Even if you’ve lived in Stamford for several years, like me, there’s still probably a lot you don’t know about the city.

To better educate myself and everyone else about this great city we live in, I decided to check out Stamford’s Wikipedia page and get a history lesson from the Internet’s most informative (and least reliable) source. Because even if you’ve lived somewhere your whole life, there’s bound to be something you don’t know. For example, you probably know that many filmmakers are coming to Stamford to take advantage of Connecticut’s tax rate, but did you know that pop star Rihanna often takes up residence in Stamford when recording in New York City? Oh, you did know that? Alright, stalker. Here are ten more interesting facts about the city of Stamford…

1. Stamford is consistently ranked as one of the safest cities in America with a population of 100,000 or greater. In 2006, it was the 9th safest city in the country, according to the FBI. Several other nearby towns, such as Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan, are also very safe. Bridgeport ranked… well, actually, there’s no official numbers for Bridgeport. They did send a guy there to measure the city’s safety, but he got shot.
2. In the late 1600s, a famous witch trial took place in Stamford. Wikipedia describes it as “less fanatical and smaller-scale” than the infamous Salem Witch Trials. See, in Connecticut we just go out and take care of our business. Not like those Massachusetts people, who need to make a spectacle out of everything.
3. Stamford is a hotbed for the arts, and home to many theaters. Of course there are the movie theaters downtown, but there’s also the Stamford Theatre Works on Strawberry Hill, Curtain Call on Sterling, and the Stamford Center For the Arts in the heart of the city. Also, the Thirsty Turtle’s annual foam party, while not technically an art performance, has been called “awesome” by many critics, mostly drunk 22 year olds.
4. Stamford is one of the smartest cities in the nation. In fact, Will Shortz, puzzle editor of the New York Times and the only guy on Earth who works harder as the week goes on, is a Stamford resident. 9 out of 10 citizens here are high school grads and 44% of adults have a college degree, which ties us with Iowa City for the best in the country. To break the tie, I took it upon myself to challenge Iowa City to a game of Trivial Pursuit. Unfortunately, every question was about corn growing. Random, I know. But hey, second place isn’t so bad, right?
5. As you probably know, Stamford leans Democrat, but also has a large number of Republican voters. More interesting, 20,000 Stamford residents have no party affiliation whatsoever. Most analysts credit these numbers to Stamford’s “Vote or Die, or, You Know, Don’t Vote, Whatever, I Don’t Care” campaign.
6. Not everyone in Stamford experiences the same seasons. During the winter, snow will frequently fall in Northern Stamford, while downtown and the coast remain dry. Man, when are those people who live in the mansions off of Long Ridge Road ever going to catch a break?
7. Cummings Park was originally known as Halloween Park, because Mayor Homer Cummings made the decision to create the park on Halloween night, 1906. In addition to serving 3 terms as Mayor of Stamford, Cummings also served as U.S. Attorney General from 1933 to 1939, and opened his own legal firm after graduating from Yale Law School. Rumor has it he was also named “Mayor of Spring Break” after doing 8 straight body shots at Senor Frog’s in Cancun in 1890. Even if that’s not true, the guy has had some prestigious accolades.
8. The new skateboarding facility in Scalzi park cost a reported $309,850 to build. That’s a pretty hefty tab, especially when you consider there are some guys down by the train station that would do it for 400 bucks. Fortunately, the city was able to raise enough money by handing out loitering tickets to skateboarders. It’s the circle of life, my friends.
9. Counting all adults 18 and older, the male-to-female ratio in Stamford is 9:10. That’s right. There were plenty of options at Tiernan’s last night. You’re just not a closer, bro.
10. In addition to being “The City That Works,” Stamford also goes by another nickname, “Lock City.” Not sure what that means, but I’m guessing it’s somehow related to an old-time profession (sailing or blacksmithing perhaps). Either way, it’s so much cooler than “The City That Works.” What kind of nickname is that? You might as well call it “The City That Drives Cars” or “The City That Sleeps 8 Hours a Night.” Stamfordians, it’s time to bring back “Lock City” as our official slogan. Together we can make it happen!

(according to Wikipedia)