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A18 | Saturday/Sunday, November 1 - 2, 2014 * * * * * * * THEWALL STREET JOURNAL.

OPEN HOUSE | By Melanie Lefkowitz

Bridgeport’s Black Rock Discovers ‘Cool’ Side

In the 370 years since BlackRock, Conn. was settled by Euro-peans, the area has at timesbeen a busy deep-water port anda center for shipbuilding.

Today, it is a vibrant neigh-borhood where middle-classfamilies, artists, downsizing se-nior citizens and young profes-

sionals live side by side. Resi-dents say the community, part ofthe city of Bridgeport, prizes itsdistinctive identity and engagedpopulation, as well as its down-town, local arts scene and pic-turesque waterfront park.

“It’s rare to find that combi-nation of urban amenities and

great natural beauty,” says GailRobinson, a 30-year resident ofBlack Rock and a broker withWilliam Raveis Real Estate.“There’s tremendous diversity interms of what people do for aliving…which gives it a certainvibrancy in terms of sharingideas and interests.”

Black Rock has a strong civicnetwork, with a dozen or so ac-tive organizations focused on is-sues including preservation anddevelopment to crime preven-tion to gardening.

The neighborhood has twohistoric districts, and the 1823Fayerweather Island lighthouseoverlooks Black Rock Harbor.

The neighborhood is borderedto the west by the town of Fair-field and, on its southern end,by the Sound. The waterfrontarea, known as St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea, tends to be less densethan the streets closer to thedowntown and the Metro-North’s Fairfield Metro train sta-tion, which is just over the bor-der with Fairfield.

Many of Black Rock’s shopsand restaurants are situatedalong Fairfield Avenue, a stripthat has been gentrifying in re-cent years. A proposed pedes-trian bridge at Fox Street wouldallow residents or shoppers inBlack Rock improved access tothe Metro-North station.

“We’ve started to see themartini bars come in, theespresso cafes….We’re 10 yearsinto that,” says Ms. Robinson.“Black Rock is becoming a cool,hip place to live.”

The Harborview Market, onHarborview Avenue, serves as akind of informal gathering pointfor many in the neighborhood,who make a point of stopping infor a meal, getting some grocer-ies or having a quick chat withthe neighbors.

Situated around 50 milesfrom New York City, the trainride from Fairfield to Grand Cen-tral Terminal is about an hourand 20 minutes. Interstate 95,officially called the Gov. JohnDavis Lodge Turnpike in Con-necticut, is nearby, and theBridgeport ferry terminal, offer-

ing access to Port Jefferson,Long Island, is a short distanceaway.

A wide variety of housing isavailable at a wide variety ofprices, from waterfront Colonialsto condominiums that may sellfor as little as $60,000. In 2013,the median sale price for single-family houses in Black Rock was$252,500, a 16% increase fromthe previous year, according todata analyzed by Ms. Robinson.The median listing price forhousing in all of Bridgeport inSeptember was $137,000, saysZillow.com.

“There aren’t a lot of placeslike Black Rock anymore,” saysPhil Blagys, a fourth-generationresident of Black Rock whoraised his children in the neigh-borhood and who is the presi-dent of the Black Rock Commu-nity Council. “It has a longhistory of being a community,from the Colonial period.”

Local institutions include theBlack Rock Yacht Club, a nearly90-year-old private club on theSound offering tennis courts,pool and restaurant, as well assailing. The Black Rock BranchLibrary, on Fairfield Avenue, wasrenovated in 2009. Annualevents include Black Rock Day, afestival, parade and road race.

“The same people you see atthe Little League game are thesame people you’ve seen inchurch that day, or at the club thenight before,” Mr. Blagys says.“All that is part of the fabric.”

Parks: St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea,on Eames Boulevard, is a 9-acrewaterfront park with views ofthe harbor and Sound. EllsworthPark has ball fields, tenniscourts, a playground and a waterpark.

Schools: Students from BlackRock attend Bridgeport publicschools. Black Rock ElementarySchool, on Brewster Street, hasstudents in kindergarten throughsixth grade.

Of Bridgeport’s 30 publicschools, none was classified as“excelling” by the state in 2013.Three were categorized as “pro-gressing;” three as “transition-ing;” and 24 were classified as

“review” or lower, according tothe 2012-13 Connecticut DistrictPerformance Report.

Private schools include St.Ann Academy, a Roman Catholicschool with students in prekin-dergarten through eighth grade.

Dining: Eateries along Fair-field Avenue include Toni’s Tus-can Table, a bring-your-own-bot-tle restaurant, and Walrus +Carpenter, serving American cui-sine. Bloodroot, a feminist vege-

tarian restaurant and bookstorein business for nearly 30 years,is on Ferris Street.

Shopping: Stores can befound along Fairfield Avenue, in-cluding Timothy’s Ice Cream. AWhole Foods store is in Fairfield.Additional shopping options canbe found in downtown Bridge-port.

Entertainment: The AcousticCafe, on Fairfield, hosts live mu-sic.

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$95,00013 Nash Lane. No. 6This 750-square-foot co-op has one bedroom, one bathroom and aheated breakfast nook. There are oak hardwood floors, a parking lotand storage space available in basement.

Listing History: On the market for seven weeks, according toZillow.com Property Plus: Short walk to train and beach Property Minus: There isn’t a washer-dryer in the unit. Listing Agents: Wanda Weber of Higgins Group Real Estate Open House: By appointment

$599,000106 Grovers Ave.This house has four bedrooms, 3½ bathrooms, living and familyrooms with fireplaces and two bedroom suites. The kitchen hasgranite countertops and there is a two-car attached garage.

Listing History: On the market for nine weeks, according toZillow.com Property Plus: Balcony and deck with water views Property Minus: The basement is unfinished. Listing Agents: Gail Robinson of William Raveis Real Estate Open House: By appointment

$310,000350 Grovers Ave., No. 11FThis townhouse condominium in a gated community has twobedrooms, 1½ bathrooms, a living room, a dining area and a den.There are two private patios with water views.

Listing History: On the market for 24 weeks with a reduction of$14,000, according to the broker Property Plus: Water views from windows and patios Property Minus: The unit could use updating. Listing Agents: Rose Warmingham of William Raveis Real Estate Open House: By appointment

Left, the shorefront at St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea in the Black Rock sectionof Bridgeport, Conn. Above, shops on Fairfield Avenue in Black Rock.

A customer at Harborview Market in the Black Rock neighborhood.

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