Connecticut is Home to One of the Oldest Malls in the Entire Country
I moved to Connecticut from Rochester, New York, in February of 1979 to launch my career as a full-time radio personality at I-95, WRKI. I find it inconceivable that after 45 years as a Connecticut resident, I'm only now learning about the state's oldest mall and historical gem, Bridgeport's Crystal Palace, the Bishop Arcade, also known as the 'Arcade Mall' located at 1001 Main Street.
To call it a 'Mall' may be deceiving compared to the shopping malls of today. In the late 1800s, this building, known as the Crystal Palace, was considered a work of art and wonder. Let's take a closer look at the rich history of this first indoor shopping mall and how the city of Bridgeport transformed the site into what it stands for in 2024.
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