Bridgeport — the most-populated city in Connecticut with more than 144,000 residents — has been through quite a cycle. It was born as a place for fishing and farming, but became an industrialized port in the early 20th century. Like many American cities, it was slow to react to deindustrialization in the 1970s and 1980s, causing an upper- and middle-class exodus. But now Bridgeport is taking measures to redevelop its downtown and nearby neighborhoods as former factories are being refashioned into housing units. Bordered to the south by the Long Island Sound, Bridgeport is located along the Northeast train line and serves as the community to many who work in New York City. The city’s two two local employers are hospitals.