Pleasure Beach

[@JJ33438]

Thanks for this documentary. I worked at Pleasure Beach as a teen ager for two summers and it was a place with an atmosphere that permeated my entire life. the experience for me was wonderful. Most documentaries do not mention the french doored ballroom - every Friday and Saturday night there were dances and some big bands came (the end of an era for sure) my bosses owned the boat rides and two of the stands. I remember the roller coaster (all wood) and the cabins along the shore and the busses coming to the island on the weekends mostly from New York. For me it was a magical place still is in my memories..

[@mollysquirts]

great video

[@hollowae4915]

I'm in love with this, Pleasure Beach is s place that I cherish. You guys did such a great job capturing it. Its broken, sombre, and dreary at times, but like anything of nature, it still stands. Much like myself.

[@pavlickrobert]

Great video my man. I used to love to go to Polka Dot Playhouse. The actors were not Equity actors, but they were local talent and they were great. And the performances were affordable for families and less affluent people. Not everyone in Bridgeport can afford to go to expensive concerts at the stadium. As you say in your video, there is nothing currently in Bridgeport to attract even natives downtown. When I was young, there was shopping and movie theaters and bookstores. Now there is nothing other than a few high end restaurants-bars along the downtown area of Fairfield Ave.

[@zenglider2145]

As a kid going to the amusement park with parents, Pleasure Beach was both exciting yet somehow spooky. To enter our car had to cross a rotting old bridge that put us at risk of collapsing from under us, as the boards made a unique clapping sound. Then upon entering the arcade area I recall being met by a strange women in an enclosed glass booth who moved very slowly, never blinked and seemed to talk without making a sound. Then there was the scary roller coaster with people screaming, giggling black girls eating something called cotton candy and little haunted houses in the distance that no one was walking toward or away from. I thought it was an island but could never explore the end of it. Only much later did I come to the realization that it was the end of a long peninsula extending out from a very familiar place --- the seawall area of Lordship in Stratford. It may be best that it is returned to the elements of mother nature ...Long live Pleasure Beach!

[@stagedaddie]

In 1977 I did a play in that theatre EQUUS. at that time it was called The POLKA DOT PLAYHOUSE. even then it was scary place to go there. there was nothing there but the theatre and the bridge was in bad shape.

[@BigSi-xw6wv]

I played their as a kid early 90's it was a very special place even then;only thing u knew to be out b4 dark lol.

[@ayoal]

got any picture of pleasure beach from the 90s b4 the bridge burnt down??

[@twistedcheese1]

Why did I think of blackpool 😂