Bridgeport lies three miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is located directly west of Armour Square, the home of U.S. Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park) where the Chicago White Sox play. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, the population of Bridgeport is 33,694.
Once known as Hardscrabble, then Cabbage Patch, Bridgeport got its name because it was near a bridge on the Chicago River that was too low to allow boats to pass under it, so cargo had to be unloaded. It is the former home of the Union Stockyards, and the neighborhood where many Chicago politicians including former Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley (and his son, Richard M. Daley, the current mayor), once resided.
A February, 2006 New York Times article noted that in recent years, attracted by affordable rents and a "gritty vibe," a small group of artists is taking up residence in the Bridgeport neighborhood. For example, artist Da Huang Zhou and his brother arrived in Bridgeport from China in 1986, and opened an arts complex on 35th Street in a four-story warehouse.
They also opened the Zhou Brothers Arts Foundation on South Morgan Street, which houses their own work, as well as the work of other artists. Other artsy sites within the neighborhood include the Bridgeport Museum of Modern Art on South Lithuania Avenue, and MN Gallery on South Halsted Street. In April and October, Bridgeport arts festivals feature the work of many area artists.
There are over one-half dozen public and private grammar schools in Bridgeport. High school-aged students can go to Tilden High School; teenage girls can attend the Young Women's Leadership Charter School, which focuses on math, science and technology.
Bridgeport contains a large number of bungalow-style homes and two and three-flats. A number of townhomes and bungalows have been built in the vicinity of U.S. Cellular Field and other areas in recent years.
In May 2007, the average home sales price for a single family home or condo in Austin, IL was $413,705. While this data is collected from the MLS and deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
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