Stamford, CT July 2023

Lil Jon

Kicks Off Alive @ Five

ARTS + CULTURE

REACH FOR THE STARSSTAMFORD MUSEUM & NATURE CENTER

STAMFORD BEST KEPT SECRETS

Letter from the Publisher

There is just something about summer that brings about a sense of excitement and adventure.

Sure, Fall in Connecticut is incredible with its beautiful colors, Winter has its cozy charms, and I cannot deny the beauty of Spring (although it also seems to jump from Winter to Summer here overnight). But when the summer solstice rolls around, I am more than ready for the long, languid days sitting by the pool, heading over to the beach, or kayaking on the Long Island Sound.

In the pages of Stamford City Lifestyle’s July issue, you will read about a summer staple here in Stamford … Alive at Five , which will feature three of its four concerts in July in beautiful Mill River Park. You will also read about some of the area's talented artists who also help to bring the summer sculpture project:  Duck, Duck, Goose to life in Stamford Downtown. Who in Stamford does not have great memories about the Stamford Museum and Nature Center ?  Well, ground has been broken on a new, world-class planetarium, which will create a new set of memories for Stamfordites for decades to come.  And finally, we will uncover some Best Kept Secrets in our great city.

The pages in our July issue will help you make the most of this season in Stamford.  And even if Summer does not mean three months of summer vacation anymore (because we're, you know, adults) you can still look forward to an adventure by crossing things off your ultimate summer bucket list (see our Events calendar for ours).

Just like this season has a way of bringing people together, I hope the pages inside this month’s issue will enrich and enliven your experience of Stamford this Summer!

July 2023

PUBLISHER

Marty Shapiro | marty.shapiro@citylifestyle.com

EDITOR

Laurie Guzda | laurie.guzda@citylifestyle.com

AREA COORDINATOR

PJ Kennedy | pj.kennedy@citylifestyle.com

AREA ADMINISTRATOR

Todd Kosakowski

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Kristin Sinatra, Annette Einhorn

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Angela Strassheim, Hey Stamford!

Corporate Team

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF SALES OFFICER Matthew Perry

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER DeLand Shore

DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL MEDIA Mindy Hargesheimer

ART DIRECTOR Sara Minor

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Janeane Thompson

WEB APPLICATIONS Michael O’Connell

AD DESIGNER Matthew Endersbe

LAYOUT DESIGNER Jayme Emery

MARTY SHAPIRO, PUBLISHER @STAMFORDCITYLIFESTYLEMAGAZINE

COLUMBUS PARK, appetizers, homemade pastas, fresh fish and great wine list. A fun and fashionable location where the food and sevice are exceptional.

COLUMBUS PARK, centrally located in downtown Stamford, boasts of its extraordinary appetizers, homemade pastas, fresh fish and great wine list. A fun and fashionable location where the food and sevice are exceptional.

COLUMBUS PARK'S small-to-medium sized private parties such as corporate affairs, rehearsal dinners and family events. Columbus Park Trattoria will help to make your party unforgettable at a cost which is surprisingly affordable.

COLUMBUS PARK'S private dining room can accommodate 64 people. Specializing in small-to-medium sized private parties such as corporate affairs, rehearsal dinners and family events. Columbus Park Trattoria will help to make your party unforgettable at a cost which is surprisingly affordable.

city scene

1: Mill River Park Gala 2: DSSD President, David Korris and his wife, Jessica. 3: Gov Lamont, Art Selkowitz and sons. 4: Senator and Mrs. Blumenthal. 5: SM&NC The Artist and the Astronaut event. 6: Stamford Boys & Girls Club 5K 7: Stamford Boys & Girls Club 5K

HEY STAMFORD!

HEY STAMFORD!

HAPPYHAHA STUDIO

HAPPYHAHA STUDIO

HAPPYHAHA STUDIO

HAPPYHAHA STUDIO

Where neighbors can see and be seen.

Want to be seen in the magazine?

8: Stamford Boys & Girls Club 5K 9-11: Stamford Senior Center Lives Blossom Fundraiser 12-14: The Alzheimer’s Association Connecticut Chapter

business monthly

A round-up of exciting news from local businesses.

Todd Kosakowski - High Tides and Good Vibes

Todd Kosakowski, of Harbor Point’s Sign of the Whale, has relaunched the Pier Restaurant and Tiki Bar at Rye Playland.  The mission was to take a unique and picturesque setting with numerous past operators, and take it to a new level. And, that means every aspect – food, service, consistency and entertainment. And that’s the magic of Kosakowski and his team. The mantra at the Tiki Beach… High Tides and Good Vibes.

Scan to read more.

Jay Cohen's "Moving Pictures"

Jay Cohen is an award-winning fine art and portrait photographer living in Stamford. He finds beauty in grand vistas, dramatic cityscapes, inspiring architecture, and the mundanity of every day life. His photo studio is conveniently located right in North Stamford. He is a frequent lecturer on topics such as long-exposure photography and fine art architectural photography.

Jay’s recently published book, “Moving Pictures”, is a 110-page retrospective of his fine artwork of the past decade.    jcimagesphotography.com / Instagram @jaycohen13

Picture That - Art Consulting

Valerie A. Cooper is the Founding Partner of Picture That , a fine art consulting firm. Picture That provides Art Appraisal, Advisory, Art Risk Management & Insurance consulting services. The firm has expertise curating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Art Exhibitions, infused with educational and cultural enrichment programming, both virtually and on-ground.

Institutional clients include corporations, municipalities, hedge funds, law and professional services firms, hospitals and healthcare organizations, academic institutions and tech start-ups.

Want to be featured?

Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/StamfordCT

The Stamford Museum & Nature Center

Following 2018’s monumental opening of the Knobloch Family Farmhouse, the second phase of the Stamford Museum & Nature Center’s  Campaign for Future Generations brings the Planetarium and Observatory programs together under one roof for the first time in the 87-year history. SM&NC serves as a profound nature and science-based resource for communities that long to have comprehensive Astronomy and STEAM-based programming in their own backyards.

A crowned-jewel of Stamford, SM&NC, it has always been an educational, fun and hands-on experience that has introduced generations of children to the wonderful world of animals and the stars.

The current development is by far the most impressive and a solid commitment to fostering imagination not only for youths but for all with a curious spirit.

FEATURES:

•  100-Seat Planetarium Theatre

• Open-Air, Roll-Back Roof Observation Deck with Lunar & Solar Telescopes

•  State-of-the-Art Science Technology

•  Welcoming Lobby Gallery

•  Two School & Community Classrooms

•  Scenic Outdoor Terraces

•  ADA Compliant Facilities & Elevator

•  Astronomy & Technology Offices

•  All accessed by a walk in the woods.

Designed by the architectural firm Tai Soo Kim Studio. The long time telescope was moved to The Astronomical Lyceum in Magdalena, NM. This allowed for the demolition of the Observatory in preparation for the ground breaking for the new SM&NC Planetarium & Astronomy Center

The Grand Opening Celebration is scheduled for September 2024.

To learn more about Phase II of The Campaign for Future Generations, visit  stamfordmuseum.org/phase2  Or visit The Stamford Museum & Nature Center.

Alive @ Five

Summer nights are heating up in Mill River Park

Summer + music + park + friends = BIG FUN!  The kind of fun that feeds your gypsy soul. Let yourself go as the rhythm of the night fills you.

Summer nights are meant for dancing under the stars. At Stamford Downtown's Alive @ Five Music Series, you'll run into old friends and meet new ones. Danced up an appetite? No problem. Food trucks offer scrumptious choices from little bites to a full meal. And, alcohol is served to those 21 and older.

You can personalize your experience in a number of ways. General admission starts at $25. Arrive early to secure your spot up close to the stage or relax further

back in your chair or blanket and let the music wash over you.

Elevate your experience with a VIP pass. Special entrance and viewing area to get you closer to the action, access to VIP bathrooms and bar - the first drink is included! Prices start at $100.

General admission for all four shows for one person is $80 - a $20 savings!

The series kicks off July 13th with Lil Jon . For the last twenty years, the words “Yeah,” “Ok,” and “What” have been synonymous with multi-platinum, Grammy award winning artist Lil Jon . He has been one of the

most prominent figures in music and pop culture alike, performing for hundreds of thousands of fans with Usher & Ludacris, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Pitbull, TLC, Yandel, LMFAO and Sydney Samson just to name a few.

All Time Low hits the stage on July 20th. Throughout a catalog streamed nearly half-a-billion times and highlighted by multiple gold and platinum certified singles / albums, All Time Low have continually raised the bar for both pop and punk. Since 2003, the group has notched five straight Top 10 entries on the Billboard Top 200, spanning the gold-certified Nothing Personal [2009], Dirty Work [2011], Future Hearts [2015], and Last Young Renegade [2017]. In 2021, the band released new singles “Once In A Lifetime” and “PMA” (Feat. Pale Waves).

Multi-platinum artists Fitz and The Tantrums have energized popular music and culture. Their catalog spans fan favorite records such as Pickin’ up the Pieces  [2010], More Than Just A Dream [2013], the gold-certified Fitz and The Tantrums [2016], and All the Feels [2019]. Along the way, they’ve impressively tallied just shy of 4 billion streams and counting powered by enduring hits such as the triple-platinum

“HandClap,” platinum “Out of My League” and “The Walker,” and gold “Moneygrabber.”

Grammy Award-winning singer/ songwriter, actor and author Ashanti burst onto the music scene with her smash hit, self-titled debut album, Ashanti. It landed the #1 spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B album charts, Over the span of her 20-year career, Ashanti has released six studio albums and received a number of illustrious rewards including eight Billboard Awards, a Grammy, two American Music Awards, two Soul Train Awards and six ASCAP Awards.

Elgin Baylor Lumpkin, better known by his stage name Ginuwine is an American singer and performer. Signed to Epic Records since the mid-1990s, Ginuwine has released a number of multi-platinum and platinum-selling albums and singles, becoming one of R&B's top artists during the 1990s heyday of hip-hop soul.

Mill River Park is the place to be on Thursday nights!

Gates open at 5p. DJs get the party started and the event features some of the area's best, up-and-coming talent as opening acts. Mill River Park is a NonSmoking venue.

For more information and tickets, visit Stamford-Downtown.com

“Summer nights are meant for dancing under the stars.”

Ashanti

Ginuwine

All proceeds support vital programs to keep older adults healthy and active in both mind and body.

What’s Your Stamford Best Kept Secret?

Here’s what people had to say about the amazing local -   People, places and things.

LAKESIDE DINER HOMEMADE DONUTS

This sweet treat was mentioned by more than a few folks. If you haven’t indulged, what are you waiting for?

FOUNDER/INSTRUCTOR

Golnar Sharafsaleh

Golnar Sharafsaleh is passionate about indoor cycling with numerous national certifications and over 11 years of experience. Diagnosed with several medical issues and undergoing numerous surgeries, she used indoor cycling to recover and rebuild her strength. She channeled her passion to train and work with cancer survivors. She believes that the impossible is always possible and sometimes you just need to borrow a little strength from those around you. She believes if you can find purpose in every moment, you will eventually find the “why” in the fight to survive.

MIANUS RIVER PARK

Mianus River Park also appeared on numerous lists. This local gem is a peaceful and beautiful respite for great hiking and biking. It’s also a favorite for dogs!

HEY STAMFORD!

Hey Stamford! was recognized as a ‘favorite” website/instagram feed that features information and photos of everything going on in Stamford. It’s the warm and friendly vibe of it’s creator, PJ Kennedy, that makes it so special.

RESTAURANTS

Some favorite restaurants that made the list: Cka ka Qellu Albanian Restaurant, Kotobuki, Ole Mole, Beanz Coffee, Chichos, Humbled Hands Coffee and Taste of Poland.

COVE ISLAND,

Cove Island, especially the bird sanctuary. Great Stamford location for beach peace, kayaking or an early morning power walk.

A PADDLING OF ARTISTS

David Macharelli

WHAT KIND OF ARTIST ARE YOU?

I am one part painter (usually in the “realistic” style), one part graphic designer, one part videographer and editor, with a bit of performer and writer thrown in.

WHAT HAVE STAMFORD DOWNTOWN SCULPTURE PROJECTS MEANT TO YOU OVER THE YEARS?

I usually mark the first one I did (Reigning Cats & Dogs) as a turning point for me, not just artistically, but as a person.  I was shy and uncomfortable and didn’t often show my work to anyone for fear of ridicule, let alone to such a wide audience. The very notion of working in a public studio where passersby could comment on what I was doing was terrifying.    But... when I started working, not only did I connect with the other artists and learn from their ideas and processes, I experienced people who were actually interested in what I was doing and complimentary of how I was doing it.  That changed who I had become into who I am now.  This is my eighth such show and I look forward to them every time.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF ABOUT BEING AN ARTIST?

Trust your instincts.  They’re usually pretty good for this kind of thing. Oh, and experiment.  You don’t have to fit into any particular box and that’s OK.

DUCKS ARE THE COMMON BOND, BUT THERE’S A LOT OF DIVERSITY IN THESE LOCAL ARTISTS.

A paddling is a group of ducks. Meet a group of artists behind some of the creations for Stamford Downtown’s Street Art Sculptures - Duck, Duck, Goose!

HOW WOULD DESCRIBE YOUR ART?

I am a sign painter and my artwork is usually type driven, bold and bright. It is a lost art, actually a trade, but recently has had a resurgence. I hand paint and gold leaf signs, windows, exterior signs, murals, mirrors, trucks, I’ll paint on anything really, I’ve even painted a few toilet seats.

WHAT BRINGS YOU THE GREATEST JOY FROM YOUR ARTWORK?

Having it serve a purpose that other people can be proud of. Creating custom designs for my clients for their storefronts especially excites me. I love the process of taking a client’s vision and making it come to fruition.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR STREET ART DUCK?

“Duckmingo” the rubber duck flamingo, is simply that, to me, the flamingo is an iconic summer image. Some people even decorate their lawns with plastic pink flamingos, so I thought having a large duck version on display would be fun.

Tina Fino

WHAT’S A FAVORITE PIECE AND WHY?

My favorite painting is Camille from my Aspects series. It is a series of paintings that I created to express women’s emotions, struggles and abuse. I am from Brazil and unfortunately, my country has one of the highest femicide rates in the world. The underlying causes are discrimination, inequality and a male-possessive culture. Camille has tears in her eyes to represent all the suffering women have had to go through in life. Describing her like this is not a happy piece but when you contemplate her face and you do not know what was the inspiration, you might have a different feeling about this piece.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF ABOUT BEING AN ARTIST?

My advice, just to keep on drawing, painting and using your imagination as much as possible.

WHAT HAVE STAMFORD DOWNTOWN SCULPTURE PROJECTS MEANT TO YOU OVER THE YEARS?

Stamford Downtown means a restoration of my dreams as an artist. My first year was the Dinosaur. The name of my piece was Childhood and still one of my favorites.

Flavia Moraes Lodato

“I was shy and uncomfortable and didn’t often show my work to anyone for fear of ridicule, let alone to such a wide audience.”

- David Macharelli

Back into the Kitchen

Bringing Joy

Chef Dennis Prescott Talks Falling in Love with Feeding People and the Connection Food Creates

Find the things that you love. Take the stress out of food. Feed people because all they really care about is spending time with you. Bring joy back into the kitchen.”

Whether you know him from the Netflix hit Restaurants on the Edge or from his absolutely mouth-watering food photos as @ dennistheprescott on the ‘gram, this former-musician turned internationally-renowned Chef is an amazingly talented, thoughtful, and globe-trotting force to be reckoned with. When it comes to inspiration for creating experiences around food and your community, as well as creating travel bucket lists to some of the world’s most unique and delicious destinations off the beaten path, Chef ‘Dennis The Prescott’ is a culinary change maker whose feed you’ll want to feast on

Originally an aspiring musician, Canadian-born Dennis Prescott’s journey began while in university with a single invitation from another solo musician who asked him to tour with them around the US. This eventually took him to Nashville where they began making records and pursuing their musical dreams.

Yet, in the midst of all of this, Dennis was not taking care of himself — eating take out, dollar menus, etc, had become a way of life. A friend had a “come to Jesus” moment with him and stressed that he needed to start taking care of himself. Having no idea exactly what that meant or how to do so, the advice was simple: “You need to start eating better.”

The Start

“Go to the library and borrow some cookbooks,” his friend suggested. Dennis went to a nearby library and borrowed three books only to have his friend ask why he chose those in particular. Dennis remembers saying verbatim, “I don’t know? The guy on the cover looks kinda good looking, and I feel like I could probably pull these recipes off, and he seems really happy too!” As it turned out they were three books by Jamie Oliver; it’s just that he had no idea who Jamie Oliver was at the time.

Flash forward and Dennis’ first dinner-hosting experiment was made up of twenty people from the music studio, all sitting in camping chairs with beer koozies and makeshift tables in his apartment.

“I remember at the time this moment of, okay, the food is on the table, it’s a stressful thing, and then everybody tucks in and they take their first bite, and there’s a moment of hush that kind of came over everyone; it got really quiet just for a second, and then everyone started talking and getting into it and I fell in love with food right there at that moment.

What eventually followed were 13 episodes over nine months where the Restaurants on the Edge team traveled to and filmed restaurant revivals that included three in Canada, one in the continental US, one in Hawaii, and others outside of North America, including Hong Kong, Slovenia, Austria, Malta, St. Lucia and Finland.

“When

Travel Recommendations for Foodies

“Slovenia borders Italy and Croatia, which is to say there are a lot of shared values in and around food; they have really great cheese, dairy, beef, pasta, but very few tourists, hardly any. So if you love Italy, that kind of specific travel and food experience, particularly Northern Italy, because you can see the Alps from where they are. It’s picture perfect, a beautiful place, and also where orange wine is from.”

Dennis also highly recommends Costa Rica, Hawaii and Finland.

“Most people love the idea of travel, but we tend to pick the same places when we travel, and there is nothing wrong with that, they are amazing for a reason, but when you get off the beaten path a little bit, you learn the difference between vacation and travel.”

Restaurants on the Edge is important and meaningful to Chef Prescott because it tells stories of hope and joy and redemption around the kitchen. Oftentimes the food space can be very stressful, but he believes that at the end of the day, people just want to spend time with other people that they love.

One of the most common fears Dennis hears from people cooking and/or grilling at home is, ‘where do I start? I don’t know how to get going, so I just don’t.’

Rather than overcomplicating it, Dennis recommends cooking the things that bring you joy — things that are on a restaurant menu you can’t NOT order because you’re so pumped that those dishes are on there.

“Find the things that you love. Take the stress out of food. Feed people because all they really care about is spending time with you. Bring joy back into the kitchen.”

you get off the beaten path a little bit, you learn the difference between vacation and travel.

events

JULY 1ST

4th of July Fireworks

CUMMINGS BEACH | 9:00 PM

Residents can bring blankets and chairs to the beach. There will be food trucks on site, and the fireworks will begin shortly after 9 p.m. Rain date - July 2nd.

JULY 1ST

Yoga - Bootcamp - Art

MILL RIVER PARK | 9:30 AM

There are a variety of classes, workshops and presentations every Saturday in Mill River Park. Visit: millriverpark.org for details.

JULY 1ST

Duck, Duck, Goose!Art in Public Places

STAMFORD DOWNTOWN | 7:00 AM

Interactive art exhibit throughout Stamford Downtown continues throughout the month of July.

JULY 6TH

Street Beats

COLUMBUS PARK | 6:00 PM

Every Thursday night in Columbus Park, you can enjoy live music featuring local musicians from 6-8pm!

JULY 13TH

Lil Jon - Alive @ Five Concert Series

MILL RIVER PARK | 5:00 PM

For the last decade-plus, the words “Yeah,” “Ok,” and “What” have been synonymous with multi-platinum, Grammy award winning artist Lil Jon.  With DJ Buck.

A curated selection of the most intriguing upcoming events in our area.

JULY 20TH

All Time Low - Alive @ Five

MILL RIVER PARK | 5:00 PM

Stamford Downtown presents  All Time Low at Alive At Five on the Pure Life® Stage in partnership with Reckson, live outdoors in beautiful Mill River Park in Stamford Downtown! A fun night of music starting at 5pm including DJs,  Food Trucks & Large Variety of Beer, Wine and Cocktails for purchase. Opening Band, Platinum Moon.

JULY 22ND

Stamford Art Festival

HARBOR POINT PARK |

10:00 AM

Stamford Art Festival taking place July 22-23, 2023 at Harbor Point Waterfront in Stamford. There will be 100 juried fine art and craft artists exhibiting in this weekend event.

JULY 27TH

Fitz and the TantrumsLet Yourself Free Tour

MILL RIVER PARK | 5:00 PM

Aliver @ Five presents multi-platinum artists Fitz and The Tantrums. They’ve impressively tallied just shy of 4 billion streams and counting, powered by enduring hits such as the triple-platinum “HandClap,” platinum “Out of My League” and “The Walker,” and gold “Moneygrabber.” Opening act, Rags and Riches.

Breaking news...

We just broke ground on our Planetarium & Astronomy Center!

Want to be featured?

Get in touch by heading over to our landing page to connect: CityLifestyle.com/StamfordCT

We’re sharing our Phase II vision and plans with you, our Stamford friends and neighbors, first.

A 100-seat planetarium theatre a roll-back roof observation deck with lunar and solar telescopes state-of-the-art science technology a welcoming lobby gallery … scenic outdoor terraces two school and community program classrooms an elevator and ADA compliant facilities astronomy and technology offices all accessed by a walk in the woods.

Scan our QR code or visit stamfordmuseum.org/phase2 for more, including a full deck of schematics.

SM&NC NORTH CAMPUS : PLANETARIUM & ASTRONOMY CENTER AND FARMHOUSE

Our Phase I Knobloch Family Farmhouse was opened to the community on time and on budget in 2018. Fu

stamford museum.org

CITY LIFESTYLE

Summer Bucket List

Welcome, summer! As a hyper-local publication, we thrive on helping our readers make connections with the cities they live in, the businesses that make up their communities and the inspiring individuals making a positive mark.

Are you ready for your most adventurous, fun summer? Here are summer bucket list ideas for you to accomplish this year. We hope you’ll explore a new neighborhood, spend a lazy Saturday afternoon at a new winery or taste the flavors at a local ice cream shop. Let us know what you discover and enjoy! We’d love to hear.

KIDS ADULTS

Take

Visit

Go

Explore

Try

Hike

Explore

Go