The Changing Face of Fairfield

As one would expect, Fairfield has changed dramatically over the last 30 years. Black Rock Turnpike, the main thoroughfare on the Eastern side of town, bears little resemblance to the road on which we walked or rode our bicycles over a generation ago.

Who could ever forget establishments such as Gelco, Fair Mart, Pike Diner, Gail's, Howland's, Kuhn's Corner, Leopold's, Bonanza, Dairy Queen, Turnpike Stationary, and Jimmie's of Savin Rock? They're all long gone now.

On the other side of town, the Post Road has undergone a tremendous transformation, too. Stores which were fixtures for years on Route 1 are no longer there. Now comes word that Al's Place, perhaps the most popular watering hole for the working class, is "tapped out."

According to this morning's edition of the Connecticut Post, "The legendary long-time bar at the Post Road and Thorpe Street was evicted from its building Monday because of outstanding debt."

Al's Place was the signature bar for the working class in town. I'm sure many of us recall having "a cold one" or two or three with friends and even classmates at Al's. "All your shot-and-beer drinkers, your working people, your two-, three-, and four-dollar people, they're not going to have anyplace to go, especially with the Driftwood closing and Al's closing," said Clarence Jennings of Easton. "You've got a bunch of kid's bars, but no man's bars."

Oddly, Jennings is from affluent Easton, and he's complaining about the closing of a "working man's" bar. In addition, Al's was quite popular among the younger set, too. It wasn't just a "man's bar," Clarence. The Post article states, "Al's was raided last April by police who arrested 20 people for underage drinking. But John Suchy, director of the state's Liquor Control Commission, said Al's closing had nothing to do with an action by his agency."

The closing of Al's place, one of the most recognizable "landmarks" in town, is just another example of the changing face of Fairfield. The value of assets in Al's Place is about $5,000, according to the story in the newspaper.

Fairfield was a working-class town for many years. Those of us who attended Andrew Warde came from hardworking, blue-collar families who valued the dollar. Today, though, the town more closely resembles Wilton, Weston, New Canaan, and, to some degree, Greenwich. Everything must be bigger, better, and faster. Starbucks instead of Doughnut Inn. SUV's rather than economical cars or even station wagons. McMansions over Capes. Cell phones instead of common sense and/or patience.

The closing of Al's Place, although unfortunate, may be more symbolic than anything.

Paul