If you think that nearby New York City has all the great shopping while suburbs like Stamford, Connecticut have all the boring residential neighborhoods, think again. Retail sales in Stamford are about more than vending organic baby lotion to new mothers. It's also about selling quality local art, craft items, and clothing as well as providing a place locals can shop for their favorite national or international brand names. Have a look at some of these places to shop in Stamford, CT.

Stamford Town Center

Despite the quaint sounding name, the Stamford Town Center is actually a large mall complex that serves all of Fairfield County. There are more than 100 stores and restaurants, a food court, a children's play area, even a dental office. This is where you'll want to go to drop off the kids while you tour the shops buying their swim diapers and the outfits you need to go about your daily life. Stores here include both high end and more reasonably priced retailers. There's Macy's, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barnes and Noble, Brooks Brothers, Williams-Sonoma, Gap, and Zara, among many others.

Ridgeway Mall

If you're not interested in spending a whole day at the mall, why not try the smaller Ridgeway Shopping Center in Stamford? At a more modest 35+ stores, Ridgeway is a great place to stop on the way home from work if you need something. Everything you could possibly need is here. There's a post office, several restaurants, a tailor, an optometrist, a bank, Starbucks, Old Navy, Staples, a dry cleaner, a travel agent, and a home outfitter where you can order a new modern bathroom vanity.

Major Big-Box Stores

Most people can't get by these days without the help of the major department retailers and their assortment of cheaply priced essential goods, from clothing to house wares. So while the Town Center is probably the place to go if you're looking for something expensive like an Alfred Sung wedding dress, big box stores like Target are your destination for everyday items. Grocery stores like Whole Foods Market are the bog box stores of edibles. They will provide you will all the food you need, all in one place.

Smaller Boutiques

There's not much demand nationwide for used woodworking machinery or local Stamford art, so you won't find these items in the major malls. For this, you'll want to shop around downtown and in strip malls. There you'll find specialty retailers like Daddy Junky's Music Store.