On a comeback

After some down times, city find itself on the verge of a renaissance

February 06, 2008|CLOSE-UP ON bridgeport, conn., Patricia Harris and David Lyon, Globe Correspondents

Nestled between the intellectual pretensions of New Haven and the hedge-fund haughtiness of the Gold Coast, Bridgeport is a down-to-earth, ethnically rich community that also happens to be the biggest city in Connecticut. Its downtown is studded with architectural gems, many of them former Beaux-Arts or Art Nouveau bank buildings. While a lot of storefronts stand empty for now, "Coming Soon!" signs just about equal "For Lease" or "For Sale" placards, indicating a city on the verge of a renaissance. But there's no need to wait - there's already plenty to do in aptly nicknamed Park City, where the can-do bluster of P.T. Barnum seems to be coming back in style.

Party

Maybe it's the Barnum legacy, but Bridgeport loves a spectacle. The Downtown Cabaret Theatre (263 Golden Hill St., 203-576-1636, downtowncabaret.org) hides out in the basement of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Senior Center across from City Hall. Besides cabaret, the company also produces children's theater and hosts occasional concerts. Playhouse on the Green (177 State St., 203-333-3666, playhouseonthegreen.org) faces the downtown pocket park called McLevy Green, otherwise surrounded by stately 19th-century bank buildings. Known to locals as the Polka Dot (directional signs still use that designation), the opulent 228-seat theater is well-suited for intimate performances such as the winter play-reading series that began at the end of January. In contrast to that intimacy, Klein Memorial Auditorium (910 Fairfield Ave., 203-576-8115, the klein.org) has 1,400 seats to accommodate audiences for the Greater Bridgeport Symphony (203-576-0263, bridgeportsymphony .org) and occasional touring shows and concerts. The handsome red-brick former home of the Black Rock Bank and Trust Co. was saved from demolition to serve as the Black Rock Art Center (2838 Fairfield Ave., 203-367-7917, blackrockartcenter.org). Check the website for current art exhibitions and performances, strong this month with African-American art.