Geno on Attendance

[Artifact]

Daddy Chocolate, you don't get it. People in the surrounding towns are in trepidation in driving into downtown Bpt & parking their vehicles. My daughter & girl friend attended U.B. college. Her father upon washing her car found a bullet hole on the car. " Fools rush in where angles fear to thread".

 

[arty155]

I grew up in East side of Bridgeport. At one time you felt safe but no longer. Used to be called ,
'Park City' but many from the area now call it, 'Murder City'. Drug shootings & corruption prevail with the former Mayor recently released from Federal prison. I escaped thru education! I still have fond memories of Bpt.

- Ahh! I’m married to a cute girl from Bridgeport's East Side. We sometimes get to return for holidays…
- As she was suiting up for her high school reunion in Bridgeport:
- Me: “Do you think a lot of classmates will attend?”
- She: “That entirely depends on the current parole policy!”

 

[justML]

Daddy Chocolate, you don't get it. People in the surrounding towns are in trepidation in driving into downtown Bpt & parking their vehicles. My daughter & girl friend attended U.B. college. Her father upon washing her car found a bullet hole on the car. " Fools rush in where angles fear to thread".

Sadly you are correct. I had to go to jury duty twice in Bridgeport and I was scared to walk from the parking garage to the courthouse in broad daylight. Why? The shooting in front of the courthouse also in broad daylight was one reason.

And "locals" know there are certain stop signs you never come to a full stop at b/c that means you're looking to buy drugs. Again in broad daylight.

Sad but true.

 

[Timeout]

Good Lord! Stay in the burbs already - lol. Lived here 53 years and nothing, nothing has ever happened to me. I am not saying that it can't but the histrionics are getting over the top. You know this is where Fairfield University plays their home games and not under heavy armed guard. No, you're not giving Bridgeport a chance.

 

[Icebear]

Bridgeport has had a long history of deeply troubled areas. It is a fact that there were areas of the city 30 years ago where SNET would not send repairmen without police escort. I know this from my father who was responsible for working within those conditions or the phone company.

 

[DaddyChoc]

The parking garage has far more handicap parking spaces than the garages at Gampel or the XL Center, and all are located on the ground floor level for EZ in and EZ out. Permit me to add that arena staff members were most accommodating and helpful to me and I deeply appreciate their courteous assistance.

With all the (justified) criticisms of pricing of tickets and parking, I would like to comment on what a very nice arena it is. I missed a few things about Gampel (the big TV screens and the electronic stat boards) and XL (that big square TV that hangs over the center of the arena) but, other than those relatively unimportant features, I found the ambiance in Bridgeport to be most enjoyable, far superior to what we put up with in Storrs or Hartford. It's easy to pile on Bridgeport, but they have a top-notch baseball park and basketball/hockey arena. And nice people working in each.

how does it compare to the Sun Arena (Mohegan)

 

[DaddyChoc]

Good Lord! Stay in the burbs already - lol. Lived here 53 years and nothing, nothing has ever happened to me. I am not saying that it can't but the histrionics are getting over the top. You know this is where Fairfield University plays their home games and not under heavy armed guard. No, you're not giving Bridgeport a chance.

wow Hartford sounds like Mayfield

 

[Timeout]

Bridgeport has had a long history of deeply troubled areas. It is a fact that there were areas of the city 30 years ago where SNET would not send repairmen without police escort. I know this from my father who was responsible for working within those conditions or the phone company.

Ice - that may have been the case and if it was it was 30 years ago. I drive all over the city and other than for traffic safety in heavy traffic areas, I never see police escort of workers. Downtown Bridgeport is not one of those areas that anyone should consider dangerous. I grew up in the East Side and we always walked to church, even after our evening services. The last church I was a member of, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, in Black Rock until it closed, still had many of the old women members who were in their 90s driving themselves to church. Many church folks from the Greater Bridgeport Council of Churches (members from affluent neighboring towns) do a lot of volunteer work in Bridgeport. Our homeless shelters are pack, unemployment is high, but it doesn't deter caring folks. Having UConn play in Bridgeport, when the greed at the arena and the NCAA, is tempered does great things for downtown businesses. The downtown is key to bringing Bridgeport and the good people of Bridgeport back.

 

[Timeout]

wow Hartford sounds like Mayfield

DaddyChoc - what is Mayfield

 

[DaddyChoc]

DaddyChoc - what is Mayfield

the home of the Cleavers

 

[Kibitzer]

how does it compare to the Sun Arena (Mohegan)

Based on my very limited experience, Bridgeport is much better. The only time I went to a Sun game (this past season), we parked on a roof and were unable to find a handicap space. There were very few and some blocked off for ongoing construction. At the game they found a place for me near the TV cameramen.

Which gets me to wondering. Are ADA requirements binding on casinos like Mohegan and Foxwoods, on Indian reservations? I suspect not, which means that any compliance is voluntary (and, considering their aging clientele, sound business practice).

 

[HuskyBandDad]

What are ticket prices for Bridgeport and Kingston ? Too lazy to check.

 

[Kevin G]

Bridgeport has had a long history of deeply troubled areas. It is a fact that there were areas of the city 30 years ago where SNET would not send repairmen without police escort. I know this from my father who was responsible for working within those conditions or the phone company.

Ice, you are absolutely correct. I grew up in Bpt and I remember as a kid how bad it was in the 80's and maybe early 90's. But are we forgetting about New Haven?!

 

[justML]

Good Lord! Stay in the burbs already - lol.

Exactly!

Which takes us right back to the start of this thread.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Ice, you are absolutely correct. I grew up in Bpt and I remember as a kid how bad it was in the 80's and maybe early 90's. But are we forgetting about New Haven?!

yup I remember the Father Panick days...

 

[justML]

My uncle lived in Father Panik village when they were almost new. Always said what a wonderful place it was. A shame what happened there.

We moved out of Bpt when the Rte. 25 construction began. My mom didn't want to go, Dad insisted. Good thing she gave in. Today, an exit ramp is literally next door to our old house!

 

[Icebear]

Ice - that may have been the case and if it was it was 30 years ago. I drive all over the city and other than for traffic safety in heavy traffic areas, I never see police escort of workers. Downtown Bridgeport is not one of those areas that anyone should consider dangerous. I grew up in the East Side and we always walked to church, even after our evening services. The last church I was a member of, St. Mark's Lutheran Church, in Black Rock until it closed, still had many of the old women members who were in their 90s driving themselves to church. Many church folks from the Greater Bridgeport Council of Churches (members from affluent neighboring towns) do a lot of volunteer work in Bridgeport. Our homeless shelters are pack, unemployment is high, but it doesn't deter caring folks. Having UConn play in Bridgeport, when the greed at the arena and the NCAA, is tempered does great things for downtown businesses. The downtown is key to bringing Bridgeport and the good people of Bridgeport back.

I did say areas. I didn't want to paint a picture of the whole city. It was basically the area around Father Panick(sp). My wife and I almost took calls in Bridgeport. St. Mark was one of the two churches involved.

People live in war zones every day and adapt and register life as normal. The human creature is amazingly adaptable.

 

[Icebear]

yup I remember the Father Panick days...

That was the exact area I was speaking of, DC.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

We went to photograph the Blackrock Harbor lighthouse, which is in a large park, before heading west. While taking photos, 2 cars came into the lot - separately - and proceded to start a drug deal. I suggested to my wife that it might be a good time to leave.

 

[Fiftyish]

the home of the Cleavers

Who are the Cleavers??............sorry, DC I just couldn't resist keeping this exchange alive.

 

[Icebear]

Another hatchet job.

 

[kibblesnbits]

Much of this thread is completely over-played. The stadium has been in place for 14 years and the arena for 12. During that time literally millions of people have attended events and there has not been a single major criminal event reported for any of them. I go to a dozen or so events per year and usually park on the street north of the highway without any fear or trepidation (or parking fees). For the NCAA tournament one year I parked over by the CT Post building (4 or 5 blocks away) and ran into Phil who was parked a few cars away.

I also commuted into NYC and Stamford for a few years on the train. I parked in the garage and returned in the evening at all hours of the night (including a couple of times after the garage had closed but pass-holders still get access). I never had a problem nor felt threatened.

Downtown Bridgeport has actually improved quite a bit in the nearly 20 years since we moved to the area. At the time my wife wouldn't go into the city on a bet. Then we started taking the kids to the children's theatre or events at the new sporting facilities. After over-crowding at other stations started pushing more people to commute from Bridgeport and they built the garage, it got even better. Now they are slowly but surely renovating buildings to provide restaurants and apartments and people have started moving back. Easy access to transportation is a nice draw. It will never be what it once was and won't be as upscale or dynamic as Stamford's residential community, but I think it will keep getting better and in another 20 years people will laugh at some of the concerns expressed here. Sure there will be problem areas, as there are in every city, but there are fewer now than 20 years ago and there will be fewer in the future.

 

[mr006]

there's a technic to doing it but I cant share cause you may take my spot

My technique would be considered a success if I parked within 6 feet of the curb and/or hit the surrounding cars no more than 3 times; thus, I opt out of parallel parking also

 

[DaddyChoc]

That was the exact area I was speaking of, DC.

I was born and raised in Hartford's version of Father Panik

 

[DaddyChoc]

Much of this thread is completely over-played. The stadium has been in place for 14 years and the arena for 12. During that time literally millions of people have attended events and there has not been a single major criminal event reported for any of them. I go to a dozen or so events per year and usually park on the street north of the highway without any fear or trepidation (or parking fees). For the NCAA tournament one year I parked over by the CT Post building (4 or 5 blocks away) and ran into Phil who was parked a few cars away.

I also commuted into NYC and Stamford for a few years on the train. I parked in the garage and returned in the evening at all hours of the night (including a couple of times after the garage had closed but pass-holders still get access). I never had a problem nor felt threatened.

Downtown Bridgeport has actually improved quite a bit in the nearly 20 years since we moved to the area. At the time my wife wouldn't go into the city on a bet. Then we started taking the kids to the children's theatre or events at the new sporting facilities. After over-crowding at other stations started pushing more people to commute from Bridgeport and they built the garage, it got even better. Now they are slowly but surely renovating buildings to provide restaurants and apartments and people have started moving back. Easy access to transportation is a nice draw. It will never be what it once was and won't be as upscale or dynamic as Stamford's residential community, but I think it will keep getting better and in another 20 years people will laugh at some of the concerns expressed here. Sure there will be problem areas, as there are in every city, but there are fewer now than 20 years ago and there will be fewer in the future.

thank you...