Comparing Cities
...o New England or down to New York City. Stamford has no significant central experience, the way most of the major cities in this country do. Because of its proximity to New York City, most people find culture on the streets of Manhattan rather than the restaurants on Atlantic or Broad Street in Stamford. However, there are several local bars, restaurants, and venues that draw crowds from all over Fairfield County and New York State. The Rich Forum on Atlantic Street usually features some big name plays and concerts, including a recent performance by comedian Gallagher and rock ‘n roller Meatloaf. Stamford has most likely the biggest and nicest waterfront between New York and New Haven. There are several marinas, including the ones at Stamford Yacht Club, Yacht Haven, and Mercede. Not much shipping comes in and out of Stamford harbor, besides garbage and chemical waste bound for New York City, although Stamford is the port of entry for many foreign beer and spirit importers. Next time you see a bottle of foreign beer or liquor, it most likely says that it was imported in Stamford. As for other industry in Stamford, there are a few headquarters situated in the city. Since it is so close to New York, companies like to use Stamford office space. Pitney Bowes, Xerox, International Paper, and GTE are among the major companies that have or have had headquarters in Stamford. Also, Time Warner, and UBS have major offices in Stamford. After September 11, 2001, some displaced financial firms moved out to Stamford temporarily, but almost all have since moved back to Manhattan. In contrast to suburban Stamford, Montreal, Canada is a massive international metropolis. It is a city of over 2 million, being Canada’s second biggest city, next to Toronto. It’s port is also the second biggest in this hemisphere, next to New York. Its location on the St. Lawrence River allows it to service all of its country’s shipping needs and some of those of the Northern United States. Quebecois companies such as Bernieres are some of the largest shipping and trucking companies on the continent. Montreal is a city that attracts thousands of visitors and tourists. Most of the population is native Canadian, but there are large pockets of Asian and Caribbean immigrants as in any large US city. Tourism is a big industry in Montreal. It is situated only a half hour’s drive away from the US border in New York. For many people in this area of the United States who are too far away from New York City to enjoy a one or two-day trip, Montreal is the closest big city. This goes without mentioning that it is th...