Art Attack

There is so much cool artiness in Stamford right now, it makes me feel like throwing a pot. First of all, sculptures have sprouted all over town from the Art in Public Places exhibit. The theme this year is abstractions, and they're all over the block - literally and figuratively. Which ones do you like?

I'm kind of digging David Boyajian's work.  It looks like stills of dancers pivoting on point.  The multi-colored Carole Eisner is too much for me to swallow, but the monochromatic ones put all the color in the movement, which is much lovelier.  David Hostetler is a bit to stark for me.  Kevin Robb's work seems to be just about to topple over, which gives you just a little refreshing breathlessness. Boaz Vaadia's sculptures seem to be made out of million year old mineral deposits, stalagmiting up the sidewalk as if we've been welcoming Jerry Springer since the dawn of time.

Not enough artiness? But wait - there's more!

Join your Stamford neighbors et al for Artwalk on Friday, June 14th from 6-9pm and Saturday, June 15th from 10am-7pm. My fabulous friend, MKS, has a very talented husband showing at the event. Artwalk will feature 95 artists all told, art for sale, galleries a'plenty, all sorts of mediums, refreshments, live music and not a nickel to get in. Should be swell, and you should be there!

Get in Gears

photo from flickr.com, ClickFlashPhotos / Nicki Varkevisser

On May 17th (aka, this Friday) join your fellow commuters in Bike to Work Day. It's exercise, fresh air, saving on gas - what's not to like?!  The Stamford Times points to an increase in bike commuters, saying the 2010 Census has those numbers up 40% across the US and 50% in CT since 2000.

Stamford has a downtown event to celebrate your pedal power too. From 7:30 to 9am, join your neighbors in Veteran's Park at the corner of Atlantic and Main Streets for giveaways and free refreshments (and a few bragging rights).  There are similar events all throughout CT.  See the Bike to Work Day link above for a full listing.

Miller River Park is Blossoming

Big thanks to (nearly birthday girl) TK for her, as always, excellent guest blog post.  She mentioned that Mill River was in bloom, and I was so excited to see today that she's absolutley right.  So without further ado, here goes:

 

photo from waferboard, flickr.com

Spring is in the air and the cherry trees in Mill River Park are starting to bloom. The Park’s grand opening is the first weekend in May, and it’s actually starting to look like a real park.  

On Friday, May 3, Mill River is launching its Spielberg at Sunset outdoor movie series, in partnership with the Avon Theatre. Movies include Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, Goonies and more. There will be a DJ starting at 6:30pm, and the movie will begin at sunset. If we could get a food truck or two to show up, that would be ideal. El Charrito? Melt Mobile?

On Saturday, May 4, the Swingset Mamas will be performing at Mill River Playground, there will be zumba and yoga drop-ins in the park, bird walks, a performance of the “Rejuvenary River Circus,” and more.

It looks like the Fun Saturday Mornings performances at the Mill River playground will continue this summer, but the lineup has not been released yet. We saw “Boogie Chillun” at the playground last summer, and we were ready to book them for our next private event.

 

SN again: it sounds fabulous, and we'll be there with bells on ourselves!

It's Spring - Are You a Budding Entrepreneur? Start Budding Right Here!

photo from Jazzyblue TR, flickr.com

Have you heard of InnovationED? What about the Stamford Innovation Center? If you are an entrepreneur, a wannabe entrepreneur or just want to get ahead in business, they may just be your new best friends.

The Stamford Innovation Center is a self described "community of dreamers, thinkers and doers" in our area promoting startups and making professional business ideas into reality. They provide space in the Old Town Hall to help businesses grow and expand.

Another exciting part of the Center is its InnovationEd program, which is more than just a pretty website.  It's also the educational arm of the Center. They are starting brand new classes right now with top notch teachers, and you can take part.  The folks behind InnovationEd are focused on making their classes active, practical and accessible. The first few classes on the agenda are:

- PR Bootcamp (2-5pm) / PR Showdown (7-9pm), Tuesday 4/9
- The Power of Storytelling (1-5pm) / Storytelling Showdown (7-9pm), Tuesday 4/23
- The 3 Stages of Business Development, Wednesday 4/24 (7-9pm)
- Effective E-mail and Newsletter Campaigns, Wednesday 4/24 (7-9pm)
- Ask the Data Scientist, Tuesday 5/7 (7-9pm)

For a complete description and pricing info (which all looked reasonable to me...), visit their Sessions page. Learn more about the instructors here and here.  All classes take place at Old Town Hall, which is located at 175 Atlantic Street.

Also, for a special discount, use the promo code STNOTES on the eventbrite order page.  And if you go, tell me about it!  I'd love to share your experience on the site.

HOLY %^&* Louis CK is Coming to Town!

Wow!  Louis CK will be performing at The Palace Theatre on April 5 at 7:30pm.  Tickets are available at louisck.com.  This is a big name act for our little ol' town.  Apart from his fairly terrible HBO series, Lucky Louie, he is a comedic juggernaut.  

He's performed on Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, you name it.  He shines most brightly on stage and in his newer series,  Louie. He plays the grumpiest version of a divorced father making as many mistakes as a human being can make, and doing it hilariously. It's crude, clever and endlessly creative. It's incredibly watchable, and you could see him live.  Get 'em now before they're gone!!

Stamford OKs a few KOs

A little detour down Summer Street tonight ushered me past what used to be the FedEx/Kinko's on Summer Street. The space has gone from paper things to swings in rings, and it's now a boxing gym!  Pretty cool!  The gym is called LA Boxing, and it seems to be the real deal.

Click on their virtual tour and you'll see their official boxing ring, treadmills, cardio machines, forest of punching bags and even a mixed martial arts cage. My colleague has taken up boxing, despite being an honest to goodness high heeled, mascaraed girly girl, and she's a true convert. I can't say I like being on either end of a swinging fist, but it does seem to be an excellent workout.

What I am an unadulterated fan of is new options and a little extra excitement in downtown Stamford, and LA Boxing ticks both those boxes.  Welcome, neighbor!

Harlan Social is Ambitious and Delicious

photo from kevin dooley, flickr.com

Well, it's been a while but I've survived food poisoning, something flu-ish, two baby ear infections (and companion pink eye) and my company being acquired - phew!  And yet Stamford continues to spin on its axis, and Harlan Social has been busy shining in its atmosphere. 

We did manage to break away for a nice dinner there a little bit ago, and I have nothing but praise. I'd been there before, but it was only drinks and nibbles, so there wasn't much to say. In my party, we had a variety of fabulous meals.

The Harlan Burger looked a little odd, floating on its English Muffin-y bread, but the proclamation was "great!" and "greasy in a good way."  Sounded like although it might kill you, you'd die happy. We scratched our head over what Parisienne Gnocchi might be, and the diner in question described it as "open faced" gnocchi. He rated it a 10 of 10 with a perfect texture. My friend who sampled the Seared Scallops said she couldn't recall ever having had as good...and that they just might be perfect. (I'm no fan of scallops, so a perfect one might be tied in a Glad bag, as far as i'm concerned...but I'll take her word for it.) The Gulf Shrimp & Grits garnered similar praise and the Garganelli Pasta was described as "well balanced."

I had the Braised Lamb, and perhaps food love was in the air, but it was incredible. It fell off the bone and into a collection of delicious French lentils seasoned with onions, almonds and dates. That description doesn't do it justice, and only eating it would.

It's not inaccurate for me to say it: I hate brussel sprouts. I remember being so sad when a very special dinner of soft shell crabs came with the veggie of the day - which I forgot to ask about.  The plate arrived decorated in all directions by those little green stink bombs.  Boo! This is all to say that the brussel sprouts at Harlan Social were delicious. I was shocked (Lord knows I didn't order them, but I tried them out of a sense of curiosity and masochism). They were miniature, and I don't know what that is supposed to do to their flavor, but it made something horrible downright delectable.

I wish it had been a little busier on a weekend evening, but the environment at Harlan Social was cozy and modern. My husband's a much harsher critic than I am, and he adored the evening. We also enjoyed the cheese plate (although the very thick accent of the waitress kept me in the dark about what the heck I was eating) and two desserts: Warm Cinnamon Donuts and the Bittersweet Chocolate Bar. They were a bit skimpy on the serving size for the donuts, but I'm glad they recognize that everything is better with chocolate dipping sauce. The Chocolate Bar could use a little more descriptive text on the menu so I know what the heck I'm eating, but whatever it was, I'll come back for more.

Vote Yes On Holiday Goodness

Stamford Downtown is merry and bright - don't forget to vote for the best hall decker at the Downtown Special Services District website.  You could win a $100 gift Capital Grille gift card!