Me, out of the blue to a friend: So, what do you think the biggest issue facing Stamford is?Friend: The Towers of Death. They're dead space. (Referring to the two round, low-income high rises smack in the middle of town.)
Me: But people live there.
Friend: I know, but think about it. It's valuable space wasted. There's no retail, no public spaces. It's the middle of downtown, but I wouldn't want to park there at night.
I'm not sure if those towers are our biggest problem, but we all think they are hideous. If I wanted to get deep into it, I'd talk about Stamford's crazy extremes of rich and poor and our changing real estate needs, but that's too much for my allergy-riddled brain. We all read the same newspaper articles, but what's your personal take on the subject? What's the biggest issue facing Stamford?
If you vote for taxes or real estate as a big issue, try to make it spicy and dramatic. I find anything related to math boring*, but if you get emotional, or give concrete examples, I can comprehend.
I vote for the issue of schools being OK for young families. Like the two towers, that issue encompasses taxes, housing, and socioeconomics. Good schools reflect a population that wants to invest in a place and stick around to make it the best it can be. In the recent news, the Stamford schools say to prospective home buyers, "Maybe you should buy in Fairfield and just take the train!"
*Off topic: I used to do fine in math, but now it makes me feel nauseous. I took a look at the SAT Math a few months ago and truly felt like throwing up. It looked incomprehensible. I also feel sick when I listen to the Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffett, and a certain a cappella group from my college. It's not rational; it's a physiological reaction to the sound/idea/association. I can't explain it, other than to say I am very attuned to music. For example, my husband can easily tolerate a bad song on the radio, but I instantly freak out and have to change it.
