A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll ... No, Stamford CT has nothing to do with Donny and Marie, but like the old song, it offers a something for everyone. Stamford is the forth largest city in the state of Connecticut, located on Long Island Sound, only 25 miles away from New York City, and surrounded by Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan.
Stamford CT has a very vibrant downtown area with an exciting nightlife, world class restaurants, bars, clubs, theater and cultural activities. If you are looking for a great dining experience, you are sure to find it in Stamford. Choices vary from casual to sophisticated, from American cuisine, to Chinese, Italian, French, Indian, and everything one can desire. There are also plenty of shopping options. The Stamford Mall combines small boutiques with large retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy's and Border's. The Ridgeway Center is another popular shopping destination which includes stores like Staples, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Marshalls, and Stop & Shop. Plus, there are very unique small shops along Bedford and Summer streets.
For the outdoor and sports enthusiasts, Stamford offers plenty of parks and beaches, all of which are open to nonresidents, although a parking sticker is required for most during the Summer season, and only available for purchase by vehicles registered in Stamford. Cove Island park is one of the most popular parks, located in the Southeast part of Stamford, near Darien. The park has courts for basketball and volleyball, riding trails for bikes and skates, ice skating rinks, a vast green area for all sorts of sports and picnic, plus two beaches and a marina. Other large parks include Cummings Park and Scalzi Park.
Over the past several years Stamford has consistently been ranked in the top 15 safest city in the United States with population of 100,000 or more. Stamford is a very affluent city and home to one of the highest educated population in the US. Many of the Fortune 500 companies and large corporations have offices in Stamford, including World Wrestling Entertainment, Time Warner Cable, Pitney Bowes, MeadWestvaco, International Paper, GE Capital, NBC Universal, UBS and coming soon the Royal Bank of Scotland.
Stamford CT real estate is also very diverse. In the downtown area you can find high-rise apartment options, with a few new construction projects, including Trump Parc. It's not yet New York City, but some of the new apartments are as luxury as anything you'd find in Manhattan, and probably as expensive. As you move away from downtown, you start seeing townhouse style complexes and small houses. As you reach North Stamford or Westover, you'll find larger homes, larger lots and several mansions. The same is true of the Shippan and other Waterfront communities. Housing in Stamford is still relatively expensive, although prices have come down over the past years with the recent housing challenges. Stamford is more affordable than neighboring Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan. Several celebrities call Stamford home, including actor and comedian Gene Wilder, singer Cyndi Lauper, pop singer Rhiana, and rapper 50 Cent.
The city's motto is "The City That Works!" and its official website is http://www.ci.stamford.ct.us.
