EDITOR’S LETTER

JAN/FEB 2022 / DIANE TALBOT SEMBROT

SCAN TO VISIT US

HOW TO SCAN: OPEN, AIM & TAP

ABOUT TIME

The thing is, his hands were so soft. It didn’t matter that he was running his own business in New York City, in charge of leading dozens of employees, or buying and selling real estate in the biggest city in the world, or that he had a bark that could stop a pack of wolves in their tracks; to me, he was Grandpa—and when he took my hand to walk to the donut store on Sunday morning, I cared only that his big, warm hand was better than any glazed treat. As all good grandparents and grandchildren do, we had a few traditions. One was the donuts, another the toy store, yet another the playground.

Some of these places have been replaced in

Stamford. One’s a pharmacy. Another’s a parking lot. But the donut shop is still there.

Time changes all things, but for longtime

Stamford residents, landmarks and old favorites either remain or are still yet easy to see despite the layers of the years, like an old photo held up to the current view.

Some might suggest that diving back into the good ol’ days might not be a great idea— that we should focus on what we’re doing and where we’re going. I get that, but I wouldn’t trade my memories, and walking through them as I am out and about in Stamford, for anything. I value my memories of my grandparents as well as of old roommates, of old friends, of former heartbreakers, and, of course, of my husband. Here’s where I went grocery shopping with my Grandma, who taught me exactly which flour and sugar to buy to make the family birthday cake. There’s the store where I tried to return a CD and the owner insisted I keep it, because he said John Hiatt was legendary and would grow on me (and he did!). And there’s the park where I watched Irish football practice, the path through the Cove that helped me improve my running, the building where I took a marketing class, and the restaurant I had my first date with the man I would marry.

But not all is personal. Stamford’s story is also about the places and the people who have contributed to others. In this issue, we dive into local places—true landmarks, actually— and bring their stories to life. You know what they do now, but we wanted to add that layer of where their stories began, and why. I bet that most of you not only know all of the places we mention, but also have visited them. Still, take a look at the piece “Then & Now” to see if you find out something new.

Maybe it’s because of what I do for Stamford magazine—being the editor and a writer— but I think it’s healthy to enjoy our city as it is now while also recalling its past. I embrace traditions, both city and personal ones. Being brought into the stories of our past pulls us together, and, for younger people, orients them to where their story is unfolding— it invites them to realize that they are part of something bigger and lasting. There is comfort and stability in that, and perhaps that is what we need now as we move forward in a new year, when we all begin anew.