The Office: The Stamford Branch

This summer saw a flurry of movie filming in Stamford. While DeNiro running down Bedford barefoot and Seagle dislocating shoulders in Tigin’s is cool, I’m more impressed when the city is an actual setting in a fiction world, than a cheap production double for a more expensive place to film.

Case in point, in NBC’s The Office, where Stamford played a pivotal role in Season 3. For those of you who disagree with NBC’s assertion that Thursday is “Must See Comedy”, The Office is a faux documentary sitcom about a paper company branch in Scranton PA. It’s based off the BBC show of the same name that ended its run in Britain in fewer episodes than the American versions first season alone. While the American version gives more attention to the peripheral office workers who were largely regulated to the background on the BBC, the NBC version still revolves around the central character types established across the pond, an incompetent boss dieing to be admired, an underachieving wise ass in love with a stifled receptionist, and a socially inept assistant to the regional manager.

Stamford was first mentioned in an episode earlier in series among a list of other (albeit lower tier) cities where Dunder Mifflin had branches. It wasn’t until the third season though that Stamford enjoyed a brief stint in the spotlight when salesman Jim Halpert rejected by Pam, transferred to the Stamford Branch. The first half of the season split action between Stamford and Scranton before the company downsized and rolled the Stamford branch into Scranton. We can take some hometown pride though in that Scranton was corporate’s first choice to close, not Stamford.

The Stamford branch was depicted as more professional than the Scranton branch with nicer surrounding and a more competent staff, although the whole office did take breaks to play multiplayer Gears of War. Jim never totally fit in, but managed to lock down a hot girlfriend from work. We also did get Andy’s immortal victory song that I think should be under consideration as the city anthem. “STAM-FORD CO-NECK-TA-CUT!”

The only filming to actually take place in The City That Works was an exterior shot of the building. It would have been easy for them to pass off any building as one from Stamford, but the show did use an office complex at 333 Ludlow St in the South End as the scene establishing bumper for any Stamford action. I think the shot used in the show was taken from across the harbor in Kosciuszko Park.
As I understand it, the episodes with Jim in Stamford are among the least favorite of Office fans. NBC though is considering a spin-off about a separate branch, so maybe there is a chance Dunder Mifflin will be looking for office space in Stamford again soon.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=38911

"Better jump down a manhole"

To the Victor Goes the Eviction

Columbus Park's only deli, Victor's has closed.  When I worked on Bank St I was a regular.  Then, the deli was operated by Bobby V's and was called Victory Deli.  Around a year ago, Bobby sold,  and Victory became Victor's.  Along with (y), out went the 1970's-80's Sports Illustrated covers lining the walls.  Some of the renovations seemed misguided and actually made the joint worse.  Apparently mixing salads and slapping ranch on a chicken cutlet required more elbow room and behind the counter was expanded.  This pushed waiting customers against the tables lining the walls.  Nothing like the ass of an under exercised, over caffeinated office drone in your face as you sit and eat.  

If you work in the area and need a replacement, check out Jenna Marie's on Summer just before the intersection of Spring.  Their "Saddam Insane" sandwich cancels out any of the Butcher of Baghdad's human rights transgressions in my mind.

The City That Builds - RBS & The East Side

As a young lad I enjoyed building toys. One of my favorites was Omegals, large plastic yellow tubes & connection pieces you could use to build any number of life-size creations. You could construct a lemonade stand and if business was bad in your selected location, you could reconfigure the set-up into a car and roll down a block. If you went to many blocks in the wrong direction you could re-assemble that car into a club and shield and fight your way out.

What does any of that have to do with anything… I enjoy watching things get built, and Stamford is great if that is all it takes to amuse you.

RBS:

Royal Bank of Scotland is building their new US headquarters diagonal from the train station. In the ultimate pissing contest, RBS is constructing the world's largest trading floor across the street from the current title holder, UBS. It looks as if the steel frame is nearly finished on the outside ring. Check out the link below to see what it will look like completed:

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=rbsgreenwichcapitalheadquarters-stamford-ct-usa



GlenView House & The East Side Commons:

These are the two locations currently under construction on East Ave. Both were former car dealerships now becoming apartments/ condos with ground floor retail. GlenView is on the corner and after an insane amount of excavation is popping above ground, the Commons is a few blocks past lagging slightly behind in progress. Both should have an impact on transforming the neighborhood and may go as far as usurping the Scuba Dude standee as the East Side’s most prominent landmark.

Dunn's Loft Owns All

Dunn’s Loft, hands down my favorite restaurant in Stamford. It feels like Teddy Roosevelt, Jack Nicholson, Frank Sinatra, & John Wayne opened a restaurant together. Steak, beer.. pool table? Yes, a man’s place for sure, but not the type of place that would make your girlfriend uncomfortable. If Bobby V’s is where you watch the Giants blow it in the red zone again, Dunn’s is where you discuss the issues of the day.

Loft is rather inconspicuous from the road, called out with a white banner, and accessed through an unmarked door left of Ocean 211. The steak house is run by the owner of Ocean, who converted the once upstairs banquet room of the ground floor seafood restaurant into a separate venture. It’s a model that I think other local establishments should consider for their dusty upstairs. An intimate, specialty restaurant I think would bring in more profit than a underused banquet room set up twice a year for the Dunder Mifflin Christmas Party and little Billy’s Confirmation reception.

The food was amazing. The meat could hang with any New York steak house. I had a fat rib eye, my buddy had the fillet. Great choice of sides. Good beer. A staff who knows their shit. The building is one of the more unique in the downtown with very cool, old loft windows. Dim lighting with a bar, pool table and a guy rocking some acoustic guitar complete the scene. I feel like if you were to bust out a cigar here your waiter would come light it. Try it soon, I can imagine that this will be a hard place to get a table as word gets out.

The City That Builds… High Class Edition.

Start sewwing up Mr. Monopoly for next years baloon parade, two slick new developments are underway for the crowd that keeps their wine underground and lap pools in the sky.


Trump Parc

Probably the most infamous of Stamford’s recent constuction, when completed, the glass tower will be Stamford’s tallest, topping Landmark Tower. While there was controversy over the height, the size of the footprint, and the use of Trump’s name, the project has broken ground and should be completed in 18 months. If you're in the $670k - $3MM price range you can enjoy featrues such as 24-hour concierge/doorman, an indoor swimming pool, a full-service health club, a wireless lounge, billiards and screening rooms, a rooftop private observation deck and a “car spa.” While the environment isn’t usually the thing thing envoked when using Trump & “green” in the same sentance, the building will have LEED green buidling certification. You can spot the massive crane working already next to Target. With any luck this one has it’s bolts on tighter than the RBS one that went renegade recently and closed down a few square blocks.


Highgrove

The Highgrove is Stamford’s second ultra swanky pad with amenties including private entry elevator access to each unit, 24-hour concierge and valet service, an indoor pool with retractable roof panels, a health club, spa, screening room and wine cellar. Unconfirmed at this time is the giant vault where residents can swim in their own money.

The footprint wraps around a 4 story brick apartment building on the corner of Forest & Grove. While Trump is going for the glass mountain look, Highgrove is shooting for a more classic vibe. Highgrove suffered a number of setbacks and has basically sat as a patch of dirt piles the last two years. With all the final hurdles cleared, work on the foundation started a month or so ago.

Break the Dam!

Maybe you heard of “Mill River Park” or the “Mill River Greenway” in Stamford. Then you think hard and ask “what hell are they talking about?’ Then you realize it’s the cement wall pond created by an equally unattractive dam across from Target. It even comes complete with the prerequisite of any urban creek/ stream/ river, the waterlogged shopping cart. From there, untended, over grown green space lines the river in either direction in a line broken by run down housing. There is even a rooster (undetermined if it is feral or simply free range) living in the strip of brush along the river between Tresser and Richmond Hill. I kid you not.

The city however has a plan to create a “world class park” along the river that stretches from the sound all the way to Scalzi Park and possibly farther north. The city, with Olin Partnership, a private landscape architecture firm, and the Army Corp of Engineers has developed a long term master plan for the park. Aside from some decent upgrades in the past few years including a playground and a lighted, tree lined path along the west side of the park between Main St and Tresser, there seems to be little movement in realizing their goal. In the past few weeks alone however there have been two developments that will significantly move the process forward.

The first, the Board of Reps transferred control of the park to a private entity, the Mill River Collaborative. The Collaborative will staff & maintain the park in the short term, and help raise private funds that in conjunction with city, state, and federal funds will help execute the master plan for the park.

The second development was passage of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 by the House and Senate. Bush vetoed the bill, but it was popular enough with Congress for them to send back an override. The bill authorizes funding for water related projects nationwide, among them $10 million to remove the Mill River dam, remove the sediment collected behind the dam (and I’m assuming aforementioned shopping cart) and replace the concrete walls with naturual river banks populated with native plants. Work can start as early as next year and take as long as three years. Full completion of the master plan can take anywhere from 10-20 years from what I understand. The sounds intense, however from what I’ve seen the master plan is rather ambitious and goes as far as removing entire office buildings to make room for the park.

I’m excited for the plan and think it will be a great resource for the city. I hope we’ll see some more short term progress in addition to the long term goals. I’m curious how much land the city already has for the park and how much they intend to go after. I think an unbroken line along each side of the river is ideal. I’m working on a post for the near future that outlines the plan for the park. Until then you can check out some info at these links:

Mill River Collaborative
Olin Partnership

Station Stink

One day the city will solve traffic congestion, tackle mass transportation, afford housing, upgrade public parks, and create vibrant pedestrian experience. Maybe the lynch piece is figuring out why the lower entrance lobby of transportation center has smelled like dog crap since last week. Perhaps its been a problem even longer, I only started taking the train regularly for work last week. Make it happen Stamford.

Castle Grayskull vs. The Dragonfly

Have you ever wanted to drink beer in Castle Grayskull? Aesthetically, the Dragonfly on Summer St may be the closest you will ever get. In ever other regard, the two esteemed establishments are worlds apart.

For your consideration, I present Castle Grayskull vs. The Dragonfly.

CG: Former temple of the Elders, Eternia's prehistoric rulers.
DF: Stamford's former Playwright pub.
Point: Grayskull

CG: Sole resident is the magic wielding bird woman, The Sorceress.
DF: UConn student bartendresses, very light weekday crowd rounding out on Friday/ Saturday.
Point: Grayskull

CG: Tortured cries of evil minions imprisoned in subterranean dungeon.
DF: DJs spinning House music in basement club room. Occasional Jazz trio.
Point: Grayskull

CG: Houses exotic weaponry; blades, lasers, etc.
DF: Stocks exotic beers.
Point: Slight edge Dragonfly

CG: Only a true master of the universe can enter and unlock its ancient power.
DF: Serves a delicious and reasonably priced dish of General Tso's Calamari
Point: Dragonfly

Declared Winner: The Dragonfly.

No, my math is not off in that contest. General Tso + Calamari = THE STRONGEST SMALL PLATE IN STAMFORD!

If I had a curb, I'd walk my trash to it.

Blog Stamford… why?

I’ve lived in (downtown) Stamford for 2 years now and had worked here starting slightly before that. There are some things I like about Stamford and some things I don’t, but on the whole it’s a city on the way up, not down, and that can make it an exciting place to be. As far as I can tell there isn’t a forum for what’s out there in Stamford and what is coming, particularly from a younger perspective. If you are that blog, I’m sorry but your search optimization sucks and I’m stealing your thunder.

I’ll be handling the bulk of the posts for now with some of my friends jumping in here and there. If you are interested in being a guest author or regular contributor drop a line.

The site will most likely evolve… I’ll think up a better name, remember something from the web design class I took. Maybe eminent domain will take my condo for Trump Parc II, I’ll leave Stamford and the whole thing will fold. Until then we’ll focus on keeping the posts come fast and furious.