Bridgeport, Connecticut
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"Bridgeport" redirects here. For other uses, see Bridgeport (disambiguation).
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Bridgeport, Connecticut
Flag of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Flag		 Official seal of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Seal
Nickname(s): The Park City.
Location in Connecticut
Location in Connecticut
Coordinates: 41°11′11″N 73°11′44″W / 41.18639, -73.19556
NECTA Bridgeport-Stamford
Region Greater Bridgeport
Incorporated (town) 1821
Incorporated (city) 1836
Government
 - Type Mayor-council
 - Mayor Bill Finch
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 465.3 sq mi (1,205 km²)
Elevation 3 ft (1 m)
Population (2006)[1]
 - City 137,912
 - Density 8,720.9/sq mi (3,354/km²)
 - Metro 902,775
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 066xx
Area code(s) 203
FIPS code 09-08000
GNIS feature ID 0205720
Website: http://www.ci.bridgeport.ct.us

Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city has an estimated population of 137,912[1] and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area. It is considered part of the labor market area for New York City.

The city is quite marked by its attachment to its famous resident, the circus-promoter and once mayor P.T. Barnum. Barnum built three houses in the city, and housed his circus in town during winters.

Other than Black Rock and Parts of Brooklawn which were originally part of the township of Fairfied, Bridgeport was originally a part of the township of Stratford. The first settlement here was made in 1659. It was called Pequonnock until 1695, when its name was changed to Stratfield, due to its location between the already existing towns of Stratford and Fairfield. During the American Revolution it was a center of privateering. In 1800 the borough of Bridgeport was chartered, and in 1821 the township was incorporated. The city was not chartered until 1836.

The city was home to the Frisbie Pie Company, and therefore it has been argued that Bridgeport is the birthplace of the frisbee.[2]

The community has two hospitals, Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent's Medical Center.

Contents

History

Main article: History of Bridgeport, Connecticut

Early years

Bridgeport's early years were marked by residents' reliance on fishing and farming, although the farm land was rocky, much like other towns in New England. The city's location on the deep Newfield Harbor fostered a boom in shipbuilding and whaling in the mid-19th century, especially after the opening of a railroad to the city in 1840.

The city rapidly industrialized in the late-19th century, when it became a manufacturing center. It produced such goods as the famous Bridgeport milling machine, brass fittings, carriages, sewing machines, brassieres, saddles, and ammunition.

Eastern View of Bridgeport, Con. by John Warner Barber (1836)
Eastern View of Bridgeport, Con. by John Warner Barber (1836)

Abraham Lincoln's visit

On Saturday, March 10, 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in the city's Washington Hall, an auditorium at what was then the Fairfield County Courthouse (now McLevy Hall), at the corner of State and Broad streets. Not only was the largest room in the city packed, but a crowd formed outside as well. Lincoln received a standing ovation before taking the 9:07 p.m. train that night back to Manhattan.[3][4] A plaque marks the site where Lincoln spoke. (In 2006, just across the street, in the Polka Dot Playhouse {now known as Playhouse on the Green}, President George W. Bush spoke before a small, select group of Connecticut business people and officials about health care reform.)

Later history

By 1930, Bridgeport was a thriving industrial center with more than 500 factories. Since the late 19th century, its industrial jobs had attracted the most recent immigrants: Irish, Italians and eastern Europeans. The build-up to World War II helped its industries.

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. Many middle class people sought work elsewhere, and poverty became concentrated among those who remained. Unemployment rose, crime soared, and the city became known for a large drug problem. Immigrants continued to arrive in the city because of low housing costs; some were able to find work in the area.

Former industrial sites within the city were discovered to be heavily polluted, leaving Bridgeport with extensive environmental costs and damage. Other sites were abandoned, and sometimes burned by arson. Areas of the city resembled ghost towns.

In September 1978, Bridgeport teachers went on a 19-day strike due to deadlocked contract negotiations. A court order as well as state law that made strikes illegal in Connecticut resulted in 274 teachers being arrested and jailed.[5]

After a quarter century of troubles, in the early 21st century, Bridgeport is rebounding. It is becoming a center of service industries. With people's long commutes and competition with expensive housing in the region, some people are moving back into the city for its more affordable housing.

A portion of the harbor in Bridgeport.
A portion of the harbor in Bridgeport.

Like other northeastern cities suffering from the effects of Post World War II industrial decline, Bridgeport made numerous efforts at revitalization. In one proposal Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn was to build a large casino, but that project failed to materialize.

More recently, the City of Bridgeport has taken steps to acquire the last parcels in private hands to be able to develop better packages for redevelopment. The city's many historic buildings are being renovated into residential and retail units, and offer architectural texture. Its waterfront location will be a draw.

Geography and Climate

Bridgeport is located along Long Island Sound, at the mouth of the Pequonnock River.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50.2 km²), of which, 16.0 square miles (41.4 km²) of it is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km²) of it (17.53%) is water. Bridgeport lies within the Humid Continental climate belt, with warm to occasionally hot and humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The seasonal extremes are moderated by Long Island Sound. The adjacent waters result in Bridgeport being several degrees cooler in summer and slightly milder with less snowfall in winter than locations further away from the coast. The city receives 41.7 inches (1,060 mm) of precipitation and around 25.6 inches (65 cm) of snowfall in an average year. The snowiest winter on record is 1996 where Bridgeport received 76.8 inches (195 cm).[6]

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 68 67 84 91 97 96 103 100 99 86 78 76
Norm High °F 36.9 38.8 46.9 57 67.4 76.4 81.9 80.7 73.6 63.1 52.6 42.1
Norm Low °F 22.9 24.9 32 40.7 50.6 59.6 66 65.4 57.7 46.3 37.5 28
Rec Low °F -7 -5 4 18 31 41 49 44 36 26 16 -4
Precip (in) 3.73 2.92 4.15 3.99 4.03 3.57 3.77 3.75 3.58 3.54 3.65 3.47
Source: USTravelWeather.com [4]

Cityscape

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The harbor is formed by the estuary of the Pequonnock River and Yellow Mill Pond, an inlet. Between the estuary and the pond is a peninsula, East Bridgeport, which was once the site of some of the largest manufacturing establishments (most no longer exist). West of the harbor and the river is the main portion of the city, with the wholesale section extending along the bank, the retail section farther back, and numerous factories along the line of the railway far to the West.

There are two large parks. Beardsley is in the extreme northern part of the city. Seaside is west of the harbor entrance and along the Sound. It has statues in honor of Elias Howe, who built a large sewing-machine factory in 1863; and of P.T. Barnum, the showman, who lived in Bridgeport after 1846. He contributed much to the city, especially East Bridgeport. Seaside Park also has a soldiers' and sailors' monument. In the vicinity are many upscale residences.

The principal buildings are the two hospitals (St Vincent's and Bridgeport), the Protestant orphan asylum, the Barnum Institute (occupied by the Bridgeport Scientific and Historical Society), the Bridgeport Medical Society and the United States Customs House, which also contains a post office.

Demographics

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1840 3,294
—
1850 6,080 84.6%
1860 12,106 99.1%
1870 18,969 56.7%
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%
Est. 2006 137,912 [7] −1.2%
Population 1840 - 1970[8]


As of the census[9] of 2000, there were 139,529 people, 50,307 households, and 32,749 families residing 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/sq mi (1,312.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 45.02% White, 30.76% African American, 0.48% Native American, 3.25% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 14.81% from other races, and 5.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.88% of the population. Other ancestry groups include: Italian (8.6%), Irish (5.1%), Portuguese (2.9%), Polish (2.8%), and German (2.4%).[5]

A typical Street scene in Bridgeport
A typical Street scene in Bridgeport

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.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005[10]
Party Active Voters Inactive Voters Total Voters Percentage
  Democratic 33,374 2,855 36,229 58.23%
  Republican 5,069 468 5,537 8.90%
  Unaffiliated 18,538 1,887 20,425 32.83%
  Minor Parties 27 3 30 0.05%
Total 57,008 5,213 62,221 100%

Education

Main article: Education in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport is home to the University of Bridgeport and Housatonic Community College.

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 23,000 students, making the Bridgeport Public Schools the second largest school system in Connecticut. 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.

High Schools

  • Bridgeport Regional Vocational Aquaculture School (BRVAS) is located near historic Captain's Cove and is open to students from surrounding towns. It is one of the first schools in the country specializing in marine and aquaculture curriculum.
  • Bullard Havens Technical High School is a vocational high school. (State School)
  • Kolbe Cathedral High School: Bridgeport's sole Catholic high school
  • The Bridge Academy: Bridgeport's sole Charter High School

Bridgeport is also home to several Catholic schools. They are St. Ambrose, the largest of all the Catholic schools, St. Raphaels, St. Augustine, St. Andrews, St. Peters, and St. Ann.

Government and politics

Bridgeport is notable for having had a Socialist mayor for 24 years; Jasper McLevy served as mayor from 1933 to 1957. Its more recent mayors, including Joseph Ganim, have been plagued with corruption scandals, reflecting a similar pattern found in other urban centers in Connecticut. In June 2006, Mayor John M. Fabrizi admitted that he had used cocaine since taking office, but had not used cocaine for over a year.

Its status as a struggling post-industrial city marked by poverty is well-known within Connecticut, and stands out markedly from its Gold Coast neighbors.

Culture

Barnum Museum
Barnum Museum

Popular culture

 Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (December 2007)
‘At the end of an hour we saw a far-away town sleeping in a valley by a winding river; and beyond it on a hill, a vast gray fortress, with towers and turrets, the first I had ever seen out of a picture.
‘“Bridgeport?” said I, pointing.
‘“Camelot,” said he.’
  • Bridgeport is mentioned occasionally on shows focusing on guns and ammunitions from the late-19h to the mid-20th centuries.

Performing Arts

Bridgeport has been the three-time 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 again in 2007, 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, Bridgeport's own The Alternate Routes, Deep Banana Blackout, Les Claypool, Assembly of Dust, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Los Lobos.

Bridgeport is also the home of the Black Rock Art Center, a multi-cultural center that presents performing artists from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas both at the Art Center and also in a Summer Sounds of the World concert series. The series has featured such legendary artists as blues musician James Cotton, Grammy-award winner Eddie Palmieri, the Cambodian Angora Dance Company, salsa master Larry Harlow, and folk artists Richie Havens and Odetta. The Art Center features a world music series, a cabaret series, the Black Rock Blues Festival, in addition to cinema, gallery, and educational programs.

Theater

Notables

In the movie Die Hard With a Vengeance, the character John McClain (played by Bruce Willis) called the Coast Guard in Bridgeport.

Museums, Zoos & Parks

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The Beardsley Zoo is the only such center in Connecticut.

The "Park City" also has these parks:

  • 90 Acres Park, runs between Park and Madison Avenues in the North End
  • Alice Street Lot, located on Alice Street
  • Baldwin Plaza, on Broad Street
  • Beardsley Park, located on Noble Avenue where Harding High School plays Baseball and Softball games; picnic areas are also visible
  • Beechwood Park, Madison Avenue, incorporating Kennedy Stadium
  • Ellsworth Park, on Ellsworth Street
  • Fairchild Memorial Park, located on Trumbull Road
  • Glenwood Park , where tennis courts are abundant
  • Wonderland of Ice, recreational center for ice skating also on Glenwood Avenue
  • James Brown Park (Waterview Park), located on Waterview Avenue
  • Johnson Oak Park on Logan Street (now part of the Tisdale Elementary School)
  • Lafayette Park, located on Oak Street
  • Longfellow Park, on St. Stephens Road
  • Longfellow Playground, on Wordin Avenue
  • Manila Street Playground, on Manila Street
  • Newfield/Jessup Park located on Newfield Avenue has a playground,
  • Pleasure Beach, located within the proximity of Seaview Avenue
  • Puglio Park on Madison Avenue consecutive to the North End Library
  • Rogers Elton Park on Frenchtown Road
  • Seaside Park, probably the largest park within the city of Bridgeport with abundance of baseball/softball fields, fishing areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, soccer fields and swimming stretching from Park Avenue all the way to the Bridgeport Port Jefferson Ferry
  • Saint Mary's-By-the-Sea located on Grovers Avenue
  • Success Park on Granfield Street
  • Svihra Park on Ezra Street
  • Upchurch Park on Hallett Street
  • Veterans Memorial Park on Park Avenue
  • Washington Park located on East Washington Avenue
  • Waterfront Park located on Water Street primarily for baseball usage
  • Went Field Park on Wordin Avenue
  • West Side 2 Park located on Bostwick Avenue

Sports

Club League Venue Established Championships
Bridgeport Bluefish ALPB, Baseball The Ballpark at Harbor Yard 1998 1
Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL, Ice hockey Arena at Harbor Yard 2001 0

The recently-built Arena at Harbor Yard serves as the city's sports and hospitality center. Seating 10,000, the Arena serves as the home rink of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL hockey team, as well as the home court of the Fairfield University's basketball team.

The Ballpark at Harbor Yard serves as a minor-league baseball stadium, and was built in 1998 to serve as the homefield of the Bridgeport Bluefish. It is located downtown on a former brownfield site. It is visually prominent to commuters on I-95 or on passing trains.

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 located 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.

Broadcast stations in the city

Radio

  • WCUM-AM 1450; 1,000 watts (formerly WDGS-AM, and before that, WNAB-AM) Spanish Format station better known as Radio Cumbre.
  • WDJZ-AM 1530; 5,000 watts (daytime only) Gospel Radio that serves the African American and Caribbean communities in the Bridgeport Metro area.
  • WICC-AM 600; 1,000 watts (daytime), 500 watts (nighttime) -- WICC began broadcasting on November 21 1926, when a previous radio station, WCWS, was given a new name, WICC. The last three letters standing for Industrial Capitol of Connecticut. The Bridgeport Broadcasting Company Inc. was the new station's owner. Back then, the station was powered at 500 watts. From 1951 to 1956 one of the station's radio hosts was Bob Crane, who later went on to play Col. Robert Hogan on the Hogan's Heroes television comedy series.[11] WICC's transmitter is located on Pleasure Beach, an island located between downtown Bridgeport and Long Island Sound.
  • WEBE-FM 107.9; 50,000 watts. WEBE 108 is "Connecticut's Best Music Variety" owned and operated by Cumulus Media. Licensed to Westport, CT, with studios and transmitter in Bridgeport.
  • WEZN-FM 99.9; 27,500 watts. From the station's web site: "Your local guide to southern Connecticut information and family fun." owned by Cox Radio, Inc.
  • WPKN-FM 89.5; 10,000 watts; From the station's web site: "WPKN is somewhat inscrutable. We break all of the rules, and we observe few, if any, of the conventions. We have no format whatsoever, we permit our programmers to do whatever they will, and we don't accept funding from the sources which might restrict our freedoms. We are totally accountable to our listeners in that we publish our budget to everyone on our mailing list, and we also invite you to our monthly staff meetings and, in particular, the June meeting at which we discuss the budget. (...) WPKN's programming can be heard on two frequencies: 89.5 FM from our transmitter at Trumbull, CT and 88.7 FM (formally known as WPKM) at Montauk on Long Island. If you're driving eastward and you start to lose the 89.5 signal, you can tune over to 88.7 and continue to hear us until about Exit 6 on I-95 in Rhode Island."[12]

Due to Bridgeport's close proximity to Long Island Sound, many AM stations from New York are received clearly day and night in the market. These include WMCA, WFAN, WOR, WABC, WNYC, WCBS, WEPN, and WQEW.[13]

Media

  • Elsolnews.com, a community Spanish Language Weekly Newspaper covering news and events.
v • d • e
Radio stations in the Bridgeport, Connecticut market (Arbitron #122) (R&R info)
By FM frequency
89.5 · 91.1 · 92.3 · 92.5 · 93.1 · 93.7 · 95.1 · 95.5 · 95.9 · 96.3 · 96.7 · 97.1 · 97.9 · 98.5 · 98.7 · 99.1 · 99.9 · 100.3 · 101.1 · 101.3 · 101.9 · 102.3 · 102.9 · 103.5 · 104.1 · 104.3 · 105.1 · 105.9 · 106.1 · 106.7 · 106.9 · 107.5 · 107.9
By AM frequency
600 · 660 · 690 · 710 · 770 · 880 · 930 · 960 · 1010 · 1050 · 1100 · 1260 · 1290 · 1340 · 1360 · 1370 · 1440 · 1450 · 1500 · 1530
By callsign

WABC · WADS · WALK · WAXQ · WBAB · WBLI · WBLS · WBON · WCBS (AM) · WCBS-FM · WCCC · WCCC-FM · WCTZ · WCUM · WDJZ · WDRC (AM) · WDRC-FM · WEBE · WELI · WEPN · WEZN · WFAN · WFIF · WFNY · WFOX · WHCN · WHLI · WHTZ · WICC · WINS · WKCI-FM · WKTU · WLTW · WOR · WPAT · WPAT-FM · WPKN · WPLJ · WPLR · WQCD · WQHT · WQXR · WRKI · WRKS · WSHU-FM · WSHU (AM) · WSKQ · WURH · WWPR · WWPR-FM · WWYZ · WXRK · WYBC · WZMX

bold stations are local to Bridgeport, most others are from New York

Television

Transportation

Airports

Nearby Sikorsky Memorial Airport once provided regional flights to major hub cities such as Logan International Airport in Boston and Baltimore-Washington International Airport; however, service to the airport declined in the 1990s, and US Airways Express became the last airline to suspend operations at the airport in November 1999. Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is the closest facility providing scheduled air service. The closest international airports are La Guardia and John F. Kennedy in New York City, Newark in Newark, New Jersey, Stewart in Newburgh, New York and Bradley in Windsor Locks, CT.

Major highways

Bridgeport is at the intersection of many major highways which have contributed greatly to its industrial past. Interstate 95, the Merritt Parkway, Route 8 and Route 25, and U.S. Route 1 (The Boston Post Road) all run through the city, with the intersection of Route 8/Route 25 and Interstate 95 located downtown.

Railroad and ferries

The Bridgeport Station is part of an intermodal transit hub
The Bridgeport Station is part of an intermodal transit hub

The city is connected to nearby New York City by both Amtrak and Metro-North commuter trains. 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.

A 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.

On the National Register of Historic Places

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For an extensive list of places elsewhere in Connecticut on the register, see List of Registered Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Notable people, past and present

For further information, see People of Bridgeport, Connecticut

Perhaps Bridgeport's most famous resident from the past is P.T. Barnum, the circus promoter who also served as mayor of the city. A brief summary, mentioning some of the Bridgeporters who achieved fame far outside the city would include actors Robert Mitchum, Brian Dennehy, Bob Crane, and John Ratzenberger, actor/comedian Kevin Nealon and the actor and comedian Richard Belzer who once worked as a reporter for The Connecticut Post. Musicians either from, or residing in Bridgeport include composers Joseph Celli and Jin Hi Kim. Other notable Bridgeporters include Henry A. Mucci, who led the raid that rescued survivors of the Bataan Death March in World War II. NBA players Charles Smith, John Bagley and Chris Smith and baseball players George "Kiddo" Davis, who had 7 hits in the 1933 World Series, helping the New York Giants win the championship, and Jim O'Rourke, the first player to be credited with a hit and single in a professional baseball game. B