The Application

A co-worker of mine who moved here from Florida had his girlfriend visiting Stamford last weekend and asked for recommendations of what they should do around the city. I suggested some new and upcoming pizzerias as well as local events such as farmers markets and music festivals. At the end of the weekend he said they had a wonderful time. She was impressed and he mentioned that I needed to design a mobile phone application for visitors to Stamford, Connecticut. He said I should call it the “Cheech App.”

Although I’m months away from learning how to design an app (possibly after the Web Programming class in the fall), I can start with my original niche idea. A guide to the city of Stamford is what it will be. I was born and raised here. I have seen businesses fail and succeed. I decided to come back after college in Colorado because of how good this city has been to me. Even though it has its problems as I mentioned in my first and second devil’s advocate posts, Stamford has shaped my life.

I have embraced Stamford. Most of my family is here. Most of my friends live here or visit often from New York City. My college friends who live in Denver, Washington D.C. or California know that I am all about Stamford. My friend from California was taking a bus from Boston to New York City and passed through Stamford on I-95 and called to say he thought of me when he saw the downtown Stamford skyline.

I want my online presence to be the same as it is in the physical world. I want the public to know that if they come to visit or a national news story about a chimp attacking a woman breaks out, I’m the contact to answer their questions, to fill them in. There are Zagat guides for restaurants and national news outlets, but outsiders would rather hear it from a local resident instead. The aforementioned stories have proved that.

I have traveled to many states and countries from South Africa to Vietnam. They have been incredible experiences and I would definitely consider visiting some of those places again. However, I would not consider living there. Stamford has prepared me for life in the city and country. I grew up in the woods of North Stamford but now live in busy downtown Stamford. When I think of what embodies me as a person, I can’t think of a better place.

Since I have lived here for most of my life, I know the types of neighborhoods, people and businesses that are around Stamford. So far I have written about how to see the city in one day, what I love, what I hate and what I see living in this city. I would like to take it a step further and increase my presence. I want to take the advice of my co-worker and provide an interesting and informative online guide for my hometown. Stamford is a strong industrial center that welcomes visitors daily from all over the country and world.

My steps to deliver this presence:

1. Change my blog title and Twitter account to reflect my online presence so that they show up in a Google search. A relation with my name and the city will help to accurately reflect my intended niche. This change can also serve as a signature when I comment on other blogs and articles.

2. Follow more Stamford organizations on Twitter like the Stamford Advocate and local blogs. Since I cannot be everywhere in Stamford at once, this will increase my interaction with the community and inform me of new developments. I can take the information and add my own perspective.

3. Even though there is a small amount of Meta descriptions found with my name and Stamford in a Google search, I would like to add more. I would like to add more tags on Twitter and descriptions in my blog. These will help someone searching for the best hotel, news or pizza in Stamford.

4. To enhance the post, I will include links, pictures and/or video. The more visual aids that accompany the information, the more interesting it is. These elements add flavor.

These additions will show that my presence exceeds other local Stamford blogs. I live, work and run errands here. I have learned what the best and worst local businesses are. My goal is to cover as much ground as I can around this vast area so that this city can be as much of an enjoyable experience for a visitor as it has been to me.

While working with the Stamford Historical Society for my capstone project, I will also be able to add important historical tidbits. Many notable people and events have occurred in the city of Stamford that affected the culture of America. I want the public to hear Stamford's story and make a connection with me and the city--a city on the shore of Long Island Sound.