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Bridgeport, Connecticut
City of Bridgeport
Downtown
Downtown
Flag of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Flag
Official seal of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Seal
Nicknames: 
The Park City
Location within Fairfield County
Location within Fairfield County
Bridgeport, Connecticut is located in Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Location in Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut is located in the United States
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Location in the United States
Country  United States
U.S. state  Connecticut
County Fairfield
Metropolitan area Bridgeport-Stamford
Incorporated (town) 1821
Incorporated (city) 1836
Government
 • Type Mayor-council
Area
 • City 19.4 sq mi (50.2 km2)
 • Land 16.0 sq mi (41.4 km2)
 • Water 3.4 sq mi (8.8 km2)
 • Urban
465 sq mi (1,205 km2)
Elevation
3 ft (1 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • City 148,654
 • Rank US: 172nd
 • Density 7,663/sq mi (2,961.2/km2)
 • Urban
923,311 (US: 48th)
 • Metro
939,904 (US: 57th)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes
06601–06602, 06604–06608, 06610, 06650, 06673, 06699
Area code(s) 203/475
FIPS code 09-08000
GNIS feature ID 205720
Airport Sikorsky Memorial Airport
Major highways I-95.svg Connecticut Highway 8.svg Connecticut Highway 25.svg Merritt Pkwy Shield.svg
Commuter Rail Amtrak logo 2.svg MTA NYC logo.svg SLE logo.svg
Website City of Bridgeport

Bridgeport is the most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the fifth-most populous in New England. Located in Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Island Sound, it is 60 miles (97 km) from Manhattan and 40 miles (64 km) from The Bronx. It is bordered by the towns of Trumbull to the north, Fairfield to the west, and Stratford to the east. Bridgeport and other settlements in Fairfield County make up the Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury metropolitan statistical area, the second largest metropolitan area in Connecticut. The Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk-Danbury metropolis forms part of the New York megacity.

Showman P. T. Barnum was a resident of the city and served as the town's mayor in the late 19th century. Barnum built four houses in Bridgeport and housed his circus in town during winter. The first Subway restaurant opened in Bridgeport's North End in 1965. The Frisbie Pie Company was founded in Bridgeport, and the city is credited as the birthplace of the Frisbee. After World War II, industrial restructuring and suburbanization caused the loss of many jobs and affluent residents, leaving Bridgeport struggling with poverty and violent crime. Since the beginning of the 21st century, Bridgeport has begun redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods.

History

Colonial history

Old Stratfield (Bridgeport) Map before 1886
Colonial Stratfield

The first documented English settlement within the present city limits of Bridgeport took place in 1644, centered at Black Rock Harbor along North Avenue and between Park and Briarwood Avenues. The place was called Pequonnock (Quiripi for "Cleared Land"), after a band of the Paugussett, a Native American people who then occupied this area. One of their sacred sites was Golden Hill, which overlooked the harbor and was the location of natural springs and their planting fields. (It has since been blasted through for an expressway.) The Golden Hill Indians were granted a reservation here by the Colony of Connecticut in 1639 that survived until 1802. (It exists today in adjoining Trumbull.)

Bridgeport's early years were marked by residents' reliance on fishing and farming, not altogether different from the economy of the Native Americans, who had cultivated corn, beans, and squash and fished and gathered shellfish from both the river and sound. A village called Newfield began to coalesce around the corner of State and Water Streets in the 1760s. The area officially became known as Stratfield in 1695 or 1701 due to its location between the already existing towns of Stratford and Fairfield. During the American Revolution, Newfield Harbor was a center of privateering.

19th century

Iranistan, Residence of P.T. Barnum, 1848
Iranistan, the residence of P.T. Barnum, in 1848
Bridgeport 1824
Bridgeport in 1824, by H. L. Barnum
1845 NY&NH
The route of the NY&NH, showing Bridgeport in 1845
East Bridgeport Bridge over Pequannock River, by Whitney, Beckwith & Paradice
East Bridgeport Bridge over Pequannock River, ca. 1850

By the time of the State of Connecticut's ratification of the American constitution in 1781, many of the local farmers held shares in vessels trading at Newfield Harbor or had begun trading in their own name. Newfield initially expanded around the coasting trade with Boston, New York, and Baltimore and the international trade with the West Indies. The commercial activity of the village was clustered around the wharves on the west bank of the Pequonnock, while the churches were erected inland on Broad Street. In 1800, the village became the Borough of Bridgeport, the first so incorporated in the state. It was named for the Newfield or Lottery Bridge across the Pequonnock, connecting the wharves on its east and west banks. Bridgeport Bank was established in 1806. In 1821, the township of Bridgeport became independent of Stratford.

The West India trade died down around 1840, but by that time the Bridgeport Steamship Company (1824) and Bridgeport Whaling Company (1833) had been incorporated and the Housatonic Railroad chartered (1836). The same year, the New York and New Haven Railroad began operation, connecting Bridgeport to New York and the other towns along the north shore of the Long Island Sound.

Now a major junction for western Connecticut, the city rapidly industrialized. Following the Civil War, it held several iron foundries and factories manufacturing firearms, metallic cartridges, horse harnesses, locks, and blinds. Wheeler & Wilson's sewing machines were exported throughout the world. Bridgeport annexed the West End and the village of Black Rock and its busy harbor in 1870. In 1875, P.T. Barnum was elected mayor of the town, which afterwards served as the winter headquarters of Barnum and Bailey's Circus and Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

20th century

PostcardBridgeportCTMainSt1912
1912 postcard showing Main Street in Bridgeport
BridgeportCT SterlingBlockBishopArcade Inside
Sterling Block-Bishop Arcade, a Victorian-era shopping arcade

From 1870 to 1910, Bridgeport became the major industrial center of Connecticut and its population rose from around 25,000 to over 100,000, including thousands of Irish, Slovaks, Hungarians, Germans, English, and Italian immigrants. A Singer factory joined Wheeler & Wilson in producing sewing machines and the Locomobile Company of America was a prominent early automobile manufacturer, producing a prototype of the Stanley Steamer and various luxury cars. The town was the center of America's corset production, responsible for almost 20% of the national total, and became the headquarters of Remington Arms following its 1912 merger with the Union Metallic Cartridge Co. Around the time of the First World War, Bridgeport was also producing steam-fitting and heating apparatuses, brass goods, phonographs, typewriters, milling machines, brassieres, and saddles.

A series of strikes in the summer of 1915 imposed the eight-hour day on the town's factories; rather than moving business elsewhere, the success spread the eight-hour day throughout the Northeast. The First World War continued the city's expansion so that, on the eve of the Great Depression, there were more than 500 factories in Bridgeport, including Columbia Records' primary pressing plant. The build-up to World War II helped its recovery in the late 1930s.

Restructuring of heavy industry starting after the mid-20th century caused the loss of thousands of jobs and residents. Like other urban centers in Connecticut, Bridgeport suffered during the deindustrialization of the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Continued development of new suburban housing attracted middle and upper-class residents, leaving the city with a higher proportion of poor. The city suffered from overall mismanagement, for which several city officials were convicted, contributing to the economic and social decline. In September 1978, Bridgeport teachers went on a 19-day strike due to deadlocked contract negotiations. A court order, as well as a state law that made strikes by public workers illegal in Connecticut, resulted in 274 teachers being arrested and jailed. Bridgeport made numerous efforts at revitalization. In one proposal, Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn was to build a large casino, but that project failed. In 1991, the city filed for bankruptcy protection but was declared solvent by a federal court.

21st century

Bridgeport 101 0153small
A street scene in Bridgeport

In the early 21st century, Bridgeport has taken steps toward redevelopment of its downtown and other neighborhoods. In 2004, artists' lofts were developed in the former Read's Department Store on Broad Street. Several other rental conversions have been completed, including the 117-unit Citytrust bank building on Main Street. The recession halted, at least temporarily, two major mixed-use projects including a $1-billion waterfront development at Steel Point, but other redevelopment projects have proceeded, such as the condominium conversion project in Bijou Square. In 2009, the City Council approved a new master plan for development, designed both to promote redevelopment in selected areas and to protect existing residential neighborhoods. In 2010, the Bridgeport Housing Authority and a local health center announced plans to build a $20 million medical and housing complex at Albion Street, making use of federal stimulus funds and designed to replace some of the housing lost with the demolition of Father Panik Village.

Notable speeches

On March 10, 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in the city's Washington Hall, an auditorium at the old Bridgeport City Hall (now McLevy Hall), at the corner of State and Broad Streets. The largest room in the city was packed, and a crowd formed outside, as well. Lincoln received a standing ovation before taking the 9:07 pm train that night back to Manhattan. A plaque marks the site where Lincoln spoke; later that year, he was elected president.

The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke three times at the Klein Auditorium during the 1960s. Additionally, President George W. Bush spoke before a small group of Connecticut business people and officials at the Playhouse on the Green in 2006. President Barack Obama also spoke at the Harbor Yard arena in 2010 to gain support for the campaign of Democratic Governor Dan Malloy.

Geography

Bridgeport is located along Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Pequonnock River, named for the Native American tribe who historically lived along it.

Parks

Bridgeport is renowned for its public park system, which has led to its official nickname as "The Park City". The city's first public park was the westerly portion of McLevy Green, first set aside as a public square 1806, although the Clinton Park Militia Grounds (1666) and Old Mill Green (1717) were set aside earlier as public commons by the towns of Fairfield and Stratford, respectively. As the city rapidly grew in population, residents recognized the need for more public parks and by 1864, Barnum and other residents had donated approximately 44 acres (180,000 m2) to create Seaside Park, now increased by acquisition and landfill to 375 acres (1.52 km2). In 1878, over 100 acres (400,000 m2) of land bordering the Pequonnock River was added as Beardsley Park. Frederick Law Olmsted, famous for creating New York City's Central Park, designed both Seaside and Beardsley Parks. Over time, more parks were added including 35-acre (140,000 m2) Beechwood Park and Pleasure Beach, home to a popular amusement park for many years.

Neighborhoods

The city of Bridgeport is divided into many distinct neighborhoods, divided into five geographic areas: Downtown, the East Side, the North End, the South End, and the West Side.

  • Downtown
    • McLeevy Green
    • Harral Square
    • The Hollow
    • Enterprise Zone
  • East Side
    • Boston Avenue/Mill Hill
    • East End
    • Lower East Side
    • Newfield
    • Pleasure Beach
    • Steel Point
    • Upper East Side
  • North End
    • Brooklawn/St. Vincent
    • Lake Forest
    • Lake Success
    • North Bridgeport/Little Italy
    • Reservoir/Whiskey Hill
  • South End
    • Seaside Park
    • Soundgate
  • West Side
    • Black Rock
    • West End

Climate

Under the Köppen climate classification, Bridgeport straddles between a humid subtropical (Cfa) and humid continental (Dfa) climate, with some maritime influence; it is part of USDA hardiness zone 7a. The normal average monthly temperature ranges from 30.1 °F (−1.1 °C) in January to 74.3 °F (23.5 °C) in July; on average, there are 20 days where the temperature remains at or below freezing and 7.6 days with a high at or above 90 °F (32 °C) annually; the last year to not reach the latter mark was 2004. Temperatures reaching 0 °F (−18 °C) or 100 °F (38 °C) are rare, and were last seen respectively on February 14, 2016 and July 22, 2011. The record low is −7 °F (−22 °C), set on January 22, 1984, while the record high is 103 °F (39 °C), set on July 22 in 1957 and 2011.

Precipitation averages 42.7 inches (1,080 mm) annually, and is somewhat evenly distributed throughout the year, though March and April are the wettest months in terms of total precipitation. Snowfall averages 27.6 inches (70 cm) per winter, falling almost entirely from December to March. As is typical of coastal Connecticut, snow cover does not usually remain for long, with an average of 29 days per winter with snow cover of at least 1 inch (2.5 cm).

Climate data for Bridgeport, Connecticut (Sikorsky Airport), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1948–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 68
(20)
67
(19)
84
(29)
91
(33)
97
(36)
97
(36)
103
(39)
100
(38)
99
(37)
89
(32)
78
(26)
76
(24)
103
(39)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 55.2
(12.9)
55.4
(13.0)
65.8
(18.8)
76.4
(24.7)
83.7
(28.7)
89.9
(32.2)
92.9
(33.8)
91.4
(33.0)
85.1
(29.5)
76.6
(24.8)
67.4
(19.7)
58.6
(14.8)
94.6
(34.8)
Average high °F (°C) 37.1
(2.8)
39.7
(4.3)
47.2
(8.4)
57.7
(14.3)
67.6
(19.8)
77.0
(25.0)
82.2
(27.9)
80.9
(27.2)
74.0
(23.3)
63.3
(17.4)
53.1
(11.7)
42.3
(5.7)
60.2
(15.7)
Average low °F (°C) 23.0
(−5.0)
25.2
(−3.8)
31.4
(−0.3)
41.0
(5.0)
50.6
(10.3)
60.4
(15.8)
66.4
(19.1)
65.8
(18.8)
58.3
(14.6)
46.5
(8.1)
38.0
(3.3)
28.4
(−2.0)
44.6
(7.0)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 5.3
(−14.8)
9.8
(−12.3)
16.3
(−8.7)
30.0
(−1.1)
39.7
(4.3)
49.5
(9.7)
57.0
(13.9)
54.9
(12.7)
44.6
(7.0)
33.4
(0.8)
23.8
(−4.6)
12.9
(−10.6)
3.5
(−15.8)
Record low °F (°C) −7
(−22)
−6
(−21)
4
(−16)
18
(−8)
31
(−1)
41
(5)
49
(9)
44
(7)
36
(2)
26
(−3)
16
(−9)
−4
(−20)
−7
(−22)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.10
(79)
2.79
(71)
4.05
(103)
4.13
(105)
3.80
(97)
3.61
(92)
3.46
(88)
3.96
(101)
3.48
(88)
3.64
(92)
3.39
(86)
3.33
(85)
42.74
(1,087)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 7.7
(20)
8.1
(21)
5.1
(13)
0.9
(2.3)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.7
(1.8)
5.1
(13)
27.6
(71.1)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) 10.9 9.7 11.3 11.0 11.8 11.1 8.9 8.9 8.2 8.8 10.0 11.1 121.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) 4.8 3.5 2.4 0.3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.5 3.1 14.6
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1810 1,089
1820 1,500 37.7%
1830 2,800 86.7%
1840 3,294 17.6%
1850 7,560 129.5%
1860 13,299 75.9%
1870 18,969 42.6%
1880 27,643 45.7%
1890 48,866 76.8%
1900 70,996 45.3%
1910 102,054 43.7%
1920 143,555 40.7%
1930 146,716 2.2%
1940 147,121 0.3%
1950 158,709 7.9%
1960 156,748 −1.2%
1970 156,542 −0.1%
1980 142,546 −8.9%
1990 141,686 −0.6%
2000 139,529 −1.5%
2010 144,229 3.4%
2020 148,654 3.1%
Population 1840–1970
U.S. Decennial Census
2018 Estimate

As of the census of 2000, there were 139,529 people, 50,307 households, and 32,749 families living in the city. The population density was 8,720.9 people per square mile (3,367.0/km2). There were 54,367 housing units at an average density of 3,398.1 per square mile (1,312.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 45.0% White, 30.8% African American, 0.5% Native American, 3.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.9% of the population. Other ancestry groups include: Italian (8.6%), Irish (5.1%), Portuguese (2.9%), Polish (2.8%), and German (2.4%). There is also a sizeable Kurdish population in Bridgeport, primarily from Iraq.

As of the 2010 census, there were 144,229 people living in the city. The racial makeup of the city residents was 39.6% White; 34.6% Black or African American; 3.4% Asian; and 4.3% from two or more races. A total of 38.2% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 50,307 households, out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 24.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.34.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.4% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $34,658, and the median income for a family was $39,571. Males had a median income of $32,430 versus $26,966 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,306. About 16.2% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.

According to 2010 census data, the Bridgeport MSA, containing all of Fairfield County, is the most economically unequal region in America, with 57% of the wealth going to the top income quintile.

Culture

Performing arts

Theater and music

Bridgeport has a number of venues for live theater and music events, ranging from intimate performing spaces to a stadium hosting rock concerts.

  • Downtown Cabaret Theatre – cabaret, children's theater, concerts
  • Playhouse on the Green – (228 seats) theater with plays and varied musical events
  • Klein Memorial Auditorium – (1,400 seats) home to the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, touring shows and concerts
  • Webster Bank Arena – Sporting events venue, but also hosts large concerts

Music festivals and concert series

Bridgeport has been the annual home to Gathering of the Vibes, a weekend long arts, music and camping festival featuring some of the best names in festival talent. In 1999, 2000, and 2007 through 2010, thousands of people have come from all over the world to camp in Seaside Park and enjoy such talent as Buddy Guy, Bob Weir and Ratdog, Deep Banana Blackout, Les Claypool, Assembly of Dust, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Los Lobos and Bridgeport's own The Alternate Routes.

Since 1945, the Greater Bridgeport Symphony has been a cultural and musical gem for the City of Bridgeport and its surrounding towns, performing at the 1,400 seat Klein Memorial Auditorium. The orchestra has a rich and vibrant history. Under the direction of Gustav Meier for the past 41 years, the prestigious orchestra has welcomed international soloists Beverly Sills, Midori, Benny Goodman, Itzhak Perlman with other links to legends like Leonard Bernstein, Jose Iturbi. Through its annual Carlson-Horn Competition for Young Instrumentalist created many new bright professional soloists including Andrew Armstrong, Alexander Markov, and Anita Chen.

Museums, zoos and parks

Bridgeport has a number of museums, ranging from the science-oriented to fine arts and historical, as well as the state's largest zoo.

  • The Discovery Museum and Planetarium emphasizes exhibits on science, with the state's only Challenger Center, affiliated with the national space program.
  • Housatonic Museum of Art, located at Housatonic Community College, has the largest collection of art of any two-year college in the nation.
  • The Barnum Museum celebrates the showman, circuses and Bridgeport history.
  • Beardsley Zoo is the only such center in Connecticut.

In popular culture

Movies

A list of films shot or partially filmed in the city:

  • Officer Down (2012)
  • A Dance for Grace (2010)
  • Ironmen (2010)
  • 3 Weeks to Daytona (2009)
  • Accidental Mayor (2009)
  • All Good Things (2009)
  • Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
  • Dear Beautiful (2009)
  • The Godfather Musical Part III: Luca Brasi Sleeps with the Fishes (2009)
  • House of Satisfaction (2009)
  • Made for Each Other (2009)
  • The Music of Erich Zann (2009/II)
  • Old Dogs (2009/I)
  • College Road Trip (2008)
  • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
  • Pistol Whipped (2008)
  • Righteous Kill (2008)
  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
  • What Just Happened (2008)
  • Bobby Dogs (2007)
  • Dear Beautiful (2007)
  • Praying to Hendrix (2007)
  • Die Hard 3 (1995)
  • A Walk with Death (1993)
  • Route One USA (1989)
  • There's a Nightmare in My Closet (1987)
  • Without a Trace (1983)
  • The Case of the Cosmic Comic (1976)
  • The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds (1972)
  • The Light that Failed (1916)

Television

  • Kitchen Nightmares (Season 4, Episode 7, "Tavolini Restaurant", 2011)
  • Brian Boitano Skating Spectacular (2010) (TV)
  • Ghost Adventures:"Remington Arms Factory" (Episode 21, November 2009)
  • WWE Raw (Nov. 18, 2002; Mar. 8, 2004; Dec. 26, 2005; August 21, 2006; April 9, 2007; April 27, 2009; June 21, 2010, April 11, 2011 and Sep 17, 2012)
  • WWE Smackdown, ECW, and WWE NXT (May 7, 2002; March 4, 2003; August 2, 2005; Dec. 9, 2008; Nov. 24, 2009; Nov. 2, 2010; and Nov. 15, 2011)
  • Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day (2007)
  • WWE Raw's 15th Anniversary Special (2007)
  • Flip This House: "Burning Down the House" (2005)
  • Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (2003 & 2007)
  • Made in America (2003)
  • U.S. Bounty Hunter (2003)
  • Muggsy (1976)
  • The Twentieth Century (1957, The Class of '58 episode)
  • Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye (TV Movie, 1977), bar scene of JFK campaigning with local workers filmed in the Ideal Bar on Barnum Avenue across from the former Singer Building
  • Live PD (2016-)

Others

Novels

  • Bridgeport is the setting for Maureen Howard's Natural History, a novel that includes scenes from the city's history and depicts important historical figures such as P. T. Barnum.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Airports

Sikorsky Memorial Airport in neighboring Stratford was previously owned by the City of Bridgeport before closing a deal in 2016 that sold the land to Stratford. It once provided regional flights to major cities, but commercial operations at the airport were terminated in November 1999.

Roads

Bridgeport has several major roadways. Interstate 95 and the Route 8/Route 25 Connector meet in Downtown Bridgeport. I-95 runs east–west near the coast heading towards New York City to the southwest and Providence to the northeast. Routes 8 and 25 run north–south across the city, with the two routes splitting just north of the city. Route 8 continues towards Waterbury and Torrington and Route 25 continues towards the Danbury area. Both Routes 8 and 25 connect to the Merritt Parkway in the adjacent town of Trumbull.

Other major surface arteries are U.S. 1 (the Boston Post Road), which runs east–west north of Downtown, and Main Street, which runs north–south towards Trumbull center. The city also has several secondary state highways, namely, Route 127 (East Main Street), Route 130 (Connecticut Avenue, Stratford Avenue, Fairfield Avenue and Water Street), and the Huntington Turnpike.

Railroad and ferries

New Haven Line train approaches Bridgeport, CT station eastbound, December 2012
A New Haven Line train approaches the intermodal transit hub at Bridgeport Station

The Bridgeport Traction Company provided streetcar service in the region until 1937. The Housatonic Railroad carried passengers North through the Pequonnock and Housatonic Valleys prior to 1933.

The city is connected to nearby New York City by both Amtrak and Metro-North commuter trains, which serve Bridgeport's Metro-North station. Many residents commute to New York jobs on these trains, and the city to some extent is developing as an outpost of New York–based workers seeking cheaper rents and larger living spaces. Connecting service is also available to Waterbury via Metro-North, and New Haven via Amtrak and Metro-North. Shoreline East service links Old Saybrook and New London with New Haven, which extends to Bridgeport and Stamford during weekday rush hours only.

The Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Ferry service runs from Bridgeport across Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson, New York; the three vessels Grand Republic, P.T. Barnum, and Park City transport both automobiles and passengers.

Buses

The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority (GBTA) provides bus service to Bridgeport and its immediate suburbs. Route 2 the Coastal Link goes west to Norwalk and east to Westfield's Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, from where Connecticut Transit can bring passengers to the New Haven Green. Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus Lines both offer intercity bus service to points throughout the Northeast and points beyond.

Emergency services

Fire department

The Bridgeport Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical services at the Basic life support level to the city of Bridgeport.

Emergency medical services

Emergency medical services are provided by American Medical Response at the paramedic level.

Historic sites

Historic districts

Bridgeport has five local historic districts, where exterior changes to structures are under the control of two Historic District Commissions:

  • Black Rock Harbor Historic District, 88 buildings along Ellsworth, Brewster, and Beacon Streets, includes the village center of a historic seaport, with buildings that date back to the 17th century
  • Pembroke City Historic District, 266 buildings in a general two-block radius of Washington Park, a planned residential development constructed 1850-1900 that contains the city's most important concentration of Victorian architecture
  • Stratfield Historic District, 300 buildings along Clinton, Brooklawn, and Laurel Avenues that made up an elite residential district of the Edwardian era
  • Barnum-Palliser Development Historic District, 33 buildings on Austin, Gregory, and Atlantic Streets and Myrtle Avenue that was a planned working-class development of the 1880s designed by the architectural firm of Palliser, Palliser, and Company
  • Marina Park Historic District, 14 buildings along South Park Avenue and Marina Park, contains some of the city's most opulent late 19th-early 20th century mansions overlooking Seaside Park

Economy

Since the decline of its industrial sector beginning in the middle of the 20th century, Bridgeport has gradually adjusted to a service-based economy. Though a level of industrial activity continues, healthcare, finance, and education have become the centerpieces of Bridgeport's economy.

The two largest employers in the city are Bridgeport's primary hospitals, Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent's Medical Center. Park City Hospital closed in 1993 and was reopened in 2010 as elderly and homeless housing units.

Top employers

Top employers in Bridgeport according to the cities 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report

BridgeportHospitalEntrance
Bridgeport Hospital, an affiliate of the Yale School of Medicine
Bridgeportindustry
A portion of the harbor in Bridgeport: Facilities shown are part of the United Illuminating coal-fired power plant
# Employer # of Employees
1 Bridgeport Hospital 2,386
2 St. Vincent's Medical Center 2,325
3 People's United Financial 1,338
4 Sikorsky Aircraft 358
5 Lacey Manufacturing Co 342
6 University of Bridgeport 340
7 Bridgeport Healthcare Center 297
8 Prime Line 220
9 Housatonic Community College 209
10 Watermark 227

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships Logo
Bridgeport Islanders AHL, Ice hockey Webster Bank Arena 2001 0

Webster Bank Arena serves as the city's sports and hospitality center. Seating 10,000, the Arena serves as the home rink of the Bridgeport Islanders AHL hockey team and the Sacred Heart University's men's hockey team and as the home court of Fairfield University's basketball team.

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard served as a minor-league baseball stadium from 1998 to 2017. It was built in 1998 to serve as the homefield of the Bridgeport Bluefish. From 2001 to 2003 it was the homefield for the Bridgeport Barrage, a Major League Lacrosse team. It is downtown on a former brownfield site. It is visually prominent to commuters on I-95 or on passing trains. On August 8, 2017, Mayor Joe Ganim announced that the Bluefish would be ending their 20-year stint at the ballpark at the end of the 2017 season. The ballpark was converted into an amphitheatre. The Bluefish played their final home game at the park on September 17, 2017, losing by a score of 9–2 to the Somerset Patriots.

Kennedy Stadium serves as a community sports facility. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was the home of an Atlantic Coast Football League minor league football team, the Bridgeport Jets, a New York Jets farm team also known locally as the Hi-Ho Jets due to their sponsorship by the (Hi-Ho) D'Addario construction company.

Fairfield University is in the neighboring town of Fairfield, and many of the athletic teams play on campus. Only the men's and women's basketball teams play in Bridgeport.

Nutmeg Curling Club, one of two curling clubs in Connecticut, is in Bridgeport. It is the home club of the 2013 USA Mixed National Champions, led by club members Derek Surka and Charissa Lin. The club is a member of the Grand National Curling Club Region.

Bridgeport has a storied history in professional sports. Bridgeport native Jim O'Rourke was the first baseball player to earn a hit in National League history in 1876. The founder and original owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Charles Ebbets, married his second wife in Bridgeport in 1922, five years before his death.

Education

Higher education

Bridgeport is home to the University of Bridgeport, Housatonic Community College, St. Vincent's College, and the Yeshiva Gedola of Bridgeport. The Yeshiva Gedola is the home of the Bridgeport Community Kollel, a rabbinic fellowship program.

The University of Bridgeport's Ernest C. Trefz School of Business offers undergraduate and graduate programs.

Public education

The city's public school system has 30 elementary schools, three comprehensive high schools, two alternative programs and an interdistrict vocational aquaculture school. The system has about 20,800 students, making the Bridgeport Public Schools the second largest school system in Connecticut after Hartford. It is ranked #158 out of the 164 Connecticut school districts. The school system employs a professional staff of more than 1,700.

The city has started a large school renovation and construction program, with plans for new schools and modernization of existing buildings.

Public high schools

  • Bassick High School established in 1929.
  • Central High School established in 1876, home to Central Magnet, largest of the high schools.
  • Warren Harding High School home to the International Baccalaureate Program (IBO) and the Health Magnet Program in association with Bridgeport Hospital, St. Vincent's Medical Center, and Bridgeport Manor; also the alma mater of Walt Kelly, creator of Pogo.
  • Bridgeport Regional Vocational Aquaculture School (BRVAS), a school specializing in marine and aquaculture curricula near Captain's Cove and open to students from surrounding towns.
  • Bullard-Havens Technical High School, a vocational high school. (State School)
  • The Bridge Academy: Bridgeport Charter High School
  • Achievement First Bridgeport Charter High School

Public magnet schools

  • Fairchild Wheeler Interdistrict Multi-Magnet High School

Private education

Bridgeport is also home to private schools, including Bridgeport Hope School (K–8), Bridgeport International Academy (grades 9–12), Catholic Academies of Bridgeport (Pre-K–8), Kolbe Cathedral High School (9–12), St. Andrew Academy (Pre-K–8), and St. Ann Academy (Pre-K–8).

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bridgeport para niños

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Bridgeport, Connecticut Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.