[BPt111]

Originally Posted by Raider111

What is that area in Bridgeport with the identical looking abandoned buildings or warehouses (about 10 or 15 of them in a row). Kind of near the hospital. It has to be one of the most depressing places around.

east side and east end which is like hartford north end or mini newark other depressing parts are south end, west side.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by Raider111

What is that area in Bridgeport with the identical looking abandoned buildings or warehouses (about 10 or 15 of them in a row). Kind of near the hospital. It has to be one of the most depressing places around.

I think you are talking about the massive GE complex on Boston Avenue. That area would be the East Side which is one of the city's worst neighborhoods. You should know though that the GE complex has been demolished and is to be replaced in part by a new high school. Jay

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by Raider111

What is that area in Bridgeport with the identical looking abandoned buildings or warehouses (about 10 or 15 of them in a row). Kind of near the hospital. It has to be one of the most depressing places around.

Originally Posted by JayCT

I think you are talking about the massive GE complex on Boston Avenue. That area would be the East Side which is one of the city's worst neighborhoods. You should know though that the GE complex has been demolished and is to be replaced in part by a new high school. Jay

Yep. It was the GE buildings. Whether or not the site becomes the new Harding remains to be seen. Initial plans for the GE property were to be that Seaview Avenue would be extended to connect with the Remington Woods property.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

I'm thinking my poll is being trolled just a bit here.

[brasscitybluenwhite]

I didn't vote, but I think people voted in this thread as a matter of perception. Why is Bridgeport #1? Because you can see the entire city from the I-95 or Route 8 and there doesn't seem to be any appealing areas. Everyone also has different ideas of what makes a city "bad". For many people, it's the crime rate. But to me, Bridgeport's crime rate seems like it has gotten a lot better from ten years ago. Perhaps people still remember the days when the city had 20 murders a year.

That same perception of what people see on the news is what keeps Waterbury from ever becoming a place to move to. I'm not saying that the Waterbury doesn't have any problems. Last week, someone put a house on the market for $199,000. It has 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. That's how bad it has gotten. The house is located near downtown, in a historic area previously owned by brass executives in doctors. But this area, the Columbia Blvd corridor, is adjacent to what I would call the city's worst area, Willow/Hillside. Beginning about 10 years ago, these residents would wake up with their cars broken into. Now, crackheads and kids are just stealing their cars. But twenty years ago, these residents would have been left alone, even with their proximity to a rough neighborhood.

Waterbury isn't bad because of the crime rate, its bad because of perception. Its bad because so many people remember how the city [i]used[i] to be. The amount of stolen cars in recent years has increased sharply. That doesn't compare with the amount of shootings in New Haven and Bridgeport but those petty crimes are becoming a nuisance to people who just want to be left alone. We can admit that even places like Bridgeport and Hartford have areas like Blue Hills and Black Rock, where people are unaffected by crime. Even with Waterbury's vast and diverse neighborhoods, its beginning to become a place where there's no where to hide..


On a side note, I want to address the person who asked about schools. Just because Waterbury still has a considerable number of white, middle class families doesn't mean that the schools are better. Waterbury still has some of the worst, violent, underperforming schools in the state and so does New Haven. But New Haven offers a wide range of magnet schools. I'm sure you're thinking that magnet schools are overrated and I yes, agree. But in New Haven's case, it is an alternative to its regular schools. New Haven magnet schools draw people from all across the region, as far north as Naugatuck. They create a melting pot of kids from different backgrounds and abilities and teach them toward a common goal/theme. If I were choosing a city based on schools for children, I would chose a place like New Haven. Waterbury has 3 magnet schools and opened its first admissions-based high school a few years ago. But it's lightyears away from New Haven or even Hartford.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by brasscitybluenwhite

I didn't vote, but I think people voted in this thread as a matter of perception. Why is Bridgeport #1? Because you can see the entire city from the I-95 or Route 8 and there doesn't seem to be any appealing areas. Everyone also has different ideas of what makes a city "bad". For many people, it's the crime rate. But to me, Bridgeport's crime rate seems like it has gotten a lot better from ten years ago. Perhaps people still remember the days when the city had 20 murders a year.

That same perception of what people see on the news is what keeps Waterbury from ever becoming a place to move to. I'm not saying that the Waterbury doesn't have any problems. Last week, someone put a house on the market for $199,000. It has 7 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. That's how bad it has gotten. The house is located near downtown, in a historic area previously owned by brass executives in doctors. But this area, the Columbia Blvd corridor, is adjacent to what I would call the city's worst area, Willow/Hillside. Beginning about 10 years ago, these residents would wake up with their cars broken into. Now, crackheads and kids are just stealing their cars. But twenty years ago, these residents would have been left alone, even with their proximity to a rough neighborhood.

Waterbury isn't bad because of the crime rate, its bad because of perception. Its bad because so many people remember how the city [i]used[i] to be. The amount of stolen cars in recent years has increased sharply. That doesn't compare with the amount of shootings in New Haven and Bridgeport but those petty crimes are becoming a nuisance to people who just want to be left alone. We can admit that even places like Bridgeport and Hartford have areas like Blue Hills and Black Rock, where people are unaffected by crime. Even with Waterbury's vast and diverse neighborhoods, its beginning to become a place where there's no where to hide..


On a side note, I want to address the person who asked about schools. Just because Waterbury still has a considerable number of white, middle class families doesn't mean that the schools are better. Waterbury still has some of the worst, violent, underperforming schools in the state and so does New Haven. But New Haven offers a wide range of magnet schools. I'm sure you're thinking that magnet schools are overrated and I yes, agree. But in New Haven's case, it is an alternative to its regular schools. New Haven magnet schools draw people from all across the region, as far north as Naugatuck. They create a melting pot of kids from different backgrounds and abilities and teach them toward a common goal/theme. If I were choosing a city based on schools for children, I would chose a place like New Haven. Waterbury has 3 magnet schools and opened its first admissions-based high school a few years ago. But it's lightyears away from New Haven or even Hartford.

95

You can't see all of Bridgeport from I-95 or Route 8. Not even close. You.can't see Black Rock with beautiful St. Mary's park. You can't see the North End or Seaside Park or even Beardsley Park. Like too many people you are judging Bridgeport by what you see whizzing by on the highway at 60 miles per hour. Jay

[BPt111]

@JayCT you can see seaside park, UB, St Vincent's hopsital, Route 8, almost up to trumbull on 1-95 coming from Stratford on very sunny day and outline of long island which is 30 miles across the sound.

2nd talllest building in downtown Bport 16 floors but it look empty just shy of 2 floors less than people banks building 2 blocks away pic was taken last week.

[BPt111]

What with New britain, Meriden and New London ?

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BPt111

@JayCT you can see seaside park, UB, St Vincent's hopsital, Route 8, almost up to trumbull on 1-95 coming from Stratford on very sunny day and outline of long island which is 30 miles across the sound.

2nd talllest building in downtown Bport 16 floors but it look empty just shy of 2 floors less than people banks building 2 blocks away pic was taken last week.

So you can see how beautiful Seaside Park is from I-95??? I don't think so. Not even closer we. Jay

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by brasscitybluenwhite

I didn't vote, but I think people voted in this thread as a matter of perception. Why is Bridgeport #1? Because you can see the entire city from the I-95 or Route 8 and there doesn't seem to be any appealing areas.

No. Because it's a corrupt city with a disgusting amount of criminal activity. That's why.