[brattpowered]

I'm not too old and I've only been gone for 8 years, but Stamford has changed a lot since I was a kid growing up there. Here are some things I remember, that may be gone but are not forgotten. If any longtime residents are out there, help me out!

Bongiorno
Woolworth on Hope Street
Trinity Catholic when it was Stamford Catholic
Columbus Square and downtown as a hotbed of crime
When nobody in their right mind would build ANYTHING in the South End
Cool 96.7
Caldor Downtown
The Family Affair (This is in Norwalk, but close enough)
Duchess in Shippan
Southfield Village
John's Best Pizza, on Hope Street
A solid middle class (Firefighters, Nurses, Policemen could live where they worked)
Palmer's Market
Thom Serrani
The oil tanks on Southfield Ave
The Terrace Club

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

I'm not too old and I've only been gone for 8 years, but Stamford has changed a lot since I was a kid growing up there. Here are some things I remember, that may be gone but are not forgotten. If any longtime residents are out there, help me out!

Bongiorno
Woolworth on Hope Street
Trinity Catholic when it was Stamford Catholic
Columbus Square and downtown as a hotbed of crime
When nobody in their right mind would build ANYTHING in the South End
Cool 96.7
Caldor Downtown
The Family Affair (This is in Norwalk, but close enough)
Duchess in Shippan
Southfield Village
John's Best Pizza, on Hope Street
A solid middle class (Firefighters, Nurses, Policemen could live where they worked)
Palmer's Market
Thom Serrani
The oil tanks on Southfield Ave
The Terrace Club

I've been living in Stamford for just over 1 year, so I'm far from a longtime resident. My partner, however, was born and raised here, so he knows much more specifics than me. Anyway, I can update you on several of the above.
Bigiornos is still around I think--if it's the restaurant I'm thinking of. Is it on the southside?
Woolworth was on Hope St? I have no idea how long that's been gone, but I'm sure it went out at least 5 yrs ago...at what intersection?
Hardly any crime downtown. Very cleaned up, from what my partner says.
The southside is THE HOT MARKET for snapping up whatever you can. For the anticipated development, of course.
96.7 is still a station for Fairfield county. Light rock/adult contemporary.
Caldor's is now Burlington Coat Factory.
Bloomingdale's building is now the Univ of Conn @ Stamford, which you probably know.
Duchess is still there--I THINK.
Don't know where southfield village is, but it sounds familiar.
John's Best is there--I order it for a treat...it is awesome pizza!!
The "solid" middle class is shrinking, although still a lot here. Trumbull is becoming the place to move for them. The wealthy/upper crust is gaining ground fast.
Don't know anything about those places but the oil tanks. They are replaced with a beautiful Avalon luxury apartment complex. Crazy huh??

You do know Stamford has the Trump Parc tower, the Ritz-Carlton hotel/condo tower, and other luxury high rises going up downtown? The mall tore down Filenes and a new outdoor "plaza" of shops including Barnes and Noble and H&M, along with about 7 or 8 new restaurants are slated to open in the fall of 2007. Also, Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters is rising quickly. Change is comin!

[brattpowered]

I try to keep up with what's going on in Stamford through the Advocate online, and I visit often because my parents still live there. I've read about the Trump Parc and Ritz-Carlton and it's all pretty amazing. I remember when a lowscale wood furniture store and bird shop stood where the Marriott Courtyard is, just down the road.

About the things you mentioned:
-Duchess in Shippan is gone, last I checked (but the one in Darien remains, thank goodness).
-Bongiorno was an Italian owned supermarket right next to Southfield Village (the tough housing projects that were torn down, rebuilt and rebranded as Southfield Square) near I-95.
-Maybe I was thinking about John the Baker when I mentioned John's Best. The one I remember was next to Woolworth (which is now Bob's Furniture on Hope Street)
-I can't wait to see the outdoor plaza at the mall-- it certainly seems like a step in the right direction.

p.s. Are people now calling the South End "the Southside"?
p.p.s. Long live Curley's!

[jjbradleynyc]

As for people calling the South End the Southside, no that's just my real estate speak! I'm used to the "southside" of Williamsburg in Brooklyn where I work. So, I mistakenly referred to Stamford's South End as the Southside.

Yeah, Curley's really messed up the developers' plans for the apartment high rises that were going to go in there. I love that diner and I'm glad they put up the fight! I think the apartments (2 or 3 bldgs of about 15 to 20 stories each) are slated to start construction this July/August. They were supposed to all be completed by now. Crazy.

[brattpowered]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

As for people calling the South End the Southside, no that's just my real estate speak! I'm used to the "southside" of Williamsburg in Brooklyn where I work. So, I mistakenly referred to Stamford's South End as the Southside.

Yeah, Curley's really messed up the developers' plans for the apartment high rises that were going to go in there. I love that diner and I'm glad they put up the fight! I think the apartments (2 or 3 bldgs of about 15 to 20 stories each) are slated to start construction this July/August. They were supposed to all be completed by now. Crazy.

Wow.. So is Curley's going to be surrounded by these buildings or did they finally decide to sell?

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by brattpowered

Wow.. So is Curley's going to be surrounded by these buildings or did they finally decide to sell?

Curley's is going to be surrounded, ultimately, by this apartment building. It is funny how a small business like this can screw up a major developer's plans though. Interesting. It'll look much better once things are built all around there though.

[CTlibrarian]

I didn't grow up in Stamford, but lived there for a time and have also been gone for about 9 years. I remember many of the places/things you listed.

How about Newfield Pizza? I was so disappointed to discover it was gone!

[waydoh]

I was born and raised here. I lived in Southfield Village, it was off 95 exit 6. They have since torn it down and built new housing. Bongiorno's is gone, they tried to put in a Stop&shop but it didn't work out. It is now going to be a pet smart. Stamford is changing and I don't think it's for the better. I can remember riding my bike downtown around 5:30pm, and it was so deserted you can hear our bike chains echoing!! I think the latest bus was 6 or 6:30, depending on where you lived, you may have been out of luck!! Here's a short list for you enjoy...:

I went to John J. Ryle school (bottom of the hill @ selleck st & greenwich ave) torn down for condos.
The Record rack - music store.
Johns Dept store
Kings " " in the south end
Sarners Dept Store (you got stockings in a box!)
Cousins mens store
Thom MCcann shoe store
The bank "ON" bank street
The unemployment office - now a diner on summer street near curley's
Duchess in shippan is gone - also used to be across from Colombus park - next to Curley's
Woolworth on hope st. turned into Grants Dept store
Rippowam HS (my alma mater) is now an AIT school
Millers Lillapution on bedford
Epicure restaurant on bedford & spring streets (great stuffed dermas)

I'll post more later.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Stop&Shop only leased the Bongiorno building because the new store that they were trying to build on the Cytec property was in legal limbo. They wanted to establish themselves in the neighborhood because they knew that the new ShopRite would be built before they would get the Cytec property approved for a store.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by waydoh

Stamford is changing and I don't think it's for the better. I can remember riding my bike downtown around 5:30pm, and it was so deserted you can hear our bike chains echoing!! I think the latest bus was 6 or 6:30, depending on where you lived, you may have been out of luck!! Here's a short list for you enjoy...:

I went to John J. Ryle school (bottom of the hill @ selleck st & greenwich ave) torn down for condos.
The Record rack - music store.
Johns Dept store
Kings " " in the south end
Sarners Dept Store (you got stockings in a box!)
Cousins mens store
Thom MCcann shoe store
The bank "ON" bank street
The unemployment office - now a diner on summer street near curley's
Duchess in shippan is gone - also used to be across from Colombus park - next to Curley's
Woolworth on hope st. turned into Grants Dept store
Rippowam HS (my alma mater) is now an AIT school
Millers Lillapution on bedford
Epicure restaurant on bedford & spring streets (great stuffed dermas)

I'll post more later.

You think it was better when downtown Stamford was an empty wasteland. You should then consider moving to any of the hundreds of abandoned cities across the country that would love even a 10th of the development that has occured in Stamford in the past 20 years. Stamford isn't the only place that has seen old stores close. Fortunately it has found new stores to take its place. Jay