[optikitry]

I visited City Trust apartments on 955 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT and was very impressed with the apartments and quality. I am planning on moving from Norwalk, CT, and thought check out Fairfield, Black Rock and Bridgeport. To be honest the best apartments I have found within budget were the City Trust apartments.

I wanted all your opinions about a few things. Apart from Bridgeports reputation for being dangerous city overall -

1. Is crime a problem around the 955 Main Street area?
2. Is it safe to walk around there after dark?
3. I know there is a Port Jefferson ferry, but are there plans for a Manhattan ferry?
4. Does anyone have any good recommendations for Black Rock condos?

Thanks in advace.

Additional Information: I am 24 years old and single, so no family worries yet. I work in Stamford and plan on taking the train in.

[JayCT]

Downtown Bridgeport has seen a lot of residential conversions in recent years and many of them are wonderful. The area is relatively safe. It is however an urban area and you will need to be careful like any other urban area. There has been talk of ferry service to Manhattan but it has not gone anywhere. Ferry service is not cheap and can be delayed during inclement weather. I hope this helps. Jay

[optikitry]

Thanks for your input JayCT. I am used to urban living coming from Brooklyn, so I guess I should be fine.

Has anybody lived in the City Trust building or even Golden Hill? If so, how was it living in that general area, I'd love to hear first hand experiences.

Regards.

[optikitry]

I've been looking around for a place. Does anybody know of any loft style apartments in Fairfield, CT?

I need more of an idea about the general area around 955 main street brigeport, before I make a final decision.

Thanks!

[HelloSam]

Fairfield's not really the kind of town that has loft conversion buildings. For commuters, Mosswood Condominiums are a good bet - address 245 Unquowa. Walk to train in 5 minutes.

[reason180]

Originally Posted by optikitry

I visited City Trust apartments on 955 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT and was very impressed with the apartments and quality. I am planning on moving from Norwalk, CT, and thought check out Fairfield, Black Rock and Bridgeport. To be honest the best apartments I have found within budget were the City Trust apartments.

There was an article in the CT Post a few months ago about the City Trust building, it gave the impression that some of the residents weren't happy with the speed that work was being completed. I don't know if that is still the case.

The location of City Trust is ok. At night it is going to be pretty quiet because downtown is pretty dead. If you go a few blocks north on Main Street you will find a lot of boarded up buildings and it looks terrible. When the arcade hotel renovation is completed that will add some life to that stretch of Main Street. At night you should avoid the area a little north of Fairfield Ave between Park Ave and Washington as well as the aforementioned part of Main Street.

There is a new restaurant/bar called Two Boots that opened recently on Fairfield Ave, a few blocks away from City Trust. I suggest you head over there one night and talk to some people to get their take on things.

Welcome to Two Boots

A former factory has been turned into lofts:
The Lofts on Lafayette - Bridgeport, CT

Some more are being built on Fairfield Ave close to Two Boots:

www.bijousquare.com/323Fairfield/index.htm (broken link)

If you are looking to buy be aware that the mill rate is very high in BPT. Hopefully it will go down as some of these projects are completed. Many people in CT hate on BPT. I'm one of the few that believes the city is going to turn around....it is within commuting distance to NYC, has a nice beach, diversity, some artists, great restaurants, etc.. The bad side is the city has a long history of corruption and the economic climate of today is hurting many developers.

You should also check out the North End, Brooklawn, Black Rock, and around Beardsley Park.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by optikitry

I've been looking around for a place. Does anybody know of any loft style apartments in Fairfield, CT?

I need more of an idea about the general area around 955 main street brigeport, before I make a final decision.

Thanks!

Fairfield is an upscale suburban community. Lofts are usually found in urban areas where there are a lot of older factories and Fairfield does not have a lot of that. You will find some apartments around town, but they can be pricey because Fairfield is a desirable town to live in. The Tunxis Hill area is generally the most affordable section of town, but it is not near the train station. The state is constructing a new station to serve that side of town however it won't be completed for a couple of years. Jay

[johnmike59]

Five years out, Bridgeport will be the jewel on the Sound. I believe it's already commenced for all of the reasons you state.

[optikitry]

Thanks all for the feedback. I'm going to go ahead and move to BPort! Easy commute being a huge factor.

[Donna-Marie Szabo]

I recently moved into the second phase of the City Trust Apartments on
Golden Hill Street. I am a single mother with an 18 year old who is off
to study in London. I love the apartment and so far everyone that I have
met in the building are very pleasant. I feel safe there, although I would
not walk around the area at night (even though it seems to be pretty
quiet.)

I am hoping that a few years down the road when all of the buildings that
are planning to be renovated are completed (which I"m sure will take a
while) that downtown Bridgeport is going to be a fun place to live. I lived
in Bridgeport from 1987 - 1995, and there have already been a lot of
improvements to the downtown area. I'm looking forward to trying all
of the restaurants downtown; there are lots of new ones and more to come.