret satisfies the inner voyeur. This Rizzoli-published coffee table volume opens the doors to some of those discreet manses tucked into the Greenwich side streets. Imagine Martha Stewart, but more so. If this luxe world appeals, look no farther than the author's shop for help in attaining it. Rinfret Interior Design & Decorating (354 Greenwich Ave., 203-622-0000) is just one of the boutique lifestyle purveyors along what Greenwichers call "The Avenue."

Greenwich Avenue may be only 6/10ths of a mile long, but it is truly devoted to the life well-shopped - Madison Avenue without the bus lanes.

For a more relaxed sense of Greenwich style - the pastels suggest that life is indeed a beach - check out Seacloth (107 Greenwich Ave., 203-422-6150, seacloth.com). Darien watercolor artist Susan Harris creates dreamy color patterns, which are then turned into the drapery and upholstery fabrics that are the heart of the store. Pillows and curios abound to complement the cloth.

At Kimono Art (16 Greenwich Ave., 203-422-2322), director Jerry Hammer sells kimonos as well as pillows, footstools, lamp shades, and neckties fashioned from pieces of vintage kimonos.

If luxury leather appeals more than silk, dinoffer (348 Greenwich Ave., 203-622-8238, dinoffer.com) probably has the wallet, belt, briefcase, handbag, or desk set you're looking for, including the full Longchamp line. The store's selection of jewelry storage ranges from modest valet trays and watch boxes to full-scale jewelry armoires.

Should you feel the pressing need for a fleece-lined leather shotgun case, EuroChasse (398 Greenwich Ave., 203-625-9501, eurochasse.com) specializes in European hunting and country manor gear and attire for self-deemed squires.

Greenwich had money long before it became Manhattan's hedge fund suburb. Established in 1897, Betteridge Jewelers (117 Greenwich Ave., 203-869-0124, betteridge.com) is among the last of the small family-owned shops that used to line The Avenue. These days, it's the go-to purveyor of diamond engagement rings. During a recent ogling, stones in the store's own platinum settings started at 2.79 carats and ran to slightly more than 10 carats. Prices? Oh, $27,500 to $400,000 - and they're usually exempt from the prenup.

It's a good bet that many of the cars parked on The Avenue were driven by women wearing such rocks. In addition to the Range Rovers, Land Rovers, Aston-Martin convertibles, vintage Jaguars, and Porsche SUVs parked at those 75-cent-per-hour meters, you'll find more BMWs, Mercedes, Audis, Volvos, and Lexuses than you can count.

Those cars can't hold a candle to the rides for sale at Carriage House Motor Cars (25 Railroad St., 203-661-6669, carriagehousemotorcars.com) near the foot of The Avenue. This dealer in Rolls-Royce and Bentley automobiles also services and trades in Ferraris. But the show-stoppers are the restored collectible cars, each as intricate and unique as a handmade watch. And the $350,000 Bentley Azure convertible almost seems like a bargain compared with a $400,000 rock.

Patricia Harris and David Lyon, freelance writers from Cambridge, can be reached at harris.lyon@verizon.net.