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But then came the lean years of the 1970s and 1980s, when Bridgeport was slumping and the downtown area became virtually barren.
Today, downtown Bridgeport is making a comeback with new restaurants and many new entertainment choices. The northern section of downtown from Main Street to Madison Avenue still has many vacant buildings, but new development is planned for that entire area.
“I want everyone here to realize that one of our main priorities is the economic development of downtown,” Mayor Bill Finch told the assembled crowd at a recent Bridgeport City Council meeting.
Downtown began to bounce back partially because people are now living in the neighborhood, which had been not the case for decades.
Several new condominium and apartment complexes have been built downtown in the last several years. The first was housing for artists in the building that once housed the legendary Read’s Department store.
With the increase in downtown residences the appearance of new eateries and entertainment venues such as the Downtown Cabaret Theater followed.
The continued comeback of downtown has energized businesspeople who make their living off of downtown traffic.
“It’s exciting to be downtown right now. You can see the enthusiasm in the people coming into the store and the people who work down here," said Dr. Jennifer Lynne, owner of The Backstroke on State Street. "That being said, there is still a long, long way to go to get this neighborhood where it should be. That’s why I’m glad the city is making downtown a top priority.”
Geographically, downtown is bordered by the West End, South End and The Hollow. It runs from the I-95 overpass near Fairfield Avenue to lower State Street. To the north, it stretches to Madison Avenue, and to the south to The Ballpark at Harbor Yard and the Webster Bank Arena.
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