Bridgeport

A trendy mixed-use area just outside Bridgeport, Black Rock is home to lively nightlife that provides plenty of things for locals to do. Older Cape Cods and Foursquare homes, as well as newer condos and apartments, line the quiet streets with ample sidewalk space for residents and visitors alike. These sidewalks connect houses to the booming commercial area on Fairfield Avenue and to the serenity of the beach and Long Island Sound on the other end of the neighborhood. Many also have quick access to local schools, meaning education and recreation are only a short walk away. “The neighborhood is right by the water, which is awesome,” says Alyson Meola, a leasing agent with Hub Realty associates for over three years who has served the Black Rock community since 2023. While there are a large number of spots for dining and drinking in Black Rock, one of the more popular hangouts is just outside the neighborhood at Captain's Cove Seaport. “It has one really big bar and restaurant with a bunch of little shops around it,” Meola says. “It is also always really busy in the summer.” For dining closer to home, many residents head to Black Rock Castle, which serves classic Irish pub grub and offers special events from ladies' night every Thursday to live music. For groceries, locals can choose from The Farmers' Market of Black Rock, which takes place every Saturday by St. Annes church or head to the local Whole Foods. Fairfield Avenue is the main road in Black Rock and is the home of numerous retail and dining options for residents. The road also provides quick access to Interstate 95, making commutes to downtown Bridgeport or New Haven easy. However, if residents are not up for the drive, the Fairfield Metro Station is near the neighborhood. Even with all of the convenient roads in the area, “lots of people walk their dogs along the streets or up to the water,” Meola says. The neighborhood allows for plenty of opportunities to walk along sidewalks and by the water. For trips outside of Connecticut, the Tweed New Haven Airport is 25 miles to the east and offers travel options to all corners of the US. Saint Vincent's Medical Center is also 5 miles north of the neighborhood and specializes in emergency care and general surgery. The Black Rock neighborhood makes the most of its size, with “the area being pretty evenly split between condos and single-family homes,” Meola says. Condos and apartments are often closer to Fairfield Avenue and range from around $150,000 to $300,000. Single-family homes are often Cape Cod or Foursquare styles, with some ranch style and colonial revivals scattered around the community. Prices start around $300,000 and go up to $800,000, with some million-dollar homes lining the coast. Most single-family homes offer driveways and garages with enough space for multiple cars and a porch for evening relaxation. Condos in the area may not provide any yard space, but they do offer scenic views of the tree line and the Atlantic Ocean. Black Rock residents have several options for their children’s education. They can either start their kindergarten through eighth-grade experience at Black Rock School, which receives a C rating on Niche or go to the Geraldine Claytor Magnet Academy, which receives a C-minus rating. Students can then finish up their education at the C-plus rated Central High School. The high school recently underwent renovations in 2017 and offers a variety of seasonal sports, including basketball, soccer and volleyball. Ellsworth Park is the activity hub for Black Rock and provides multiple baseball fields and a playset to locals. This is also where the “local little league games are played in the spring and summer,” Meola says. It is also the center of the Black Rock Harborfest each year. For a more relaxing park, Saint Mary's by the Sea is a quiet nature trail that allows residents to take serene walks along the beach, with some organizations leading conservation and cleanup crews along the shore. There is also the small Seabright Beach on the eastern end of the neighborhood, which is perfect for a quick dip in the Atlantic or relaxing under the sun. The neighborhood offers plenty of events where locals gather, like Black Rock Day, the biggest festival in town. The day-long celebration occurs on the second Sunday in June & features a 5K race, parade, and festival. Locals also enjoy the annual PorchFest. “So many people showed up for it last year; a lot of concerts take place on people’s lawns,” Meola says. This event also has food trucks traveling the streets from concert to concert, all of which takes place at the end of August. For summer fun and events, locals can always head to either the exclusive Black Rock Yacht Club or Captain's Cove Seaport for weekly music and games.

A small neighborhood with a calm atmosphere bisected by Route 1, The Boston Ave – Mill Hill neighborhood offers historic homes that are walking distance from downtown Bridgeport. The area is split between multi-family and single-family housing and is a community where residents have lived for generations. Local homes are also a quick walk away from popular local parks and public schools for students. Shopping and dining are abundant along Boston Avenue and East Main Street, and locals are close to Bridgeport Hospital, one of the larger employers in the area. “Everything is within walking distance to stores,” says Luis Rodriguez, a Bridgeport resident who has lived in the area for many years. Boston Avenue, part of the neighborhood's namesake, is the main thoroughfare that residents use. Whether by car or using one of the multiple Greater Bridgeport Transit bus stations on the road, daily commutes to downtown Bridgeport or New Haven are necessary for many residents. There is also “a lot of walking traffic,” Rodriguez says, in terms of exercise and errand running. New Haven is also home to the Tweed New Haven Airport, which is 20 miles to the east for trips unreachable by public transportation. Much closer to home is the Bridgeport Hospital, which specializes in geriatric care as well as trauma and burn care. The neighborhood’s northern streets are primarily lined with multi-family housing. Single-family and duplex Cape Cods and colonial revivals occupy most of the space on the southern side of Boston Avenue. Many of the homes are duplexes and triplexes that line the streets, as well as condos and townhouses. Many residences are wood or vinyl-paneled and were constructed between the early to mid-1900s, with some homes being built as early as the 1880s. The neighborhood has a common theme of colonial revival and Foursquare style homes, with prices ranging from around $70,000 to $530,000. Frankie’s Diner, which features classic American diner fare, from pancakes and club sandwiches to a local special, has “been here for a long time” and “is very well known in Bridgeport,” Rodriguez says. Locals can also head to nearby Massimo Pizzeria Ristorante, which provides delicious food and community support, often offering events and partnerships to help Bridgeport. Grocery needs can be addressed at Farhan Deli & Grocery on Palisade Avenue or the CTown Supermarkets on Boston Avenue. The closest Walmart is 2.6 miles to the east on Barnum Avenue for all daily needs. Locals can always find a place to relax at the local Success Park, ringed by trees and open to the sun. It is a very calm park full of open space that residents frequent on weekends when the weather is comfortable. Manila Street Playground sits on the neighborhood's northern end and offers a playground and a smaller open field, a popular spot for after-school fun and games. Residents are close to Clover Field, also known as Janosko Park, which offers two baseball diamonds and tennis courts. The city also works very hard on the upkeep and maintenance of its parks, which is why “Bridgeport is known as Park City,” Rodriguez says. The area’s youngest students can choose to attend either Hall Elementary School or Edison Elementary School, both of which receive a C-minus rating from Niche and are within walking distance of residences. Jettie S. Tisdale School, a C-minus-rated school, is the next stop for middle school students. Teens can complete their secondary academic journey at Harding High School with a C-minus rating on Niche. High school sports are popular here, and a significant draw for the community is football season when the team plays on the nearby Warren Harding Football Field. For those interested in furthering their education, the Fairfield University Bellarmine Campusopened in the fall of 2023. Residents from all over Bridgeport flock down to the Barnum Festival, named after the greatest showman, himself, P.T. Barnum. Since 1948, the yearly Barnum Festival celebrates, supports & enriches Bridgeport through philanthropy & family-friendly events, ranging from the Concert Carnival & Food Truck Festival to a car show. The Bridgeport area also has three large parades throughout the year, including the Puerto Rican Parade, the Juneteenth Parade and the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, which helps “bring the community together and highlight the local cultures in the city,” Rodriguez says, “I am all about the bright colors and enthusiasm from both the crowd and the volunteers.”

When Bridgeport was a bustling industrial city in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, wealthy businessmen and entrepreneurs put down roots near the border between Bridgeport and Fairfield. Though the thriving industrial days are gone, many of the early 20th-century homes in Brooklawn-St. Vincent remain. “Brooklawn is known for its turn-of-the-century single-family homes. There are gracious homes along Park Avenue and Clinton Avenue that have an attention to detail and craftsmanship,” says John Hackett, broker of the John Hackett Team at William Raveis Real Estate, who was born and raised in Bridgeport. “Brooklawn is often the place people will look for a single-family starter home,” Hackett adds. Once referenced only as Brooklawn because of the Brooklawn Country Club, which was established for luxurious recreation in 1895, the neighborhood’s name now also refers to another neighborhood service: St. Vincent’s Medical Center. Today, a diverse array of local restaurants serves residents, but they can also drive under 5 miles to attend a concert downtown, catch a train headed to New York City or walk along the beach at Seaside Park. Gridded streets are packed with 20th-century traditional properties with small fenced-in yards. Many homebuyers look to Brooklawn-St. Vincent for its historic single-family properties, though there are some condos and multi-family buildings available as well. Condos from the mid-20th century cost between $140,000 and $260,000, while Cape Cods and traditional homes from the early-to-mid 1900s cost between $250,000 and $520,000. Large Tudor Revivals and Colonial Revivals from the early 20th century cost as much as $500,000, while investors can find multifamily residences for between $420,000 and $650,000. Notably, the Bridgeport Correctional Center, a high-security facility, sits in the southeastern portion of the neighborhood, at Madison Avenue and Beers Street. The neighborhood has a diverse range of takeout eateries and dine-in options. Locals enjoy flavorful platters of Caribbean fare from Shandals Vegetarian Café or grab slices of New Haven-style pizza from Jenna’s Brick Oven Pizza. For an elevated evening out, residents choose Brasa Pub and Restaurant, a Portuguese eatery serving steak and seafood paella. For a sweet treat, locals can order Brazilian pastries and decorated cakes from KiDelicia Bakery and Deli. “People will walk to the convenience store down the street, but any other supermarket to a larger store is only a 10-minute drive, at most,” Hackett says. Residents can shop for groceries at the International Farmers Market or Key Food Supermarket or drive 3 miles north to shop at the Trumbull Mall, which has stores like Target, JC Penney and Bath & Body Works. A couple of small pocket parks break up the neighborhood’s primarily urban landscape. Residents can let their dogs run around as they chat with other pet owners at the Alice Street Dog Run —Alice Street Park also has a small playground and park benches. B. J. Brown Memorial Park has a couple of basketball courts for pickup games and an open field to kick around a soccer ball. Nearby, the Brooklawn Country Club offers an 18-hole golf course and tennis courts for members of the private club. The neighborhood is only 3 miles from Seaside Park, which is one of the most popular in the city for its coastal walking trails, sandy beaches and sports courts. Kids may attend Read School, which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade and has a C-minus rating from Niche. Older students progress to Central High, which has a C-plus rating. High school students can apply to the Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center, where they can enroll in marine-focused STEM classes like oceanography and aquaculture engineering. The community will often head downtown for events and activities. The newly opened Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater has quickly become a popular destination for concerts and festivals, as has the Total Mortgage Arena, which is next to the amphitheater. One of the most highly anticipated events is the Sound on the Sound Music Festival, held during the last weekend of September at Seaside Park. Sidewalk-lined streets allow residents to walk to a local grocery store or a neighborhood park, and public transportation options make commuting simple. Locals can catch a bus serviced by Greater Bridgeport Transit to travel throughout the city or head downtown to board a train operated by the Metro-North Railroad to travel the 60 miles southwest to New York City. If they opt to drive, nearby state highways link with major roadways like Interstate 95 and Merritt Parkway.

Downtown Bridgeport may not be the booming core of a thriving industrial city anymore, but its bright murals, local restaurants and theaters offer glimpses of the creativity shaping its future. “Downtown was thriving when I was younger, but a lot of businesses left by the '70s and '80s,” says John Hackett, broker of the John Hackett Team at William Raveis Real Estate, who was born and raised in Bridgeport. “There are efforts to rebound now,” he adds. Bridgeport Downtown Special Services District supports local businesses and sparks artistic efforts. As residents walk to a restaurant or brewery downtown, they’ll notice geometric, rainbow-colored murals and art installations sprinkled among the historic churches and high-rises. Though decommissioned power plants still make up part of the city’s skyline, event spaces have replaced some of the older warehouses, creating a trendy, industrial atmosphere. Downtown has newly added dining spots and long-time community favorites. “Ralph 'n' Rich's has been a landmark for years,” Hackett says. The Italian restaurant, which was founded by Ralph Silano and Rich Ndini in 1990, is popular for its authentic pasta dishes and oyster raw bar. EAT Noddle and Rice serves pho in a trendy, warm-toned environment, while Joseph’s Steakhouse offers lobster and steak for an elevated night out. Brewport Brewing Co. is a laidback taproom where locals can grab a beer and a slice of pizza in an industrial-style setting. Stores like An’s Jewelry and Kindred Thoughts Bookstore offer unique shopping options, but locals must leave the neighborhood to go grocery shopping. The nearest supermarket is Save A Lot, which is a mile northwest of Downtown Bridgeport. Large arenas and venues are popping up where industrial plants used to sit — the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater and the Total Mortgage Arena are two popular recent additions to Downtown Bridgeport. “There is a slew of bands that have played at the amphitheater, and events and festivals come to the indoor arena,” says Paula Bachman, broker/owner at Property Choices Real Estate, who has served the area for 16 years. “I saw Earth, Wind & Fire there last year,” Bachman adds. Locals can catch musicals and concerts at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre or laugh along to stand-up performances at Vinnie Brand's Stress Factory Comedy Club. The city hosts community events at McLevy Green, like the annual holiday tree lighting and downtown farmers market, where locals can shop for fresh produce every Thursday from July to October. “There’s also a ferry that goes out to Port Jefferson on Long Island. You can take your car on it and go explore all the restaurants and shops around there for a day,” Bachman says. Nearly all residents rent apartments, as there are few houses downtown. Occasionally, homebuyers can find condos in 20th-century brick buildings. Condos usually cost between $180,000 and $230,000. Pocket parks offer small stretches of green space in the urban environment. Kids can play baseball at Riverfront Park, which is positioned by the Pequonnock River. Residents can enjoy the landscaped walkways and benches at McLevy Green, which hosts the downtown farmers market and summer concerts. City Hall Park also offers a green lawn with benches to enjoy a peaceful moment in the heart of the city. If they want to take a coastal walk or enjoy the sand beach, residents can travel to Seaside Park. Locals can walk to restaurants and shops throughout downtown, but they can also catch a bus operated by Greater Bridgeport Transit to get around the city. There are the regular trains serviced by Metro-North Railroad. “The downtown station has a train that goes down to New York City in about an hour and a half for commuters,” Bachman says. “There are also trains that go to Boston and D.C., so it’s very convenient.” State routes run through the western edge of the neighborhood and link with Interstate 95, making connecting with major roadways simple for those who opt to drive. Downtown Bridgeport has an overall CAP Index Crime Score of 9 out of 10, compared to the national average of 4. Kids can begin at Roosevelt School, which serves students in grades kindergarten through 8 and has a C-minus rating from Niche. Older students progress to Bassick High, which has a D-plus rating. There is currently a new building for Bassick High in development, which will introduce career preparation programs. The school is set to be ready for the 2025-2026 school year. The Housatonic Community College is also downtown, and residents can explore the college’s art museum, which has a sculpture garden and visual exhibits.

Located on Long Island Sound, the East End offers a blend of coastal views and urban convenience. “It’s on the move,” says Ernest Newton, councilman for the 139th district since 2017 and president pro tempore for the city council who has spent most of his life in East End. “It’s always been on the move, but we are in the process of making things happen.” East End has several plans and projects in place to help the community grow, including creating a new city block that will contain a grocery store, pharmacy and bank. “We’ve had 20 years without certain things that make a community a community,” says Newton. “We are working to make the area self-sufficient.” The East End NRZ Market and Café, incorporated in 2019, is only one example of how the neighborhood has grown. Colonial Revival single family homes are common, but so are duplexes. A two-family Colonial Revival style home often consist of the first and second level. The multi-family homes can sometimes feel stitched together, with a converted porch on the second floor acting as another room or an additional level created out of an attic space for a third floor. With a median price of $165,000, most residents rent instead of own. Colonial Revival single family homes can begin selling around $170,000 and reach around $340,000. “The Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County has been putting up lots of homes.” Newton says. Newer condos can sell for around $300,000. Interstate 95, which stretches up and down the east coast of the United States, crosses through East End. Residents can also use the Metro-North Railroad to reach New York City and other sections of Connecticut. The Greater Bridgeport Transit has two bus roues in East End. Route 10 follows Connecticut and Stratford Avenue while route 13 reaches the coastal streets on Newfield before heading north and leaving the neighborhood. “We are also working on creating public access to the waterfront,” says Newton. “We’ve never had that connection, as long as I can remember.” Children in East End can begin school at Jettie S. Tisdale School for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The Tisdale School is a Turnaround Arts school where art education resources are used as a strategic tool for helping students. At Warren Harding High School, students can participate in the Public and Law Academy and the Health Careers Magnet Academy. Both schools earn a C-minus from Niche. When it’s time to restock the fridge, pick up a few items at Oasis Market on Connecticut Avenue or at the East End NRZ Market and Café, dedicated to helping residents access fresh produce. Stop in for a late-night or early-morning meal at Frankie’s Diner or enjoy waterfront dining at Dolphin’s Cove Restaurant & Marina. At CJ’s Jerk Center, try some Jamaican food with the jerk pork and chicken. The Baldwin Plaza Shopping Center is about a mile and half away in downtown Bridgeport and has cosmetic stores and men clothing stores. A lone white oak tree stood in Johnson Oak Park for over 500 years until a lightning strike in 1978 hit the tree and it had to be cut down. Today, residents can sit around the stump of the tree or run through the playgrounds and green spaces. Newfield Park has facilities to play tennis and handball or let the children cool off in the splash area. The park is also used to play cricket by the Bridgeport Cricket Club. Residents of East End can enjoy membership at Miamogue Yacht Club where they play pool, sip cocktails at the club’s full-service bar and attend events like Santa visits and an annual fishing contest. The East End NRZ Market and Café hosts a few events through the year, including a Black History Month Celebration in February.

Located on a peninsula in a once-booming industrial city, East Side Bridgeport is a developing neighborhood with a rich history. “Bridgeport was thriving when I was growing up. From the 50s and 60s, all the way up into the 80s and early 90s, it was booming with all the big industries that were here,” says John Hackett, broker of the John Hackett Team at William Raveis Real Estate, who was born and raised in Bridgeport. “The hope is that we can do something like Baltimore did with the Inner Harbor because we have all the waterfront to bring commerce down there, but the politics of the change can make it move slowly,” Hackett says. The development of the mixed-use space at Steelpointe Harbor, which sits at the southern tip of the neighborhood, is one of the steps to stimulate businesses and attract visitors to Bridgeport. The rest of East Side Bridgeport currently offers striking 19th-century homes, historic districts, public green spaces and a central Main Street with local restaurants, encouraging residents to look to the future while appreciating the area’s roots. Residences built in the late 19th and early 20th century are packed along tight city streets in East Side Bridgeport. There are some single-family cottages and Colonial Revivals, which are usually priced between $140,000 and $320,000, but multifamily properties make up most of the housing stock. Condos and units in multifamily homes sell for between $140,000 to $200,000. Investors purchase entire multifamily properties to rent out the units, and most Queen Anne and cottage-style buildings are priced between $250,000 and $500,000. Sidewalk-lined streets lead to neighborhood parks and churches, allowing residents to walk to some services in the area. Bus stops operated by Greater Bridgeport Transit are throughout East Side Bridgeport, and locals can travel a mile west to get downtown. Train tracks carve across the neighborhood, but commuters go to the downtown Bridgeport station to catch a train headed to New York City. Residents can also merge onto Interstate 95 near the southern tip of East Side Bridgeport. Washington Park is a community gathering space at the center of the East Bridgeport Historic District, with green space for picnics and a playground with a splash pad. Knowlton Park is a small park situated along the Pequonnock River, where residents sit by the water or meet for pickup basketball games and kids climb on the playground. The Knowlton event space, which has a colorful mural art park for the community to enjoy, is a short walk from Knowlton Park. Locals can enjoy coastal views of the Bridgeport Harbor and skyline at Steelpointe Harborwalk, where they can go fishing or stroll by the water. Once used by shipbuilders and steel manufacturers, the harbor is being developed into a mixed-use commercial space with an apartment building and restaurants designed to bring more commerce to the Bridgeport coast. Bass Pro Shops is already established as an attraction in the area. “Of course, it’s also a store, but people will go to walk around Bass Pro Shops for an indoor activity. There’s a fish tank and these huge areas to explore. Plus, they have a bowling alley,” says Paula Bachman, broker/owner at Property Choices Real Estate, who has served the area for 16 years. Most of the neighborhood’s restaurants and shops are along East Main Street. Locals can start their day with a breakfast sandwich made with freshly baked bread from Pan Del Cielo Bakery. El Coquito is a local favorite for Latin fare like chicken stew and empanadas, and Ceviche Palace serves creative Peruvian dishes. For an elevated evening by the coast, residents go to Boca Oyster Bar for seafood and cocktails. There are a couple of smaller markets and convenience stores around the neighborhood, but the largest grocery store is Gala Foods Supermarket. Bass Pro Shops stocks outdoor gear, and locals can go downtown to go retail shopping. Children can begin at Waltersville School, which serves grades kindergarten through eighth and has a C-minus rating from Niche. Older students continue learning at Warren G. Harding High, which has a C-minus rating. The high school’s sleek new building opened on the site of a former factory in 2018 and features a health and medical careers magnet academy and a law and public service academy. Residents only have to travel about a mile west to arrive downtown, where they can attend concerts at the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater or Total Mortgage Arena or seasonal events like the city’s annual holiday tree lighting. They can also drive 2 miles north to visit the state’s only zoo. “Beardsley Zoo is really popular to walk around and enjoy the nature and wildlife,” Bachman says. Bridgeport Public Library East Side Branch offers more regular community events, like children’s story times and crafts in English and Spanish, technology help and teen video game days. The East Side Senior Center also opened in 2023 and offers a computer lab, crafts and other resources and activities.