Where the heck is Fairfield County?

This week I’m teaming up with some of my favorite local bloggers and the Kirby and Company for an amazing giveaway. Check my IG feed at 8pm for all the details. Fun fact- the wall in the picture above is outside of KibyGirl in Darien. Another fun fact, the brand that makes my pink fleece, Dudley Stephens, is also based in Connecticut. That giveaway is the inspiration behind this post- to share all about the area I call home.

Through blogging, I’ve been able to connect with people close to home and all over the country. Sometimes people are confused about where I live. I get a lot of, “Connecticut is close to New York City? Wait, you live near the beach? I didn’t realize that!”

Let’s talk geography for a minute.

Fairfield County is Connecticut’s most southern county and is home to many awesome cities and towns. I live in Stamford, Connecticut, which is a coastal city of about 120,000 people. We’ve got beaches that my Californian friends might scoff at, but a beach is a beach in my opinion. I love going for a walk in the sand, especially during the cold winter months. Our condo is walking distance to the train station, and we can be to midtown Manhattan in just about 45 minutes on an express train. Many of our friends commute to offices in the city every day. We can also be up to New Haven in about an hour, and some of our favorite restaurants are up there.

Now, I am going to get salty and negative for a minute, and I won’t apologize. I don’t understand when a blogger lists CT/NYC as a location as if it’s the same place- especially if they live in a place even farther from the city than I do. If you work in the city…maybe. I’m okay with that. Otherwise, I just don’t get it. Fairfield County is a place deserving credit all on its own.

Both Ben and I grew up in Fairfield County- Ben in New Canaan and I spent my youth about 30-minutes away in Northern Fairfield County. (Yes, people. That is a thing- towns like Ridgefield, Redding, Newtown, and Brookfield do count.)

In my opinion, we’ve got it all in Fairfield County, including outlandish and stereotypes that are only appropriate some of the time. First example, Gilmore Girls. I adore that show, but I’m always confused about where they live geographically. They’re supposed to be near Hartford, but also close to Bridgeport. For the record, Hartford is about an hour and twenty-minutes from Fairfield County without traffic. So maybe they live somewhere in between? Maybe I just drive slow?

Historically, movies have had a field day poking fun at the culture of Connecticut. For example, the Stepford Wives. The fictitious town of Stepford is located in Fairfield County. I’ll admit, maybe we’re not hospitable like Southerners, but most Fairfield County women don’t remind me of Sarah Sunderson or Charmaine Van Sant. For the record, I see nothing wrong with the way Selma Blair’s character dressed in Legally Blonde. (She is also from Connecticut) Although it’s not my style, I appreciate a good sweater vest, dark colors, and subtle tones of pretension.

So that’s a little more about the place I call home.