Where the streets have no name

Maybe it’s just a Stamford thing. I’ve grown up in this city and cannot give someone directions using only street names. My friends from this city are the same. My sister who grew up here is the same.

“What landmark are you near? What do you see around you?” Someone from Stamford, Connecticut will ask those questions if you call them trying to figure out how to get around the city. For the most part, residents of Stamford in Generation Y know more landmarks around Stamford than street names. Sure we know the main roads that connect to the Merritt Parkway and I-95 (High Ridge, Long Ridge, Elm St.) but once you get to streets in downtown Stamford, it’s easier to navigate your way using buildings and/or restaurant names.

Good luck if you’re on a side street. You might have an easier time getting around Greenwich Village. Stamford has a complex city grid and is known for its downtown skyline. Since new buildings spring up at least once a year, structures serve as street names to residents of the city.

Just the other day a co-worker of mine from Bethel, Connecticut wanted to know where the nearest post office was to downtown Stamford. I couldn’t give her street names but I described the post office as a building that looked like a mini Grand Central Station right next to I-95. Without street names, she found it just from my descriptions of the area alone. Turns out it was on Atlantic Street.

Ironically, Stamford is a commuter city. However, I think it would be easier to guide an out of town visitor around Manhattan. If the city of Stamford had helpful direction names describing its neighborhoods such as Upper East Side, Midtown and Lower West Side it would be more helpful. Unfortunately the urban planners of the city of Stamford had their sites set more on architectural aesthetics than simple street grids.

Friends, family, co-workers and clients have all told me that approaching the city intimidated them on their first visit. Once you get off one of the exits, you could be pulled out of city faster than driving in the Big Dig.

Generation Y does not know how to give directions. We rely too heavily on GPS and Google Maps. We'll tell you to go on MapQuest. If it weren’t for these breakthroughs, chances are someone who lives here might not be able to guide you around using just street names. However, ask any baby boomer that has lived in Stamford how to get around the city and they will get you to your destination. They’ve seen Stamford grow and found streets and shortcuts by accident years before technology arrived.