[DoubleXAs]

Hey, I visit my friends in Bridgeport every summer. After spending the last few days there, it's surprising Bridgeport is not mentioned as one of the very worst cities in the country. I'm from the Bronx, so forgive my lack of knowledge, but alot of areas along East Main Street are downright scary. I saw many houses abandoned and even more vacant lots. The area was just about all Puerto Rican, and there are other areas which are entirely black. The urban decay I saw in Bridgeport is worse than anything I see in the Bronx. Bridgeport must be the blackest/ most Puerto Rican city north of NYC. I saw prostitutes, bums, murals for the dead, and alot of thugs hanging out on corners. Why isn't the crime rate like Camden? It basically looks like it and has the same demographics.

[Stylo]

Other than some thinly veiled racism, I can see where you're coming from if you happened to be in one of the worst parts of the city. The southern part of the area around East Main Street is arguably the worst neighborhood in the entire city. I think it's unfair to judge an entire city based on that. That's like me judging all of the Bronx on South Bronx or Brooklyn on East New York.

That said, Bridgeport does have a good amount of nasty, blighted areas. I'm always amazed at the level of trash, blighted homes/buildings, abandoned industrial, atrocious roads, etc. in the city. I think the city looks much worse than it is from a crime standpoint. It's not near cities like Camden or Detroit. But, yes, there are some neighborhoods that can be dangerous. And it's got a good lead in the state for homicides this year so far.

There are also some really nice areas you obviously didn't see. The entire north end, Black Rock, St. Mary's area, etc. Maybe half of the city is very decent if we're talking land area. Unfortunately many of the densely populated areas are also the bad areas.

But I will say Bridgeport might be CT's "ugliest" city if looked at as a whole. I would love to see it make a resurgence as I live near it, and it's in a great location, but living between New Haven and Bridgeport - I rarely visit the latter. I'm in New Haven quite often. It has the crime issue too in some neighborhoods, but offers SO much more overall.

Where I might disagree with you is that it's worse than anything in the Bronx. There are parts of South Bronx that look just as bad and are just as dangerous, if not more. Same thing with areas like east Brooklyn. And Bridgeport has nicer areas, as does the Bronx.

[basehead617]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

The area was just about all Puerto Rican, and there are other areas which are entirely black.

Good heavens!

[BPt111]

47% of Bridgeport is Descent
53% is Range from Sketchy to Scary


Black Rock, North End Between from Main to Park Ave, Hunting Turnpike to Merritt Parkway best parts of City.

@Stylo Not all of North End there was several shootings on Reservoir Ave and Chopsey Hill Road area this year

[RogerAnthony]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

Hey, I visit my friends in Bridgeport every summer. After spending the last few days there, it's surprising Bridgeport is not mentioned as one of the very worst cities in the country.

I'm not sure where you've been. I hear it mentioned all the time along those lines. There was even a reference to it as such on the TV show Family Guy.

Originally Posted by SuperMario

I'm from the Bronx, so forgive my lack of knowledge, but alot of areas along East Main Street are downright scary. I saw many houses abandoned and even more vacant lots. The area was just about all Puerto Rican, and there are other areas which are entirely black. The urban decay I saw in Bridgeport is worse than anything I see in the Bronx. Bridgeport must be the blackest/ most Puerto Rican city north of NYC.

It really isn't much different from parts of Hartford, Waterbury, Springfield, Providence, or other New England cities. and it is nowhere near as scary or rundown as Newburgh, NY.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by RogerAnthony

It really isn't much different from parts of Hartford, Waterbury, Springfield, Providence, or other New England cities. and it is nowhere near as scary or rundown as Newburgh, NY.

Aside from relatively small parts of those cities, I think it's safe to say that VISUALLY Bridgeport is a step down from all of them.

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

Hey, I visit my friends in Bridgeport every summer. After spending the last few days there, it's surprising Bridgeport is not mentioned as one of the very worst cities in the country. I'm from the Bronx, so forgive my lack of knowledge, but alot of areas along East Main Street are downright scary. I saw many houses abandoned and even more vacant lots. The area was just about all Puerto Rican, and there are other areas which are entirely black. The urban decay I saw in Bridgeport is worse than anything I see in the Bronx. Bridgeport must be the blackest/ most Puerto Rican city north of NYC. I saw prostitutes, bums, murals for the dead, and alot of thugs hanging out on corners. Why isn't the crime rate like Camden? It basically looks like it and has the same demographics.

Hi SuperMario,

Couple of things - Bridgeport does have its share of blighted, crime-ridden areas, and it sounds like that's where you were. A few of those areas are downright frightening. But as others have said, if you travel away from I-95 it's totally different. Stylo summed it up perfectly, and the next time you're there you should definitely check out BlackRock or the North side - very different from what you saw. If you ever travel on Main Street going towards the Merritt Parkway, it's actually pretty nice - nothing atall like what you saw.

Like Camden, Bridgeport used to be a big manufacturing area. Not anymore. If you ever take Metro North into Bridgeport, you will see the ruins of what used to be a major industiral powerhouse. Almost every single brick building is now vacant and shuttered, and that's what people see when they pass through the city, and that's why they equate it with other cities like Camden (even though Bridgeport's crime rate is lower.)

Things have gotten better. About 20 years ago the city tore down Father Pannick Village, an infamous housing project that gained national attention for its violence and crime. You're from the Bronx - think of Edenwald or the Soundview Houses and those are the equivalent of what Father Pannick was, if not worse. They replaced the projects with townhouses and detached homes and it's much better now. And for the first time in decades its population is going up. If the housing market ever picks up, maybe the rest of the city will, too. Who knows, maybe they can take a few of those old factory buildings and convert them into lofts.

[Stylo]

Originally Posted by MikefromCT

Who knows, maybe they can take a few of those old factory buildings and convert them into lofts.

It baffles me that hasn't happened. Those factories right next to the highway would make such good apartments or office buildings. High visibility and could be a good location if it was cleaned up.

And even though it's just a few buildings in a city with many more problem properties, it would do WONDERS for B-port's image given its high visibility. It's one of those cases where it might actually be beneficial for the city to play quasi-developer and get it moving.

[MikefromCT]

Originally Posted by Stylo

It baffles me that hasn't happened. Those factories right next to the highway would make such good apartments or office buildings. High visibility and could be a good location if it was cleaned up.

And even though it's just a few buildings in a city with many more problem properties, it would do WONDERS for B-port's image given its high visibility. It's one of those cases where it might actually be beneficial for the city to play quasi-developer and get it moving.

Totally agree. I'm also surprised it hasn't happened yet. But then again, the city's only started revitalizing in the last decade or so. Its location is ideal - 80 minutes into New York City, and it's one of the last remaining towns in Fairfield County that's not filled with sky-high housing prices (yet!) Not only along 95, but also those buildings that are close to the Metro North stop - if you can clean those up and make them liviable or convert them into office space, it would benefit the area tremendously. You want to know what's really going to hold that up, though? Environmental issues. Most of those old buildings that closed will involve extensive cleanups of asbestos and other chemicals, and that could take years before they even draft up the blueprints for new building usage.

[Stylo]

Yup, there are even a couple trains under 80 minutes. 74-78 minutes. And a quick trip to Stamford and New Haven too.