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Taking care of your Loved One Is What We Do BEST!

It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always

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Home Care In Bridgeport, CT

Home Care Bridgeport, CT

They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.

However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.

Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Bridgeport, CT is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.

 In-Home Care Bridgeport, CT

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The Always Best Care Difference

Since 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.

Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.

The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.

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TESTIMONIALS

“The staff at ABC has been wonderful! It's easy to reach them, they are responsive, respectful, and cheerful. This was the first step in getting outside assistance for our Mom and we were so impressed with how thorough the care was - the first helper checked to see that her home was safe and that she knew how to use her cell phone. We'd highly recommend using their in home care.”

Peg L.
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TESTIMONIALS

“I just wanted express our thoughts about Mary, who was the caregiver for the weekend. We all thought she was wonderful!! I think her biggest strength is that she sees the work, needs little/to no direction, offers to take things out of our hands, and is a true-go-getter. For Billie, this type of help is great since she feels like she can take some time to rest and trust all is okay. Mary works hard and is also very patient. I really think Mary is a natural dealing with elderly. She is patient and kind! Anyway, what I wanted to ask is if Mary can be the consistent caregiver for the weekends. The other 4 caregivers that I have met are also very nice. We would like Mary as much as possible as she is punctual, and as I mentioned before, sees what needs doing. She is focused on what she can do to help. She doesnt just sit there next to Bill, she has eyes in the back of her head and goes the extra mile. Anything that needs to get done, she says no wait, let me do it if she hasnt already initiated it herself. She seems to have endless energy and never complained. I just felt compelled to drop you a this note to let you know how impressed we were with her. Thanks”

Petra D.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Excellent company, very experienced management and staffs. Highly recommend”

Fiona S.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Thank you so much for your kind , personalized service. My mother was always resistant to have someone come into her home to help care for her, but she is very, very pleased with Betsy. Not only does she have someone to keep her company and meet her physical needs—her kitchen is looking cleaner than I have seen it in a while. Thank you again. Your kind manner was reassuring to my mother and to me, and you have made the process of caring for my mother at home easy, and provided me with much needed relief so that I can actually return to work with a calm mind.”

Varner M.
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TESTIMONIALS

“We would like to express our appreciation and thanks for the in-home care that Always Best Care is providing our parents. You have guided us through this very difficult time and have helped us deal with my mother’s illness and her inability to care for my dad. Your caregivers are very capable and caring, and your staff is competent and thorough. We believe this makes your company invaluable to families with loved ones in need of assistance. We would recommend Always Best Care to anybody in search of quality care for their loved one. Thank you for all you and your staff do.”

Fiona H.
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TESTIMONIALS

“We would like to express our appreciation and thanks for the in-home care that Always Best Care is providing our parents. You have guided us through this very difficult time and have helped us deal with my mother’s illness and her inability to care for my dad. Your caregivers are very capable and caring, and your staff is competent and thorough. We believe this makes your company invaluable to families with loved ones in need of assistance. We would recommend Always Best Care to anybody in search of quality care for their loved one. Thank you for all you and your staff do.”

Hunter L.
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TESTIMONIALS

“Always Best Care Services is a good place to get good care. The employees would do their very best to take care of you in your time of need. I will recommended this facility to family and friends. I want to thank you so much for the exceptional care you took of my dad. I hold your agency in the highest regard and you have my deepest appreciation.”

Jaymie B.
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TESTIMONIALS

“My mother was in need of help after she broke her hip at 101 years old. She refused to leave her home. Susan Oderwald took wonderful care of her. She found caregivers for her who treated her with kid gloves and she herself went above and beyond by getting papers signed, visiting her in the hospital and fetching things for her. I don't know what I would have done without her, since I live 3,000 miles away. I highly recommend her, her services and her staff of caregivers.”

Susan A.

What is Non-Medical Senior Care in Bridgeport, CT?

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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.

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When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.

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The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.

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At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.

 Senior Care Bridgeport, CT

Types of Elderly Care in Bridgeport, CT

To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:

Personal Care

Personal Care Services

If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.

Common personal care services include assistance with:

  • Eating
  • Mobility Issues
  • Incontinence
  • Bathing
  • Dressing
  • Grooming

Respite Care Bridgeport, CT
Home Helper

Home Helper Services

Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.

Common home helper care services include assistance with:

  • Medication Reminders
  • Meal Preparation
  • Pet Care
  • Prescription Refills
  • Morning Wake-Up
  • Walking
  • Reading
 Caregivers Bridgeport, CT
Companionship Services

Companionship Services

Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Seaside Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.

Common companionship services include:

  • Grocery Shopping
  • Transportation to Appointments
  • Nutritional Assistance
  • Conversation
  • Planning Outings
  • Completing Errands
  • Transportation to Community
  • Events and Social Outings
Home Care Bridgeport, CT
Respite Care

Respite Care Services

According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local Joseph's Steakhouse or visit Marina Park Historic District, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.

At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.

If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.

 In-Home Care Bridgeport, CT

Benefits of Home Care in Bridgeport, CT

Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:

Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.

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Aging in Place: The Preferred Choice for Most Seniors

While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.

In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.

Here are just a few of the reasons why older men and women prefer to age at home:

How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?

A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.

With the help of elderly care in Bridgeport, CT, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.

Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.

Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.

For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.

More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.

In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.

With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.

 Elderly Care Bridgeport, CT

Affordable Care

In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.

Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.

At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.

In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:

If your loved one qualifies, Medicaid may help reduce in-home care costs. Review your CT's Medicaid program laws and benefits, and make sure your senior's financial and medical needs meet Medicaid eligibility requirements.
Attendance and aid benefits through military service can cover a portion of the costs associated with in-home care for veterans and their spouses.
Many senior care services like in-home care are included in long-term care insurance options. Research different long-term care solutions to find a plan that provides coverage for senior care.
Home care can be included as part of a senior's private insurance plan. Read over your loved one's insurance policy carefully or speak with their insurance provider to determine if in-home care is covered.
Depending on the life insurance plan, you may be able to apply your policy toward long-term care. You may be able to use long-term-care coverage to help pay for in-home elderly care.
 Senior Care Bridgeport, CT

Compassionate Care. Trusted Caregivers.

When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.

Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.

At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Bridgeport, CT understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.

Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.

Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.

Assisted Living Referral Services

While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.

Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.


Respite Care Bridgeport, CT

At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.

Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:

  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Recreational Activities
  • Social Outings
  • Emergency Medical Response
  • Medication Monitoring
  • Family Visitation
  • Personal Care
 Caregivers Bridgeport, CT

At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.

Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.

Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:

  • The Watermark at 3030 Park
  • Northbridge Health Care Center
  • Bishop Curtis Homes East Bpt
  • Jewish Senior Services
  • Barnum House
  • The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Campus
Home Care Bridgeport, CT

For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.

 In-Home Care Bridgeport, CT

Taking the First Step with Always Best Care

The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:

A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way

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A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive

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Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider

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Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.

If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.

At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Bridgeport, CT 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.

When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.

 Elderly Care Bridgeport, CT

Latest News in Bridgeport, CT

Bridgeport is a ‘smart city’ — and is working toward a bright future

The term “smart city” was coined in the mid-2000s to describe an idealized blend of modern technologies, enlightened urban planning and broadly inclusive civic engagement. It’s a semi-utopian notion that draws on a deeply rooted human instinct for gathering together and creating shared spaces that provide safety, security, and comfort.But what does it take for a city to become genuinely smart? The City of Bridgeport offers some intriguing clues. Despite a series of political, economic, and social challenges, the Park...

The term “smart city” was coined in the mid-2000s to describe an idealized blend of modern technologies, enlightened urban planning and broadly inclusive civic engagement. It’s a semi-utopian notion that draws on a deeply rooted human instinct for gathering together and creating shared spaces that provide safety, security, and comfort.

But what does it take for a city to become genuinely smart? The City of Bridgeport offers some intriguing clues. Despite a series of political, economic, and social challenges, the Park City is thoughtfully implementing innovative solutions that qualify it as a “smart city.”

That is the assessment of Connecticut-based writer and professor Michael Barlow, whose recent book, Smart Cities, Smart Future, surveys cities from around the world, including Paris, Singapore, and Mexico City, to identify effective strategies for designing urban spaces that are equitable, efficient, and sustainable. Barlow’s research examines how technology, urban planning, and people-power can work together to create and sustain vibrant communities, and he recently discussed his findings at a Necessary Voices lecture at the University of Bridgeport. One of his conclusions is that the City of Bridgeport itself provides a case study in a city that is pursuing “smart” strategies that parallel the best practices outlined in his book.

In his lecture, Barlow identified several examples of Bridgeport’s “smart” planning. He pointed out that Bridgeport’s Office of Planning & Economic Development spent the early Covid years working to develop an online form-based zoning code, something few other Connecticut municipalities had attempted. The online system, Zone Bridgeport, allows the city to have greater control over uses, defined by the building type and zone, as well as the quality of the buildings developed.

The code has been made available on its own website that enables interactive viewing of the code and the zoning map, empowering users to understand what can be built and what purposes are possible on any parcel in the city. Zone Bridgeport is complemented by the Park City Portal, Bridgeport’s digital permitting software, which allows users to submit (and track) zoning, building, and other city department submittals, all in one place.

Another way Bridgeport continues to innovate is by finding partners to assist when there is a capacity gap or when the partner has efficiencies that the city cannot provide. These partnerships can take many forms. For the Downtown Public Art Program, the city partnered with the Downtown Special Services District, aka Colorful Bridgeport, to administer the program using city funds, because they can be more agile and responsive to immediate needs that public art can require.

The city has also been collaborating with Fairfield University’s Center for Social Impact to recruit young and active minds to explore new issues or ideas for engaging the community and building on the city’s successes. The city is also working with the Metropolitan Council of Government, or MetroCOG, to explore ways to reconfigure Stratford and Connecticut Avenues and possibly undo the harm done by their one-way conversions decades ago.

Community engagement is essential for smart city projects. Many of the city’s plans have their own websites to invite participation and allow users to interact with the final documents. The city is also creating a subsite, called Engage, specifically for the Office of Planning and Economic Development to keep residents aware of ongoing initiatives like Complete and Safe Streets and Public Art and Placemaking programs.

“I give the City of Bridgeport high grades for its efforts to become a city that is more responsive to the needs and desires of its stakeholders, which include residents, workers, students, visitors, businesses, corporations, local civic organizations, and religious institutions,” Barlow says. “A quick look at the City of Bridgeport’s numerous programs aimed at encouraging and enabling citizen engagement at all levels reveals the extent of the city’s commitment to becoming a better place to live, learn, work, and raise a family.”

The Necessary Voices lecture itself is a reflection of the strong ongoing relationship between the University of Bridgeport and the City of Bridgeport. Students at the lecture were joined by Jonathan Delgado and Cathy Fletcher, who work in Bridgeport’s Office of Planning and Economic Development.

Delgado has led the city’s public art initiative and Fletcher is coordinating the city’s complete streets efforts. They spoke with UB students about the work they do and about their efforts to build a collaborative, equitable, and forward-looking urban community. This stimulating conversation between the city and the university provides a clear sign of a “smart” community working together to create a bright future.

Randy Laist is a Professor at the University of Bridgeport.

Bridgeport superintendent jeered, booed at tense parent forum on plan to close six city schools

BRIDGEPORT — Parents booed and jeered Superintendent Carmela Levy-David out of a public forum on a plan to close six city schools Tuesday night in the first of a planned three such gatherings.In an at-times boisterous and tense community meeting at Edison School that drew about 40 people, Levy-David said the plan was backed by data, and answered pointed questions about t...

BRIDGEPORT — Parents booed and jeered Superintendent Carmela Levy-David out of a public forum on a plan to close six city schools Tuesday night in the first of a planned three such gatherings.

In an at-times boisterous and tense community meeting at Edison School that drew about 40 people, Levy-David said the plan was backed by data, and answered pointed questions about the impact the move will have on students, the timing of the decision and the amount of money the plan could save the cash-strapped school system.

The superintendent’s proposal calls for the closure of a half dozen K-8 schools — Bridgeport Learning Center, Bryant School, Edison School, Hall School, Paul Laurence Dunbar School and Wilbur Cross School — due to unsafe building conditions and poor academic performance.

"These schools, all six of them, are schools that have been losing enrollment and have been chronically failing our students for ten years," Levy-David said, noting many of the buildings lack up-to-date equipment.

The meeting marked the first time the superintendent has personally addressed parents since she announced her proposal last week to shutter the schools over the course of three years and repurpose two of the buildings as educational facilities. The plan has already sparked opposition from local residents, including Edison parents who plan to fight the planned closure.

The three-year plan, which has not yet been approved by the Board of Education, is set to unfold over multiple phases, with BLC, Edison and Hall closing as soon as this June. Meanwhile, Cross and Dunbar would both close by August of 2025 and Bryant would close by June of 2026.

Levy-David told parents she identified the six schools after consulting building condition reports, analyzing attendance and enrollment rates and reviewing test scores among students who attend the facilities, including state assessments that show just a handful of students are meeting reading and math standards.

She said the schools all have relatively high student mobility rates of between 30 and 40 percent, meaning nearly four in 10 students who enroll transfer elsewhere in the district, move to a charter program or leave the school system altogether. The schools currently serve around 1,400 students in total.

"I have more controlled transfers out of these six schools than I have in any other school in the district," Levy-David said. "I have parents who do not want to send students to these particular six schools."

Levy-David has argued her wide-ranging plan to close the six schools, dubbed Rising Together, could save the school system up to $7.2 million a year. The proposal includes a plan to repurpose Cross and Dunbar into a special education facility and a center for new students and parents, respectively.

In response to questions about the financial impact of the closures, Levy-David said converting Cross would save the district millions by providing new space to serve special education students the district currently has to send out of district due to a lack of facilities. Levy-David said the district currently spends $31 million to send those students to be educated outside the city.

A handful of parents expressed skepticism that the proposal would lead to millions in savings. Chaila Robinson, the parent of a special needs student, said she felt the superintendent broke the trust with parents by not seeking their input in the decision to shutter six schools.

"Even though you came to this educated decision, you didn’t include us and you left us out," Robinson told Levy-David. "So now we’re left to do what? Trust that what you proposed makes sense for my child?"

The forum was interrupted multiple times by members of the audience who shouted questions at Levy-David and expressed anger over the proposal, prompting the superintendent to repeatedly threaten to cut the meeting short.

"If you are going to holler at me, I’m going to leave," Levy-David warned the audience. She would later stop answering questions and leave the meeting as the interruptions intensified.

Some in the audience accused Levy-David of violating district policies that spell out how buildings should be closed down — a claim the superintendent denied.

Bridgeport Councilwoman Maria Pereira, a former school board member who represents the district Edison is located, said the policies require the superintendent and board conduct a comprehensive facility study before permanently closing a building. She threatened to sue to keep Edison open.

"There is not one positive outcome that comes from closing a school," Pereira said. "There are three things that are great for communities — parks, libraries and schools — because they increase property values and they all meet community needs."

Wednesday’s meeting was the first of three community forums the district has scheduled to discuss Levy-David’s proposal. The second meeting is set to take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Hall School and the third is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Harding High School.

‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ is back as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus returns to CT

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus is back, seven years after having supposedly delivered its final death-defying act.The comeback is big enough to warrant two Connecticut stops less than two months apart at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport on March 15-17 and the ...

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus is back, seven years after having supposedly delivered its final death-defying act.

The comeback is big enough to warrant two Connecticut stops less than two months apart at the Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport on March 15-17 and the XL Center in Hartford on May 3-5.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus (often shortened to just “Ringling” in advertisements) has been resurrected by the same company, Feld Entertainment, that shut it down in 2017. The circus has been extensively rethought for its reemergence with three “show guides” replacing the single ringmaster model and several small performance areas surrounding one large central one rather than the old three-ring set-up. There are also no animal acts, a change that Ringling Bros. had already made in the final years of its previous circus.

The loss of the circus was profoundly felt, especially in Connecticut, the lifelong home of P.T. Barnum. One of the shapers of the American circus as we know it, Barnum was born in Bethel, ran a newspaper in Danbury, owned a general store in Grassy Plains, invested in a clock factory to boost the economy of East Bridgeport, served three years in the Connecticut House of Representatives and one year as mayor of Bridgeport and started his own lottery business, to name just a few of his local activities. Barnum also inspired one of the top stars of his circus, General Tom Thumb, to buy a mansion on the Thimble Islands.

Bridgeport was where the Barnum & Bailey circus, including its animals, spent its winters, the season when it was not on tour.

The greatest tragedy in circus history, the Hartford circus fire of 1944, happened when a tent caught fire and caused over 160 deaths and over 700 injuries, leading to national changes in fire prevention practices. The Hartford Circus Memorial was created in 2004 on the Barbour Street site where the big top’s main tent post had been.

The new show boasts 75 performers from 18 countries. Sometimes several acts are performing at the same time.

The rebirth was fueled by a simple phrase, one that comes up a lot when talking to a Feld executive and two of the circus’ stars: “The Greatest Show on Earth.”

Jonathan Vaught, Feld Entertainment’s senior vice president of production and touring show operations, has been with the company for decades. He remembers when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey tours ended and has been instrumental in bringing them back.

“We started fresh,” Vaught said, “but one of the things we knew was that people had very positive feelings about the name Ringling. We had a lot of good material to work with even though we were coming at this with a blank sheet of paper. The development timeline was longer than anything we’ve done in a while. We were already full speed ahead on this pre-COVID. Once our other shows got restarted, we turned out attention to this project.”

Feld was one of the first producers to get arena-scale shows back on the road following the pandemic. The company’s other productions include Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, Marvel Universe Live and Jurassic World Live, all of which have visited Connecticut arenas numerous times. “Ringling, even when it closed, was at the heart of this organization,” Vaught said, adding that it was a massive undertaking and a coordinated effort throughout the company.

“We started with the idea of focusing on incredible performers,” Vaught said. “For the design, the term ‘ultimate playground’ kept coming up, so that’s what we built. It’s one big circular stage but there are areas around that too. There are different acts happening close to every part of the audience. Every seat has something special happening near it. In the opening number, there’s stuff happening everywhere. You don’t know where to look.

“It’s a very hard show to describe, so many remarkable moments that keep coming at you,” Vaught added. “There’s so much content. That’s a good problem to have. The pacing is important, making sure we don’t stay in one mode for too long.”

The sense of variety is also important when considering the breadth of the audience. “We are a family show in every sense,” Vaught said. “We need to amuse the entire family, not just the kids, not just the moms and dads, all of them.”

That family friendliness goes hand in hand with affordability, Vaught said. “Coming to see this show doesn’t break the budget. It’s accessible from that standpoint. The number one goal is to entertain. At the end of the day, we need to deliver ‘The Greatest Show on Earth.’”

Two of the characters who replace the old ringmaster role have enjoyed being a key part of the reinvention.

Jan Damm, who plays Nick Nack, is one of the new set of show guides. He has performed with small circuses around the country and teaches circus arts in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he lives. “I’ve been a professional circus performer for 17 years,” Damm said. “I juggled when I was a kid, got serious after college and went to San Francisco to train at a circus school. I’ve done every kind of circus you can imagine except the two biggest ones, Cirque du Soleil and Ringling Bros.

“I was offered this job in September of 2022,” Damm added. “They were looking for someone who could bring several circus skills to the character. The directors and the Felds also made it clear that they wanted the characters to fit the performers and not the other way around. They wanted the personality of each individual to come through.”

Another of the show guides, Lauren Irving who plays Aria, agreed. Her background is not in circus entertainment but in musical theater, Walt Disney and Universal Studios theme park shows and ocean cruises, where she just played Catherine of Aragon in a Norwegian Cruise Lines production of the musical “Six”. She sings multiple songs in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey show, both originals and covers, some of which she helped choose. She sings the Rihanna hit “Diamonds” during one of the aerialist acts and even leads “a song we create with the audience every show,” using sound samples taken from the crowd and then looped. In one of the original songs she actually gets to sing the words “The Greatest Show on Earth.”

This is at odds with the sort of circuses that have developed in the last several decades, exemplified by Cirque du Soleil, which can seem more design and concept-driven. “We understand what distinguishes our show from other circuses,” Damm said. “This is not a fantasy world we’re creating. There’s no theatrical pretense, it’s real people.”

While there are no live animal acts, there is a dog in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus: Bailey, a robotic pup who interacts with Nick Nack. “I’m her human,” Damm said. “She’s like a character you might see in a Pixar movie.”

“We’ve wrapped ourselves in our new reimagined version,” Irving said, “but there’s also over 150 years of history, the merging of those visions all those years ago. If you were able to compare the very first circus to what we have now, it would be so different from now, but that very first seed is still there.”

“People still have a craving for that entertainment, that escape,” she said.

The third show guide is a percussionist named Sticks, played by Alex Stickels. There’s another lead character played by unicyclist Wesley Williams, who is “finding his place” in the circus realm, Damm explained. In the show, Williams repeats his world record feat of the highest unicycle ride at 34½ feet.

“The traditional ringmaster became increasingly obsolete,” Damm said of the change to a trio of characters. “It was more of a reference point. The audience is more educated now. They don’t need to be told about something. They don’t need to be told to be amazed. They just need to be shown the amazing thing.”

The new circus boasts traditional acts like trapeze artists (George Caceres and the Flying Caceres), aerialists (Giulia and Mattia Rossi, Kaity Mussio and Maximillian Bennett), highwire artists (the Lopez Family), acrobats (Black Diamond Trio, Duo Dust in the Wind) balancing acts (Gemini Twins) and, of course, clowns (the Equivokee trio from Ukraine).

There are also more contemporary circus styles like the folk-dancing Argendance troupe and the BMX bike ensemble Freestyle RIders. A separate BMX circus act, 360 ALLSTARS, played Connecticut earlier this month at the Garde Arts Center in New London, but Damm said the “difference is the scale. They’re riding on giant vertical ramps.”

The singular “Double Wheel of Destiny” act performed by the Navas Troupe, a twice-as-wild variation on the routine where acrobats dive in and out of gigantic rotating wheels that twist and turn in mid-air.

This is Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s grand return to Connecticut, a state which helped develop the circus as we know it and has hosted some of the most innovative circuses of our times.

“Connecticut will always be at the crossroads of the circus,” Damm said. “It’s important for us to bring it back there.”

The Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus has two upcoming appearances in Connecticut: March 15-17 at Total Mortgage Arena, 600 Main St., Bridgeport (Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; $34.95-$91.50; totalmortgagearena.com) and May 3-5 at the XL Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Hartford (Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at noon and 4 p.m.; $34.50-$113.35; xlcenter.com). Further details are at ringling.com/show/.

Dan Haar: CT lawmaker pushes reform that might have halted Bridgeport grandmother's eviction

The sad case of the Bridgeport teacher and grandmother of eight who lost her house over a credit card debt of less than $9,000 has inspired a reform move by Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport.Pansy Wright, who was evicted on Nov. 1 with her adult son from the house on Woodmont Avenue where her family had lived for 26 years, was not offered state-run foreclosure mediation...

The sad case of the Bridgeport teacher and grandmother of eight who lost her house over a credit card debt of less than $9,000 has inspired a reform move by Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport.

Pansy Wright, who was evicted on Nov. 1 with her adult son from the house on Woodmont Avenue where her family had lived for 26 years, was not offered state-run foreclosure mediation by the judge overseeing her case. The reason: The action against her was over a non-secured consumer debt, not a mortgage default.

I wrote about Wright's case in a column that appeared Feb. 29 detailing a 17-year saga in which the debt led to Wright's eviction from a house worth upwards of $300,000 or perhaps more, in which she appeared to have significant equity.

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Wright, a certified teacher and long-term substitute in the Bridgeport schools, was not eligible for Connecticut's state-run foreclosure mediation program. Only mortgage-related foreclosures can enter the program. That's unfortunate because the mediation, launched in the depth of the Great Recession in 2008, has a strong history of averting evictions and title takeovers by banks and mortgage companies.

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After reading my column, Stafstrom, co-chairman of the state legislature's influential Judiciary Committee, added language in a pending court operations bill that would require judges to offer mediation in all foreclosure cases including credit card debts and other judgments, not just those related to mortgage defaults.

The bill, which comprises more than 30 adjustments in how state courts function, is scheduled for a public hearing Monday.

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Wright represented herself in the foreclosure action by SACOR Financial Inc. and did not file an appearance in the case until March, 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic — five months after SACOR filed the foreclosure lawsuit. Over the following 15 months, Wright filed various motions in an attempt to stave off the taking of her house, to no avail.

"If this case had come in and this woman was filing a bunch of motions and the judge looked at the file and said, 'Let me send this to mediation,'" Stafstrom told me, "I think this entire process could have been avoided."

But Stafstrom added that judges don't have that leeway in non-mortgage foreclosures under the current rules.

The expansion of the state mediation program is one of several possible reforms that could, or should, happen in the wake of this case and others like it. Those include what a judge is allowed to tell defendants representing themselves and how foreclosure cases handle property appraisals.

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It's unclear whether Stafstrom's proposal will face opposition. Some lenders opposed the establishment of the mortgage foreclosure mediation program, a national model run by the Judicial Branch, when it started. It was originally voluntary and was set to end in 2014 but was later extended and must be offered to eligible people in danger of losing their homes.

Among the 6,290 foreclosure cases in Connecticut state courts last year, 4,012, or nearly two-thirds, were eligible for state-run mediation, the state's Judicial Branch said. It's unclear how many actually did use the program.

From the start of the mediation in mid-2008 through January of this year, Judicial Branch data shows, 33,819 foreclosure defendants and their creditors used the state mediation program. Of those, 71 percent remained in their homes, 16 percent moved out and 13 percent of the cases were not settled in mediation.

That is a rate of about 2,000 mediated cases per year.

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The system, which includes ten mediators paid for through a state banking fund, would most likely be able to handle the extra workload, a spokeswoman for the Judicial Branch said.

"We're still looking at implementation issues but the Judicial Branch does believe that cases involving judgment debts could benefit from mediation, spokeswoman Melissa Farley said.

One expert on court practice in Connecticut, Carolyn Kaas, a law professor at Quinnipiac University, said she applauds the proposed change. "It certainly would have helped in this point," said Kaas, a member of the state Committee on Judicial Ethics, referring to Wright's case. "It may be effective going forward."

It's true that mediation might have led Pansy Wright to reach a payback agreement and keep her house but in her case, there is some dispute about whether she had a repayment plan with SACOR. The California company's lawyers told Judge Walter Spader Jr. in Superior Court that SACOR and Wright reached an agreement. They later said in filings that Wright bounced a check, and the foreclosure moved forward.

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Wright did send SACOR a check for $1,200 but then stopped payment on it a few days later, court documents show. She said she could not contact SACOR after sending the check and claimed there was no repayment plan.

Today Wright is still staying with friends and considers herself homeless with the hope of regaining ownership of her house. It's unclear whether she has any avenues for that. On Feb. 8, SACOR sold her former house in Bridgeport for $365,000, four years after entering a private appraisal for $175,000, which left Wright with no proceeds from the sale after Wright's mortgage and a sewer lien were paid off.

SACOR did not return my messages seeking comment for the column. Three of its attorneys in the case either declined to comment or did not return calls and emails.

Foreclosures from credit card judgments are exceedingly rare, lawyers told me. It's unclear what types of debts led to the one-third of foreclosures that were ineligible for mediation last year. But Stafstrom said he's mainly aiming his proposal at cases such as Wright's.

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"Really I think what we're most concerned about is consumer debt," Stafstrom told me. "It's not a massive number of cases in comparison to the number of cases the foreclosure mediation already covers."

Not massive in number but considering the importance of each case to the people in it, this reform may be long overdue.

[email protected]

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The top restaurants in the Bridgeport area for 2024, according to Connecticut Magazine

Connecticut has no shortage of places to eat, and once again, Connecticut Magazine has surveyed a panel of food experts to share their favorite places.Experts have named restaurants in dozens of categories, from top cuisine (American, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Middle Eastern, vegetarian, etc.) to outstanding apps and desserts, romantic ambiance, beer and wine selections and the best place...

Connecticut has no shortage of places to eat, and once again, Connecticut Magazine has surveyed a panel of food experts to share their favorite places.

Experts have named restaurants in dozens of categories, from top cuisine (American, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, Middle Eastern, vegetarian, etc.) to outstanding apps and desserts, romantic ambiance, beer and wine selections and the best places to grab a burger or a slice of apizza.

Here, explore the top restaurants in the greater Bridgeport area. Looking for something brand new to try? Connecticut Magazine experts also shared their picks for the 27 top new restaurants that have recently opened around the state.

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Scroll below to see which Bridgeport area spots were named as the top restaurants by Connecticut Magazine experts.

29 Markle Ct.

29 Markle Ct., Bridgeport, 203-296-4761

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1401 Kings Hwy, Fairfield, 203-883-9222

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Strega

9 River St., Milford, 203-283-1849

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Tümü

2126 Post Road, Fairfield, 203-858-7181

Bar 140

140 Center St., Shelton, 203-513-2164

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Dew Drop Inn

25 North Ave., Derby, 203-735-7757

Bella Sera Ristorante

437 Tunxis Hill Road, Fairfield, 203-335-7701

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Martel

2316 Post Road, Fairfield, 203-292-6916

Don Rene Taqueria

50 S. Broad St., Milford, 203-283-9191

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Geronimo

2070 Post Road, Fairfield, 203-955-1643

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Ginkgo Sichuan Cuisine

923 Post Road, Fairfield, 203-220-9666

Lao Sze Chuan

1585 Boston Post Road, Milford, 203-783-0558

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Old Street

187 Cherry St., Milford, 203-283-0542

Shu

1795 Post Road, Fairfield, 203-255-6888

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R&B (Ramen & Bao)

112 Main St., Oxford, 203-463-8251

Ruuthai's Kitchen

648 Beechwood Ave., Bridgeport, 475-282-4600

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Mecha

1215 Post Road, Fairfield, 203-292-8222

Pho Hong Thom

48 Wood Ave., Bridgeport, 203-690-1533

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Ph? Nha Trang

80 Post Road, Fairfield, 475-999-8433

Phoenix Vietnamese Cuisine

49 Pershing Drive, Derby, 203-751-9572

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The Greek Spot

726 E. Broadway, Milford, 203-693-3970

Urban Greek Kitchen

702 Bridgeport Ave. Suite 102A, Shelton, 203-513-2340

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Layla's Falafel

2088 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, 203-384-0100

Barcelona Wine Bar

4180 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, 203-255-0800

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Bloodroot

85 Ferris St., Bridgeport, 203-576-9168

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Shandals Vegetarian Cafe

520 Capitol Ave., Bridgeport, 203-331-9777

Blackstones

2600 Post Road, Southport, 203-955-1470

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The Corner

105 River St., Milford, 203-882-1150

Harborview Market

218 Harborview Ave #3334., Bridgeport, 203-367-7336

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The Tasty Yolk

3530 Main St., Stratford, 203-913-8994 (text)

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2992 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, 203-545-9311 (text)

Bonda

75 Hillside Road, Fairfield, 203-292-9555

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Fryborg

10 Broadway, Trumbull, 203-880-9250

Artisan

275 Old Post Road (Delamar Hotel), Southport, 203-307-4222

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The Hops Co.

77 Sodom Lane, Derby, 203-734-1616

Dockside Brewery

40 Bridgeport Ave., Milford, 203-693-3900

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Riley's by the Sea

14 Beach Drive, Stratford, 203-693-9255

The Blind Rhino

3425 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport, 203-362-5001

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Sitting Duck Tavern

360 Center Rock Green, Oxford, 203-941-5141

3694 Main St., Stratford, 203-873-0871

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4244 Madison Ave., Trumbull, 203-261-1400

Archie Moore's

48 Sanford St., Fairfield, 203-256-9295

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15 Factory Lane, Milford, 203-876-5088

The Hub

313 Main St., Ansonia, 203-516-5508

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Battimelli's A&S Italian Fine Foods

2079 Black Rock Tpke., Fairfield, 203-576-1600

Gaetano's

1478 Barnum Ave., Stratford, 203-377-8860

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110 Commerce Drive, Shelton, 203-712-7350

Dogtown

664 New Haven Ave., Milford, 203-767-2895

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Rawley's Drive-In

1886 Post Road, Fairfield, 203-259-9023

Super Duper Weenie

306 Black Rock Turnpike, Fairfield, 203-334-3647

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Copps Island Oyster Shack

638 Selbys Pond Road, Stratford, 203-290-4308

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Lobster Hut

826 Bridgeport Ave., Milford, 203-631-2162

Seven Seas

16 New Haven Ave., Milford, 203-877-7327

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Brewport

225 South Frontage Road, Bridgeport, 203-612-4438

Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

238 Commerce Drive, Fairfield, 203-333-7373

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Roseland Apizza

350 Hawthorne Ave., Derby, 203-735-0494

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Sally's

665 Commerce Drive, Fairfield, 203-635-5344

Zuppardi's Apizza

58 Beaver St., Ansonia, 203-751-9006

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77 Sodom Lane, Derby, 203-732-3939

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