Living in Black Rock

Fairfield County’s Hidden Gem

Fall 2010

Black Rock—Fairfield County’s Hidden Gem

Black Rock is a coastal community with urban sophistication and historic character located within Fairfield County on Long Island Sound. Black Rock is now part of the municipality of Bridgeport, but had been part of Fairfield until the 1800’s. Bordered on two sides by water, it includes the ex-clusive St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea neighborhood with direct waterfront homes and homes with magnifi-cent elevated water views on one of the highest elevations along the Fairfield County coastline. In recent years Black Rock has experienced an exciting revitalization. This coastal community has great restaurants, coffee houses, live music venues, outdoor cafes, art galleries, and a lively sea-port with an historic theme. Driven in part by the construction of a train station, the first new stop on the Metro North line to Manhattan in 40 years, Black Rock has been transforming itself into an upscale urban community. Black Rock is home to well-known artists (including Susan Breen), fa-mous authors (including Robert Ellis), university professors and other creative people as well as corporate commuters to Manhattan and families with young children. It has the friendly, creative vibe that Westport had back in the 60’s and 70’s. St. Mary's-by-the Sea park offers fabulous views of the Sound for afternoon strolls. At the end of St. Mary’s continue your walk along the Ash Creek tidal estuary, and enjoy watching osprey and migrating water fowl in their natural habitat . Farther down the coast, Captain's Cove Seaport of-fers a full service marina and is a favorite seasonal destination for visitors and tourists featuring a seafood restaurant, shops and live music overlooking the harbor. The Arts and Entertainment District along Fairfield Avenue offers more dining and entertainment experiences, including several art galleries and live music venues. Black Rock has a fascinating his-tory as a colonial seaport and has a Historic District as well as homes on the National Historic Regis-ter. The Black Rock Historic Society is just one of many grassroots organizations active in the com-munity, along with the Black Rock Garden Club, Black Rock Homeowner’s Association, Black Rock Community Council, and the Ash Creek Conservation Association. Black Rock is a close knit community where people are friendly and interact with one another on a regular basis. Newcomers are integrated quickly into the fabric of the community as they partici-pate in events and neighborhood projects. Black Rock even has a Facebook Fan page where for-mer Black Rock residents connect with each other to reminisce. Many residents who move away return to Black Rock as it is one of the few remaining communities that is truly a neighborhood. For your convenience, we have created this Guide to Black Rock with current properties for sale and local attractions. We hope you find this guide of value.

Black Rock Attractions

Transportation

Wherever you need to go, you can get there from Black Rock. Easy access to I-95 and the Merritt Parkway puts all of Connecticut's towns and cities within reach. Hartford, the state capital, is just 51 miles away. And if you're travelling out of state, you have plenty of options:

By Air: Black Rock is just 60 miles from Bradley International, less than 50 from JFK and LaGuardia and about 20 minutes from Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Don't feel like driving there yourself? Connecticut Limo's Bridgeport terminal is just minutes away from Fairfield Center www.ctlimo.com or get picked up at your door by Redgate Town Car service 203-259-0550.

By Ferry: It's only a ten minute ride to the Bridgeport terminal of the Port Jefferson ferry serving Long Island. Drive, walk or ride your bicycle aboard one of three ferries. Sit back, relax and enjoy the view. Experience today the simplicity and comfort of travel. Listen to the sounds of the waves as you enjoy a meal from the Snack Bar or, if you choose, have a cocktail in the Steamboat Lounge as the Ferry cruises across the Sound. Make reservations ahead of time if you plan to board with your car. www.portjeffferry.com

By Rail: The Metro-North Railroad will take you to New York City's Grand Central Terminal, about 50 miles from Black Rock. There are two train stations in Fairfield, with a third one on the way, the Black Rock Train Station (under construction) www.mta.info/mnr

Amtrak serves the entire Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C., with stops in nearby Bridgeport. www.amtrak.com

Within Connecticut, Metro-North serves more than a dozen shoreline communities from Greenwich to New Haven, with connections to Waterbury, Danbury, and Shoreline East

Library

The newly renovated Black Rock branch library is located at 2705 Fairfield Avenue. (203) 337-9676

Parks & Recreation

Along the coast of Long Island Sound in Black Rock you'll find a small sandy beach on Seabright Avenue. The beach is good for sunbathing and ideal for launching kayaks and canoes. There is a marina at Captain’s Cove on Bostwick Avenue (take Seabright to left on Brewster, right on Ellsworth, right on Prescott, straight on Yacht to Bostwick) along with outdoor dining, charter

Ellsworth, right on Prescott, straight on Yacht to Bostwick) along with outdoor dining, charter boats, and music/entertainment. The Black Rock Yacht Club on Grovers and the Fayerweather Yacht Club on Brewster have reciprocal relationships with many other yacht clubs and moorings facilities.

There is also a waterside public park, St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea that runs along Grovers Avenue (this section of Grovers is known as Eames Boulevard) overlooking the Sound providing a wonderful walking, running, or biking route. There is also a small tidal estuary called Ash Creek, which has an abundance of wildlife, including nesting osprey, migratory shorebirds, and a natural shellfish bed. It is considered an Important Bird Area (IBA) and attracts bird watchers from many areas.

Going beyond the Black Rock area, you can enjoy one of the largest seaside parks in Connecticut at Seaside Park in Bridgeport or for $120 obtain an out-of-town pass to Jennings and Penfield beaches in Fairfield. Jennings Beach is located at 880 South Benson Road and Penfield Beach is located at 323 Fairfield Beach Road. Day passes are available for $15 weekdays and $25 weekends/holidays and can be purchased on site.

For tennis, Black Rock offers private facilities at the Black Rock Yacht Club or public courts at Ellsworth Field (at the corner of Brewster and Ellsworth).

Dining

Ash Creek Saloon - Barbecue, ribs, and burgers 2895 Fairfield Avenue 203-333-2733 www.ashcreeksaloon.com Bloodroot - Vegetarian, outdoor dining with water views 85 Ferris Street (off Hackley) 203-576-9168 www.bloodroot.com

Cafe Tavolini - Italian Restaurant with outdoor patio 3074 Fairfield Avenue 203-335-1111 www.cafetavolini.com Dish - Breakfast, supper club 2889 Fairfield Avenue Phone: 368-1111

Harborview Market - Breakfast, lunch, brunch, and coffee. Outdoor seating. 218 Harborview Avenue 203-367-7336 Home on the Range - Breakfast and lunch. 2992 Fairfield Avenue 203-336-3514 Port Coffeehouse - Coffee house. 2889 Fairfield Avenue www.portcoffeehouse.com

Port Coffeehouse - Coffee house. 2889 Fairfield Avenue www.portcoffeehouse.com The Field - Irish restaurant 3001 Fairfield Avenue 203-333-0043 www.thefieldrestaurant.net Taco Loco - Mexican restaurant 3170 Fairfield Ave 203-335-8228 www.tacoloco.com Timothy's Ice Cream Best Ice Cream Shop (#1) 2974 Fairfield Avenue 203-366-7496 Viale Italian Restaurant 3171 Fairfield Avenue 203-610-6193 www.vialeristorante.net

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

Black Rock Yacht Club

Private club

80 Grovers Avenue 203-335-0587 www.blackrockyc.com

Fayerweather Yacht Club

Private club

51 Brewster Street 203-576-6796 www.fayerweatheryachtclub.com

Captain’s Cove Marina

Full service marina with slip space for 350 boats

1 Bostwick Avenue 203-335-1433 www.captainscoveseaport.com

Community Blog

Check the Black Rock Community Blog for

up-to-date information on events in Black Rock

www.blackrockonline.org