Bridgeport, Connecticut

Bridgeport (41n10, 73w12 EST) is the largest city by population in Connecticut, and is located in southeastern Fairfield County, Connecticut. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 139,529. The city is considered to be part of the greater New York metropolitan area. Its nickname within Connecticut is The Park City.

Culture and Notable Features

Popular Culture

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

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Bridgeport was home to the Frisbee Pie Company Frisbee Pie Company; because of this connection, it has been argued that Bridgeport is the birthplace of the frisbee.

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Bridgeport was mentioned at the beginning of Mark Twain's novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court:

Related Topics:
Mark Twain - A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

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:‘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.

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:‘“Bridgeport?” said I, pointing.

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:‘“Camelot,” said he.’

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Edward Cardinal Egan was once bishop for Bridgeport.

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Museums and Zoos

As befits his in-town legend, the Barnum Museum is headquartered in Bridgeport. The city is also home to the Discovery Museum and Planetarium, which emphasizes exhibits on science, as well as the Housatonic Museum of Art.

Related Topics:
Barnum Museum - Discovery Museum and Planetarium - Housatonic Museum of Art

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The Beardsley Zoo is also located in Bridgeport, and is the only zoological center in the entire state of Connecticut.

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Sports Teams and Entertainment

The recently-built Arena at Harbor Yard serves as the city's sports and hospitality center, and its high success has drawn business away from competitor sites in New Haven and Hartford. The Arena serves as thenorink of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL hockey team, as well as the home court of the Fairfield University's basketball team. It seats 10,000.

Related Topics:
Arena at Harbor Yard - Bridgeport Sound Tigers - Fairfield University

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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, and is visually prominent to commuters on I-95 or on passing trains.

Related Topics:
Ballpark at Harbor Yard - Bridgeport Bluefish - Brownfield

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Bridgeport Politics

Bridgeport had a Socialist mayor for 24 years. Jasper McLevy Its more recent mayors, including Joseph Ganim, have been plagued with corruption scandals, reflecting a similar pattern found in other urban centers in Connecticut.

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For a time Bridgeport had the dubious distinction as having the highest per-capita murder rate in the United States, as well as being the first city in the United States to officially declare bankruptcy. Its status as a struggling postindustrial city marked by poverty is well-known within Connecticut, and stands out markedly from its Gold Coast neighbors.

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Famous People from Bridgeport

Famous people born or bred in Bridgeport include : circus midget Tom Thumb, scientist and Polaroid Corporation founder Edwin H. Land, art collector and donor Roy Neuberger, entertainers John Ratzenberger, Richard Belzer and Kevin Nealon, cartoonist Walt Kelly, and actors Michael Jai White, Deborah Walley Tony Musante, Brian Dennehy, Arline Judge and Robert Mitchum.

Related Topics:
Tom Thumb - Polaroid Corporation - Edwin H. Land - Roy Neuberger - John Ratzenberger - Richard Belzer - Walt Kelly - Robert Mitchum

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Subway Founder Fred DeLuca grew up in Bridgeport, and Subway's headquarters are located in nearby Milford, Connecticut.

Related Topics:
Subway - Milford, Connecticut

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Inventors

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First in Flight Gustave Whitehead and

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C.F. Ritchell worked out of Bridgeport.

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Singer/songwriter John Mayer was born in Bridgeport, and largely grew up in neighboring Fairfield.

Related Topics:
John Mayer - Fairfield

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The Men in Black and

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Albert Bender Controversy started in Bridgeport.

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The Voice of Snow White Adrianna Caselotti was also born in the city.

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