Stamford, Connecticut
Encyclopedia
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut
, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England. Stamford is in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk Metro area which is a part of the Greater New York metropolitan area
.
to Stamford was signed on July 1, 1640 between Captain Turner of the New Haven Colony
and Chief Ponus. By the Eighteenth century, one of the primary industries of the town was merchandising by water, which was possible due to Stamford's proximity to New York.
In 1692, Stamford was home to a less famous witch trial than the well-known Salem witch trial, which also occurred in 1692. The accusations were less fanatical and smaller-scale but also grew to prominence through gossip and hysterics.
Starting in the late 19th century, New York residents built summer homes on the shoreline, and even back then there were some who moved to Stamford permanently and started commuting to Manhattan by train, although the practice became more popular later. Stamford incorporated as a city in 1893.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Fairfield's commercial real estate boomed as corporations relocated from New York City to peripheral areas. A massive urban redevelopment campaign during that time resulted in a downtown with many tall office buildings. The F.D. Rich Co. was the city-designated urban renewal developer of the downtown in an ongoing redevelopment project that was contentious, beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the 1970s. The company put up what was the city's tallest structure, One Landmark Square, at 21 floors high, and the GTE building (now One Stamford Forum), along with the Marriott Hotel, the Stamford Town Center and many of the other downtown office buildings. One Landmark Square has since been dwarfed by the new 35-story Trump Parc condominium tower(topped out), and soon by the 400-foot 39 story Ritz Carlton Hotel and Residences development, another project by the Rich Company in partnership with Cappelli Enterprises. Over the years, other developers have joined in building up the downtown, a process that continued, with breaks during downturns in the economy, through the 1980s, 1990s and into the new century.
, to the south by Long Island Sound
, by Greenwich
to the west, and both Darien
and New Canaan
to the east.
(Köppen climate classification
Dfa). The average high temperature annually is 62.4 °F (16.9 °C). The average low temperature annually is 40.6 °F (4.8 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 104 °F (40 °C) in 2001. The lowest recorded temperature was -18 °F in 1982. The average warmest month is July. January is the average coolest month. The maximum average precipitation occurs in May. The average precipitation from November to March is 21.39 inches (543.3 mm). During the winter months, it is not uncommon for snowfall to occur in the northern part of the city, while remaining rain in the downtown and coastal areas of the city. This is mainly due to the tempering effects of Long Island Sound on climate.
Stamford is made up of approximately 45 distinct neighborhoods, including 2 historic districts and 1 large neighborhood/redevelopment project, Harbor Point
that has yet to be completed:
Downtown
East Side
North Stamford
South End
West Side
: Grass Island, Greenway Island, Jack Island and Vincent Island.
Stamford is tied with Iowa City, Iowa
for the US metropolitan area with the highest percentage of the adult population holding a bachelor's degree
or higher; 44 percent of adults hold a degree.
One out of three residents are foreign born. A language other than English is spoken at home by 42% of the population. The main ancestries of the population (Source: 2000 US Census Bureau) are: Italian (16.9%), Irish (10.5%), German (6.6%), Polish (5.6%), and Russian (3.1%). The top ten countries of origin for the foreign-born population (Source: 2000 US Census Bureau) are:
for the city was $34,987. About 5.4% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
, home to about 21,500 active registered Democrats and 14,000 Republicans in October 2005. The partisan ratio was 1.5 Democrats per Republican. 100 individuals were registered with minor parties, while roughly 20,000 did not have any party affiliation.
on the Metro-North Railroad
, the commuter rail system for northern metropolitan New York City. Stamford
is the third busiest station on the Metro North system and serves as a major transfer point for local trains. Stamford Station is also the terminus of a Metro-North branch that ends in New Canaan
, 8 miles (13 km) away, and a part time terminal of Shore Line East
trains. Two smaller train stations in Stamford are Glenbrook
and Springdale
, both a part of the New Canaan branch. With a recent spike in development in the East Side neighborhood, the city is considering putting in a proposal to construct a new stop to service the East Main Street area close to the New Canaan branch overpass.
Commuter trains come into Stamford from all points between New London
to the east and New York (Grand Central Terminal)
to the south. Several express (non-stop) trains leave Stamford each morning and evening for Grand Central. The average non-stop commute is forty-five minutes. Stamford has seen a significant increase in ridership. Much of this increase is a result of reverse commuting, individuals commuting from New York City to Stamford for work. Trains operate from the Stamford station between 4:43 AM (first departure to Grand Central) until 12:25 AM (last departure to Grand Central). On the weekends the first departure for Grand Central occurs at 5:03 AM. Fares during rush hour (on peak) are higher than during non-rush hour (off peak). On peak fares are charged between 4:43 AM – 9:10 AM for trains originating to Grand Central. Trains in transit to Stamford are charged on peak fares from 5:35 AM – 8:37 AM and from 4:02 PM – 7:40 PM. On peak fares do not apply on weekends and/or holidays. Tickets can be bought on board, yet the surcharge can make the price steep.
Stamford also serves as a station along the Amtrak
route. Acela, the high speed train service between Boston and Washington, makes several daily stops in Stamford. Amtrak's Regional
(Springfield, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C.) and Vermonter
(Saint Albans, Vermont to Washington, D.C.) also make daily stops in Stamford. Amtrak tickets can be purchased on the upper level of the Stamford station.
Late in 2007 the city contracted a private San Francisco company to conduct a 6 month feasibility study to look at the possibility of creating an inner-city light rail line. With the proposed Harbor Point development set to break ground in the South End neighborhood sometime in 2008, the idea is to create a line that would connect the new developments to points north, such as the transportation center, Landmark Square in downtown and other various points up to the Bulls Head area.
Regional: Westchester County Airport
(often referred to as White Plains Airport) which borders the town of Greenwich and Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport.
International: LaGuardia Airport
and John F. Kennedy International Airport
both in Queens, N.Y., Newark Liberty International Airport
in Newark
& Elizabeth, New Jersey
and Bradley International Airport
in Windsor Locks, Hartford County, Connecticut
, Norwalk
, Greenwich
and Port Chester, New York
. A non-stop direct route is also offered to White Plains, New York
. Commuters can connect in Norwalk to points as far east as Milford
and as far north as Danbury
. Additional connections can be made in Port Chester and White Plains to all points covered by the Bee-Line
bus system in Westchester County
.
Greyhound
provides some bus service from the lower level of the Stamford train station. Same bus service is provided to New Haven (Union Station)
, Boston (South Station)
, and New York (Port Authority)
.
serves as the main route through downtown Stamford with four exits (6-9). The Merritt Parkway
runs through the northern part of the city. This road is designated for passenger vehicles only. Any congestion on the Merritt Parkway is mostly likely to occur on the southbound lane in the morning and the northbound in the evening (route to and from New York). At night, due to the absence of lighting, visibility on the Merritt Parkway is relatively poor. Stamford exits on the Merritt Parkway are 33-35, and exit 36 is just over the border in New Canaan.
Stamford is also served by four other state highways. Route 1
, also known as Main Street in Stamford, is also used as a major artery during the morning and evening commute. Most traffic via Route 1 is short distance or fairly local, yet vehicles have utilized Route 1 during times of heavy congestion on I-95 as a re-route. Route 137
(Washington Boulevard and High Ridge Road) is the main north-south road of the city and runs from the Stamford Transportation Center and serves the Turn of River, North Stamford, and High Ridge sections of the city. Route 104 (Long Ridge Road) branches off from Route 137 to serve the Long Ridge section. Route 106 (Courtland Avenue) serves the Glenbrook neighborhood and continues towards the town of Darien
.
Stamford's cluster of corporate headquarters includes a number of Fortune 500
, Fortune 1000
and Courant 100 companies.
Among the larger companies with headquarters in Stamford are World Wrestling Entertainment
, Tasty Bite
and Pitney Bowes
. UBS also has its North American headquarters here and its trading floor holds the Guinness World Record as the largest column-less trading floor in the world. Royal Bank of Scotland
moved its North American operations into Stamford in 2009, including its RBS Greenwich Capital subsidiary.
In recent years, many large corporations have moved offices outside of the city due to the high rental cost, including Xerox
, MeadWestvaco
, International Paper
, GE Capital
, NBC
and Clairol
.
The violent crime rate climbed five years in a row up through 2006, and the 2005 increase was also in the double digits. The city's 300-officer police force responded to 393 reports of violent crimes in 2006, up from 353 in 2005 and 305 in 2004. The total number of serious assaults dropped from 183 in 2005 to 172 in 2006, according to city records. Robberies rose from 150 to 197 in 2006. Serious assaults dropped 6 percent.
There were three homicides and 23 rapes in 2006, up from two homicides and 18 rapes in 2005. the city reported 2,697 total crimes. With populations close to that of Stamford, Bridgeport (ranked 25th) reported 8,496, Hartford (ranked 26th) reported 10,955 and Waterbury reported 6,447 (New Haven hasn't reported statistics to the F.B.I. in years.)
, or SFRD. The Stamford Fire Rescue Department's primary response district includes the Southern, more urban sections of the city, including Downtown
, East Side, West Side
, Woodside, and South End
areas of the city. The five all-volunteer fire departments' primary response districts include the Northern, more residential sections of the city, from Downtown to the New York State border. The SFRD's 290 paid members staff a total of 9 Engines(Including 2 Quints), 3 Trucks, a Heavy Rescue, and a Deputy Chief's Command Vehicle and operate out of 7 Fire Stations(Including 2 Substations) and also share quarters with two Volunteer Fire Company's Fire Stations. The Stamford Fire Rescue Department responds to over 11,000 emergency calls annually. The five All-volunteer fire departments(Belltown FD, Glenbrook-New Hope FD, Springdale FD, Turn of River FD, and Long Ridge FD) operate 1 to 2 Fire Stations in their own tax districts. The volunteers staff a combined department total of 14 Engines, 3 Trucks, 5 Rescues, and their own Command Vehicles, as many other special units.
Budgeting and districting of the various fire departments throughout the city has been unstable since 2007, due to an extended legal conflict between the volunteer departments and the Malloy administration. In 2010, Mayor Mike Pavia and Bobby Valentine
proposed an idea to the city council and the city's fire departments to have two fire departments operating in the city: Stamford Fire Rescue
, and the Stamford Volunteer Fire Department, which would incorporate four of the five volunteer fire departments into one big combination volunteer/paid fire department. Should the plan be finalized and put into operation the new paid firefighters would staff (in conjunction with the volunteers) volunteer fire apparatus, as they did before 2007. However, this would also mean the removal of Stamford Fire Rescue
Engine's 7, 8, and 9 from the Springdale Fire Station and the two Stamford Fire Rescue
substations in the Turn of River and Roxbury sections of the city. As of June 2010, the plan is still being looked over and its outcome is yet to be determined.
, SPD also operates substations in Stamford's West Side
at Wilson St. and W. Main St. and at 1137 High Ridge Rd and Hope Street. The current Chief of Police is Robert Nivakoff.
, University of Bridgeport
and Sacred Heart University
. The University of Connecticut's campus
is located in a large modern building in downtown that opened in 1998 after extensive renovations to an abandoned former Bloomingdales store that closed in 1990. The branches of the University of Bridgeport and Sacred Heart University are located in the River Bend Executive Center, Fairfield County's premier communication and information high tech park. All are commuter campuses.
As no study has been conducted to assess the cost of education in Stamford, it is difficult to tell whether or not Stamford has a well-funded public education system. Although providing a public education is a state responsibility, Connecticut ranks near the bottom in state share of public education expenditures. Thus, the majority of education funding must come from local governments like that of Stamford. According to the State Department of Education, in the 2004-05 academic year, 42.7% of Stamford's public school students were economically disadvantaged, 34.8% did not have English as a home language and 11.6% were students with disabilities. Research has shown that these populations need additional resources to meet state academic standards. Owing to the state school finance system, the burden of these extra necessary costs of education falls primarily on Stamford's local government. The public school system is an integrated district with racial balance requirements exceeding those of the state of Connecticut. State standards require that a school's racial makeup be within 25% of the community's racial makeup. Stamford's standard is a more strict 10%. Over the years, schools have become unbalanced.
Stamford has several public high school
s, Westhill High School
, Stamford High School, and the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering
. The city also has several private schools, including King Low Heywood Thomas, The Long Ridge School, Trinity Catholic High School
, Villa Maria School, and Bi-Cultural Jewish Day School as well as two state charter schools: Trailblazers Academy Charter Middle School and Stamford Academy Charter High School, both operated by human services nonprofit Domus.
, the Ferguson Library, is one of the largest in Connecticut. The main library downtown is the second in the country to rent space to a Starbucks (since September 1999). The store has its own doors to the street and to the library, and is open earlier and later than the library. The library also shows movies and has a used-book store run by Friends of Ferguson Library.
The library has branches in South End, Springdale, and the Turn of River sections of the city, it also has a bookmobile that runs daily to different neighborhoods. The Turn of River branch, officially called the Harry Bennett Branch, is the largest library branch in the state. That branch also has a used book store run by Friends of Ferguson Library.
, Israel
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, Greece Lima, Peru
Fairfield County, Connecticut
Fairfield County is a county located in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The county population is 916,829 according to the 2010 Census. There are currently 1,465 people per square mile in the county. It is the most populous county in the State of Connecticut and contains...
, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England. Stamford is in the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk Metro area which is a part of the Greater New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
.
History
Stamford was known as Rippowam by the Native American inhabitants to the region, and the very first European settlers to the area also referred to it as such. The name was later changed to Stamford after a town in Lincolnshire, England. The deedDeed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
to Stamford was signed on July 1, 1640 between Captain Turner of the New Haven Colony
New Haven Colony
The New Haven Colony was an English colonial venture in present-day Connecticut in North America from 1637 to 1662.- Quinnipiac Colony :A Puritan minister named John Davenport led his flock from exile in the Netherlands back to England and finally to America in the spring of 1637...
and Chief Ponus. By the Eighteenth century, one of the primary industries of the town was merchandising by water, which was possible due to Stamford's proximity to New York.
In 1692, Stamford was home to a less famous witch trial than the well-known Salem witch trial, which also occurred in 1692. The accusations were less fanatical and smaller-scale but also grew to prominence through gossip and hysterics.
Starting in the late 19th century, New York residents built summer homes on the shoreline, and even back then there were some who moved to Stamford permanently and started commuting to Manhattan by train, although the practice became more popular later. Stamford incorporated as a city in 1893.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Fairfield's commercial real estate boomed as corporations relocated from New York City to peripheral areas. A massive urban redevelopment campaign during that time resulted in a downtown with many tall office buildings. The F.D. Rich Co. was the city-designated urban renewal developer of the downtown in an ongoing redevelopment project that was contentious, beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the 1970s. The company put up what was the city's tallest structure, One Landmark Square, at 21 floors high, and the GTE building (now One Stamford Forum), along with the Marriott Hotel, the Stamford Town Center and many of the other downtown office buildings. One Landmark Square has since been dwarfed by the new 35-story Trump Parc condominium tower(topped out), and soon by the 400-foot 39 story Ritz Carlton Hotel and Residences development, another project by the Rich Company in partnership with Cappelli Enterprises. Over the years, other developers have joined in building up the downtown, a process that continued, with breaks during downturns in the economy, through the 1980s, 1990s and into the new century.
Geography
Stamford is situated near the southwestern point of Connecticut. It is bordered on the north by Pound Ridge, New YorkPound Ridge, New York
Pound Ridge is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 5,104 at the 2010 census.The town is located in the eastern corner of the county, bordered by New Canaan, Connecticut, to the east, Stamford, Connecticut, to the south, Bedford, New York, to the west and...
, to the south by Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
, by Greenwich
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
to the west, and both Darien
Darien, Connecticut
Darien is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011...
and New Canaan
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
to the east.
Climate
Stamford experiences a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfa). The average high temperature annually is 62.4 °F (16.9 °C). The average low temperature annually is 40.6 °F (4.8 °C). The highest recorded temperature was 104 °F (40 °C) in 2001. The lowest recorded temperature was -18 °F in 1982. The average warmest month is July. January is the average coolest month. The maximum average precipitation occurs in May. The average precipitation from November to March is 21.39 inches (543.3 mm). During the winter months, it is not uncommon for snowfall to occur in the northern part of the city, while remaining rain in the downtown and coastal areas of the city. This is mainly due to the tempering effects of Long Island Sound on climate.
Neighborhoods
Harbor Point (Stamford)
Harbor Point is located in the South End section of Stamford, Connecticut, in southwestern Fairfield County. It is made up of five distinct areas each centered around a park or waterfront feature. It is currently one of the largest redevelopment projects in the nation. Once development is complete...
that has yet to be completed:
DowntownDowntown Stamford, ConnecticutDowntown Stamford is the central business district of the city of Stamford, Connecticut, USA. It is an economically thriving area of the city, with major retail establishments, a shopping mall, a university campus, the headquarters of major corporations and fortune 500 companies, as well as other...
- Atlantic Square
- Downtown Stamford Historic District
- Landmark Square
- Mill River Park
East SideEast Side of Stamford, ConnecticutThe East Side of Stamford, Connecticut is a neighborhood of mostly modest homes in southern part of the city.The East Side is southeast of Downtown, north of Shippan, and northwest of The Cove and south of Glenbrook. It is mostly to the south of Interstate 95 but covers both sides of East Main Street...
- ShippanShippan, ConnecticutShippan is a section of the city of Stamford, Connecticut.The Shippan section borders several other neighborhoods: to the south is Shippan Point, to the west is the South End, to the north is Downtown, to the northeast is the East Side, and to the east is The Cove...
- Shippan PointShippan PointShippan Point is the southernmost neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut, located on a peninsula in Long Island Sound. Street names such as Ocean Drive West and Lighthouse Way reflect the neighborhood's shoreline location....
- The CoveCove section of Stamford, ConnecticutThe Cove section of Stamford, Connecticut, usually called "The Cove" is an area of mostly modest homes in the southeast corner of Stamford, Connecticut....
North StamfordNorth StamfordNorth Stamford is section of Stamford, Connecticut north of the Merritt Parkway. Often hilly and woodsy, it is less densely developed than the rest of the city....
- High Ridge
- Hunting Ridge
- Long Ridge
- Revonah
- Revonah Woods
- Roxbury
- Turn of River
- Westover
- Woodside
- Scofieldtown
South EndSouth End of StamfordThe South End of Stamford, Connecticut is a rapidly growing neighborhood located at the southern end of the city, just south of the Downtown neighborhood. It is expected to be greatly changed with redevelopment over the next decade...
- Harbor PointHarbor Point (Stamford)Harbor Point is located in the South End section of Stamford, Connecticut, in southwestern Fairfield County. It is made up of five distinct areas each centered around a park or waterfront feature. It is currently one of the largest redevelopment projects in the nation. Once development is complete...
- Clearwater
- Coastal Gardens
- Commons Park
- Gateway
- Metro Center
- Yale & Towne
- South End Historic District
West SideWest Side of StamfordThe West Side of Stamford, Connecticut, also known as Richmond Hill, is one of the oldest sections in the state of Connecticut. It is located north of the Waterside neighborhood, west of Downtown and east of Greenwich, Connecticut...
- Connecticut Avenue
- Hubbard Heights
- Richmond Hill
- Southwood Square
- Spruce Street
- Vidal Court
- Waterside
Islands
Stamford possesses four islands in Long Island SoundLong Island Sound
Long Island Sound is an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, located in the United States between Connecticut to the north and Long Island, New York to the south. The mouth of the Connecticut River at Old Saybrook, Connecticut, empties into the sound. On its western end the sound is bounded by the Bronx...
: Grass Island, Greenway Island, Jack Island and Vincent Island.
ZIP codes
The commonly known neighborhoods throughout Stamford (with ZIP Codes that roughly cover the same areas) are as follows:- 06901 - DowntownDowntown Stamford, ConnecticutDowntown Stamford is the central business district of the city of Stamford, Connecticut, USA. It is an economically thriving area of the city, with major retail establishments, a shopping mall, a university campus, the headquarters of major corporations and fortune 500 companies, as well as other...
. - 06902 - CoveCove section of Stamford, ConnecticutThe Cove section of Stamford, Connecticut, usually called "The Cove" is an area of mostly modest homes in the southeast corner of Stamford, Connecticut....
, East SideEast Side of Stamford, ConnecticutThe East Side of Stamford, Connecticut is a neighborhood of mostly modest homes in southern part of the city.The East Side is southeast of Downtown, north of Shippan, and northwest of The Cove and south of Glenbrook. It is mostly to the south of Interstate 95 but covers both sides of East Main Street...
, Roxbury, ShippanShippan, ConnecticutShippan is a section of the city of Stamford, Connecticut.The Shippan section borders several other neighborhoods: to the south is Shippan Point, to the west is the South End, to the north is Downtown, to the northeast is the East Side, and to the east is The Cove...
, Shippan PointShippan PointShippan Point is the southernmost neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut, located on a peninsula in Long Island Sound. Street names such as Ocean Drive West and Lighthouse Way reflect the neighborhood's shoreline location....
, South EndSouth End of StamfordThe South End of Stamford, Connecticut is a rapidly growing neighborhood located at the southern end of the city, just south of the Downtown neighborhood. It is expected to be greatly changed with redevelopment over the next decade...
, Waterside, West SideWest Side of StamfordThe West Side of Stamford, Connecticut, also known as Richmond Hill, is one of the oldest sections in the state of Connecticut. It is located north of the Waterside neighborhood, west of Downtown and east of Greenwich, Connecticut...
, and Westover. - 06903 - Long Ridge and North StamfordNorth StamfordNorth Stamford is section of Stamford, Connecticut north of the Merritt Parkway. Often hilly and woodsy, it is less densely developed than the rest of the city....
. - 06905 - Belltown, Hubbard Heights, Newfield, Ridgeway, Revonah Woods, North Stamford, and Turn of River.
- 06906 - GlenbrookGlenbrook, ConnecticutGlenbrook is a section of the city of Stamford, Connecticut. It is located on the eastern side of the city, east of Downtown, north of the East Side and the Cove sections and south of the Springdale section. To the west is Downtown Stamford and to the northwest is Belltown. To the east is...
. - 06907 - SpringdaleSpringdale, ConnecticutSpringdale is a section or neighborhood in Stamford, Connecticut. It is known around Stamford to have a small-town feel in the middle of a mid-sized city...
.
Age and gender
The proportion of the population under the age of 18 was 22.1%, from 18 to 24 was 7.4%, from 25 to 44 was 35.0%, from 45 to 64 was 21.7%, and 65 years of age or older were 13.8%. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.Education
Stamford has one of the highest educated populations in the US. Nine out of ten are high school graduates. Those possessing a bachelor's degree or higher is estimated at 45.9% of the population.Stamford is tied with Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, State of Iowa. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of about 67,862, making it the sixth-largest city in the state. Iowa City is the county seat of Johnson County and home to the University of Iowa...
for the US metropolitan area with the highest percentage of the adult population holding a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
or higher; 44 percent of adults hold a degree.
Ethnicity and race
The 2009 Census Population estimate for Stamford is 118,787. A 2009 Census survey estimated 48,676 housing units to be in existence. The average median age of 36.6 is only slightly higher than the US average median age of 36.4. Stamford's population characteristics are as follows (Source:U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey):- WhiteWhite AmericanWhite Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
- 64.9% - BlackAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
- 13.2% - AsianAsian AmericanAsian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
- 7.2% - All Other Races - 13.3%
- Two or More Races - 1.4%
- Hispanic - 22.1%
One out of three residents are foreign born. A language other than English is spoken at home by 42% of the population. The main ancestries of the population (Source: 2000 US Census Bureau) are: Italian (16.9%), Irish (10.5%), German (6.6%), Polish (5.6%), and Russian (3.1%). The top ten countries of origin for the foreign-born population (Source: 2000 US Census Bureau) are:
- Haiti - 3,524
- Guatemala - 3,067
- India - 2,577
- Jamaica - 2,289
- Greece - 2,100
- Colombia - 1,937
- China - 1,495
- Mexico - 1,414
- Peru - 1,268
Housing
There are 47,317 housing units at an average density of 1,253.6 per square mile (484.0/km²). There are 45,399 households out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.13.Income
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $72,315, and the median income for a family was $88,205. Males had a median income of $48,386 versus $36,958 for females. The per capita incomePer capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $34,987. About 5.4% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.
Politics
Stamford is mostly DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, home to about 21,500 active registered Democrats and 14,000 Republicans in October 2005. The partisan ratio was 1.5 Democrats per Republican. 100 individuals were registered with minor parties, while roughly 20,000 did not have any party affiliation.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
13,916 | 5,342 | 19,258 | 25.61% |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
21,493 | 7,115 | 28,608 | 38.05% |
Unaffiliated | 20,118 | 7,062 | 27,180 | 36.15% |
Minor Parties | 100 | 40 | 140 | 0.19% | |
| Total | 55,627 | 19,559 | 75,186 | 100% | |||||||||||||||||||||
Mass transit
Stamford is located on the main branch of the New Haven LineNew Haven Line (Metro-North)
Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut southwest to Woodlawn, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan....
on the Metro-North Railroad
Metro-North Railroad
The Metro-North Commuter Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, or, more commonly, Metro-North, is a suburban commuter rail service that is run and managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , an authority of New York State. It is the busiest commuter railroad in the United...
, the commuter rail system for northern metropolitan New York City. Stamford
Stamford (Metro-North station)
The Stamford Metro-North Railroad station, officially known as the Stamford Transportation Center serves commuters both leaving and entering Stamford, Connecticut via the New Haven Line. Some Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains also stop at Stamford....
is the third busiest station on the Metro North system and serves as a major transfer point for local trains. Stamford Station is also the terminus of a Metro-North branch that ends in New Canaan
New Canaan, Connecticut
New Canaan is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, northeast of Stamford, on the Fivemile River. The population was 19,738 according to the 2010 census.The town is one of the most affluent communities in the United States...
, 8 miles (13 km) away, and a part time terminal of Shore Line East
Shore Line East
Shore Line East is a commuter rail service operating in southern Connecticut, USA. A fully owned subsidiary of the Connecticut Department of Transportation , SLE provides service seven days a week along the Northeast Corridor from New London west to New Haven, with continuing service to Bridgeport...
trains. Two smaller train stations in Stamford are Glenbrook
Glenbrook (Metro-North station)
The Glenbrook Metro-North Railroad station is located in Glenbrook section of Stamford, Connecticut, USA, along the New Canaan Branch of the New Haven Line.-Description:...
and Springdale
Springdale (Metro-North station)
The Springdale Metro-North Railroad station is located in Springdale section of Stamford, Connecticut along the New Canaan Branch of the New Haven Line.-Description:...
, both a part of the New Canaan branch. With a recent spike in development in the East Side neighborhood, the city is considering putting in a proposal to construct a new stop to service the East Main Street area close to the New Canaan branch overpass.
Commuter trains come into Stamford from all points between New London
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States.It is located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, southeastern Connecticut....
to the east and New York (Grand Central Terminal)
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
to the south. Several express (non-stop) trains leave Stamford each morning and evening for Grand Central. The average non-stop commute is forty-five minutes. Stamford has seen a significant increase in ridership. Much of this increase is a result of reverse commuting, individuals commuting from New York City to Stamford for work. Trains operate from the Stamford station between 4:43 AM (first departure to Grand Central) until 12:25 AM (last departure to Grand Central). On the weekends the first departure for Grand Central occurs at 5:03 AM. Fares during rush hour (on peak) are higher than during non-rush hour (off peak). On peak fares are charged between 4:43 AM – 9:10 AM for trains originating to Grand Central. Trains in transit to Stamford are charged on peak fares from 5:35 AM – 8:37 AM and from 4:02 PM – 7:40 PM. On peak fares do not apply on weekends and/or holidays. Tickets can be bought on board, yet the surcharge can make the price steep.
Stamford also serves as a station along the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
route. Acela, the high speed train service between Boston and Washington, makes several daily stops in Stamford. Amtrak's Regional
Régional
Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne, or Régional for short, is a subsidiary airline wholly owned by Air France which connects hubs at Paris, Lyon, Clermont-Ferrand, and Bordeaux to 49 airports in Europe. The airline operates in Air France livery, retaining its name in small titles and logo on...
(Springfield, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C.) and Vermonter
Vermonter
Amtrak's Vermonter is a 611-mile passenger train service between St. Albans , New York City and Washington, D.C. One trip runs in each direction per day....
(Saint Albans, Vermont to Washington, D.C.) also make daily stops in Stamford. Amtrak tickets can be purchased on the upper level of the Stamford station.
Late in 2007 the city contracted a private San Francisco company to conduct a 6 month feasibility study to look at the possibility of creating an inner-city light rail line. With the proposed Harbor Point development set to break ground in the South End neighborhood sometime in 2008, the idea is to create a line that would connect the new developments to points north, such as the transportation center, Landmark Square in downtown and other various points up to the Bulls Head area.
Airports
Stamford is within 45 minutes to 2 hours of six major airports: two regional, four international.Regional: Westchester County Airport
Westchester County Airport
Westchester County Airport is a county-owned public-use airport in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located three nautical miles northeast of the central business district of White Plains, in the towns of Harrison, North Castle and Rye Brook.It serves the areas of...
(often referred to as White Plains Airport) which borders the town of Greenwich and Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport.
International: LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
and John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport is an international airport located in the borough of Queens in New York City, about southeast of Lower Manhattan. It is the busiest international air passenger gateway to the United States, handling more international traffic than any other airport in North...
both in Queens, N.Y., Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
in Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
& Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Elisheva, meaning "God's promise," "oath of God," or "I am God’s daughter." Elizabeth and Elisabeth are the parent unit names of Lisa, Lilly, Beth, Betty, and Ella; Elsa, Isabel, and Isabella are etymologically related...
and Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport
Bradley International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located in Windsor Locks on the border with East Granby and Suffield, in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is owned by the State of Connecticut....
in Windsor Locks, Hartford County, Connecticut
Buses
City bus transportation is provided by CT Transit, which is run and financed by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. The main terminal is adjacent to the train station on State Street, under the I-95 highway. Bus service runs along major arterial roads through the towns of DarienDarien, Connecticut
Darien is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011...
, Norwalk
Norwalk, Connecticut
Norwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
, Greenwich
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
and Port Chester, New York
Port Chester, New York
Port Chester is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is part of the town of Rye. As of the 2010 census, Port Chester had a population of 28,967...
. A non-stop direct route is also offered to White Plains, New York
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
. Commuters can connect in Norwalk to points as far east as Milford
Milford, Connecticut
Milford is a coastal city in southwestern New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between Bridgeport and New Haven. The population was 52,759 at the 2010 census...
and as far north as Danbury
Danbury, Connecticut
Danbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
. Additional connections can be made in Port Chester and White Plains to all points covered by the Bee-Line
Bee-Line Bus System
The Bee-Line Bus System, branded on the buses in lowercase as the bee-line system, is a bus system serving Westchester County, New York. The system is owned by the County's Department of Public Works and Transportation and operated, on contract , by Yonkers-based Liberty Lines Transit, Inc...
bus system in Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
.
Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
provides some bus service from the lower level of the Stamford train station. Same bus service is provided to New Haven (Union Station)
Union Station (New Haven)
Union Station, also known as New Haven Railroad Station, is the main railroad passenger station in New Haven, Connecticut. Designed by noted American architect Cass Gilbert, the beaux-arts Union Station was completed and opened in 1920 after the previous Union Station was...
, Boston (South Station)
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
, and New York (Port Authority)
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
.
Highways
Two limited-access highways run through the city. Interstate 95Interstate 95 in Connecticut
Interstate 95, the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, runs in a general east–west compass direction for 111.57 miles in Connecticut from the Rhode Island state line to the New York State line. I-95 Southbound from East Lyme to the New York State...
serves as the main route through downtown Stamford with four exits (6-9). The Merritt Parkway
Merritt Parkway
The Merritt Parkway is a historic limited-access parkway in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The parkway is known for its scenic layout, its uniquely styled signage, and the architecturally elaborate overpasses along the route. It is designated as a National Scenic Byway and is also listed in the...
runs through the northern part of the city. This road is designated for passenger vehicles only. Any congestion on the Merritt Parkway is mostly likely to occur on the southbound lane in the morning and the northbound in the evening (route to and from New York). At night, due to the absence of lighting, visibility on the Merritt Parkway is relatively poor. Stamford exits on the Merritt Parkway are 33-35, and exit 36 is just over the border in New Canaan.
Stamford is also served by four other state highways. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Connecticut
In the U.S. state of Connecticut, U.S. Route 1 is a major east–west state highway along Long Island Sound. It has been replaced by Interstate 95 as a through route, which it closely parallels, and now primarily serves as a local business route...
, also known as Main Street in Stamford, is also used as a major artery during the morning and evening commute. Most traffic via Route 1 is short distance or fairly local, yet vehicles have utilized Route 1 during times of heavy congestion on I-95 as a re-route. Route 137
Route 137 (Connecticut)
Route 137 is a main highway running north/south through the city of Stamford, Connecticut. It runs for about from Downtown Stamford to the New York state line in the town of Pound Ridge, New York.-Route description:...
(Washington Boulevard and High Ridge Road) is the main north-south road of the city and runs from the Stamford Transportation Center and serves the Turn of River, North Stamford, and High Ridge sections of the city. Route 104 (Long Ridge Road) branches off from Route 137 to serve the Long Ridge section. Route 106 (Courtland Avenue) serves the Glenbrook neighborhood and continues towards the town of Darien
Darien, Connecticut
Darien is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. A relatively small community on Connecticut's "Gold Coast", the population was 20,732 at the 2010 census. Darien was listed at #9 at CNN Money's list of "top-earning towns" in the United States as of 2011...
.
Economy
Stamford's cluster of corporate headquarters includes a number of Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
, Fortune 1000
Fortune 1000
Fortune 1000 is a reference to a list maintained by the American business magazine Fortune. The list is of the 1000 largest American companies, ranked on revenues alone...
and Courant 100 companies.
Among the larger companies with headquarters in Stamford are World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
, Tasty Bite
Tasty Bite
Tasty Bite is a brand of shelf-stable Indian and Thai foods, as well as foods for special dietary needs .-The company:...
and Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes Inc. is a Stamford, Connecticut-based manufacturer of software and hardware and a provider of services related to documents, packaging, mailing, and shipping, collectively referred to as mailstream. The company has approximately 36,000 employees worldwide. It is one of 87 existing...
. UBS also has its North American headquarters here and its trading floor holds the Guinness World Record as the largest column-less trading floor in the world. Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
moved its North American operations into Stamford in 2009, including its RBS Greenwich Capital subsidiary.
In recent years, many large corporations have moved offices outside of the city due to the high rental cost, including Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
, MeadWestvaco
MeadWestvaco
MeadWestvaco Corp. is an American packaging solutions company based in Richmond, Virginia. It has approximately 23,000 employees. In February 2006, it moved its corporate headquarters to Richmond, Virginia...
, International Paper
International Paper
International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 59,500 employees, and it is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.-History:...
, GE Capital
GE Capital
GE Capital is the financial services unit of General Electric, one of five major units. Its various divisions include GE Capital Aviation Services, GE Capital Real Estate, GE Energy Financial Services and GE Money....
, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and Clairol
Clairol
Clairol is a personal care products division of Procter & Gamble. The Clairol company was started in 1931 by Lawrence M. Gelb and wife, Joan, who named their enterprise after a hair-coloring preparation they found while traveling in France....
.
Crime
Stamford was the ninth-safest city in the United States in 2006 (among cities with populations of 100,000 or more), up from the 11th safest in 2005, according to the FBI. The 2006 ranking represented the sixth consecutive year the city ranked in the top 11. FBI crime statistics for the city showed crime went down 1.7 percent in 2006 because of a plunge in property crimes. But the rate of violent crime went up by a total of 29 percent in the two years 2005 and 2006 combined. The increase was due in part due to violent gang battles, often on the West Side.The violent crime rate climbed five years in a row up through 2006, and the 2005 increase was also in the double digits. The city's 300-officer police force responded to 393 reports of violent crimes in 2006, up from 353 in 2005 and 305 in 2004. The total number of serious assaults dropped from 183 in 2005 to 172 in 2006, according to city records. Robberies rose from 150 to 197 in 2006. Serious assaults dropped 6 percent.
There were three homicides and 23 rapes in 2006, up from two homicides and 18 rapes in 2005. the city reported 2,697 total crimes. With populations close to that of Stamford, Bridgeport (ranked 25th) reported 8,496, Hartford (ranked 26th) reported 10,955 and Waterbury reported 6,447 (New Haven hasn't reported statistics to the F.B.I. in years.)
Stamford emergency medical services
A not-for-profit agency, Stamford Emergency Medical Services (SEMS) provides pre-hospital emergency care in Stamford, Connecticut. SEMS also provides contracted paramedic intercept response to Darien Emergency Medical Services, located in Darien, Connecticut. SEMS is accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). All SEMS units are staffed by at least one Connecticut-licensed paramedic. Stamford EMS currently has a fleet of 8 Ambulances, 3 Supervisors Units, as well as a Special Operations Unit and is located at 684 Long Ridge Road.Fire department
Stamford's fire protection is provided by five all-volunteer fire departments as well as a paid professional fire department known as the Stamford Fire Rescue DepartmentStamford Fire Rescue
The Stamford Fire and Rescue Department provides fire suppression and rescue, as well as first-responder emergency medical services alongside five volunteer fire departments to the City of Stamford, Connecticut.-Personnel profile:...
, or SFRD. The Stamford Fire Rescue Department's primary response district includes the Southern, more urban sections of the city, including Downtown
Downtown Stamford
Downtown Stamford is the central business district of the city of Stamford, Connecticut, USA. It is an economically thriving area of the city, with major retail establishments, a shopping mall, a university campus, the headquarters of major corporations and fortune 500 companies, as well as other...
, East Side, West Side
West Side of Stamford
The West Side of Stamford, Connecticut, also known as Richmond Hill, is one of the oldest sections in the state of Connecticut. It is located north of the Waterside neighborhood, west of Downtown and east of Greenwich, Connecticut...
, Woodside, and South End
South End of Stamford
The South End of Stamford, Connecticut is a rapidly growing neighborhood located at the southern end of the city, just south of the Downtown neighborhood. It is expected to be greatly changed with redevelopment over the next decade...
areas of the city. The five all-volunteer fire departments' primary response districts include the Northern, more residential sections of the city, from Downtown to the New York State border. The SFRD's 290 paid members staff a total of 9 Engines(Including 2 Quints), 3 Trucks, a Heavy Rescue, and a Deputy Chief's Command Vehicle and operate out of 7 Fire Stations(Including 2 Substations) and also share quarters with two Volunteer Fire Company's Fire Stations. The Stamford Fire Rescue Department responds to over 11,000 emergency calls annually. The five All-volunteer fire departments(Belltown FD, Glenbrook-New Hope FD, Springdale FD, Turn of River FD, and Long Ridge FD) operate 1 to 2 Fire Stations in their own tax districts. The volunteers staff a combined department total of 14 Engines, 3 Trucks, 5 Rescues, and their own Command Vehicles, as many other special units.
Budgeting and districting of the various fire departments throughout the city has been unstable since 2007, due to an extended legal conflict between the volunteer departments and the Malloy administration. In 2010, Mayor Mike Pavia and Bobby Valentine
Bobby Valentine
Robert John "Bobby V" Valentine is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is currently the manager of the Boston Red Sox. He previously managed the Texas Rangers and New York Mets as well as the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan...
proposed an idea to the city council and the city's fire departments to have two fire departments operating in the city: Stamford Fire Rescue
Stamford Fire Rescue
The Stamford Fire and Rescue Department provides fire suppression and rescue, as well as first-responder emergency medical services alongside five volunteer fire departments to the City of Stamford, Connecticut.-Personnel profile:...
, and the Stamford Volunteer Fire Department, which would incorporate four of the five volunteer fire departments into one big combination volunteer/paid fire department. Should the plan be finalized and put into operation the new paid firefighters would staff (in conjunction with the volunteers) volunteer fire apparatus, as they did before 2007. However, this would also mean the removal of Stamford Fire Rescue
Stamford Fire Rescue
The Stamford Fire and Rescue Department provides fire suppression and rescue, as well as first-responder emergency medical services alongside five volunteer fire departments to the City of Stamford, Connecticut.-Personnel profile:...
Engine's 7, 8, and 9 from the Springdale Fire Station and the two Stamford Fire Rescue
Stamford Fire Rescue
The Stamford Fire and Rescue Department provides fire suppression and rescue, as well as first-responder emergency medical services alongside five volunteer fire departments to the City of Stamford, Connecticut.-Personnel profile:...
substations in the Turn of River and Roxbury sections of the city. As of June 2010, the plan is still being looked over and its outcome is yet to be determined.
Police department
The Stamford Police Department(SPD) is Stamford's only police force and has lost four officers in the line of service since 1938. The 2008 force was composed of 1 chief, 2 assistant chiefs, 7 captains, 11 lieutenants, 52 sergeants, 215 officers and 67 civilian employees. Aside from Police Headquarters, located at 805 Bedford St. in Downtown StamfordDowntown Stamford
Downtown Stamford is the central business district of the city of Stamford, Connecticut, USA. It is an economically thriving area of the city, with major retail establishments, a shopping mall, a university campus, the headquarters of major corporations and fortune 500 companies, as well as other...
, SPD also operates substations in Stamford's West Side
West Side of Stamford
The West Side of Stamford, Connecticut, also known as Richmond Hill, is one of the oldest sections in the state of Connecticut. It is located north of the Waterside neighborhood, west of Downtown and east of Greenwich, Connecticut...
at Wilson St. and W. Main St. and at 1137 High Ridge Rd and Hope Street. The current Chief of Police is Robert Nivakoff.
Education
Stamford has branches of the University of ConnecticutUniversity of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, University of Bridgeport
University of Bridgeport
The University of Bridgeport is a private, independent, non-sectarian, coeducational university located on the Long Island Sound in the South End neighborhood of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The University is fully Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges...
and Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University
Sacred Heart University is a Roman Catholic university located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut, United States. Sacred Heart was founded in 1963 by the Most Reverend Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Sacred Heart University was the first Catholic university in...
. The University of Connecticut's campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
is located in a large modern building in downtown that opened in 1998 after extensive renovations to an abandoned former Bloomingdales store that closed in 1990. The branches of the University of Bridgeport and Sacred Heart University are located in the River Bend Executive Center, Fairfield County's premier communication and information high tech park. All are commuter campuses.
As no study has been conducted to assess the cost of education in Stamford, it is difficult to tell whether or not Stamford has a well-funded public education system. Although providing a public education is a state responsibility, Connecticut ranks near the bottom in state share of public education expenditures. Thus, the majority of education funding must come from local governments like that of Stamford. According to the State Department of Education, in the 2004-05 academic year, 42.7% of Stamford's public school students were economically disadvantaged, 34.8% did not have English as a home language and 11.6% were students with disabilities. Research has shown that these populations need additional resources to meet state academic standards. Owing to the state school finance system, the burden of these extra necessary costs of education falls primarily on Stamford's local government. The public school system is an integrated district with racial balance requirements exceeding those of the state of Connecticut. State standards require that a school's racial makeup be within 25% of the community's racial makeup. Stamford's standard is a more strict 10%. Over the years, schools have become unbalanced.
Stamford has several public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s, Westhill High School
Westhill High School (Connecticut)
Westhill High School is a high school located in Stamford, Connecticut, United States. Westhill is located on Roxbury Road, in the northern section of Stamford.-The Westword/School Newspaper:...
, Stamford High School, and the Academy of Information Technology and Engineering
Academy of Information Technology and Engineering
The Academy of Information Technology and Engineering is a college preparatory, inter-district public magnet high school based in Stamford, Connecticut. AITE serves the communities of Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, Norwalk, New Canaan, Ridgefield, Wilton and Weston, all of which are located in...
. The city also has several private schools, including King Low Heywood Thomas, The Long Ridge School, Trinity Catholic High School
Trinity Catholic High School (Connecticut)
Trinity Catholic High School is a regional, coeducational Catholic school for grades 9-12 located in Stamford, Connecticut. It serves parts of Fairfield County, Connecticut and Westchester County, New York. The school is a member of the FCIAC athletic conference. Trinity Catholic is accredited by...
, Villa Maria School, and Bi-Cultural Jewish Day School as well as two state charter schools: Trailblazers Academy Charter Middle School and Stamford Academy Charter High School, both operated by human services nonprofit Domus.
Libraries
Stamford's public libraryPublic library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, the Ferguson Library, is one of the largest in Connecticut. The main library downtown is the second in the country to rent space to a Starbucks (since September 1999). The store has its own doors to the street and to the library, and is open earlier and later than the library. The library also shows movies and has a used-book store run by Friends of Ferguson Library.
The library has branches in South End, Springdale, and the Turn of River sections of the city, it also has a bookmobile that runs daily to different neighborhoods. The Turn of River branch, officially called the Harry Bennett Branch, is the largest library branch in the state. That branch also has a used book store run by Friends of Ferguson Library.
Parks and recreation sites
- Cummings ParkCummings ParkCummings Park is located in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. It is made up of about 79 acres of shorefront property on Long Island Sound....
, a public beach, was once a popular spot for shellfishing. The park, developed in 1906, previously was known as Halloween Park because Mayor Homer Cummings cast the deciding vote to create it on Halloween Night. - The 83 acres (335,889.4 m²) Cove Island ParkCove Island ParkCove Island Park is a beach in The Cove section of Stamford, Connecticut, located on Long Island Sound. It is a popular spot for residents of Stamford to go rollerblading, biking and walking, as well as enjoy barbecues and ride the tram around the island....
, once a farm and then an enormous factory site, offers visitors a choice of beaches as well as picnic grounds and bluffs. It has a small wildlife sanctuary in the southwest corner that might be interesting for bird watchers. SoundWaters Community Center for Environmental Education is located at the northeast part of the park. - Terry Connors Ice Rink shares a parking lot with Cove Island Park. It offers public ice skating for all ages and ability levels, group lessons and ice hockey. It is the home of the Stamford Youth Hockey Association http://syha.org/.
- Scalzi Park on Bridge Street has a playground, baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, bocce courts, basketball courts, roller hockey courts, and a baseball stadium named "Cubeta Stadium." Stamford baseball leagues play baseball there. J.M. Wright Technical High School is next to the park. A skate park was opened at Scalzi in July 2007. The city sought input from users in planning the $309,850, concrete skate park and hired Grindline Skateparks Inc. of Seattle, Washington to provide a unique design and build it.
- Stamford boasts two municipal golf courses. Sterling Farms Golf Course opened in May 1972 and is the more popular of the two courses. The facility also has a driving range, restaurant, and six tennis courts. In the fall of 2005, Sterling Farms began Phase 1 of an extensive renovation project which will result in improvements to the entire golf course and adjacent facilities. Each fall and spring since 2005, 3 to 4 different holes have been renovated resulting in new tees, bunkers and cart paths. At this point, the entire front 9 has been completed and the back 9 is well underway. All is expected to be completed in the fall of 2010. E. Gaynor Brennan Golf Course, referred to locally as Hubbard Heights, opened for play in 1922 as a private course and was purchased by the city in 1949. A long range Master Plan is currently being designed by Stephen Kay - Doug Smith Golf Course Design and renovation work is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2010.
- Mill River Park - This park is located in the center of downtown but its ancient grist mill (present when George Washington traveled through Stamford) was modernized in the 1920s. The result was interference with the seasonal changes in the riverflow, chronic backup of silt, a loss of wildlife and an accumulation of debris. Demolition of the dam to re-establish the natural flow of the river and create a park designed by Olin Associates (the same firm that designed Bryant Park in New York) is currently underway.
Science and nature
- The Stamford Museum and Nature CenterStamford Museum and Nature CenterThe Stamford Museum and Nature Center, located in Stamford, Connecticut, is an art, history, nature and agricultural sciences museum. The property covers 118 acres beginning about 1/2 mile north of the Merritt Parkway and was originally a private estate.- Facilities :The museum property was the...
on a 118 acre (0.47752948 km²) site in the northern end of town, has a collection of works by Gutzon BorglumGutzon BorglumGutzon de la Mothe Borglum was an American artist and sculptor famous for creating the monumental presidents' heads at Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, the famous carving on Stone Mountain near Atlanta, as well as other public works of art.- Background :The son of Mormon Danish immigrants, Gutzon...
, the sculptor of Mount Rushmore, who was a Stamford resident for a decade. - The Fairfield County Astronomical Society was started up in 1954 runs the Stamford Observatory, which has a 22 inches (558.8 mm) telescope.
- Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens is a 91 acres (368,264.3 m²) botanical gardens and science education center boasting over 850 specimen trees and plants from around the world. It is also home to several Champion Trees; the largest of their species within Connecticut.
- SoundWaters Community Center for Environmental Education is located in Cove Island Park.
Theatre and film
- Stamford Center for the Arts: The Palace Theatre, originally opened as a vaudeville house in 1927, reopened as a nonprofit theater in 1983. It was joined in 1992 by the Rich Forum, another downtown venue. Both have been run by the Stamford Center for the ArtsStamford Center for the ArtsThe Stamford Center for the Arts in downtown Stamford, Connecticut, USA, actually consists of two facilities on Atlantic Street: the restored Palace Theatre, and the Rich Forum, both within four blocks of each other:-Performance and other facilities:...
. The Rich Forum is now being rented by NBC Universal as a television studio. - Curtain Call Inc. presents plays and other entertainment at the Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Ave.
- Bow Tie Cinemas has two first-run movie houses in Stamford with a total of 15 movie screens: Landmark 9 and Majestic 6. On February 13, 2004, the Avon Theatre Film Center, a nonprofit movie house focusing on classic, alternative and art films, opened in the former Avon Theatre on Bedford Street. In Springdale, the two-screen State Cinema, run by Garden Homes Cinemas of Stamford, also shows first-run films. The Ferguson Library also shows films.
Music
- Stamford Symphony Orchestra In a typical season, the SSO gives five pairs of classical concerts and three pops concerts at the 1,586-seat Palace Theatre, as well as a concert for elementary school students and a family concert series.
- Connecticut Grand Opera, a not-for-profit, professional opera company performs at the Palace Theatre. On its web site, the CGO claims to offer "the most ambitious opera season of any company between New York and Boston."
- Alive @ Five is an annual summer concert located in Columbus park typically lasting 6 weeks.
- Treetops CMS, a non-profit chamber music organization, is located in Westover, providing six chamber music concerts annually, as well as art exhibits and installations.
Media
- The NHL on Versus airs its studio show from Stamford.
- The Yes NetworkYES NetworkThe Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
headquarters is in Stamford. - WWE has its international headquarters in Stamford.
- Stamford, Connecticut served as a location for one of five branches of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company from the US television series, The Office.
- Stamford, Connecticut is featured as the start of events that unfold in the Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
Civil WarCivil War (comics)Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover storyline built around a self-titled seven-issue limited series written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven, which ran through various other titles published by Marvel at the time...
crossover series. - The 2001-2005 television sitcom My Wife and KidsMy Wife and KidsMy Wife and Kids is an American television family sitcom that ran on ABC from March 28, 2001 until May 17, 2005. Produced by Touchstone Television , it starred Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell-Martin, and centers on the character of Michael Kyle, a loving husband and modern-day patriarch who rules...
starring Damon WayansDamon WayansDamon Kyle Wayans is an American stand-up comedian, writer and actor, one of the Wayans brothers.-Early life:Wayans was born in New York City, New York, the son of Elvira, a homemaker and social worker, and Howell Wayans, a supermarket manager...
was set in Stamford. - Beginning in 2009, NBC UniversalNBC UniversalNBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
moved production of three syndicated programs to the Rich Forum Theatre. MauryMaury (TV series)Maury is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Maury Povich.When the series first aired in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by MoPo Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television...
originally taped in New York City while The Jerry Springer ShowThe Jerry Springer ShowThe Jerry Springer Show is a syndicated television tabloid talk show hosted by Jerry Springer, a former politician, broadcast in the United States and other countries...
and The Steve Wilkos ShowThe Steve Wilkos ShowThe Steve Wilkos Show is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Steve Wilkos. The show debuted on September 10, 2007, two months after Wilkos' departure as director of security on The Jerry Springer Show.-History:...
came to Stamford from Chicago.
Print media
- Stamford AdvocateThe Advocate (Stamford)The Advocate is a seven-day daily newspaper based in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. The paper shares a publisher and editor with the Greenwich Time; both are owned and operated by the Hearst Corporation, a multinational corporate media conglomerate with $4 billion in revenues.The Advocate circulates...
, daily newspaper, owned by the Hearst CorporationHearst CorporationThe Hearst Corporation is an American media conglomerate based in the Hearst Tower, Manhattan in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings now include a wide variety of media...
. - The Stamford Times, weekly newspaper, owned by The Hour Newspapers.
- Stamford Plus magazine is published by Canaiden LLC.
- El Sol News, weekly Spanish language newspaper.
- La Voz, weekly Spanish language newspaper.
Radio stations in the city
- WSTC-AM 1400; 1,000 watts; shares programming with WNLK-AM 1350
- WEDW-FM 88.5; 2,000 watts, a National Public Radio station
Sister cities
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