Stamford is the only large city in lower Fairfield County. Its urban landscape houses a large number of Fortune 500 companies. UBS, RBS, Oracle, General RE, Pitney Bowes, Harman International are among the many firms with offices in downtown Stamford.  NBC Sports is moving into a former Clairol campus in Stamford’s Cove section. In addition, the so-called “South End”  is undergoing one of the biggest major urban renewal projects in the Nation. 4,000 rental units and over 400,000 square feet of retail and office space are in development.  Fairway Foods Market opened a 80,000 sq ft building in this “new” part of Stamford.

Stamford provides an accessible shoreline with Cove Park and Cummings Park, boat launches and private clubs such as Shippan Yacht club and two public golf courses: Gaynor Brennan and Sterling Farms.  The 775-acre Mianus Gorge Park is a protected wilderness and conservation area, and the 118-acre Stamford Museum and Nature Center provides numerous education programs for children throughout the year.

Backcountry Stamford is like a world away from Downtown. Historic sections like Old Long Ridge and Rockrimmon Road date back to the 1750’s. You see the remnants of old farms. The waterfront areas of Shippan Point and Dolphin Cove offer yet another housing choice: homes on or near the shore.

Stamford’s mix of schools include magnet schools such as Stillwater (theater module) and Rippowam’s Academy of Information Technology and Engineering. There are many sports, music and theater programs to choose from.

Web sites:

• Town of Stamford  www.cityofstamford.org
• Board of Education    www.stamfordpublicschools.org
• Palace Theater  www.sstamfordcenterforthearts.org
• Chamber of Commerce  www.stamfordchamber.com
• Metro-North Railroad  www.mta.info