12 Responses for "My Expectations of Stamford"

1. Zobot February 16th, 2008 at 12:05 am 1

   Excellent post…

   I’m largely in agreement with everything you’ve written (this month marks 1 year since moving down to Stamford from Boston).

   - I too think Stamford’s downtown dining scene is over-priced, but I’ve come to accept it. I think it’s more a function of the overall high cost-of-living coupled with these being independent restaurants without the ability to lower cost through volume. There are decent pub style choices downtown and some of the other neighborhoods (as you’ve mentioned)

   - People aren’t very nice, which again I think is a function of the city and its diversity. People tend to take a very long to warm up to people who are different than they are. It’s a sad reality, but true.

   - I don’t do the beach much, but agree that outside of Cove Island, Stamford’s beaches are really bad…

   - Stamford’s lack of city shopping is a well-known problem without an easy solution. Every restaurant in town would kill for a shopping district like Greenwich, New Canaan, or Westport.

   - My personal “feeling safe” story … literally the day after we moved in someone was shot 2 blocks away. I never read the paper to find out what happened and nothing even remotely like it has happened since, but just that one event has made it difficult for me to ever truly relax and feel 100% safe.

2. MommaJ February 16th, 2008 at 2:02 am 2

   I’d be interested in knowing where you lived previously and how it scored on the points you mention. I think Stamford isn’t much different from any other similarly sized city in the vicinity–White Plains has two malls I guess, but no shore; Norwalk does have Sono, but it also has the traffic nightmare of Route 1 with all its big box stores, and its beach is no better then ours; Bridgeport has very little to recommend it. Comparisons to Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien or Westport, are just inapt–they are affluent suburbs, not cities. (But one of the nice things about living in Stamford is that those towns are close enough to get to within 20 minutes if their shopping or dining destinations are of interest.) Zobot may find our city lacking compared to Boston, but Stamford is a small city, not a major metropolis. I’ve either lived or worked here for almost 30 years and I think Stamford has just gotten better and better. Insofar as the people are concerned, Stamford folk are pretty much the same as most other New Englanders–we are somewhat reserved and private (which is a far cry from being “not nice”), but we certainly are warm and sharing with our friends–it’s just that we don’t consider every Tom, Dick and Harry to be a friend; to us, a friendship is a serious relationship that has to be nurtured and developed. Again, it would be interesting to know what part of the country you are from–it might explain much of your reaction. In any case, your continuing discontent with Stamford suggests that perhaps it’s time for you to move on. And if you do, I hope you take the time investigate your new destination thoroughly, to avoid another litany of unmet expectations.

3. ah February 16th, 2008 at 9:08 am 3

   As someone who has lived here for nearly 30 years…let me offer a different perspective. I personally look at the area from Greenwich to Westport as one big town — having lived in several places in between the 2. You’re simply not going to find everything you need in YOUR town. With a willingness to go an extra mile, youll find things much easier.

   In regards to dining options, Stamford has just really begun stepping up its game in the last year or 2 with the opening of at least a dozen restaurants — and I’m not referring to the chains at the mall. There are tons of dining options around. They’re not always going to be an easy 5 minute drive from home. My guess is also you live near N. Stamford. Check out New Canaan. Thats not too far from you. But even if you’re looking for reasonable things in town that aren’t as pricey as grand (and IMO, far superior) - go to places like Margot’s, or Duo for sushi (soup, salad, & 2 rolls at lunch is $9!), Quattro Pazzi for italian.

   The downtown shopping plan is en route. Have you been to the southside? Buildings have been torn down. Roads are being built. It’s going to be a few yrs but the project is underway. And it will even be on the waterfront - new condos, nice shops, restaurants.

   Also, why would Stamford need the big box stores like HD, Costco, or Petco when we’ve got them next door in Norwalk? What’s the point? Stamford’s got Target. We all travel where we need to go around here.

   For beaches - try West Beach off Shippan Ave. Its the smallest of the 4, but the cleanest & prettiest. Should you be willing to travel, the Inn at Longshore in Westport has sailing classes (if you like to get out on the water).

   The people - maybe it would be to your benefit to join some of the groups that helped StamfordTalk get acclamated to the area. You may even be able to find a church to attend as well.

   It sounds to me like you need to open your mind a little bit more to what’s around you. We’re 35 minutes outside of Manhattan but have the luxury of suburban living in one of the most beautiful places. Life could be worse.

4. Stamford Talk February 18th, 2008 at 8:57 am 4

   ah,
   9 bucks for lunch at Duo??? I am so glad you told me this. A friend owes me lunch for babysitting for her, and I was going to take her to Duo because she hasn’t been there. I was feeling guilty about making her drop 35 bucks on lunch, but 9 bucks is a steal. TWO ROLLS? I still might have to get the tuna pizza app though.

5. Jeff Howard February 24th, 2008 at 3:40 pm 5

   It’s nice to see Fairfield County Weekly pick up your comments and reprint them in this past week’s issue.

   Does Stamford have an identity? Clearly no, the fact that you enter Stamford from the South on US 1 yet when it gets past the Shop Rite/Stop-Shop district it funnels you into a one lane in each direction road that takes you through a distracting downtrodden area. Why US1 was not left alone and turned in the awful Tresser Blvd connector is a sign of whats wrong with Stamford. So how do you fix it?

   Clearly what Stamford needs is a Town Center. The mall has tried with its upgrade to add the outdoor area, what the city needs to do is develop the site adjacent to the mall that has sat as a crater for many years. It should look to other towns that sought an identity. A prime example is Cherry Hill New Jersey that recently redeveloped its former Horse Race Track into a mixed use development. Will Antares bring an identity to Stamford or will the Trump Capelli combination do this for us by the promised upgrades to the Mill River Park area. We can only hope that with sincere attentions that they can redevelop the respective waterfronts into something great.

   In terms of your comments on people, the first thing that need to take place is for the Stamford police to enforce traffic rules. Right on Red means stop first before making your turn. In Stamford making a right has become license to fly through the light. Stamford police tend to look the other way and this seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Sure there are many who think that they are better than others but this has always been a Fairfield County issue. Is Stamford unique in this regard? No but Dan Malloy is a great guy who has solid ideas of what this city can be. Dan and the city council recently agreed to look into a light rail/trolley system to connect this city and it is a great idea.

   If you lambast the city, at least get a grip on what you complain about. In regard to parking at the movie theater you can get off your lazy ass and walk from the lot across the street where it costs you $1.00 per hour or park at the mall and walk where parking is .50 for 3 hours. Why complain about paying for parking, go to Manhattan and pay through the nose. You pay in Stamford and just about any town in Fairfield County but what you get for that .50 cents to $3.00 is a pretty good value.

6. Mr. Stamford February 24th, 2008 at 4:34 pm 6

   Thanks for your comments Jeff. I agree with your point about the mall. That giant empty area in front of the NYSC could really be turned into something great. I was glad they added some dining options, but the new restaurants are really disconnected from the rest of the town.

7. Jonathan February 26th, 2008 at 10:29 am 7

   I asked Mayor Malloy about the giant hole next to the mall, and he told me that the landowners are waiting for someone to pay something like $35 million for it. I asked him why they would just sit on that much property, and he said they have billions in assets, so they can wait.

   When I brought it up, I suggested a New Roc-style entertainment complex with a nice big AMC theater (the Crown - oops, Bowtie - theaters are just horrendous).

   I also saw the late Frank Rich talk about all the developments in Stamford, and he mentioned the hole - he said at one point, it was going to be the site of an expanded Stamford Town Center, but that fell through. He went on to say that the landowner/developer “doesn’t care about Stamford,” and is thus content to let it sit as an eyesore (and tax write-off).

   I’m not sure how having Route 1 on its original path would change the economics of the West Side. Stamford is clearly a city divided, with the demarcations being I-95 and the Washington Blvd./Mill River area. You see the houses get smaller and dingier; turn off of the main drag and watch out. I understand that the people who make up the service sector of every city or town need a place to live, but it seems like these areas were locked outside of the compound and left to fend for themselves, Mad Max-style. One unfortunate effect is that some amazing restaurants are overlooked or completely unknown; the best Mexican food in town, hands-down, comes from Casa Villa on West Main St.

   On that note, I hear what Mr. Stamford is saying about a lack of character. It’s like we can’t choose between the convenience of chain stores and the mall or the uniqueness of a fun downtown. I would LOVE to see a spot similar to SoNo, where stores like the industrially-exiled Agabhumi could cluster and bring some character to the town. If you ever get a chance, go to the Manayunk section of Philadelphia; it’s a cross between Greenwich Village and Greenwich, CT.

   To a visitor, the city must seem very jumbled; you drive up Bedford Street and see people dining outside on the right - and boarded-up storefronts on the left.

8. Mr. Stamford February 26th, 2008 at 10:53 am 8

   Manayunk, PA is the perfect example of a small city near a big city that really has their downtown area in order.

9. Zobot February 27th, 2008 at 1:32 am 9

   Manayunk is to Philly what the outlying boroughs are to NYC. It’s relationship to Philly (it’s less than 10 miles from Center City) is very different than the relationship that Stamford has with NYC.

   Being so close to Philly means that Manayunk can focus on different types of services for residents. It does not (and does not have to) stand on its own as a city.

   Stamford is a satellite city for NYC, but we’re too far away to just focus on the eclectic and upscale niche like a place like Manayunk can. We have to stand our own as a small city.

   Would it be nice if Stamford had elements that were like Greenwich Ave and SoNo? Sure, and maybe we’ll see that down the line as the developments on the East Side and South Side continue to transform the city. We can have elements of Manayunk, SoNo, and Greenwich, but we’re more complex that each of those places and we can’t be exactly like any of them…

10. RJ April 14th, 2008 at 9:06 am 10

    That hole in the ground, my research tells me belongs to Citibank…who knows..with the troubles there, they may just sell.

11. lvtfan April 27th, 2008 at 6:02 pm 11

    I’ve posted several articles about the HOLE IN THE GROUND on my Stamford blog …. See http://lvtfan.typepad.com/stamfordct/

    RJ, I’d be interested in knowing more about your research re: ownership. A few years ago, the address to which the property tax bills were sent was in New Canaan, and I have in mind that it is now in NYC, but that no transaction has taken place.

    I know exactly the sort of incentive that will cause the owner to get moving. Our assessor may have played a major role this year, if we don’t phase in the October 2007 revaluation: their land value approximately tripled, which should raise their property tax a fair amount. But we can do more — and it would make Stamford a better place for all of us. Check out my blogs …

12. JK April 28th, 2008 at 8:17 pm 12

    An interesting aside to the hole in the ground occurred the second year of West nile (2001?) when the pumps stopped working and things were filling up with water. The owners came within 7 days of losing the property to the city by a little known and used clause in Health Emergencies Directives where the city has the right to confiscated property that is deemed a public health nuisance. They fixed the pump after they received the notice of intent.