Founded by the Puritans in 1639, Stratford, Connecticut is located in Fairfield County. Stratford can be found at the Long Island Sound, which is at the mouth of the Housatonic River. According to the 2000 census, Stratford has a population of 49,976. This modestly sized city has history relating to the military, aviation, the arts, and environmentalism. Stratford was known as a military town for the longest time as it was the site of Stratford Army Engine Plant for the United States from 1939 until 1998.
Interesting History
Stratford was home to the well known American Shakespeare Festival from 1955 until the theatre closed. The Stratford Festival Theatre could seat as many as 1,100 spectators and was a stopover for many celebrities such as Katherine Hepburn, Paul Newman, Jessica Tandy, Hal Holbrook, Roddy McDowall, and John Houseman. While the original theatre is no longer open, tourists still come to Stratford to see the site of the Shakespeare Festival.
Location
Stratford is a great place to live because it is amongst several other cities and towns that makes living, shopping, and dining really easy and a lot of fun. Stratford is bordered by several other towns including Bridgeport to the west, Trumbull and Shelton to the north, and Milford to the east, though it is across the Housatonic River. The city of Stratford covers 19 square miles, and 11% of that is water.
Schools
Stratford puts a lot of time and money into their schools. Stratford has fourteen public schools which educate children from kindergarten until the 12th grade. As Stratford grows, it will no doubt continue to add more public schools so that all of the children can receive the best education Connecticut has to offer.
In and Around Stratford
While the Stratford Festival Shakespeare Theatre was once just a fond memory, it became a reality again in 2005 as a new theatre was built and open to the public. The theatre is now a world wide tourist destination. This theatre is sure to bring more and more tourist traffic to the Stratford area.
If theatre is not your forte, than maybe you’ll want to take in a softball game. Stratford is home to one of the most successful softball teams in history, known as the Brakettes. This women’s team has won 24 national championships, and they are always a lot of fun to see in action.
As you can see, there is a lot about Stratford you can’t help but love. Stratford is just the right size so that its residents can enjoy the big city luxuries while still enjoying the small town atmosphere not to mention outstanding real estate. With fun things to do and see, anyone would love Stratford, Connecticut.
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