Bridgeport CT

Bridgeport, CT at a Glance

It is the most populous city in Connecticut with over 70 distinct neighborhoods. In its capacious history its venues have heard speeches from such timeless figures as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. The juggernaut of American showbiz P.T. Barnum served as its mayor during its transition into a modern hub, enforcing prostitution and alcohol laws and enacting a policy that passengers on all New York-bound trains see elephants tilling the fields. As a powerhouse for industry it has advanced with resilience despite erratic fortunes, and amid its varied citizens it has nurtured a vigorous arts scene and fought off set backs to create an Arts and Cultural Council. It is uniquely Bridgeport.

Originating as an English settlement at the mouth of the Pequonnock River in the 17th Century, Bridgeport was a part of Stratford before it was chartered as a city in 1836. Geography and circumstance made privateers of some residents during the Revolutionary War and access to the river and Newfield Harbor led to strong whaling and shipbuilding industries. With the installation of the railroad the city industrialized and with the immigrant inrush it diversified. Some 500 factories were in operation by 1930 when its sizable labor force rose up to demand the 8-hour workday and launched a tidal wave of like outcries across the northeast.

Though a world traveller who was born in Bethel, P.T. Barnum is firmly a claim to fame for Bridgeport, whose parks, arts and institutions numerously bear his trace. A businessman and politician in addition to entertainer, Barnum endorsed what he called "profitable philanthropy," feeling no misgiving about returns from contributions to improve and beautify Bridgeport. He was instrumental in founding Bridgeport Hospital, donated land to create Seaside Park where a statue presides in his honor, and constructed four mansions of varying extravagance before he died and was buried in Mountain Grove Cemetery. The Barnum Museum, originally to be called The Barnum Institute of Science and History, houses circus oddities and Barnum memorabilia and chronicles Bridgeport history. Its singular exterior, designed by the architectural firm Longstaff & Hurd, presents interpretations of American historical eras in relief-sculptured panels.

Bridgeport, CT at a Glance

In the modern era Bridgeport has undergone hardships. Deindustrialization following World War II led to suburban flight and the decline was coupled with citywide corruption and mismanagement. Despite poverty and high crime rates, much energy and ingenuity has been put forth to revitalize the downtown and surrounding neighborhoods with housing projects and artists' lofts.

Still in the umbrage of Barnum's legacy no shortage of entertainment exists in Bridgeport. The recently built 10,000-seat Arena at Harbor Yard serves the city as a center for sports and is home for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL hockey team, the professional Bridgeport Bluefish baseball team, and the popular minor league Sacred Heart University baseball team.

Klein Memorial Auditorium is a major Bridgeport venue, which presents musical acts. Entertainment for the stage also lives on at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre and the Playhouse on the Green. The city's excellent museums include the Discovery Museum and The Housatonic Museum of Art, which displays changing exhibitions of fine art and student exhibitions-- one among many galleries in the area.

Three hundred and thirty acres of open space are preserved in Bridgeport's 45 parks. The city can also boast of the largest zoo in Connecticut at Beardsley Zoo, a predominantly North and South American community of animals representing 300 species including endangered and threatened varieties. The zoo also contains a rainforest, farmyard, aviary, and wildlife trails.

One popular event that recurs yearly in Bridgeport is the four-day arts, music and camping festival called Gathering the Vibes at Seaside Park, where bands from a wide array of genres perform. The Black Rock Arts Center also holds a Black Rock Blues Festival, in addition to series in world music and cabaret.