Stamford (Connecticut)

Stamford, Connecticut is the fourth largest city in the state, a center of regional activity in Fairfield County, and a hub of the Metro New York area. Its position between NYC and the rest of Connecticut defines Stamford’s character. Stamford takes on a big-city atmosphere in its downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods, then transitions to a more traditional suburban small-town Connecticut atmosphere in its northern sections. Stamford plays an active role in the NYC metro and Fairfield County art and music scene. It also has one of the largest and most diverse selections of restaurants and shopping in Fairfield County. Many large corporations are headquartered in Stamford, so it hosts a large reverse-commute from New York City in addition to commuters from Connecticut and nearby Westchester County, New York.

By plane

 * LaGuardia Airport: a major airport in Queens, with mainly domestic flights. It is about 45 minutes away by car.
 * JFK International Airport: a major airport in Queens, with worldwide flights. It is about 60 minutes away.
 * Newark International Airport: This is a major airport in Newark, with worldwide flights. It is about 75 minutes away.
 * Westchester County Airport: an airport in Westchester County, NY, with flights throughout the country, and from Toronto. It is about 30 minutes away.
 * Bradley International Airport: a major airport in Windsor Locks, north of Hartford, with flights worldwide. It is about 100 minutes away.
 * Tweed-New Haven Airport: a small airport in New Haven, with flights from Philadelphia. It is about an hour away.

By train

 * Train operators:
 * Routes stopping at Stamford:
 * Acela travels multiple times daily between Boston and Washington, D.C. with stops in Westwood, Providence, New Haven, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore. This is the only route in the U.S. which resembles a high-speed rail line, with a top speed of 150 mph (241 km/h), though it can only go this fast on a few short segments.
 * Northeast Regional is Amtrak's busiest regional service, connecting Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and the many towns and cities in-between. Toward the east end of the route, some trips terminate at Springfield instead of Boston. Some services also continue south into Virginia towards Newport News, Roanoke and Norfolk on three separate branch routes from Alexandria. This is also Amtrak's most frequent service, with multiple daily departures, and the longest trip takes 12.5 hours. Stops at Union Station and State Street.
 * Vermonter operates daily between St. Albans and Washington, D.C. including stops in Essex Junction, Waterbury, Montpelier, White River Junction, Claremont, Bellows Falls, Brattleboro, Greenfield, Northampton, Holyoke, Springfield, Windsor Locks, Hartford, Meriden, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, New York City, Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, and New Carrollton. S
 * Metro-North
 * On peak for Metro-North there are at least several local and express trains and off peak there are a couple of local trains that take an hour and 11 minutes and an express train that takes 45 minutes. Metro-North trains operate from Grand Central, New York City and New Haven Union Station, New Haven, Connecticut. There is the New Canaan Branch in Stamford with stops at Stamford, Glenbrook, Springdale, Talmadge Hill, and New Canaan which is also operated by Metro-North.

The other train stations in the city are served by the New Canaan Branch of the New Haven Line, which provides mostly shuttle service to Stamford Transit Center: The remaining two stations on this branch are in nearby New Canaan.

By car
I-95 is the major interstate highway that goes through downtown Stamford. Merritt Parkway goes parallel to I-95 about 5 miles north.

Get around
Having a car makes traveling in Stamford much easier and safer (see Stay safe) but it is not essential.

By bus
Bus routes travel along all major roads to all ends of the city and to other cities in Fairfield County as well as running to White Plains, NY, and Port Chester, NY. See here for more information on bus routes in Stamford.

By train
The New Canaan Metro-North line runs from downtown Stamford through the Eastside of Stamford with stops in the Springdale, and Glenbrook neighborhoods. See here for information on the New Canaan Metro-North line.

By taxi
There are several taxi companies serving Stamford. Among them are Stamford Taxi, +1-203-325-2611, Eveready, +1-203-655-8779, and USA Taxi, +1-203-487-0007

Drink

 * Tigin, one of the top Arsenal FC bars in the tri-state area.

Note- The Stamford Nightlife scene is constantly changing but all located generally in the same area of downtown Stamford. If searching for a fun club, bar or restaurant feel encouraged to walk through downtown Stamford at night especially Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The area with the most bars is centered roughly around Columbus Park, but there are many more popular places to drink. The area bordered by Forest Street to the north, Grove Street to the east, Washington Boulevard to the west, and Tresser Boulevard to the south is very safe and contains much of Stamford nightlife. Be careful of leaving this area, however, as some of the streets bordering Stamford downtown can be dangerous especially at night. Avoid hanging around the St. Johns Towers (the three large cylinder towers on Tresser Boulevard.)

Work
A large reason for the increased development of Stamford has been the influx of corporations establishing headquarters in Stamford, but travelers won't find much opportunity for employment in those offices.

Stay safe
The FBI rates Stamford one of the safest cities in its population bracket. However caution must be used in some parts of Stamford, especially traveling past public housing projects. Walking the street is where you will encounter the most danger; avoid certain streets on the East Side (Custer Street, Ursula Place, Sections of Cove Road.), the West Side (Connecticut Avenue, Merrel Avenue, Spruce Street), as well as most of the Waterside (bordered by I-95 on the north, the Greenwich/Stamford border to the west and the Long Island Sound to the south and east; main avenue is Southfield Ave) and South End neighborhoods (The South End is bordered by I-95 to the north, and Long Island Sound to the east, west, and south; main avenue is Canal Street). Although Stamford is rapidly gentrifying, gangs and organized crime have long established roots in Stamford. Use the same caution as one would use in any city especially faced with a violent confrontation or when engaging in illicit activities. Stamford’s homeless population is not large but can be quite aggressive. Be careful of how you carry yourself; in Stamford a quick word might be more effective then simply ignoring a request. Avoid the McDonald's by the main library downtown, especially at night. It's been the site of muggings, fights and even a recent murder. There are plenty of other (safer) dining options in the area. Also Shippan has a lot of young hooligans roaming around at night. Some may get violent.

Go next
New York City- The primary reason for Stamford's development was its proximity to NYC. A 30-minute drive down I95 or the Merritt Parkway will take you to NYC. Also a 45-minute express train and a 75-minute local train will take you there and back for $30.50 peak and $23 off-peak; be sure to purchase tickets at the station, you will incur a 45% price increase when you purchase onboard. Free parking for the train station is provided at a commuter lot adjacent to I95 and there is slightly expensive pay parking lot directly across the street from the train station. Taking the train into Grand Central provides you access to the NYC transit system and you can use that to venture to any part of the city for $2.75 a trip.

Bridgeport- Bridgeport is a cheaper alternative to visiting New York City. Bridgeport is only roughly (depending on traffic) a 20-minute drive down I-95 or the Merritt Parkway and a 30-minute train ride. Home to the Beardsley Zoo, the Barnum Museum and a diverse restaurant scene. Also located in Bridgeport is a ferry running from downtown Bridgeport to Port Jefferson, New York, on Long Island's North Shore.

New Haven- About a 45-minute train ride away and a 30- to 45-minute drive north depending on traffic, New Haven is another popular destination. A lively downtown restaurant, bar and club scene makes it a good nightlife destination. Also home to multiple playhouses and musical venues.