#Bridgeport, CT–June 8, 2015 – Mayor Bill Finch and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal celebrated the grand opening for a new playground at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Conn. They were joined by State Representative Chris Rosario, City Councilwoman Melanie Jackson, community leaders and city officials.
“We’re dedicated to creating better parks for the Park City,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “Seaside Park is an integral part of our vision of improving the quality of life for all Bridgeporters. Thanks to the efforts of our hardworking Parks and Recreation Department for keeping the beach beautiful and helping make Seaside Park the best beach in Fairfield County. This recognition is further proof that Bridgeport is getting better every day.”
The announcement comes on the heels of Seaside Park won a Connecticut Post readers poll naming it the best beach in southwestern Connecticut.
Seaside Park occupies 325 acres of beach, fields, and glades on the Long Island Sound here in Bridgeport. The award winning beach spans three miles of the coast and is open every day from 8:00AM to 8:00PM.
“This new playground – one of 100 acres of parks that the mayor and city council have added in just the past few years – marks tremendous progress,” said Senator Blumenthal. “They are reinvigorating and reinventing what it means to be the Park City.”
Mayor Finch and Senator Blumenthal were joined by State Representative Christopher Rosario, City Council member Melanie Jackson, and Chairman of the Parks Commission Mark Marko.
“This is a fantastic new playground,” said State Representative Rosario. “Bridgeport is getting better each and every day. I can say that because just yesterday we were at the ribbon cutting for Knowlton Park. Kids and families are enjoying this playground, and we invite everyone to come out and enjoy our parks. Under Mayor Finch’s leadership, we are getting better each and every day.”
“As a member of the City Council, I’m proud to be here as we open a new playground in Seaside Park, which is our most popular park in the city,” said City Council member Melanie Jackson. “It’s important to have kids continue to be active and this playground is a perfect environment for that. I’m proud of all the parks that are being renovated and rebuilt throughout the city and I look forward to everyone taking advantage of it.”
Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York City, were the architects of Seaside Park. Work began on the park after the Civil War and took decades of construction to take on its current form.
“Seaside Park continues to be an attraction for Bridgeport residents and people from throughout the region,” said Parks Director Charles Carroll. “We’re looking forward to another successful summer at Seaside Park.”
P.T. Barnum also played a critical role in creating Seaside Park. Bridgeport’s most famous resident envisioned the first marine “rural” park in the United States. His vision was to give “all future generations the benefits and blessings of Seaside Park.”
